The Alpha By Her Side, page 12
The only thing that she really had to wonder about was if Gabriel was going to be able to handle the fact that eventually they were probably going to have to leave the island. In her mind, she was already packing up and planning on her escape. She was going to be haunted in a different way now. The queen or Luna to the alpha was not the person everyone though she was. Desi was going to have to take a stand, and she was scared at how that actually would play out. She knew that she was going to have to deal with this simple fact that the woman didn’t like her at all. The woman was afraid of her in many ways, but at the same time, the woman at the head of the pack thought that she was more powerful. The woman was definitely afraid of another woman that was extremely powerful. Desi might be more than the other woman because of her connection with the others.
As far as Desiree had never heard, there had been no female alphas in any of the packs that she had been a part of. In a way, she was going to have to start her own. She didn’t want to be the leader, and she knew that Gabriel was probably well advanced at being one. He had been trained to be his entire life. If Desi had been here on the island, she would have been as well if she had survived. However, the others had basically given her the warning that she was going to be the next ruler of all their kind.
Desiree didn’t like that idea. She didn’t want to be that particular person and she also knew that something monumental was going to happen very soon for that to even be considered. The others had given her a vision of something that had already taken place and they wanted her to understand that was a fixed point in history. Which meant that it was going to happen whether she tried to stop it or not. There was no changing it.
There was going to be another war. This time, instead of Gabriel’s parents starting it to get rid of a few people that were on their way from completely rolling the way that they wanted to, it was going to divide all the packs. It would go through all of the packs of the world, making them split and change the way of life. It was Gabriel’s parent’s way of making sure that she actually disappeared. They were probably already starting to plan it right now, and he knew something was going to happen, but he didn’t know exactly what it was or what it could lead to. Unfortunately, she had already seen the aftermath and knew what was going to have to take place. They were going to be tested in a way that they should never have to be tested by one of their parents, and that was to make sure that they were able to stand up and rise from the ashes and completely take over as rulers.
Desiree didn’t want to believe that it was going to happen so quickly. She was still trying to figure everything out, and she was having quite a bit of difficulty doing all of that. It wasn’t like she had been told any of this beforehand. She went to Gabriel and knew that she felt a little bit calmer than he just kind of sat down in the corner and he was lost in his own thoughts as well. It was only when he reached out his hand to her that she really began to understand how lonely he was as well. The two of them sat next to each other against the wall, knowing that they had to figure out quite a bit of things together and they also had to do some things separately.
Chapter 33
“I have to turn on my parents.” Gabriel finally broke the silence as he looked at her. She turned around and didn’t say anything, but he could see the answer in her eyes. It was one that he didn’t actually want to have to deal with, either. She was scared. The fact that he had actually put it out into the universe was not something that he wanted to do. It wasn’t something that he wanted to think about. He was more along the lines of trying to figure out how he was going to do that without causing a huge rift in their kind. Werewolves were known for a few things, and one of them was having a temper. Unfortunately, when you have a temper and you have the ability to transform into a giant wolf, it didn’t exactly workout all that well. Things usually get ripped apart, and he didn’t want to make sure that did not happen again. He knew what could happen. He saw it. He didn’t want to be the one to bring all of that back to the island and their kind at all. He thought he was going to be the one to bring a lasting peace to all of the creatures he ruled over. Going against his parents this way would bring a lot of issues and fights and a possible war again was not what he wanted. He needed to figure out something to end it all quickly. He did not want the senseless deaths to happen because he couldn’t live with the outcome when werewolves would get hurt by it. He wouldn’t allow his parents to get away with it, either.
“I think right now we just need to think. We don’t need to make any plans on anything too drastic.” She replied as she looked at him, knowing that there was not much that she could do to stop him when it all needed to be done. His parents were the problem, and they were going to be the issue that they had to deal with, but for right now, they didn’t really need to voice that too loudly.
“I understand that, but I need you to understand something as well. Out of everything that is happening in the past couple of days with me finding you and bringing you back and the fact that we are extremely compatible as we found out last night, you are now my responsibility. You were my responsibility well before you even got here, which is one of the reasons why I’ve fought to find you. To have searched for you for so long and then I had to bring you here. I need you to understand a few things as well. I say that you and I have to take over and then I’m going to have to turn on my parents. I have no alliance with them. They are my parents, but that’s it at this point. What’s important to me is you.” Gabriel said as he just kind of shook his head a little bit and knew that there was going to be quite a bit of tension between the two of them because he said something. He had to clarify the air for the two of them. He had to make sure that she understood where he actually stood when it came to her versus his parents. He would always choose her.
This wasn’t something he had ever actually planned on before. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, either. He didn’t want to be this person, and he really didn’t want to have to think like this anymore. He wanted to just be happy for once that he had found his mate. He didn’t want to have this huge rift that was going to happen so close to the time that they met. They didn’t need to be tried that way. They needed to be together.
He just took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze as he pulled it a little bit closer to himself, knowing that she was probably going to be the one that was his strength. “We will have to figure everything out together, and we will. I have no doubt of that. I just need you to understand that right now you are the most important thing in the world to me. It has nothing to do with last night. You were everything to me well before that. But if you and I are going to possibly have children of our own, the more cubs that we have, the more danger that they’ll be in unless we fix the problem now.”
“Already planning a family?” she asked as she started to chuckle a little bit.
“It is our job.” he said as he smiled at her and the smile turned a little bit wicked as he leaned over and kissed her, “one I think that you and I will both enjoy trying to accomplish. At least when the time is right. Until then we can practice a bit more.”
“It definitely isn’t the right time right now.” Desiree said as she looked at him and he nodded.
“We will be careful, but for the most part, I do want you to know that this has nothing to do with me finding you or even the simple fact of bringing you here. It was partly my mistake to do that. I should have gone to you and things would have been slightly easier and we’d have a little more time to get to know each other and everything else. I didn’t want to rush last night. However, no one can deny us now or the fact that we are united. The blood ceremony is one thing, but the fact that we’ve actually mated is another.” He turned slightly as he just took her hand and let go of it for a moment and then just placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. They were going to have to figure everything out here in the quiet of the cabin with the others outside guarding one side of it. No one would actually come here, and he knew that his mother wouldn’t. She was afraid of the small creatures and even the legends of them/ Now he had a good understanding of why she never wanted him to come here. He didn’t think that she actually grasped the concept that the others were now a part of him as well. She had always planned on using him. And that’s when it actually hit him that his mother had used him to get to Desiree. The only person who somewhat supported his decision to send people to look for her in many ways throughout the world, even though she wouldn’t publicly support the action period, now he understood why. His mother had wanted him to find her so she could try to eliminate her. The guard he normally used was under her command most of the time. The last time he had sent out people to get her and bring her back, they had been picked quickly and none of the normal ones who went were there. If they had been, she would not be here with him. She would be dead.
Chapter 34
The two just sat there for a few hours just looking at the other wall, knowing that they still had other things to do to prepare for the night. Luckily for him, he still had quite a bit of food that hadn’t really been eaten. He put it away, knowing that they were going to be there for probably the rest of the week, maybe the next as well. They needed to have the time before something actually happened and they would have that time here. They needed to come together even more.
In a way, he knew that they needed to go ahead and have some kind of ceremony, but he didn’t really know what kind to have. She had been raised in different packs, but also with more humans than he had. She might have actually taken quite a bit of their traditions. He didn’t know anything about any of those things, though. This was not as easy as he had thought it would be.
“Do you want to have another blood ceremony?” he asked as he looked at her, knowing that was the most significant of their kind. It was one of the most sacred ceremonies that their species had. Most were never given the opportunity to even have one. More than that, most people did not want to be completely tied to another person, either. If something happened to one of them, it would be impossible to move on. That was a hard thing to swallow for most people. It was almost never done for children either. That was one thing he never understood until she had come back, and they began to fit this puzzle together.
“When would we have to have another blood ceremony?” she asked if she looked at him, knowing only just the bare minimum of a lot of their culture. He also understood that she didn’t really know anything about all of the different ceremonies that they could possibly have that were of their own kind. He didn’t know if this was the right time to discuss this, either. However, he wanted to have her claimed in front of everyone that they were untied. They were together and nothing would ever be in the way of that. No one could break what was already there and with another ceremony, it would only solidify everything in people’s eyes.
“One of the reasons that we would have another blood ceremony is to recommit to each other. We had basically been separated our entire lives. A lot of people that have the same issues that we do and they have done two ceremonies. But not a lot of people actually have true blood ceremonies like we had in the beginning. I just think that we should find a way to recommit ourselves to each other. Now that is our own choice, not the choices of our parents. Everything we decide from right now on is for ourselves. I don’t need another ceremony to know you and I are bonded to the other one.”
The surrounding air almost turned into something else. He knew it did just as she looked at him and knew that he wasn’t trying to force her to do anything that she didn’t actually want to do herself. She wanted to be committed to him and she knew that she was in many ways not only because they were actual mates but because of the blood ceremony in the first place. But she didn’t exactly know how he wanted to do this recommitment thing. They had been separated for so long that it was almost inevitable that they needed time to figure out who they actually were and how the other would play into their lives.
“I’m not exactly sure what you’re really asking.” Desiree finally broke the silence, but it was growing between them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to answer him, it was that she didn’t exactly know how to. She knew that they were going to be together and that they would form a good union between them, but she didn’t exactly know what was going on when he wanted to do this recommitment ceremony. So, she did the only thing that she could and that was ask him because he seemed to know exactly what he wanted.
“I didn’t know if you had picked up any of the ceremonies that the humans had done where you were. I don’t know that much about them except for the little bit of interaction that I had while I was in Europe. Is almost hilarious that you went one way, and I went the other. Then I had a whole host of guards around me that no one would ever question where is you were left by yourself with only one person who seemed to know who you were.” Gabriel said softly as he just shook his head knowing that they have been completely treated differently right from the start.
“Actually, it was two people.” Desiree sighed as she looked at him and smiled.
“Two?” he asked, knowing that the woman had been there, but he didn’t know that anyone else had been as well.
“She had a son. I was told that he was my older brother, and we often fought like brother and sister. There was nothing that I could actually do that I wasn’t being watched over. It almost seemed like he resented me in so many ways, and now I know why. I was just a liability right from the start.” Desiree said she just shook her head and then looked out the window. “he had to give up his entire life just because his mother had been tasked with taking care of me. He was unable to put down any roots either and he suffered for it. Anytime that he got close to somebody in any pack, we had to leave shortly after, it seemed. No wonder why he resented me. I would have resented me too.”
“None of this is your fault.” Gabriel said as he got up and actually stood right behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He could feel the waves still coming off of her. They had a good reading on the other most of the time.
“I didn’t think it was actually my fault. However, I understand the fact that we had to move so much all the time. It wasn’t one of those things that somebody could just adjust to so quickly. I mean, we lived with probably twelve different packs altogether throughout the entire time I was gone. I don’t remember staying very long. Maybe just about a year was the longest. It wasn’t just me that was affected. They all were affected and now that they’re going to be held and tried and then possibly executed because they were doing only what they were asked to do? How am I supposed to live with that?” Desiree asked if she turned and looked at him. “But I understand what you’re trying to say and do. I understand that you want to show me that you are united with me. I don’t need another ceremony for that. Whether it be one for the humans or for our kind. Actions speak louder to me then silly ceremonies do, to me.”
Chapter 35
“I want to show the world that you’re mine.” he said as he looked at her. “However, will do that in any way that you want when you are ready for that.”
“Why would you want to show the world?” she asked as she looked at him, very confused as to why he would want other people to see that they were just young people starting off. No matter how connected they were. They had just found each other. They were going to remain together. They both hoped otherwise it was going to be a long lifetime wishing for the other.
“Whether you like it or not, we are the next headpieces of our kind. There’s nothing that we can do about that. But that’s not the reason why I want to show people. You are mine. You are my mate. You were chosen for me. However, I would have chosen you anyway.” he said as he ran his fingers down her cheek. Then he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. The feeling that they had when they touched was one that was coming, and both started something within them. “I think tomorrow I should probably teach you how to transform. I hope you never have to, and I really don’t want you to, but I do think that you need to know.”
“Is it hard?” she asked if she looked at him. She understood his reasoning that he didn’t want her to have to transform because that meant that he was probably unable to actually defend her in any situation. He wanted to make sure that he was the one who was the most dominant. However, that wasn’t just part of it. He also wanted her to know what she was capable of doing at any time. They were the strongest of their kind as well. They had to be able to defend everyone and themselves at any given time. He also didn’t want to constantly have to be with her. To watch over her.
“At first it can be. It’s actually not that hard to do once you get the hang of it. I just want to give you a fair warning that you’re probably going to be starving afterwards. It burns more energy when we have to transform. However, you’re probably going to be able to do amazing things no matter what you do. I just want to make sure that you have the opportunity to do it if you have to.”
“I understand why you want to. I really never felt a need to actually learn, not that I had anyone that would teach me. I don’t really think that I need to know. I trust you.” she said, and he began to chuckle a little bit knowing that she really did put a lot of faith into him, and he hoped that one day he would be able to repay that. It would also be a way for them to work together and learn from each other. A simple way to build trust up between them both.
“For right now, I just think that while we’re here, it’s probably the best time for you to learn. We have the time, and we have the space, and we know that we’re mostly protected on all sides. I don’t think the others are going to give us any problems or will allow anything to happen to us.” Gabriel said is he just leaned in and placed his forehead on hers. The height difference between the two of them was almost comical. She was so small, and he was not, but they seemed to fit together better than most would. It was amazing in many ways to him.
