Chapter 16
Gabriel PoV.
I hear a scream coming from Rhea’s room and I order the guards to follow me, I had only just left her, and she seemed fine. Content. So, why was she screaming? Had someone gone into her room?
I hear a wolf howl and rush towards her door, but it’s locked, why would she lock the door? I told her to always leave it open. Would she defy me even after she promised to work on things between us? I doubt it.
“Rhea!” I shout through the door, open the door or I’ll break it down.”
Something was wrong, I could feel it under my skin.
The guards all watched me, and then I heard it, a howl of pain coming from inside. She isn’t opening the door because she can’t.
“Break it down.” I order the fairest, and they do, they tear the door off the hinges and throw it to one side.
I rush into the room, a stranger pinning Rhea against the wall in her wolf form, its fangs in Her neck. The vampire is trying to kill her. Fuck.
Not on my watch. She is mine!
He has no right to attack what is mine.
Wait, is her wolf yellow?
I can’t concentrate on that right now, I have to stop him before it’s too late, I can question her about her wolf later. If she survives.
I use all my speed and crash into the stranger, pinning him against the wall before he could react, “what are you doing breaking in here and defying your king?” I ask him in an ancient language, one I knew he would understand.
All of my kind knows the language I created all those years ago, it is taught to all the young.
“Not everyone wishes you to be king.” Growls the creature, his eyes blood red.
He’s out of control. He’s lost his humanity.
There is no going back for him, all of his control is gone, he’s a danger to himself and others. Especially humans. And I have a lot of humans living here under my roof.
There’s only one choice I can make.
I snap his neck before he can fight me, and throw his body to the guards, “take him away and burn the body.” I order them.
Snapping the neck won’t hold him down for long. But burning the body will destroy him. There is no turning back from fire. Not for my kind.
I turn, noticing that Rhea was back in her human form, her skin deathly pale, she looks broken laid there. She looks afraid.
I pull her into my arms, pressing my hands over the wound on her neck, she’s lost a lot of blood, and she is weak. But she’ll survive.
I hope.
Rayan walks into the room, his eyes flashing red, “how did the traitor get in here?” He asks me.
“No idea.” I sigh, “but he almost killed her. Why didn’t I sense him when I brought her to bed?”
I killed one of my own kind for her, and now I’m sat on the floor cradling her unconscious body as I try to heal her. Had love really caught me after all these years? It couldn’t have. But all the signs were there.
I cared about the girl, even if I didn’t want to admit it, and the fact that she nearly died because I wasn’t cautious enough really pisses me off.
I normally do very careful when entering a room, l always check for intruders, why was tonight different? Did she really distract me that much?
“Find out who is behind this attack, I don’t care who you have to interrogate.” I tell Rayan, my eyes on the girl in my arms. “He did not work alone and I want to know who else is behind it.”
Rayan bows. “I’ll find whoever did this.”
I nod. He must find them before they flee the area, they won’t hang around, not after they find out that their plan has failed.
They’ll try to run, but there is no where that they can go that I will not find them.
“Go now.“ I order.
He does, taking one last look at the girl in my arms before he walks out of the room. But Rhea cannot stay here, the room now has no door, and none of the guest bedrooms are ready for visitors.
There is only one option, I’ll take her to my own chamber, she can stay with me until another room has been sorted for her.
Rhea stirs on my arms, her eyes fluttering open as I walk toward my chamber at the other end of the east wing. She watches me, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“I thought I was going to die.” She admits, holding onto me as I carry her.
“I wouldn’t have let that happen.” I hold her a little tighter, “but we will have to talk about your wolf, and about what happened for you to shift so early.”
She tenses, her eyes going wide, “I didn’t know if I should tell anyone. I’ve never heard of a she wolf shifting early.”
“Neither have I.” I say softly, shoving the door to my rooms open with my foot. “But I think it’s the colour of your wolf that has me more puzzled.”
“Alora says we are different from other wolves, but she won’t tell me why.” Rhea whispers, looking around the room I brought her to. “Where are we going?”
“This is my room.” I tell her, my voice colder than I intended. “This is where you will stay for the time being until we can find whoever is behind the attack on you tonight.”
She looks around with a new sense of curiosity, “weren’t there any other rooms I could have stayed in?”
“No.” I growl, “the safest place for you to be right now is with me.”
I place her onto the bed, covering her with the thick blanket, and she lays down without a fight, her always blinking slowly.
“You’re tired.” I observe, “get some sleep, I will watch over you.”
She quickly opens her eyes. “Are you sure I’m safe?”
I nod, sitting down on the bed next to her, “I’m sure, I will not leave your side. You have my word.”
The colour of her wolf, and the fact that she shifted earlier than most might concern me, but her safety concerns me more. She is to be my wife, if I cannot keep her safe, then why would she ever trust me?
I don’t want to admit it to myself, but I want it to work between the two of us, more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time.
“Sleep.” I tell her, kissing the top of her head. “You’ll feel better once you have healed.”
She nods, turning over onto her side and holding my hand. Rhea clings to it as though I bring her comfort. Me, the one she hates most in this world.
Do I bring her comfort?
I’d like to think I do. Even if it’s only a small amount.
I have so many things I want to ask her, but they will all have to wait, at least until morning.
She needs her rest, and I need time to calm down, because the smell of her blood is enchanting.
I promised her I would not feed from her, and I intend to keep that promise for as long as I can.
Even if that means feeding from another.