Chapter Twenty

**GABRIEL'S POV**

I sat still, watching the six o’clock news showing on the television but saw nothing. I swore under my breath as Samantha flitted through my mind, and I made a mental note to ask Oliver about her, and if she had arrived safely. Outside, the sun had started its descent casting an orange glow through the window, and Oliver was working on dinner. I ran several scenarios in my head, thinking of the best way to tell him. I walked into the kitchen just as he turned off the stove. I took a seat on the island, smiling as the sweet smell of roasted chicken drifted up my nostrils.
“That smells good,” I said.
Oliver smiled and slid two plates of fried rice and roasted chicken across the island. I took a sip of water before digging into my meal, hating that I couldn’t focus on the food because of the thoughts in my head.
“Is it good?” Oliver asked.
I smiled. “It tastes heavenly.”
He nodded in satisfaction and returned to his meal, while I stewed in my thoughts.
“Are you eventually going to tell me what you’re thinking?” He asked.
“What?”
Oliver scoffed. “You’ve barely touched your food, and you have this faraway look in your eyes. What’s going on? Is this about Samantha
I almost answered in the affirmative but instead shook my head. I was worried about Samantha, but something else occupied my thoughts.
“No…not her…”
“Then what?” He asked and shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth.
“I need to return to my pack.”
Oliver froze, the light immediately disappearing from his eyes. He lowered his spoon to his plate slowly and slowly chewed the food in his mouth. I watched as he swallowed noisily and followed it with a glass of water. I folded my fingers in my lap and watched silently.
“Why?” He asked.
“I’m the alpha, Oliver. I’ve been away for too long. That signals to other packs that my people are easy pickings. Besides, there are responsibilities I have there that I have put off for too long. I need to return.”
Oliver nodded slightly. “But…I don’t want you to leave…” His voice broke off and my heart broke with it.
“I know…but it can’t be helped. I have to go…”
“Gabriel…”
“But you can come with me.”
Oliver’s face contorted in a frown. “But I have so much here. My gallery, my father’s company…”
“And what about me?” I asked. Even though I had expected this response, I was still disappointed. I had expected that he would choose me. I had thought that he loved me enough to choose me.
Oliver shook his head. “I love you, Gabriel. But…”
“But you don’t love me enough to come with me…” I nodded and stood from my high chair. “I understand.”
“It’s not like that, Gabriel. Please understand.”
“Then what is it like?”
“It’s just…I don’t understand why you would want to leave now. Things are just beginning to work. Why now?”
“Because my people need me, Oliver,” I answered curtly. My voice coming out stronger than I would have liked.”
“And what about me? Do you not think you’re being a bit selfish?” He asked.
I laughed sardonically. “What?! I left my people, and my life back home, and followed you across the country to this place. Braved the insults from your family just for a chance for us to be together but I am selfish?!” I asked.
“Gabriel…”
“We’re not officially together, Oliver. I don’t know if we ever will be. Maybe it’s better if we part ways now before things get more complicated.”
Even as the words left my lips, I didn’t believe it. My heart ached, and deep down I knew that we were more than being together ‘officially’. Oliver’s eyes softened and began to brim with tears. I reached out my hand to him and he pulled back.
“Fine. Leave if you must.”
Without another word, he turned around and headed for the front door, and as the door closed, I could feel that we had come to the end of our relationship. I felt my wolf howl out in pain, and I was somewhat thankful to the moon goddess that I hadn’t marked him. This would have been harder than it needed to be.
I turned and walked to my room, grabbing the small bag I had prepared earlier. Each step felt heavier, the gravity of our situation weighing down on me. I hailed a taxi and headed for the airport, my gaze fixated on the buildings flying past. The private airport came into view, and I stopped the taxi.
“Here?” The driver asked, shocked.
I slipped him a fifty-dollar bill, without waiting for my change, I alighted the taxi and began the walk down the road and into the airport. The eerie silence greeted me as I stepped into the airport. The whole place was deserted and void of life. I walked out of the airport and onto the tarmac and stopped dead in my tracks as I spotted an unusual form lying on the ground. I gasped as my eyes interpreted what I was looking at, and ran towards the body on the ground. My eyes widened in shock as I gently gathered Samantha’s body into my arms. She had a huge gash on her head where the blood had clotted and flies hovered and perched on, and her throat had been slit. If not for the bash, it would have been a professional job. The congealed blood on the floor told me that she had been killed after we dropped her off yesterday.
I held on to her tighter, and tears began to gather in my eyes. I should have insisted that she didn’t get on that plane, I should have done a perimeter check. I could have saved her life, I should have been more vigilant. As I held her, I wondered who would do this to her. Why anyone would do this to her? At that moment, I blamed myself. If I hadn’t come here to begin with, all these wouldn’t have happened.
“I’m sorry, Samantha…” I said. “I failed you.”
I held on to Samantha’s body, rocking her back and forth, vaguely aware of the sound of cop cars that were getting closer.