THE CHANGE

CHAPTER 53: The Change
~Harper’s POV ~

I stand from my sitting position and stretch my limbs. It has been a demanding last two days. I miss Gabriel. I also miss Mia. I wonder what’s going on. I know she is still with me because I can feel her. It just feels like she is resting. I meet Gabriel by the packhouse entrance. I blush when I see his eyes on me. His gaze alone can set my body ablaze. I bite my lip and continue to approach him. He walks toward me and slides his arms around my waist pulling me close to him.
“Damn, I missed you.” He leans down to take in my scent. I also take this time to delight in his invigorating scent.
“We have seen each other around. It’s not like we have been completely separated for two days.” I said to him.
“I want you with me all the time. One minute away from you feels like an hour! Harper, you’re my drug and I can’t get enough of you. Have you thought about moving into my room?” I have, but I am not sure about that.
“I have, but I think we should slow things down a bit. We have the rest of our supernatural lives to live together. You have already marked me; I’m not going anywhere.” I said to him.
“That’s right, you are mine. I will rip out the throat of every man who so much as looks at you with interest.” I roll my eyes at him.
“Gabriel, I am not okay with you getting into fights over me. I am certainly not okay with you killing anyone over me. So, stop it!” I rub his chest. I am serious, I don’t want anyone to fight over me. I can handle anyone who gets out of line myself. He didn’t reply to what I said. That means he doesn’t intend to listen to me. I breathe in a deep breath and sigh. There is no talking this Alpha male down when it comes to me. I understand the way he thinks though. When I saw Samantha brush up against Gabriel’s arm on purpose this morning in the dining hall, I wanted to gouge her eyes out.
“Are you ready baby?” He asked me.
“I am, but where are we going?” It's already late. The sun has set, it’s dark out. Not that I mind, I prefer the nighttime. She smiles at me and takes my hand.
“Come with me.” He says.

Gabriel takes me to the packhouse garage and opens the door to a truck. Hmm, I like it. He helps me up.
“If you want, you can slide to the middle so you can sit next to me.” I smile to myself. I would love that. Maybe that is why he wanted to drive his truck. There is a seat in the middle that folds down into an arm rest or up to double as an extra seat. Gabriel gets in his truck and grins when he sees that I had chosen to sit next to him. We are close. There’s nothing in between us. He starts the truck and the engine roars to life. The sound of the truck is different, like it's coming in waves. I look at Gabriel. “It’s a diesel.” Oh, that’s why. I have never ridden in one before. “They are a lot more powerful than a regular gas truck. In many ways they are a lot more reliable.” He backed out of the garage and drove us to the gate.
“Safe travels Alpha, Luna.” A guard bowed to us. I don’t know if I will ever become adjusted to the type of treatment that I have received as of late. Gabriel pulls out onto the main road. We drove in silence for a little while. I enjoy looking out the windows, the landscape is beautiful here. Gabriel places his hand on my left knee. My body freezes as chills roll over me. I take in a deep breath and Gabriel notices. I see a crooked grin pull at the corner of his mouth.
“What’s the matter, baby?” He risks a glance my way. “Does that get to you?” I don’t want to answer his question. He already knows that it gets to me. I give him an *are you serious* look. He grins at me again. Alright mister, I can tease also.

Just as I was about to make my move, Gabriel takes a left turn. It’s a gravel road. We travel down a long drive until I start to see the reflection of the moon and stars on still water. It’s a huge lake! It’s so beautiful! I turn to look at Gabriel. How is he so perfect?
“It’s beautiful.” He smiles at me and brings his hand up to lift my chin.
“It is, but it is not as beautiful as you.” My heart stills. I love this man. Gabriel helps me down out of his truck and takes my hand to lead me down a trail. He is carrying a backpack over one of his shoulders. It didn’t take us long to walk up on a beautifully lit gazebo. There are string lights all around, and it is built out in the middle of the lake. There’s a wooden walkway that leads to it. When we get to the gazebo, it is even more stunning than it was from a distance. It’s not small, it’s midsized. Gabriel releases my hand and places his backpack down to unzip it. He pulls out a small Bluetooth speaker. He must have it linked to his phone because soft piano music began to play. He walked over to me and pulled me close. One hand was around my waist to hold me while the other caressed my cheek. He gives me a tender kiss, that’s less sexual and more romantic. Gabriel pulls away and lowers his head to my marking spot.
“Harper, Have I told you lately how much I love you?” He smiles at me. I giggle, he asks me that question all the time. Sometimes, multiple times a day. I have the same reply every time.
“No.” I say back to him with a smile.
“I’ll have to tell you sometime.” He says back to me. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference in our relationship. He takes one of my hands and holds it out with his. He raises my other hand and places it on his shoulder, then he grabs my waist, and we start moving to the soft music. We have only ever danced together in a club, never like this. I relax into him and bring both my arms and wrap them around his neck. Both his hands are on my waist now. I lay my head on his shoulder as we slowly move to the music. I want to stay in this moment forever. His scent and the way he holds me makes me feel like I am healing from the death of my parents. “Harper,” he whispers to me. I look up to him. “I do love you. You are the light of my life. The reason I breathe.” Why do I love and hate that statement at the same time? My heart grows every time he tells me that he loves me. I want that, but the thought of Thane still chasing me is scary. Those thoughts and feelings that Gabriel has for me, could lead to him getting hurt or worse. He is going to try to put himself in front of me, no matter how much I beg for him to let me handle Thane alone. I can understand his way of thinking. I would gladly sacrifice my life for Gabriel. I could never live with myself if something happened to him because of me.


It’s almost 1:00am. We have really enjoyed our time together. We talked about our childhood, what we missed, our wishes for the future, and we laughed a lot. We decided it was time to make our way back to the packhouse. We get off the wooden walkway and onto the grass when I am hit with an intense feeling. I fell to my knees.
“Harper, what’s wrong?” At those words, Gabriel seems to be buckling to the force of the same power that I feel. A bright white and blue light shot from the sky covering Gabriel and I. Immediately following the light a vortex of wind circled us. I feel myself growing stronger.
“Gabriel, what’s going on?” I cry to him. Out of nowhere a powerful female voice echoed around us.
“Harper and Gabriel, your wolves have been dormant for the past two days. Once you marked and mated each other, your powers combined. Mika’s transformation has finally completed. Mia was already a Lycan, her form did not change. However, the door to your powers has been unsealed. You will begin to experience new things. You will not have all your powers immediately; they will continue to develop for a while. Embrace your new wolves and gifts. A battle is in your future. The world as you know it will forever be changed if this wicked power is not stopped. The outcome of your futures and life on earth is unclear. I as well as other deities have provided you with the ability to destroy this evil. It is up to both of you to learn and choose how to use it. Be strong, my loves.” With that the voice disappeared and our wolves began to emerge.