Chapter 49

If someone had met her, at least two years ago and told her that she was going to get pregnant, lose the baby, become a nanny while meeting a werewolf who also happened to be an alpha she would have run away from the person and called them batshit crazy.

In fact, she knew exactly how fast she would run. She could almost imagine it, running across the street from the maniac who was predicting what sounded impossible.

To make matters much worse, if the same person had run after her and told her that she herself might not be human and there was a possibility of her being supernatural too she might have called the cops on them.

Sitting there and watching Gabriel narrate everything to her, it almost felt like she was in some long never ending fever dream. It reminded her of those kind of movies where the best friend slash sidekick gets to know their friend has superpowers and finds it cool.

Except Lori was different.

Did she find it cool? She couldn’t tell, it was all too much for her. And even though Gabriel had tried to explain it as simple as he could, it all still felt too much to her.

She looked down and the baby in her arms who had fallen asleep, she was holding a tiny werewolf baby.

Woah.

“Lori?!”

“Lori?!”

Gabriel snapped her out of her head and she turned to look at him.

“Hold her. My arms are getting tired.”

She said as she passed the baby to him. Her arms were getting tired. She had been holding the baby for a little over an hour and had to sit down and listen while Emilia fell asleep to the sound of her father narrating to her that he was a werewolf.

“You’re not saying anything.”

He said and Lori nodded.

“It’s a lot to take in. Everything.”

“Do you believe me?”

He asked and she nodded.

After that sight she witnessed, oh she did believe him.

“I do. I do Gabriel.”

“And now, when I think of it, if you tried and explained this much sooner to me, I would have thought you were crazy.”

Gabriel chuckled.

“I’m sorry I didn’t anyways. I… I was scared of what you’d think. Of me.”

Plausible.

Seeing him in his werewolf form was terrifying to say the least. Seeing him kill all those werewolves was too. But strangely, she knew him, his wolf had seemed familiar to her, even before she found out it was him, her eyes had followed him everywhere.

Was it because he was an alpha? Or was it because she somehow in her subconscious knew that it was Gabriel?

She didn’t know.

She couldn’t tell.

“You also have to understand that you can’t leave. At least not yet.”

“Those werewolves came for you.”

“Me?!”

She said startled and Gabriel nodded.

“It was finally time to tell her the truth. The whole truth.”

“Yes. You.”

“Why me?!”

“Because they’re looking for my weakness. And you, you just happen to be my weakness.”

Lori couldn’t take her eyes off him. What?!

Her? His weakness??

A silly orphan girl with more baggage than any normal person was his weakness?

“Gabriel…”

“It’s true Lori. From the very first moment I met you. I knew it … you are my mate.”

“Mate?”

Gabriel nodded.

“In human terms, it means soul mate. But in our world it’s much deeper than that.”

Lori inched closer to him in curiosity.

“What does it mean in your world?”

She asked and Gabriel smiled.

“Well, in my world, the great moon goddess who gives us life and who we all worship gives every wolf a mate.”

“There’s a mate out there for every wolf. Be it another wolf, or in some other cases, a human, or another supernatural.”

“Many go years without finding their mate, living and dying without ever filling that empty void. Others find them late in life, some find them early, fate most times works hand in hand to bring mates together.”

“Fate brought me to you Lori.”

Gabriel said as he smiled. He raised his hand to caress Lori’s cheek, his other hand firmly supporting Emilia who was snuggled to his chest, still fast asleep.

“Fate?”

Lori repeated and Gabriel nodded.

“Normally, unions like ours are very rare. And in most cases, many alphas or wolves from noble homes would reject mates they believed were of lower standing and status.”

“Reject?”

She asked and Gabriel repeated the word.

“Yes. Reject. It’s more common these days. The werewolf world is tough. Cutthroat. Nowadays wolves marry for power, survival, money, stronger bloodlines etcetera.”

“Rejection of one’s mate goes more deeper than you think. It’s a deep severance of an emotional bond, the earlier it’s done, the better or else you’d walk around with a wound in your heart for the rest of your life.”

Reject?

Wait.

There was a possibility Gabriel could have rejected her as his mate?!

And he didn’t.

“Why? Why didn’t you reject me?”

She asked and he stilled.

“Why would I?”

He asked and Lori shrugged.

“By all standards, I’m thoroughly unfit for you. I am weak.”

“You’re not weak Lori.”

“Or unfit for me…”

Lori shook her head. Oh that was a lie and he knew it.

She was weak.

Very weak.

“I am Gabriel. Why didn’t you just reject me?”

Gabriel shrugged. He couldn’t believe that she thought she wasn’t deserving of him. After everything that had happened, after the way that he had just murdered so many werewolves.

“Because I don’t care about all that. I never did Lori.”

“All my life… I’ve been fighting. I’ve always been alone, half of my family turned against me…”

“You think I’d really reject the one person the moon goddess sent to me to be my soulmate?”

Gabriel asked and Lori blinked back tears.

“I couldn’t reject you.”

“I would never.”

There was a long silence between the two of them and it seemed like it would go on forever till Gabriel broke it.

He had to ask. He just had to even though it would break him. He wanted her to know that she had a choice. That even if it would shatter him if she didn’t want to be with him, she had to know she had that right to choose.

“I am not the only one who can reject a mate. You also have a right to if you want…”

“I know everything I’ve talked about, everything must all seem strange and weird to you…”

He ran a hand through his bloody hair.

“I won’t force you to be with me, even though to be completely honest I still want you in my life…”

“So… if you want to reject me…”

Lori pressed a finger to Gabriel’s lips.

Never.

She wouldn’t. Despite all that was said and done, she wouldn’t.

Regardless of everything she had seen, she wouldn’t.

Gabriel, Emilia, they were the only two things she cared for in her miserable life. They were practically the only thing that made her wake up in the morning and look forward to the day.

To lose them…

She wasn’t ready to.

“I would never reject you Gabriel….“

“Never.”

She edged closer to him, her eyes on him. He was still bloody, he had washed quickly and she could still streaks of blood on his face, his hair still had blood in them.

She kissed him regardless of the blood. What did it matter?

It was after all the blood of his enemies. Blood of the people who had tried to hurt them.

Gabriel kissed her back with ferocity, his free hand pulling her head closer to him, almost forgetting the baby that was in between them till Emilia screamed in protest.

The two of them jumped back, Lori chuckling slightly and Gabriel trying to shush her.

“Think it’s time we put her down for bed. “

He said and Lori nodded.

“I’ll take her. You, get in the bathroom. I’ll be there in a minute to help you wash your hair.”

She said and gently took the baby from him.

Gabriel nodded. His heart full and racing.


******************

“Where’s Gabriel?”

Draco asked as he arrived at the house, charging for the stairs.

He had arrived no sooner than five minutes ago and was already bossing everyone around. He had the men he brought pack up the bodies. As far as Elliot knew the body would be probably burnt beyond recognition or buried in someplace nobody would ever be able to find it.



Elliot rushed towards him and stopped him, blocking his path. Draco glared at him like he was a piece of dirt beneath his shoe. His side made him all the more intimidating. He looked like a Goliath next to Elliot, despite the fact that Elliot was pretty tall himself.



“He’s talking to Lori. I don’t think it’s wise to interrupt them.”

Draco scoffed.

“It’s important. I have to see him.”

Elliot shrugged.

“I’m sure it can wait.”

Draco growled but Elliot didn’t back down. Yeah he could growl at him as many times as he wanted but from the little Elliot could eavesdrop Gabriel and Lori were having a really sensitive conversation about them being mates, they needed all their time alone. Besides Gabriel was probably exhausted. He had a really long day, he deserved a break. Even if it would be short.

Draco could come back in the morning when everyone was at least well rested. They all needed time to heal from the horrors of the night.

“It cannot. I assure you it cannot. Those wolves… they were no ordinary rogue wolves. They were hired, and I have strong reason to believe Sabrina is behind this.”

“Besides, this location is no longer safe. I need to move everyone to a safe house now!”

Elliot sighed as he rubbed his face.

“It’s the middle of the night Draco. Let us all at least get some sleep.”

Draco narrowed his eyes at Elliot.

“Get your puny ass away from my sight before I make you Elliot! I am not joking!”

Elliot rolled his eyes.

“And what would you do? Push me away?”

Draco shrugged.

“If that would make you leave my side then yes, yes I would.”

Elliot sighed.

“Just a few minutes. Give them a few more minutes.”

He finally said as he left Draco’s path.

Draco stood there contemplating Elliot’s words before grunting.

“Fine.”

“But I want everyone to start packing. We move out before sunrise.“