Chapter 63

"What? What is that?"

Lori asked as she looked at Elliot intently.

"Time's up!!!"

Lyle said as he barged into the basement.

"It's not."

Elliot said but Lyle ignored him.

"Don't provoke me Elliot. I'm already doing too much for you."

Elliot stood up and pointed to Lori.

"How could you treat her like this?! Like she's not human?"

He asked and Lyle shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"She hasn't eaten anything... she must be starving! Didn't you stop to think of that?"

He asked and Lyle rolled his eyes.

"She's not going to be awake anyways. Why give her something to eat? We're just preparing her next dose of sedatives to give her."

Eliot's eyes widened.

"Do you want to kill her before Gabriel gets here?! Because I wonder what he'll have to say when he sees her in this condition!"


"I mean she's a human being for fuck's same!"

Lyle groaned, he rubbed his temple.

"Oh my God!! Enough!"

He bellowed.

So loud that Lori flinched.

"You're so annoying!!! Always yapping in my ear about one thing or the other!"

He pointed to Lori.

"You know what?! Since you care about her so much... why don't you fucking stay here and keep her company for a while."

"I'm sure it'll do you some good."

With that Lyle left the basement and slammed the door, locking his brother and Lori inside the room.

When he turned Sabine was at the end of the hall looking at him.

There was a frown on her face. She had arrived shortly after Lyle had arrived. In fact she had followed him since he left with his brother.

She didn't trust him. And Lyle, Lyle was too impulsive. Too volatile. He did things without thinking.

She had to tighten the leash she had on him before he doomed them all.

"I told you it was a wrong idea bringing him here...."

Lyle shrugged.

"He's harmless. He can't do shit."

Sabine raised her eyebrow.

"Can you be really sure about that!? I mean he has ties to Gabriel..."

Lyle shook his head.

"Elliot is scared of Gabriel. He won't run to him... not after what he's done."

Sabine sighed.

"And do you think it's a good idea locking those two up in the same place?"

"It's only until I cool off... besides... we need to grab more sedatives."

"That's stupid bitch... we keep drugging her but somehow she keeps waking up."

"We had to give her at least seven shots yesterday!!"

"Can you believe that?! Seven!"

Lyle exclaimed and Sabine nodded.

"Yes... you're right... she does seem to run through them rather quickly."

The two of them walked to the living room. The cottage belonged to her Grandfather. When he died he willed it to her. She used to visit it in the winter when she was younger...

She remembered running in the same woods. She knew the woods like the back of her hands. Her men too... she had made some of them train in the same woods. It was the first place she thought of hiding Lori.

It had so many advantages.

First it was on a hill, she could spot a wolf from miles away... her men were keeping watch.. they wouldn't be able to miss anything.

Secondly, there were only a handful of her people who knew the place. Not many of her wolves knew the place.

"Gabriel has not reached out..."

Sabine said and Lyle nodded.

"He's up to something..."

"We should call him soon... make some more threats."

He added and Sabine nodded.

"I wonder what he is up to though..."

Lyle shrugged.

"He's probably trying to find her."

Sabine nodded.

"Yes.... He is. And this night is a super moon."

"You think he already knows she's here?"

Lyle asked.

"Do you think he's bidding his time? Waiting for the super moon before he attacks?"

Sabine sighed.

Questions. Questions. So many questions.

She was tired of them.

She had also been thinking. Thinking about what his silence meant and it bothered her. Bothered her deeply.

"We'll strengthen our security. Keep watch all night. Make another call."

Lyle nodded.

"Okay. Fair enough."


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


"What did you find?"

Gabriel asked and the men shook their heads. They were humans, but the ones who could be trusted. They knew enough about the werewolf world and what it entailed.

They were the scouts he had sent and they all came back with great news.

"Wolves littered the woods. It was impossible to give an estimate of how many they were... but there was a cottage on the top of a hill."

One of the men said and Gabriel nodded.

"Did they suspect anything?"

The human shook his head.

"They didn't. There's a hiking path in those woods, so humans regularly frequent the area, it provided the perfect cover. We didn't even have to take any of our weapons."

"Unfortunately we couldn't get close enough..."

Gabriel shook his head. A smile on his weary face. Hope, hope at long last.

"You've done well. We'll take it from here. Thank you."

He said as he led them out of his office, Draco walked in shortly after with Kate behind him.

"Kate... what are you doing here?"

He asked in bewilderment and she sulked.

"Well.. you wouldn't pick any of my calls or even talk to me... I had to come see how you were."

"I'm fine... I was busy.."

Kate nodded as she sat on the sofa and relaxed. Gabriel glanced at Draco who shrugged.

What was he to do?! He had met her in the elevator and she had pestered him with questions all the way up to Gabriel's office.

"Oh I understand. Any news?"

She asked and Gabriel shook his head.

"None yet."

Kate sighed.

"Remember... if you need help... all you need to do is ask. My father's wolves can be very useful."

"I appreciate your help Kate."

"Why are you here?"

He asked as he approached her.

Kate sighed.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm worried about you."

"With everything that has happened, I can't imagine how you would be feeling."

Gabriel sighed.

"You know... despite being an alpha. I have never felt so weak and helpless in my entire life."

"Oh Gabriel..."

Kate sighed, her pretty manicured fingers on her mouth.

"I cannot begin to imagine what it feels like."

What did it feel like? Losing his mate?! It felt like hell.

Brutal hell.

Like a quiet raging ache in his heart that wouldn't go away.

Like a piece of his heart had been taking a chunk out of and it. He missed her so much it physically hurt him to think about it.

"You can't."

"Well... is there anything I can help with?"

She asked again and Gabriel shook his head.

"I appreciate your concern Kate but I'd very much like if you stay out of this."

"Are.. are you sure?!"

Kate stuttered and Gabriel nodded.

"I am."

Kate stood up awkwardly.

"Okay... I just came to see how you're doing... I'll take my leave now."

She said as she sauntered out of the office.

Gabriel glanced at Draco.

"I think you were a tad bit too harsh on her."

He said and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"I don't have time for her. I know she wants to help but I can't risk it."

Draco nodded.

"You're right. So we proceed with the attack?"

Gabriel nodded.

"We do. We need to attack when the super moon is high. At it's full power."

Gabriel's phone rang and Draco glanced at the table, he picked it up swiftly.

No called ID.

He passed it to Gabriel.

"It's day two Gabriel."

Lyle stated. Gabriel sighed. They must be getting impatient with his silence.

"I'm aware of that."

He answered.

"And what is your answer? Your mate's a pretty little thing. I'm sure I'll have lots of creative ways to hurt her."

Gabriel clenched his jaw, his claws grabbing and digging into the chair he was holding.

"If you harm, one hair on her body..."

Lyle chuckled from his end.

"We won't. At least not yet but time is running out..."

"If you want her back you know what to do. I'll send you a picture just so you can remember her fondly in case it'll be the last time you see her."

The call ended after that.

Gabriel took in a few deep breaths as he dropped the phone.

"Lyle again?"

Draco asked and Gabriel nodded.

"That fucker."

Draco muttered under his breath as he picked up Gabriel's phone.

"He just sent a picture..."

Gabriel peered at it.

He felt a tightening in his chest as he looked at the picture. It was Lori. She was unconscious. Sprawled on a mattress with her skin deathly pale.

"They're probably keeping her drugged up... so you wouldn’t be able to reach her."

Gabriel sighed.

"I know. I already knew that..."

"They're going to pay. All of them."



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


"What do you mean by the bite?"

Lori asked shortly after Elliot let her know that it was safe to talk.

"Werewolf bite."

Eliot answered.

They were both sprawled on the mattress. It had been at least an hour and Elliot couldn't hear Sabine and Lyle talking anymore. They had left, but from the little he heard from their conversation... they would be back.

Back with more drugs and more security. Already Elliot could hear some wolves prancing about.

"Werewolf bite?!"

Lori repeated and Elliot nodded.

"Is that? Is that even safe?!"

She asked and Elliot shook his head.

"It's fifty fifty. You either survive the bite and become a werewolf or you don't."

"Those chances are slim... but they're better than nothing."

Lori said as she sat upright.

Elliot shook his head.

"I've thought it through... it's too much of a risk. I spoke too soon..."

"Elliot! They're coming in any moment now to drug me again! You have to do something!"

Elliot sighed.

"If you die from the bite, I would never be able to forgive myself."

"And if Gabriel runs into this trap because of me and dies I'll never be able to forgive you and myself!"

She retorted and Elliot shook his head.

"Lori... it's dangerous... forget I even mentioned it."

"I won't. I want the bite. If it'll save me... if it'll save Gabriel, then give it to me!"

"Can't you see?!"

"We're losing!"

She exclaimed.

"You don't know where we are! I don't know where we are! They want Gabriel to come here alone. You know what they will do to him if he comes here alone... I've been trying to reach him in my mind since I regained consciousness but nothing is working... please.. please just do this!"

Elliot struggled internally. Still in conflict. The full moon tonight would be a super moon. He had been feeling the effects all day. It would make all werewolves stronger. And that wouldn't bode well for them... but it also provided a chance.

Lori could become a werewolf.

And it might just save them.

"If we are to do this... then I must ensure that it works."

Elliot said as he stood on his feet.

"What?! How will it work?!"

She asked as she stood up on her wobbly feet. Her head was pounding. Everything was happening to her all at once, hunger pangs, the weakness she felt in her bones.

Would she even be able to survive the bite?!

Well... it was a better fate than death.

"We have to get you outside... the moon sets soon..."

Lori scoffed.

"You said the whole place is covered with wolves! How will you get me outside!"

"Calm down! I have a plan."