Chapter 70

"Why are you calling?"

Sabine asked and Lori scoffed.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Not only did you send me on a wild goose chase with the ridiculous promise of me getting help from a woman who wants nothing to do with me, you also had me followed."

"None of this is part of our fucking agreement! None at all!"

Lori shouted into the phone. The kind stranger who had lent her her phone looked at her weirdly and Lori murmured a string of apologies to the nice woman.

There was a short pause before Sabine replied.

"You must understand... I'm merely trying to protect myself."

"From what?"

Lori retorted.

"I thought you were winning."

"Are you not?!"

She fired back and Sabine sighed.

"I would be... but now your mate is after me and you know that doesn't bode well for you. Or your son."

Lori contemplated Sabine's words, she wondered if she was truly capable of hurting her son to spite her.

"You wouldn't hurt him. You wouldn't dare."

Lori warned and Sabine laughed.

"Try me."

She answered in a serious tone.

Lori blinked back tears.

"He's just a baby."

She whispered into the phone and Sabine laughed.

"My dear, I don't care. He's in my way and so are you. I would do anything to protect myself and my pack from my enemies."

"So it's up to you to decide if you want to save your son."

Lori nodded, gulping hard.

"Okay.. what would you have me do..."

She asked.

"Do what I've asked. Reject Gabriel as your mate. Maybe also try and get him off my back while you're at it."

"And how will I know my son is safe even after I do that?"

Sabine scoffed.

"I'll let you know when I'm sure I'm safe."

"When you're sure you're safe?! That's stupid!"

Lori retorted and Sabine shrugged.

"Those are my terms. If you don't accept, forget you have a son."

"Not that you cared much about him in the first place."

Sabine said as the line went dead.

Lori groaned. She handed the phone back to the woman and thanked her profusely.


Apart from the terrible headache that seemed to plague her, Lori had another dilemma. Her back ached like it was constantly slammed with a hammer. The pain started as a dull ache, right after leaving that dark alley way with the werewolf who was following her, then it slowly graduated into a menace.

She found at least three more werewolves. All of them apparently spying on her too. She didn't know how they had managed to stay well hidden but she told them off, just like she told off the first werewolf in anger and they obliged her.

It was strange but she was beginning to believe and see that she had yet another power. One that allowed them to listen to her. She didn't quite know how it worked yet but it seemed to work when she was angry and made direct eye contact.

Despite the call with Sabine, Lori sought out Gabriel for reasons of her own. No one could help her but him.

She pondered on Sabine's threat and wondered how Sabine had even discovered that Jack was alive. She had mourned Jack. She mourned him for weeks. She didn't even know what he looked like till Sabine showed her the family picture he took with the Fullers.

How could they hide that from her?!

She was his mother!

How could they hide her son from her?!

The pain hit her again and Lori bit back a groan.

She had walked all the way to the penthouse from god knows where. Apparently being a nephilim also gave her a shit ton of energy because Lori couldn't remember the last time she had a sip of water or even food to eat.

She was hungry but she was not quite out of energy. In fact that seemed to be one of the things she had in abundance.

That and the relentless pain that wouldn't leave her alone.

Across the street from the building where the penthouse was Lori looked up to where the penthouse was.

Would Gabriel still be there?!

Emilia?!

She had no idea or way of knowing.

She just knew that she has to check it out first.

Someone tapped her and she turned around startled.

There was a bald headed man in front of her with wide eyes. He smelled normal. Not werewolf. Not like her.

She gave him a look.

"Miss... are you okay?!"

He asked in a weirdly concerned voice and Lori nodded.

"It's just that... you're bleeding."

He said as he pointed to the floor.

Bleeding?!

Where?!

Lori asked herself as she looked at the drops of blood on the floor.

No way! No way that came from her.

She thought as she felt the front of her blouse. It was dry.

As far as she could tell she wasn't on her period or anything so where was the blood coming from?!

"Do you want me to call an ambulance?!"

The man asked and Lori shook her head as she realized more people were stopping and staring at her.

She turned to her right and quickly crossed the street, heading for the building.

She walked across the lobby and straight to the public bathroom stall that was on the first floor.

Inside the empty bathroom, Lori peeled off the black coat and examined her body in front of the mirrors that largely occupied an entire wall in the bathroom.

She turned her back and found out that the entirety of her back was covered in thick dark blood.

Horrified... she peeled off her blouse and gasped.

Her back was angled in a weird way... it looked like something was coming out of the two mounds that were on her back.

That.. that was why her back had been aching all day. She had ignored the pain but now she wished she didn't.

What was going on with her.

Something was peeking out of one of the mounds and Lori shakily reached out to pull it out.

"Oh... oh my god!!"

Lori gasped as she pulled out a feather.

Wings.

She was growing her wings.


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


"And you?! Where are you going?!"

Vara asked as she chased down Lyle down the hall. He was tossing his clothes into a gym bag and storming towards the exit.

"Where else?! I can't stay here for another minute."

"What do you mean?! You can't leave!"

Vara warned but he ignored her. He had done a lot of thinking and decided that whatever partnership he had with Sabine was over. She had derailed, deviated from their original plan and was only doing what served her.

Lyle knew that it was only a matter of time before she tossed him to the wolves. Not only that... he also knew that she could betray him. She had nothing to lose. He had nothing on her, nothing he could use.

He had counted on her protection, he had counted on her to stand by all her promises but he had been stupid enough to believe that she would act out in his own interests.

"Are you going to try and stop me?"

He asked as he halted and turned ri Vara and. Vara nodded.

"If I have to I will. You know I will."

Lyle shook his head.

"And why would you? You know that I'm right."

"Sabine is out of control. She's acting out... this wasn't part of the plan."

Vara shrugged.

"I don't care about that! She's my alpha. I do whatever she wants me to do."

Lyle scoffed.

"Even when she's leading you to your death?"

Vara hesitated. As much as she tried to deny it Lyle was right. Sabine was acting strange.

"That baby she's obsessed with is going to lead you all to your death. You and each and every member of your pack."

Lyle warned and Vara shook her head.

"That won't happen. I'll protect her."

"From herself I hope. Because she's making all the bad decisions now so guess who's going to be paying for that later."

"How many more of your men would you let die Vara?!"

"Stop it."

Vara warned but he ignored her and went on.

"How many more?! Would you yourself sacrifice yourself for her hopeless cause?!"

He taunted and Vara snapped.

"I said stop it!"

"For fuck's sake!"

She muttered underneath her breath.

Lyle nodded and raised one of his hands in resignation.

"I'm just saying..."

"Perhaps you should start doing some thinking yourself. Worry about your men and talk some sense into her."

Vara didn't reply.

"Where will you go?"

She asked him and he shrugged.

"I'll leave Colorado. Wait out Gabriel's anger for a while. Probably come back when everything is settled."

He muttered as he straightened out his clothes.

Vara wanted to believe him. She wanted to let him go but she couldn't compromise them. She couldn't compromise their position.

Not when he knew where they stayed. Where they lived and who Sabine held hostage.

He already knew too much. Sabine was right about them killing him off. But making him bait for Gabriel wouldn't work.

Because Lyle would sing like a canary just to absolve himself and bring them all down.

No. If she wanted to end him... she had to do it herself.

"Well... I can't let you go...Sabine would have my head..."

Lyle nodded.

"Well... what do you suggest?!"

Vara shrugged.

"We make it look like you broke out...escaped... I'll have my men chase you..."

Lyle nodded.

"That can work. That should work."

"But I also want to know where you are and what you're doing... so forgive me if you find yourself being followed and watched."

"I just want to make sure you're doing as you said you would."

He could work with that.

He could certainly work with that.

Lyle shrugged.

"I don't have any problems with that."

"Now... how exactly do we fake a break out with all the cameras in here?!"

Vara smirked.

"Leave that to me."




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


"I'm many things Draco. But I'm not a traitor. I came to you!"

Elliot argued.

Draco paced around in front of the cage that Elliot was currently locked in.

"You were with your brother. Your brother committed treason. You hid the fact that he was alive from us."

"From your alpha."

"You lured Lori out of the penthouse and got her kidnapped."

"Need I say more?!"

Draco asked and Elliot sighed.

"I didn't send her those texts! That wasn't me!"

Draco nodded.

"But you put yourself in a position to be used. Did you not?!"

"Draco... Gabriel is my cousin. I would never hurt him. Or Lori."

"I have no way of knowing for sure. All I know is that you pose a threat to everyone in this pack..."

"Are you going to lock me up here forever?! I came on my own accord!"

"I came to you! I came to help!"

Elliot snapped but Draco didn't even flinch.

He was waiting for Gabriel. Left to him, he would have passed judgement already and let Elliot spend a few weeks rotting in cage for all he cared. Just to teach him some lessons.

Gabriel would never punish Elliot for his treason, but Draco fully believed that he should. To set an example.

Cousin or not, Elliot betrayed the pack. He should be punished severely, even if the punishment meant death.

"Did you turn her? Did you turn Lori?!"

Gabriel asked as he sauntered in.

Elliot was startled by his appearance but quickly recovered.

"I did."

Gabriel stood right in front of his cousin's cage.

When he had got the call that Elliot had turned himself in, he didn't know whether or not he was happy about there being an actual lead to Lori or the fact that Elliot turned himself in.

He only wished whatever information Elliot provided would be useful.

"What happened after you turned her?"

Elliot shrugged.

"She passed out! I was so scared. I thought she died! Then when I tried to touch her she burned me."

"Her body was so hot, like lava!"

"Go on."

Gabriel urged.

"I hid. I was scared of  Sabine's men finding out. Shortly after I heard people screaming, I made a run for it.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t know who killed all those wolves?!”

He asked and Eliot shrugged. He glanced at Draco and then Gabriel.

“I thought it was you…”

He trailed off and Gabriel turned to Draco.

“No.”

He simply replied.

Gabriel turned to Elliot again.

“Lori. Do you think she’s dead?”

He asked and Elliot shook his head.

“Why would she be dead?”

“At first I was scared that she wouldn’t survive the bite… then I saw her healing and I knew there was hope. Then she becomes dangerously hot to touch… I think it’s possible she survived.”

Gabriel felt his heart leap in his chest. Then he turned to Draco who seemed to be deep in thought.

“She’s nephilim. Her body must have reacted in a defensive way towards the bite.”

He said as he turned to Gabriel.

“What does that mean?”

Elliot asked and Gabriel smiled.

“It means my mate is not dead.”