Chapter 54

Come here right away, I said! I'll chop the guy's head off if you don't! I jerk in horror as he growls loudly. I start to approach him to meet him midway as he makes his way down the steps while shaking my head. As he shoves me behind him, his gaze is still fixed on Philip. I cling to his trembling arm in the hope that he will stop. I shut my eyes in terror as he growls, "How dare you approach my mate!" What the heck has happened to him overnight? As he moves closer to Philip, I second-guess myself and try to yank him back. I cringe at the stare he gives me as I say, "Gabriel, We're only buddies, so stop it. "
I could care less! Luca, put him in jail or prison! In disbelief, I move away from him, but he's just not paying attention. I rush across to Ryan and grab at his sleeve while I look all around the room in consternation. Ryan, please go soothe him. Amanda, I'm powerless. He is currently very protective of you since his vampire half has completely awakened. He can only be calmed down by you. A thunderous smash reverberates across the air, and he sighs reproachfully as his violet eyes dart behind me. I turn around to see Gabriel's angry body approaching Philip as he is being flung into a wall. It will quickly get ugly if I don't stop this.
I sprint back to him, shouting, "Gabriel!" "Stop it." He ignores what I say. He pulls Philip up instead, smashes him on the wall once again, and then knees him in the stomach. Gabriel grabs him by the collar and tosses him a few feet up in the air, roaring as he does so and wailing in agony as he hits the coffee table. He runs over and lifts him up before mercilessly hitting and kicking him. It occurs too quickly for anybody to grasp as I go over and wedge myself in between the two men without stopping. Gabriel tosses me as I hit myself on a chest of drawers just as he was about to strike Philip.
I wail in agony as I kick the splintered slab of wood away from me. I sit up, grabbing my side, to discover Gabriel on his knees, looking at me in disbelief. The council members rush out to investigate the disturbance after retiring to their quarters earlier. But I can only see one person right now. His eyes go back and forth between a dead green and a crimson red. He loses the color in his face, and when he tries to talk, only a strangled grunt, suggesting that he is having trouble breathing, comes out. As I held my side and screamed in protest, I carefully stood up while wincing. My heart cruelly tightens as I move a few yards in his way when he turns around.
Gabriel, it's okay—"but no," he exhales as he gasps in terror at my side and the broken drawer. I wounded you. I'm sorry. I ran over to him and touched his face with my hands. You didn't really mean it, little one. I made an effort to stop you. I'm OK; everything is well. My hands are pushed away as he vigorously shakes his head. I hit you, my friend! I frantically attempt to keep him calm since I'm now afraid of how he's rebuffing my approaches. He softly pushes me away after casting embarrassed, hurting eyes my way. He transforms into his huge, black wolf and runs out of the main door with me following.
I glance outside right on time to see him dash towards the woods, his long, piercing wail upsetting the quiet night. I turn around and sigh as I see a group of men waiting for me. With anxiety in his eyes, Ryan advances. "Amanda" — "
"Bring Philip to the hospital."
"Please get back to your rooms, everyone else. We'll get together in the morning."
I do not feel up to dealing with anyone at the moment, so I place my order.
"But Luna, your injury?" A pack warrior approaches Ryan with his gaze fixed on my side.
Shaking my head, I climb the stairs to Gabriel's bedroom, or, as he has emphatically instructed me, "our bedroom."
I enter his closet and lock the door before heading across to the mirror. I frown as I pull up my shirt in response to the red marks and scratches and bumps on my waist. Whenever I touch them, they throb severely and extend right up towards where my ribs terminate. I move toward his closet and select a long, blue sweatshirt while sighing. I smooth the sweater down by slipping my head and arms through it while putting on a pair of his red colored boxer briefs. I don't care if it's loose and baggy and far too big for me. It has a woodsy, manly scent that reminds me of him, and right now, all I want is some solace.
His clothing would have to do it if not from him. I make my way over to the big, empty bed and get up on top of the blankets. I recall him looking so pained and furious at having injured me that a tear escaped from my eye. I sigh and move my fingers across the mattress. "Gabriel, come back to me. You're needed. I'm not sure when I'll stop sobbing and go to sleep, but when I do, I know he won't be there.

**** Hmm. Today, Johan, Gabriel's vampire beast, became a little envious! Can you predict what could happen next? ***

***Gabriel Silva’s Point of View***
I slam through the house's open doors and sprint down the driveway in the direction of the woodland. I let out an angry snarl about what just happened a few minutes earlier. Mura, my wolf, and Boris, my vampire, whom I curse for taking control and making me torture her, cry in response. I sprint towards the pitch-black forest, my legs pumping harder as my eyes adjust to the darkness and I can see perfectly. I leap over downed trees and quicken my pace every minute.
How was I going to harm her? Like I've been doing ever since I left the home, I question myself in disgust. Something inside of me suddenly broke after witnessing Amanda hug some other man and allow him to touch her. I got a blood hunger this morning and shouted at Ryan to lock me up inside the dungeon until a witch nearby repeated the charm on my jewelry to tame my vampire side. Although I had persuaded Amanda to sleep overnight with me, as soon as I drew her into bed with me, the pull grew stronger and compelled me to mark her. It didn't help that her hair was swept away from her neck which revealed the area where my Mark would soon lay. To keep myself from harming her required a lot of self-control. This morning, the pendant was only doing so little to deter my animals, and I realized I had to leave my sleeping beauty immediately the sun rose in order to maintain control. "We own her! You ought to have murdered the boy!" From deep within my skull, my animals growl at me. I ignore them and block them out because I don't want to handle them right now. My thoughts shift to Amanda as I jump over yet another log. I wounded her because she embraced me exactly as I am.
The one and only person I should adore and care for the entirety of my life. She continued attempting to reassure me that everything was fine, but it wasn't. I struck her—a lady I love, my girlfriend. Never in my life have I felt so upset and ashamed of myself. I should have paid attention to her and observed her, but I didn't. I had my hands full being an ass. I'm losing it because I know she's probably mad at me now and wishes to get away. Would she have already left? As I fall to a stop and turn around to go back to my house, dirt flies up beneath my paws. She will not abandon me. I'll beg for forgiveness and bow down to her feet, but I will not let her go. The one and only thing on earth making me sane is Amanda Thomas, my light. I exert more effort and quickly return to the home. Running upstairs, I discover that due of the tension between my creatures and I, I am unable to change out of my wolf shape. I can hear Amanda's regular heartbeat and gentle, steady breathing as I go closer to my bedroom.