Julian looked down at her and reached up to stroke her cheek. She is beautiful. More so than Caitlin. I hope it ends up being a girl and looks like her mother.
Gabriella didn't like the way he looked at her, and she leaned back, away from his hand. Before she could get far, however, the hand on her cheek moved to her shoulder to stop her. She quickly looked around the room for her best chance for escape, and she found nothing.
Gabby refused to look him in the eye, and she kept hoping some idea would come to her. In the meantime, she decided to beg. "Julian, please don't do this." she whispered, barely holding back the tears as her eyes finally traveled up to his pleadingly.
I'll give her tonight, but I'm going to have to shorten the time frame for everything... well, almost everything.
"Please." Gabby begged again.
"Alright." he answered, his voice reverberating in her shocked mind. He opened his eyes and looked down at her as he said, "But on these conditions: you sleep in my bed with me and you make no hair-brained attempts at escaping... there are much worse creatures than me out beyond that door. If you do these things, I won't touch you tonight."
Tonight, she thought to herself. He only said tonight. He made no mention of tomorrow or anything else. I guess I'll worry about then when 'then' rolls around.
"Agreed?" he asked.
"Agreed." she answered, and he let go of her chin immediately and stood up. She worked on standing on her shaking knees as he walked across the room, took his shirt off, and entered what she found to be a bathroom. After a few minutes, she stood on wobbly legs as he exited the bathroom, and she walked towards the room so that she might use it herself.
Her right foot decided it no longer felt like obeying her brain's commands and stopped working for a few seconds, causing her to tumble. Julian, who had been standing near the dresser, rushed over to her at an incredible speed and caught her milliseconds before she hit the floor.
"My foot wouldn't move like I wanted it to. It fell asleep while I was curled up I guess."
"Do you need help getting up?" he asked, being very careful not to touch her more than what was absolutely necessary.
"No. I'm fine, thank you." Gabriella answered, deciding to freak out later about how 'nice' her captor acted. He let her go, she rolled over to her hands and knees before she attempted to stand again. I'm so damn tired.
Watching the stubborn woman try to take care of herself when she'd obviously had enough for one day, Julian stood close by in case she fell again. She tripped as she tried to get up off of her knees.
"Gabriella, let me help you." he pleaded.
"No!" she answered, wishing she sounded more forceful and less exhausted. "I'll do it myself, thank you." she snapped as politely as she could manage. She gave up trying to stand and just crawled into the bathroom.
And you were going to take her in that state, Julian thought to himself, you monster.
She needs rest. She'll get rest, and then she'll wake up. He smiled when he thought about how he suddenly planned to wake her up.
Not even the fear that that put in her could keep her from the arms of Morpheus.
--------------------------------------------
Nate had arrived at Derek's house without so much as a whisper of a sound. As he slowly walked up the stairs, wondering what he would say to Derek if he got the chance to meet with him, a sullen voice sounded from the other side of the porch, "You don't honestly expect to just waltz right up to the front door, do you, old timer?"
Rocky. I think that's his name anyway, Nate thought.
Rocky continued, "Especially without your witch lady friend."
Nate turned to him now to say, "Who's been kidnapped."
Two front legs of a chair hit the floorboards of the porch as Rocky said, "What?! How could you let this happen?"
"You're ovulating." Nate heard the monster's human voice say, and he had to hold onto the wall for support. If he punched it, the wolf next to him wouldn't understand, so he kept his temper under control.
"I didn't 'let' this happen. It's complicated, but she left me, then she was kidnapped... by the other pack." He looked up at Rocky's appalled face and asked, "May I please speak with Derek?"
Rocky threw his cigarette on the porch and put it out with the toe of his boot before he answered, "Yeah, sure. I'll go get him." Before the door closed behind him, Nate heard him say, "He's not gonna be happy about this."
Nate heard the thundering sound of approaching hooves.
In an instant, he stood in front of where Desi ran. Desi felt startled and reared.
I have had it with being startled tonight! she yelled to Nate as an agitated whinny came out of her.
"Sorry." Nate said to her. Seeing Desi without Gabriella drove home the fact that she was missing. He could barely keep the panic from rising to the surface.
She's gone, Desi thought to him. They took her. I was afraid. Guilt washed over the horse as Nate reached out to attempt to comfort her.
"It's going to be okay." Nate said, wishing he could believe himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the werewolf descend the stairs.
Check my saddle. They sent me here, she thought to him. She always thought that Nate was a strange master, but he was her master nonetheless. She felt mortified for failing him, and that thought filled her with despair.
"I don't blame you, Desi." he said to her as he walked back to retrieve a folded piece of paper tucked into her saddle.
Derek stood and watched the exchange between the vampire and his horse. He can read her mind. Regular Dr. Doolittle he is.
Nate opened the note and quickly scanned it, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. "It's for you." he said, finally acknowledging Derek's presence. He handed him the note.
A scowl settled on Derek's face as he read the note. "Well, this explains why you and the mare are here at my house. He wants to trade her." he said. "For the stone." He mumbled an obscenity under his breath.
Desi's head started to droop. She felt exhausted.
Derek's hand snapped down to his side, causing the paper to make a slight crinkling sound as he snapped to Nate, "You let her get kidnapped! We needed your help.. her help, and you just ... let her go. Maybe I should've just held her here until I decided what to do!"
Nate had a hard time controlling his rage. He didn't need to lash out at the man he hoped would help him, but the temptation to rip his throat out was hard to resist. "She was on her way to you. We had an argument, and I let her leave on Desi. I never intended for this to happen."
Robert's voice sounded from the front porch. "What's going on? What happened?"
Derek turned to his younger brother to say, "Tanner's pack has Gabriella."
"Shit!" Robert yelled to the stars. "You idiot! You sent her out alone?!" he screamed to Nate, now understanding the vampire's previous statement.
Nate looked the were square in the eye and said, "Yes. I thought she would be fine. It was my understanding that this pack of yours had this town under its 'protection'." He turned to Derek now and said, "I need your help. You need Gabby, and I'm afraid for her. Somebody named Julian..."
"Julian?!" Robert asked loudly.
"... has her, and I'm afraid he has plans for her that aren't even mentioned in that note.." Nate finished.
"This note only mentions trading her for the stone. It doesn't mention Julian in any way. Why do you think he's got anything to do with this?" Derek asked calmly as Robert started breathing heavy with rage.
Nate sighed and explained, "I have a connection with her, and I, even now, can hear a conversation between him and Gabby. He wants her... as a mate." Nate took another breath, again trying his hardest to keep the panic inside of him at bay. "Tonight. He only said tonight." Her thoughts came to him. He turned back to Derek again to say, "Please. Please help me get her out of there."
Derek's shoulders slumped as he said, "Without the stone, I cannot. Tanner's pack vastly outnumbers mine. He takes pleasure in passing along our curse, increasing his numbers. For years he stayed in Hidden Springs, but lately he's wanted our town as well. Our possession of the pure stone was our only edge over him."
Rob spoke up quickly, "And that's all he needs to know!"
"If you had the stone," a feminine voice spoke up from the end of the front walk, "and someone who could work it... would you help him then?"
Caitlin, Robert thought uncontrollably. It's Caitlin in vampire form.
Derek's eyes traveled over to the newborn vampire that only hours before he'd wondered how he'd trap her away from Augustus. Now, here she was, standing in his front yard.
"Marge?" Nate asked, wondering also why Robert's heart rate suddenly increased.
"Of course it's me." she answered him. "You left a very easy trail to follow, you know."
"Need I remind you that time is of the essence?" he questioned her insolent tone.
Her mother, Robert now thought to himself. She looks a hell of a lot younger than the picture Caitlin once showed me. He felt irritated at the pain he felt when he looked at his deceased girlfriend's almost-double. All except the eyes. The eyes are different, he thought when Marge turned her gaze his way and walked towards the trio.
Derek walked up to her and asked, "You'll forfeit the stone that easily?" He was incredulous.
Marge now turned her icy stare to the alpha and responded, "She's my daughter. Of course I will."
"Do I have your assurance that you won't take it back after the spell is cast?" he asked.
"You have my word." she answered stoically.
Where is August? Nate thought. He searched with his senses into the woods that surrounded the house. Surely she didn't come without him.
"I don't trust her, Derek." Robert said.
Marge ignored Robert. "I need your help rescuing my daughter. Nate and I cannot enter the house since no one will invite us. With the stone's power ... used by a real witch ... you will be more powerful than ten of his men. If I betray you, you could defeat me before the spell wears off."
Nate took a few paces towards the woods, still keeping part of his attention to the werewolves behind him as well. You're out there somewhere. I'm not that stupid. No way in hell would you ever send your greatest weapon out alone, he thought to Gus, knowing he could hear him this way. There was no answer because, thanks to Marge, Nate could no longer hear him.
Robert could feel a pull towards the witch that was almost more than he could stand. He felt furious that he could ever be attracted to a vamp like this. This must stop... now.
"But that's days away." Nate said over his shoulder. "We need to leave now!"
"I don't trust her, Derek!" Robert shouted as he advanced upon Marge. "Even now she's trying to work something over us to get us to believe she'll do what she says she will!"
Nate turned back around at this latest development. Gabriella had fallen asleep, so even in his anxious state, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly at another one of Marge's "victims". It must affect anyone who's not truly in love. I wonder who the alpha is in love with?
"I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm not casting a spell. And what have I ever done to you anyway for you to furiously not trust me?"
"He was Caitlin's boyfriend." Nate offered in partial explanation to Marge.
Oh, Marge thought in response to Nate's revelation. Oh that. That worked on him? Well, that's a dangerous turn of events.
"Calm yourself, brother. We want the stone. They want our help. Besides, it isn't right that Tanner has yet again crossed the borders into our land. We will indeed meet him on the full moon as he requests, but he'll have a little surprise of his own waiting for him. Undoubtedly he doesn't intend to really release Gabriella since Julian wants her." Derek spoke calmly to Robert.
Robert glared at Marge, and he did indeed look dangerous. "I will do as you ask, Derek." he said. "But only because you ask it. I will never trust her."
Nate couldn't stand it. "We don't have time to wait! We have to leave now!"
Robert turned his glare away from Marge and onto Nate as he spat, "If we leave now, we will be slaughtered. We have to wait."
Nate started growling at his glare, ready for a fight. He'd had it with this pack's insolent little punks.
Marge quickly spun around and stood between the two, much to Rob's surprise.
"Don't, Nate." she said quickly. "He's right." A low rumbling started up in Rob's throat behind her, so she spun around to stand next to Nate and not have her back to the wolf.
More arguing erupted between the Derek and Robert, and the remaining weres from the pack were drawn out onto the front porch to discover the cause of all the commotion. Robert refused to agree with Derek's choices, even though he'd said he would follow his order. Derek wanted him to understand, and he also couldn't back down from the almost-challenge in his brother's eyes now directed at him.
Furious he couldn't change his brother's mind, Robert decided he'd run off and try to calm his temper away from the vampire-witch that became harder to resist by the minute. Derek let him. As he ran off the house's property, he transformed himself.
He wanted to have the heightened senses this form gave him as he searched to find any trace of Gabriella. He'd trusted the woman, and he felt furious that Tanner's group had her. More so... Julian.
She was here... with the horse. They were too... both before and after. The mare's hooves dig into the earth deeper here like a sudden burst of speed was needed.
Julian was one of the two that gave chase, I can smell him. They were... herding her... corralling her to some intended destination.
Here. The mare stopped there and there to rear up... and Julian again.
A mate. He wants Gabriella.
"As long as I draw breath, I will not rest until I have avenged Charlotte's death!" Julian's voice echoed in his mind.
I didn't want to kill her. I had a mission to accomplish, and she backed me into a corner. Now, Gabriella has been taken because we refused to let Tanner have even a copy of the stone. He remembered the pain of the stone in his mouth as he'd carried it away. His saliva prevented an outright touch by providing a barrier. He could see in his mind's eye the memory of watching the light fade from the witch Charlotte's eyes.
Mine was the last face she ever saw as I instinctively ripped her heart from her chest.
He would've taken Caitlin from me if she hadn't have been killed, of that I have no doubt, to exact his revenge. Well, at least he'd try. Charlotte was their witch. Caitlin had witches' blood. Gabriella is a witch.
Robert breathed deeply the air around him. The scent was fainter by the minute.
He wants to make a hybrid, a werewolf that can handle the stone for itself.
--------------------------------------------
Rocky. I think that's his name anyway, Nate thought.
Nate turned to him now to say, "Who's been kidnapped."
Two front legs of a chair hit the floorboards of the porch as Rocky said, "What?! How could you let this happen?"
"You're ovulating." Nate heard the monster's human voice say, and he had to hold onto the wall for support. If he punched it, the wolf next to him wouldn't understand, so he kept his temper under control.
"I didn't 'let' this happen. It's complicated, but she left me, then she was kidnapped... by the other pack." He looked up at Rocky's appalled face and asked, "May I please speak with Derek?"
Rocky threw his cigarette on the porch and put it out with the toe of his boot before he answered, "Yeah, sure. I'll go get him." Before the door closed behind him, Nate heard him say, "He's not gonna be happy about this."
Nate heard the thundering sound of approaching hooves.
I have had it with being startled tonight! she yelled to Nate as an agitated whinny came out of her.
"Sorry." Nate said to her. Seeing Desi without Gabriella drove home the fact that she was missing. He could barely keep the panic from rising to the surface.
"It's going to be okay." Nate said, wishing he could believe himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the werewolf descend the stairs.
Check my saddle. They sent me here, she thought to him. She always thought that Nate was a strange master, but he was her master nonetheless. She felt mortified for failing him, and that thought filled her with despair.
"I don't blame you, Desi." he said to her as he walked back to retrieve a folded piece of paper tucked into her saddle.
Derek stood and watched the exchange between the vampire and his horse. He can read her mind. Regular Dr. Doolittle he is.
Nate opened the note and quickly scanned it, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. "It's for you." he said, finally acknowledging Derek's presence. He handed him the note.
A scowl settled on Derek's face as he read the note. "Well, this explains why you and the mare are here at my house. He wants to trade her." he said. "For the stone." He mumbled an obscenity under his breath.
Desi's head started to droop. She felt exhausted.
Nate had a hard time controlling his rage. He didn't need to lash out at the man he hoped would help him, but the temptation to rip his throat out was hard to resist. "She was on her way to you. We had an argument, and I let her leave on Desi. I never intended for this to happen."
Robert's voice sounded from the front porch. "What's going on? What happened?"
Derek turned to his younger brother to say, "Tanner's pack has Gabriella."
"Shit!" Robert yelled to the stars. "You idiot! You sent her out alone?!" he screamed to Nate, now understanding the vampire's previous statement.
Nate looked the were square in the eye and said, "Yes. I thought she would be fine. It was my understanding that this pack of yours had this town under its 'protection'." He turned to Derek now and said, "I need your help. You need Gabby, and I'm afraid for her. Somebody named Julian..."
"Julian?!" Robert asked loudly.
"... has her, and I'm afraid he has plans for her that aren't even mentioned in that note.." Nate finished.
"This note only mentions trading her for the stone. It doesn't mention Julian in any way. Why do you think he's got anything to do with this?" Derek asked calmly as Robert started breathing heavy with rage.
Derek's shoulders slumped as he said, "Without the stone, I cannot. Tanner's pack vastly outnumbers mine. He takes pleasure in passing along our curse, increasing his numbers. For years he stayed in Hidden Springs, but lately he's wanted our town as well. Our possession of the pure stone was our only edge over him."
Rob spoke up quickly, "And that's all he needs to know!"
Caitlin, Robert thought uncontrollably. It's Caitlin in vampire form.
Derek's eyes traveled over to the newborn vampire that only hours before he'd wondered how he'd trap her away from Augustus. Now, here she was, standing in his front yard.
"Marge?" Nate asked, wondering also why Robert's heart rate suddenly increased.
"Need I remind you that time is of the essence?" he questioned her insolent tone.
Her mother, Robert now thought to himself. She looks a hell of a lot younger than the picture Caitlin once showed me. He felt irritated at the pain he felt when he looked at his deceased girlfriend's almost-double. All except the eyes. The eyes are different, he thought when Marge turned her gaze his way and walked towards the trio.
Derek walked up to her and asked, "You'll forfeit the stone that easily?" He was incredulous.
Marge now turned her icy stare to the alpha and responded, "She's my daughter. Of course I will."
"Do I have your assurance that you won't take it back after the spell is cast?" he asked.
"You have my word." she answered stoically.
Where is August? Nate thought. He searched with his senses into the woods that surrounded the house. Surely she didn't come without him.
"I don't trust her, Derek." Robert said.
Marge ignored Robert. "I need your help rescuing my daughter. Nate and I cannot enter the house since no one will invite us. With the stone's power ... used by a real witch ... you will be more powerful than ten of his men. If I betray you, you could defeat me before the spell wears off."
Robert could feel a pull towards the witch that was almost more than he could stand. He felt furious that he could ever be attracted to a vamp like this. This must stop... now.
"But that's days away." Nate said over his shoulder. "We need to leave now!"
Nate turned back around at this latest development. Gabriella had fallen asleep, so even in his anxious state, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly at another one of Marge's "victims". It must affect anyone who's not truly in love. I wonder who the alpha is in love with?
"I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm not casting a spell. And what have I ever done to you anyway for you to furiously not trust me?"
"He was Caitlin's boyfriend." Nate offered in partial explanation to Marge.
Oh, Marge thought in response to Nate's revelation. Oh that. That worked on him? Well, that's a dangerous turn of events.
"Calm yourself, brother. We want the stone. They want our help. Besides, it isn't right that Tanner has yet again crossed the borders into our land. We will indeed meet him on the full moon as he requests, but he'll have a little surprise of his own waiting for him. Undoubtedly he doesn't intend to really release Gabriella since Julian wants her." Derek spoke calmly to Robert.
Nate couldn't stand it. "We don't have time to wait! We have to leave now!"
Robert turned his glare away from Marge and onto Nate as he spat, "If we leave now, we will be slaughtered. We have to wait."
Nate started growling at his glare, ready for a fight. He'd had it with this pack's insolent little punks.
Marge quickly spun around and stood between the two, much to Rob's surprise.
"Don't, Nate." she said quickly. "He's right." A low rumbling started up in Rob's throat behind her, so she spun around to stand next to Nate and not have her back to the wolf.
Furious he couldn't change his brother's mind, Robert decided he'd run off and try to calm his temper away from the vampire-witch that became harder to resist by the minute. Derek let him. As he ran off the house's property, he transformed himself.
She was here... with the horse. They were too... both before and after. The mare's hooves dig into the earth deeper here like a sudden burst of speed was needed.
A mate. He wants Gabriella.
"As long as I draw breath, I will not rest until I have avenged Charlotte's death!" Julian's voice echoed in his mind.
I didn't want to kill her. I had a mission to accomplish, and she backed me into a corner. Now, Gabriella has been taken because we refused to let Tanner have even a copy of the stone. He remembered the pain of the stone in his mouth as he'd carried it away. His saliva prevented an outright touch by providing a barrier. He could see in his mind's eye the memory of watching the light fade from the witch Charlotte's eyes.
He would've taken Caitlin from me if she hadn't have been killed, of that I have no doubt, to exact his revenge. Well, at least he'd try. Charlotte was their witch. Caitlin had witches' blood. Gabriella is a witch.
Robert breathed deeply the air around him. The scent was fainter by the minute.
He wants to make a hybrid, a werewolf that can handle the stone for itself.
