warning: contains scenes of a sensitive nature
"Wake up, Gabriella." she heard Julian quietly order. She saw his yellow eyes pierce down as he lay crouched over her. Her eyes widened, and she immediately tried to get out from underneath him.
Her quick movements of attempted escape caused him to suddenly pounce. In a flash, he had her hands pinned over her head as he easily brought both of them together to be held by one hand so that his other one could roam free.
"What was that?" he asked her, referring to the force that had knocked him off of her some unknown hours before. "A spell?" he asked when she didn't answer him. She remained quiet so he continued, "I've seen spells worked that did pretty much the same thing; however, I've not seen anything shot out like that. That came from you... from your center. Most interestingly, it knocked you out. Why use a spell that would weaken you as well?" he asked when he noticed she had very little energy left to fight him.
"Get off of me." she ordered.
A small, short 'hm' of a laugh came out of him before he said, "Not a chance." He adjusted his position. "We've wasted more precious time, and I'm wasting more by asking you these questions." he stated. "But I simply must know what that was. How did you do it?"
"Like I would tell you." she snapped and spit in his face.
Julian closed his eyes and made the wave of fury wash over him and leave before he opened them back up as he wiped his face with his free hand. "Do not anger me, Gabriella. We're notorious for having very short tempers, and the last thing I want to do is hurt you."
"Bullshit." she argued. "You're hurting me right now." She had to keep him talking while her mind whirled as it sought any desperate plan of escape.
"No, I'm not hurting you. I'll allow that you're uncomfortable, sure, but it's not my desire to hurt you. Quite the opposite, if you'll let me."
"What do you mean, 'if you'll let me'?" she asked.
"It doesn't have to be that I'm forcing myself on you. I hate the thought of it, but I'd hate more missing this opportunity."
"If you hate the thought of it, then why are you doing it?" Keep asking questions.
He decided to go ahead and tell her. "Because I want a werewolf and witch child that can both work the stone and benefit from it." He paused and watched the information sink in.
"It's all about that damn stone! What's the fucking deal? If I ever get the opportunity, I'm destroying it!"
He gasped like she'd just uttered some blasphemy. "Doing so would mean your death, I'm sure! It's rumored to have been created by Merlin himself."
"Hah! Merlin. Oh be serious." Shit! NO! Don't be serious! "Besides," she quickly added to keep his mind off of what he might do to her, "I'm going to die anyway. Soon."
This did distract him for a moment as he asked, "What?! Why would you say that?" Is she going to commit suicide?
Damn it. How do I explain this one? He still doesn't know I'm psychic, she thought quickly.
"Have you had a vision?" he guessed.
She gasped and snapped her head in his direction. She felt horrified when his eyes widened as she realized that her shocked gasp confirmed his suspicions.
"Vision or not, I won't let you die." he promised just before her short, cynical laugh. His next movement brought him just hovering outside of her.
"No. No no no." she gasped out as she got her hands free and tried to push against him. A scowl showed up on his face as he caught her hands again and pinned them on either side just before he pushed himself inside of her in one, quick thrust.
Gabriella cried out from the sudden shock and pain. Solitary tears escaped her eyes as Julian moaned above her.
Holy shit, she's so damn tight! he thought to himself as he fought for control over himself so that he wouldn't hurt her again like he'd obviously just done.
He looked down and saw the tears from her eyes, and they broke his heart. "Don't cry." he whispered as he leaned down to kiss them away tenderly.
Gabby turned her head away from him, fighting away more tears. Not that she cared about upsetting him, but she didn't want him to see her cry either.
His hands abandoned hers so that he could wrap his arms around her as he leaned down to kiss her neck. He began to slowly rock his body with hers, gradually increasing the tempo and doing his best to ignore the way she obstinately pushed against him with her hands.
No, he's too much! Too much, she thought as her arms shook with weariness when she struggled against him. No. "Too much!" she harshly whispered as loudly as she could manage in her nearly-breathless state.
This caught his attention better than her pushing futilely against him did. "What was that?" he asked and stopped. "Am I still hurting you?"
"Yes." she breathed, and he stopped entirely.
"Oh sweet Gabriella, I'm sorry." he breathed as he kissed her cheek lovingly.
"Just ... stop!" she cried.
"That I will not do. I will not stop. I can, however, try to slow down. I told you I don't want to hurt you. I guess I can understand why you don't believe me." he said and started moving again. True to his word, he slowed down... tortuously so.
Gabriella fought hard to stifle the moan that kept trying to escape her. I'd almost rather he go fast now and just get it over with!
Julian wondered at Gabriella's sporadic clawing at his shoulders. It seemed to him that she liked what he was doing but refused to allow herself to admit it. He went ahead and smiled to himself, she wasn't looking at him anyway, as he watched the emotions play on her face. He leaned down and playfully whispered in her ear, "It's okay to like it, you know. I won't tell."
This infuriated Gabby, and she found renewed energy as she started trying to claw him to shreds like a cat while letting out an enraged squeal. Julian only laughed.
"Scratch away, kitten." he told her with laughter in his voice, enjoying the new nickname as he started picking up the tempo now that she seemed more used to him.
Damn him! He's not going to let up, is he? she thought as that moan she'd fought so hard to keep inside slipped out. "Stop." she whispered desperately, angry at her own body for the second time that day.
"No, because I'm not hurting you." he said as he refused. "Admit it," he whispered back to her as he continued to thoroughly enjoy her body, "this feels damn good."
"No." she moaned, furious but unable to fight the fact that he spoke the truth. "Please."
"Okay." he said quickly, mistaking her meaning on purpose as he really picked up the tempo.
"No!" she gasped. "That's not..." she said, but she couldn't finish her sentence because her body had taken control of her mind. She nonetheless rocked her head from side to side as she continued to fight him even if only in her mind.
Julian stopped this by leaning down to kiss her mouth. Just then he groaned to her whimper as they climaxed almost simultaneously.
As the night dragged on, Gabby would go through phases where she'd fight him with everything she had to just giving in and hoping it would end soon. Every time she did the latter, Julian would get a little angry that she could be so distant. So, each time this happened, he forced her to mentally come back to him. He figured out quickly that she hated it slow, and he enjoyed the wonderful torture that they both would experience as Gabby would fight him again. He loved how he could make her body respond to his even though she worked hard to keep it from happening.
When Julian had finally grown tired, he allowed Gabriella to roll over onto her side away from him. He insisted that she remain in the bed with him as he pulled himself right up behind her, draping an arm over her to hold her while they slept.
When Julian awoke the next afternoon, he momentarily forgot where he was. All he knew for a few seconds was the smell and feel of Gabriella's hair in his face.
That's right. Gabriella, he thought as his arm tightened around her. His heart went out to her and everything that she had to go through within the last few days, the things that he'd done to her included. All the same, she was truly lucky that Tanner had agreed to his request. She may not have survived that first night in the state she was in if she'd been given to the rest of the pack to play with. She'd been stupid to be out alone the way she was and get caught like she did. Still, he felt incredibly grateful for her stupidity. She was going to make his dreams a reality
. I want to keep her here. She's better off with me than with that lousy vampire anyway, he mused as he promised himself he wouldn't ever do to her what he did to her last night again. Next time, the desire would be mutual. Now he would begin the awesome task of making it up to her while she carried his child.
Gabriella was having a wonderful dream as she played in a field of daffodils with her father. She truly was Daddy's little girl as a child, and the dream allowed her to relive those loving memories. In her dream, her father scooped her up and held her tight, and she hugged him back around his neck with her child arms.
Tears rolled down her face with the realization that it was only a dream and her father was dead and gone. She felt Julian's arms tighten their hold of her. Going from father to captor in a matter of seconds took its toll on her emotions, and she began to sob.
Shit, Julian thought just before he said, "Gabriella! Don't cry, kitten, please. I'm sorry. I had to. I..." He felt like an ass as Gabby continued to cry.
"You're
sorry?
Sorry!" she croaked as she turned around in his arms to slap him. "How dare you! Let go of me!" She nearly fell off the bed when he immediately did.
He easily took the slap across his face as he watched Gabriella's hatred of him with chagrin. She stood up and started gathering whatever clothing she could find, and what she found had been ripped. She wordlessly showed him her ripped clothes with a 'what are you going to do about this' look on her face.
"There is woman's clothing in the second drawer." Julian said sadly and rolled over onto his stomach. He didn't want to watch Gabby go through Charlotte's old clothing.
"Who's were these?" she asked quietly.
"My wife's." he answered her just as quietly. "Robert killed her."
Gabby felt her mouth drop open in shock before she could get out, "Robert?"
"Yes. She was protecting our stone." he answered her sadly..
Understanding began to filter through her as she mumbled, "The one that Derek has. The one that Tanner wants back."
"Yes."
"Another reason to hate the damn thing. ... Another reason you say you need me. She was your pack's witch?"
"We have another. Tanner isn't interested in you in that sense. His mate is one."
"Then why can't
they make this super/hybrid wolf that you're so desperate to have that you would rape me to accomplish it?" she asked in a snippy tone.
"She is barren." he answered simply.
Gabriella was quiet for a few minutes. She'd found an outfit that matched one of her own, so she chose that one to hopefully make herself feel normal. She didn't know exactly how she felt wearing clothes that smelled like someone else.
"I'm going to take a shower." she told Julian as she walked towards the bathroom. Julian let her go, hoping that she understood that any escape attempt would be harshly dealt with by Tanner.
I want her to stay, he thought as he heard the shower turn on. He got up to get dressed.
A knock sounded on the bedroom door.
I thought Tanner instructed everyone to leave me be. The full moon isn't until tomorrow's night, he thought as he angrily went to answer it.
"Katharine. What the hell do
you want?" he asked her as she strode into his bedroom like she owned the place.
"And hello to you too, Julian. I'm here to see your bitch." she snapped.
"I thought Tanner instructed everyone to leave me alone with her."
"Tanner will be in here shortly as well. He's curious how things are 'progressing'." she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"Why would he be interested in anything about her until tomorrow? I get her to myself until then, and if I have my way after then as well."
"We don't need her to work the stone."
"She's mine anyway. Get out."
"Whatever. I don't have time for this." she spat as she walked past him. "You're an idiot if you think she's 'yours'. All Tanner did was place her in your care ... for a reason."
Gabriella walked out of the shower and wondered who the other person talking was, so she started to walk around the corner of the room when Katharine came into view.
Katharine smiled in a friendly way and approached her. "You must be this Gabriella I've heard so much about. My name's Katharine. It's so nice not to be the only -"
Gabriella suddenly gasped as a split-second vision took control of her sight. "No." she whispered to Katharine's confused expression. She backed away in fear, and her eyes darted around looking for some way to escape this witch in front of her. "Get away from me."
Katharine looked at her in confusion. "What ... are you talking about?"
"What you're going to do is
sick! It's just sick!" Gabriella cried out, also full of anguish that her vision revealed to her her already pregnant state.
And to think... everything will still happen in the 'near future', she thought sadly.
Katharine dropped her friendly facade. "And just how the hell do
you know what it is I'm going to do? I've closed my mind, so it couldn't be that. What
are you?" she asked, and it reminded Gabby of when she first met Nate when he'd asked her the same thing.
Julian's suspicions were confirmed. Gabby was psychic... somehow. Before he could ask the question to get the information he was dying to know -what the ladies were talking about-, Tanner walked in.
Seeing that Tanner had walked in, Katherine threw up her hands as she walked over to him. She said to Gabriella, "I'll deal with you later."
Julian immediately blocked Tanner's path. "You said she was mine, Tanner! You said I could have her to myself! What are you
doing in here?!"
"Calm down, Julian. Of course, she's yours. There's been a change of plans... your plans." Tanner said calmly.
"What?!" Julian asked.
A leer covered Tanner's face as he glanced at Gabriella before returning a wicked smile to Julian. "It worked. Congratulations, Katharine tells me you two are expecting."
Gabriella wanted to throw up.
"How could you possibly know that?" Julian asked Katharine.
"Don't ask me to explain, Julian. We don't have all night. This spell has to be done the sooner the better, and well, you can't get much sooner than this." she snapped almost laughingly.
"Spell?" he asked, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.
"My plans have changed since this new 'development' of yours, Julian. Brilliant idea. Of course, I'd thought of it years ago." Tanner reached a hand up to lightly stroke Katharine's cheek.
"What are you going to do to her?" Julian asked, worried.
Katharine waited quietly for Tanner to explain.
The desire for flight had never been so powerful in Gabriella than at this moment. She didn't know why or how, but her psychic ability was happening to her in an almost-constant state. The 'trade' that Tanner had wanted to do would fail, and she'd be stuck with Julian until the ... babies ... were born... and those babies would arrive faster than normal, thanks to Katharine's evil.
She hardly listened to Tanner as he explained what they planned on doing to her. She was too busy trying to keep herself from having a screaming fit.
Nate, where the fuck are you in these visions?! How is it that I'm going to be here this long?! Do you hate me? Have you abandoned me?
I never should've left you.
He's probably not even listening. But, ... he told me he'd never turn it off, and if I needed him just to think it. What's happened?
Gus.
But no, why would Gus want all this to happen to me?
Maybe he's not able to penetrate into this pack. Shit, is Tanner really that powerful to be able to keep out Gus? Oh sure, the simple banishing statement works, but since it hasn't been applied, maybe, he can still get on the grounds. How big is this pack?
"Leave her alone!" Julian yelled, bringing Gabriella back to the present moment.
"Shut up and do as you're told!" Tanner barked. "I want that pup born before Derek attacks like I know he will. I don't have time for nature to 'take its course'. Now, go and make her behave!" he said then pointed to Gabriella.
Cold fear ran through her as Julian turned around. They planned on drastically speeding along her pregnancy, and to do so, Katherine would cast a spell that would be excruciatingly painful to her.
"I'm sorry." Julian whispered to Gabriella. She merely nodded and stoically walked over to the bed, where she would lay as Katherine performed her twisted magic. She felt like a fly caught in a Venus fly trap. She knew no amount of struggling would stop what was about to happen.
Tanner watched on curiously at his beta's tenderness with the witch. To everyone but Charlotte, Julian had been a cruel monster. It was one of the things he liked most about him. He decided to ponder this change in him more later. Right now, he had more pressing concerns. He didn't want Derek getting his hands on this child.
"I await your orders." Katharine said to him, and he turned his head back to his mate and nodded his ascent.
Gabriella let Julian help her to lie down on the bed since she was shaking like a leaf. Then she saw out of the corner of her eye the helplessness that he tried to hide from everyone else in the room.
The world is a cruel and evil place. It's good that I'll leave it soon. Pity my children won't. At least ... I don't know ... I'm forbidden from seeing their lives.
Tanner watched on in sadistic curiosity as Katharine began her spell. She'd never attempted this one before, but she'd read up on it plenty for the day she hoped to do it on herself, regardless of the pain involved.
After a flourish, a beam of red light came out of Katharine's wand as her chanting grew louder. It was soon drowned out by the sound of Gabby's screaming.
Gabby had never felt such pain. She felt as if every bone in her body was being broken and cruelly jerked back and forth. She felt like her abdomen was being ripped in two, and she felt herself screaming ... even if the ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing it.
Katharine paused in her chanting.
More than one, she thought as she redoubled the strength of the spell.
Gabriella screamed again as another wave hit. Her body involuntarily curled inward as if to ward off whatever it was that was attacking her.
Julian couldn't stand it anymore.
Why isn't she done already?! he thought as he fought with himself to keep from attacking Katharine. He remembered from what Charlotte had told him once that it wasn't wise to interrupt the chanting -- unpredictable results would occur if that happened. He just wanted it to be over.
Gabby felt and heard herself sobbing as the pain finally began to ebb. She could feel someone lightly stroking her forehead and hair. With a final flourish, Katharine completed the spell. Gabriella opened her eyes to see Julian's looking down at her with a sorrowful expression.
Tanner turned to his mate and said, "Wonderful. I knew there was a reason I loved you." He grabbed her as soon as her wand was put away and passionately kissed her.
Gabriella rolled over onto her side, instinctively away from the other witch. She quaked from the minor aftershocks of pain as Julian stroked her hair and tried to apologize repeatedly.
