***Amira's POVThere's nothing in this room that will help me. I've looked for the past three hours. The clock on one of the nightstand stays its well past midnight now. No one has come in here since Gabriel locked me inside. At least the room is huge. Both of his closests are the same size as my bedroom back home. I guess being the biggest, baddest pack didn't mean being the richest.I walked into the bathroom for the hundredth time in the past hour. The tile is warm instead of freezing. I don't understand how, but I'm thankful for it. I stare at the shower. It's giant like everything else here. The damned thing takes up an entire wall of the bathroom. Glass doors go from one wall to the other. "Why do you need everything so big?" I huff, talking to myself. I do need a shower, but I'm not so sure I could work that one. The ones at home had two knobs. One for hot. One for cold. There's not a single knob in this shower. I sigh, turning to the bathtub. The one I could easily put ten of
***Gabriel's POVThe stubborn brat used the tub to wash instead of the shower. She didn't even bother to turn the damn thing off. But when she walked out the bathroom in nothing but a towel, everything but what exactly is under the thin layer of material vanished from my mind. It takes me a second, but I realize she needs clothes. Clothes that are in the closet. She doesn't know that, though. I just finished putting them away when I went in to give her the loofah. I stand up, walking to the closet. I try ignoring the way she steps back, but it hurts. "Your clothes are in this closet." I tell her, opening the closet. "Iyla grabbed as much as she could when I let them pack.""You let her pack my stuff?" She asks, practically shoving me out the way to look. She looks around, taking everything in. "I let your entire pack get what they could. I'm not a monster." I say, trying to control my tone. I don't want her to think I'm angry at her when she already has every right to be terrified of
***Gabriel's POV I woke up feeling better than I had before sleeping. But I also woke up with my mate in my arms. I got out of bed, showered, and fled the room before she woke up because I wasn't ready for the questions. I knew she would ask why I moved her. That would have ended up being an argument. I can't handle many more of them when I'm barely hanging on. Being nice isn't easy when I've spent nearly thirty years being heartless. I wanted to break the closet door down after the way she acted last night, but I controlled myself. This morning would have been a lot different if I had broken the closet door down. "We can't use any of their buildings without throwing a lot of money into renovations." Garrett, one of my top tech and architect guy, says, drawing me back to present conversation. How one man can perfect two totally different careers, I've never understood. But Garrett is one of my best men in both departments. He sighs, flipping through a thick binder. The poor guy look
***Amira's POVWaking up, I realize I'm not in the closet. I'm not on my comfortable pillow pallet. The jackass moved me. I must have been exhausted. Usually I'm not such a hard sleeper. If someone opened my bedroom door back home, I would wake from deep sleep.I roll, expecting to see Gabriel. But he's not there. I sit up, leaning back on my elbows, listening. He's not here. I'm all alone. Well, except the guard on the other side of the bedroom door. I push the disappointment deep down inside somewhere as I lay back down.Somehow, this asshole had opened the closet door, picked me up, carried me and slept with me all night without me knowing. I need to get up. But this bed is so comfortable. Why is it so comfortable? How long did Gabriel say up waiting for me to fall asleep? I expected him to break the door down the second I slammed it last night but he never did. I look over at the perfect closet door. Not a scratch on it. I groan. This would be easier if he kept being an asshole.
***Gabriel's POV"Are you sure you can get it done today?" I ask Garrett as we walk towards my room where my princess is still asleep in my bed. She had willingly slept there last night. I thought about bribing her. But when I got out of the shower, she was asleep in my bed. Tiny, tiny baby steps."Yes. I have the plans here." He shakes a folder. "Three deltas from Blue Moon offered to help, but I wasn't -"I stop in my tracks, spinning to face him. He stops, too. I need him to carry this message to the people working with him today. "We are all one pack now, Garrett. Blue River Pack." I hope he agrees. One less person to fight would be nice. Garrett smiles. "So we work as one pack. Good cause two of the deltas are fucking amazing architects. And one of the betas is great at tech despite not knowing how to work the shit four days ago.""Get with Dimitri after this. I have him assigning the newcomers jobs. Hopefully soon, everyone will be working together without problem." I start tow
***Amira's POVI admit that that outfit wasn't the best idea. It was my way of being rebellious. I just didn't expect him to react the way him did. It was extreme. "Let's go, Princess." Gabriel holds a hand out, gesturing for me to go out the wide open door. I want to run past him, find the nearest exit, and disappear forever. There's only two problems with that.I can't leave Iyla behind. I know I won't escape. I would probably make it a few steps before Gabriel tackled me. It's not worth it. Yet.I hesitantly walk through, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. "Adams is meeting us there. Go get lunch." Gabriel tells the man who's been guarding my door. The man leaves without a word. Gabriel puts a hand on my lower back, gently pushing me to walk. Fireworks erupt, but they aren't heated like they were. I fall in step beside him as I listen, finally looking up. "Iyla has a list of things to discuss. They should only take about three hours." I only have three hours to see my best fr
*** Gabriel's POVI hate leaving her for so long, but I have to deal with her father. I should have killed the bastard. He doesn't care for her. He cut off his pack, making them think he was dead. Then, he ran and hid. Like the coward he is. He left his daughter, his pack, instead of facing the consequences of his actions. My men had found him. Finally. He will be truly dead soon enough. The little I have learned from Tavin has told me enough to know Cobra doesn't love his daughter. He never has. If he had loved her, he would have never locked his kingdom down. He would have signed the treaty with my pack instead of destroying us. He would have found out how she is an alpha instead of an omega. Instead, he closed off his entire pack and kept Amira to himself. "Alpha." Dimitri says as I enter the garage. There's two black, armored trucks side by side. "He's been taken to the Dungeon. Morris roughed him up pretty good. I think he took a liking to one of Amira's people." Dimitri laugh
***Amira's POV"Are witches and vampires real?" I ask Iyla when she gets back from the bathroom.She smirks at my excitement and nods. "Mama said Blue Moon Pack used to trade with them until thirty years ago. Cobra was always picky when it came to dealing with them, but he did. Until one day, he cut contact completely. He threatened anyone who mentioned you or leaving the pack. No one got out in thirty years.""What are they?" They can't be much different than us, can they? My stomach groans. I'm starting to feel bad, like I haven't eaten in a while."Vampires are immortals who drink blood. They are either born or made. Witches are beings able to tap into the magic of the Earth. They can only be born.""I wonder how many there are." I say in amazement. I fall back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Ok, so drinking blood isn't much different than some shifters liking raw meat. Raw meat is bloody. How could there be others? Other people like us who don't have animal abilities. The
***Gabriel's POVDinner. It's what I've looked forward to since lunch. I nod at one of the guards, I think his name's Kyle but I can't remember, as he opens my bedroom door. "Barbecue pork tonight. Go grab some." I tell him. He looks confused but does as he's told. "When he comes back, you can go." I tell the other guard. He nods.I hear the girls giggling as I enter the room. I smile to myself, happy that Amira is finally enjoying herself. "Gabriel." Amira smiles at me as I walk into the closet, setting the tray on her desk. "Barbecue, yes!" Iyla jumps up, grabbing her plate before Amira can even stand. Iyla reclaims her spot on Amira's bed before digging into the food. "She really likes barbecue." Amira laughs as she wraps her arms around my waist. I hug her tight, both surprised and pleased that she's doing this in front of her friend. I take a deep breath, smelling my own products mixed with natural scent. It's a perfect combination. I relax as the heaviness in my body starts d
*** Amira's POV "Amira." Iyla's voice pulls me from blissful slumber. "Iyla, wake up." She shakes my shoulder. "Go away." I growl. "That's rude. Move over. I'm not going back to my room. I hate not having you with me to explore our new home.""It's not my home." I say, moving over so she can lay in the bed too. Iyla laughs. "Deny it all you want but this is your home now.""Oh, like you deny being mates with Dimitri." I snide, a little meaner than intended."He's not my mate." She growls, angrily. She can deny it but I'm not stupid. I've seen the way Dimitri looks at her. If they aren't mates I would be surprised. It's my turn to laugh as I finally come from under the cover. "Is that why you won't touch him?" I ask. "Fuck you, Amira. I could leave and let you be all alone again." She stands. "Hey! I was kidding." I sit up, looking at her. "Don't leave."She smirks, plopping back onto the bed. "So what happened? Dimitri looked aggravated. Which means Gabriel probably did someth
*** Gabriel's POV That was stupid. I shouldn't have kissed her. I knew before I did it that she wouldn't like it. I knew she would shove me away. I knew, but I still did it. Because I wanted to know how she tasted. She tasted like home. Like Mama's freshly baked cookies after dinner and Dad's sweet tea after a long day of training. Like the smell of Waverly's lavender bubble bath Mama used. I know it's the mate bond. Mama,Dad, and Waverly were my home. I always thought of them when I thought of home. Now, Amira is there, too. The damned brat had wormed her way into the memories of my family. How did she do that? She didn't want to. Amira doesn't want to be here. She doesn't want me. She was made for me, but her father decided I wasn't worthy. He condemned her to a life alone. I could never imagine doing that to my child. I could never purposely kill my child's mate. My office door slamming draws me from my thoughts. I look up at Dimitri. He looks concerned and pissed off. It's a
*** Amira's POV The soft knock on the bathroom door tells me I have run out of time hiding in here. I've been in here a while. I figured he would eventually knock. But I was hoping he would give up and just leave. "Princess? Are you okay?" Gabriel asks softly. I hate this new him. It seems so fake. "Fine." I sigh, giving myself one more look in the mirror. I can do this. I can pretend to like whatever he has. I can pretend to be excited for whatever. As long as it's not anything sexual. I don't think I can fake enjoying that. The knob is cold as I pull the door open. Gabriel paces beside the bed. He stops, looking up at me as I walk out. His eyes roam my body before he plasters on a smirk."Ready?" He asks, holding his hand out. No, I'm not ready. But I can't tell him that. I doubt he would care. I hesitantly take his hand. "I know you've had problems adjusting to this." He talks as he leads me across the room. "I wanted to do something for you." He stops in front of his closet
*** Amira's POV When I woke up, I expected to still be in Gabriel's arms. Maybe not in the bathroom, but he would at least be here. Instead, I wake up in Dreamland. I really hate these flowers. Truly purely hate them. They are beautiful, but I'm tired of seeing these damn flowers. This is my third time here. Except last time, I barely opened my eyes before I woke up. I've been here a while, moving through the miles of flowers. No one has appeared, not even an animal. I find it strange there's no animals. There's not even bugs on the flowers. I don't understand where I am or how I keep getting here. I just want to leave. Where the hell is the lady? Surely, whoever lives here wouldn't let me just trampled all their flowers. I have purposely pulled fists full of flowers from the dirt, hoping someone would appear to stop me. Not a single person had. I hate this. "Amira!" I freeze. I know that voice. It's one I never thought I would hear again. I spin, half expecting him not to
*** Gabriel's POVAmira is asleep on my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck. It took a while for both of us to calm down, but she had finally fallen asleep about ten minutes ago. I couldn't believe my eyes when she threw herself into my arms. She willing came to me. She willing fell asleep in my arms. "You okay now?" Dimitri's words remind me he's still here. He leans against the door jam, watching us. He stayed to protect her. From me, I realize. I must have truly scared him if he thought I would hurt Amira. Well, hurt her beyond repair anyway. I have hurt her plenty since finding her."Yeah." I tell him. My voice sounds a lot stronger now. The darkness isn't at the edge of my vision anymore. I don't feel ready to rip apart everyone anymore. "You thought I would kill her?""Yeah." He sighs heavily. "I'm going to let Iyla know everything is okay. I'll have Mary bring something to eat." He pushes from the wall. His eyes follow my every move. It's almost as if he doesn't trust me with
***Amira's POV"Are witches and vampires real?" I ask Iyla when she gets back from the bathroom.She smirks at my excitement and nods. "Mama said Blue Moon Pack used to trade with them until thirty years ago. Cobra was always picky when it came to dealing with them, but he did. Until one day, he cut contact completely. He threatened anyone who mentioned you or leaving the pack. No one got out in thirty years.""What are they?" They can't be much different than us, can they? My stomach groans. I'm starting to feel bad, like I haven't eaten in a while."Vampires are immortals who drink blood. They are either born or made. Witches are beings able to tap into the magic of the Earth. They can only be born.""I wonder how many there are." I say in amazement. I fall back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Ok, so drinking blood isn't much different than some shifters liking raw meat. Raw meat is bloody. How could there be others? Other people like us who don't have animal abilities. The
*** Gabriel's POVI hate leaving her for so long, but I have to deal with her father. I should have killed the bastard. He doesn't care for her. He cut off his pack, making them think he was dead. Then, he ran and hid. Like the coward he is. He left his daughter, his pack, instead of facing the consequences of his actions. My men had found him. Finally. He will be truly dead soon enough. The little I have learned from Tavin has told me enough to know Cobra doesn't love his daughter. He never has. If he had loved her, he would have never locked his kingdom down. He would have signed the treaty with my pack instead of destroying us. He would have found out how she is an alpha instead of an omega. Instead, he closed off his entire pack and kept Amira to himself. "Alpha." Dimitri says as I enter the garage. There's two black, armored trucks side by side. "He's been taken to the Dungeon. Morris roughed him up pretty good. I think he took a liking to one of Amira's people." Dimitri laugh
***Amira's POVI admit that that outfit wasn't the best idea. It was my way of being rebellious. I just didn't expect him to react the way him did. It was extreme. "Let's go, Princess." Gabriel holds a hand out, gesturing for me to go out the wide open door. I want to run past him, find the nearest exit, and disappear forever. There's only two problems with that.I can't leave Iyla behind. I know I won't escape. I would probably make it a few steps before Gabriel tackled me. It's not worth it. Yet.I hesitantly walk through, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. "Adams is meeting us there. Go get lunch." Gabriel tells the man who's been guarding my door. The man leaves without a word. Gabriel puts a hand on my lower back, gently pushing me to walk. Fireworks erupt, but they aren't heated like they were. I fall in step beside him as I listen, finally looking up. "Iyla has a list of things to discuss. They should only take about three hours." I only have three hours to see my best fr