*Estelle* I'd hardly seen Gabe in days. He'd been so busy dealing with the other packs that he'd missed dinner every night this week. Besides that, he was trying to figure out the security issues at the border so he was up early every morning. Most days I was asleep before he came to bed and he was gone by the time I woke up. I wasn't convinced that he actually made it to bed every night. The biggest obstacle in the relations with the other packs seemed to be Charles. He'd inserted himself into every meeting, not matter how mundane. Based on what Val had told me about him, Charles should have been an asset to the meetings, but Gabe was frustrated by the way things had stalled out. He just couldn't seem to make any progress and he was becoming increasingly irritated by it. If that wasn't enough to ruin my mood, Isolde had been a constant presence in the house. It seemed like she was lurking in every doorway, as if she were waiting for something to happen. I had no idea what it
*Gabe* Estelle's face drained of color as she stared up at me. Her eyes were watery and she parted her lips, but she didn't speak. She looked completely stunned. It wasn't at all the reaction I'd anticipated when I asked her to be my Luna. I thought that she would be surprised, but the horror on her face was hard to accept. I'd spent days with the idea of making her the Luna playing in my mind. It was all I could think about. The droning meetings that I was trapped in were only bearable because of Estelle. The thought of her skin against mine and her voice in the dark got me through the interminable diplomatic discussions. She was usually sleeping peacefully by the time I made it to our bed, and I didn't have the heart to wake her. My desire for her was only tempered by the way she curled into my touch the moment I joined her under the blanket. Even if it was subconsciously, she still reached for me and it made my heart sing. She distracted me, but I couldn't bring myself t
*Estelle* I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so awful about anything in my life. Gabe was so upset with me that he hadn't come to bed last night. I'd waited up for him for hours. I couldn't blame him, really. He'd basically proposed to me and I just stared at him like an idiot. I wanted to find him and apologize, but I was afraid that I'd freeze up again. I was terrified of being the Luna, but I was more scared of losing Gabe. Mama Iida had comforted me the best she could after Gabe stormed out. She was kind about the situation, but it was clear that she was disappointed in me. I was too. I don't know why it was so hard for me to find my voice. All I had to do was tell him the truth; I wanted to be his Luna but I was afraid I'd mess it up. Gabe would understand that. He'd been forced to become the Alpha before he was ready. Then again, maybe he'd think I was being a baby since he'd been so much younger than me when he took on those responsibilities. It was all so mu
*Gabe* Edwyna's temple was the last place I wanted to be. I hadn't slept properly in days, and my mind was plagued with uncertainty that bordered on paranoia. I had never doubted Val in my life, but Isolde's accusation clung to me like a curse. I couldn't get the image of his hands on my mate out of my head. It was my fault they were spending so much time together. I had asked Val to watch after Estelle as soon as she'd arrived. Maybe that was a mistake. It was my own fault if she was growing too affectionate with him. It was also my fault that Val was spending so much time away from Lucky. He was crazy about her, but maybe his loneliness was enough for him to… No. They were just becoming friends, which was a good thing. Estelle was just as close, if not closer, to Lucky as she was to Val. I was being paranoid. I knew that, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop picturing them together. Every time I closed my eyes, my treacherous mind conjured images of Estelle
*Val* Gabe and I were in the parlor with two guards who had rushed to the house just at dawn. The men were nervous and kept looking down at their feet as they stood before us. I couldn't blame them. Something strange was going on with Gabe. He was facing straight forward and glaring. I could see the tension in his jaw and I knew that he was angry, I just had no idea why.I wasn't in the best mood myself. I'd hardly slept the night before. "What is it?" Gabe demanded. "Just as the sun was rising, we saw a figure running across the border out of the village," the taller of the men said. He looked pale and glanced at the other guard as he spoke. "It looked like a wolf, but it just didn't make sense, Alpha. There was no scent. If I hadn't happened to look over, there would have been no sign that anyone was there. They were like a ghost." "No one can mask their scent that well," Gabe said. "You must have missed something." "Alpha," the second man said. I raised an eyebrow
*Estelle* When the door banged open, I jumped and nearly headbutted Val. I looked over his shoulder and saw Gabe in the doorway. The look on his face sent a shiver through me. He looked livid. His eyes were wide and his teeth were bared as he stared at us. Everything about him felt dangerous right now. His eyes were glowing as he walked into the room. Val stood slowly and stepped in front of me. "Get away from my mate," Gabe growled threateningly. I stood and tried to move around Val, but he put his arm out to stop me. "Stay back," he said quietly. "Don't touch her!" Gabe yelled. "Gabe, you need to calm down," Val said evenly. I stood uncertainly behind Val. I didn't know what was wrong with Gabe, but I wanted to help. At the same time, I didn't know what he might do. I'd never seen him look so angry and I didn't know what it was about. "Calm down?" he sneered at Val. "I didn't want to believe it was true, but then I found you like this." "Believe what?" I as
*Estelle* Gabe followed me up the stairs toward our bedroom. We were both exhausted, physically and emotionally. I was angry that he would doubt me, but I understood it. If I thought that he was interested in someone else, it would hurt. Besides, Isolde was good at getting under people's skin. She seemed to be able to tell what a person was most insecure about and use it against them. She'd done it to me and I'd broken her nose. The fact that Gabe felt insecure about our relationship bothered me. Looking at him, you would never guess that he could feel insecure about anything. Gabe was stunning to look at, and his deep voice was practically hypnotic. He effortlessly commanded every room he entered. He was intelligent and charismatic. Insecure was the last word I'd use to describe him.From what I'd learned of Gabe's childhood, expressing his emotions wasn't exactly encouraged. There was no way to know how much he'd been hiding. His face wasn't guarded now. He looked miserabl
*Gabe* Val leaned heavily on the door frame and breathed heavily. His shirt was hanging open and his shoes were untied, making it clear that he was pulled out of bed. "We have to get to the border," he said frantically. "They've caught the rogue." I looked at Estelle, but she was already waving me out. "Go get the bastard," she said. Val nodded enthusiastically. "They're holding him at the checkpoint," he explained. "I'm right behind you," I said. I grabbed my shirt from the floor and slipped my shoes on before following Val down the stairs. He hurried out the door as soon as he knew I was following. The moment we were out, we both broke into a run. Val was ahead of me, as he always was. This wasn't even full speed for him. We wove around the trees as we ran. My heart was hammering from the adrenaline coursing through me. I couldn't detect any unfamiliar scents, but I could tell that a large number of people were gathered nearby. We reached the checkpoint and fo