Gabbie POVI almost forgot we had an attic. Searching for anything up there in a house without power at night wasn’t wise. Kade and I shackled up there, going through boxes, many of which needed to be tossed out. The roof had a leak, which damaged most of the cardboard.I watched Kade sit on a rickety camp chair that was hanging on for dear life. He pulled out the damaged file after the damaged file. He slapped the next file on the ground and leaned back on the chair. I cracked a smile and went back to the pictures in my hand. I tilted my head at the next one. Most of them were photos of Mom and I, but the one I held was of a man I hadn’t seen in years, beside him stood a man I knew from town.“Kade… I know this man next to my Dad.”“Yeah?”“He owns a hardware store in town. I mean, I hope he hasn’t skipped town either.”“Want to head over there?”I sucked my bottom lip. What if I didn’t like what I found out? I wouldn’t know until I found out. I slipped into the passenger seat of Kad
Gabbie POVI almost forgot we had an attic. Searching for anything up there in a house without power at night wasn’t wise. Kade and I shackled up there, going through boxes, many of which needed to be tossed out. The roof had a leak, which damaged most of the cardboard.I watched Kade sit on a rickety camp chair that was hanging on for dear life. He pulled out the damaged file after the damaged file. He slapped the next file on the ground and leaned back on the chair. I cracked a smile and went back to the pictures in my hand. I tilted my head at the next one. Most of them were photos of Mom and I, but the one I held was of a man I hadn’t seen in years, beside him stood a man I knew from town.“Kade… I know this man next to my Dad.”“Yeah?”“He owns a hardware store in town. I mean, I hope he hasn’t skipped town either.”“Want to head over there?”I sucked my bottom lip. What if I didn’t like what I found out? I wouldn’t know until I found out. I slipped into the passenger seat of Kad
Gabbie POVKade backed me into the bed. With my aching chest and sweaty hands, I thought I was going to faint. When I pulled back, I thought the room was spinning.“Kade,” I panted.He chuckled, “We’ll go slow.”“It’s going to hurt.”“It will but it’ll feel a lot better real fast, babe.”“Alright,” I blew out a breath.“We don’t have to—”“No, I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be with you.”The corner of his mouth lifted. “You have no idea how much I want you.”At least here we wouldn’t have to worry about Harlow or Alex barging in. Kade shoved me on the bed. Something sharp jolted upward in my abdomen. I smoothed my middle with my eyes on Kade. His beast shone through his eyes alongside hunger and desire that made me blush. It should have scared me, but it elevated my excitement. He pulled off his black shirt, revealing bronze six-pack abs. I sucked in my bottom lip, whatever pain I felt was in the back of my mind.“You good?”I nodded. He climbed on top of me and rubbed his no
Gabbie POVOver two hours on the road but that was because Kade kept on making stops. The only thing I packed was my uniform in a small beach bag. I said goodbye to my house again without knowing if I would ever return. With no one living there, it might be sold off or destroyed.Kade ran his hand up my thigh, pushing my blue dress up. I nibbled on my nails as I watched the green scenery outside my window.“Don’t be nervous, I’ll be with you all the time.”“Easy for you to say,” I mumbled.Kade pushed strawberry hair out of my face and then pulled my chin to face him.“That doesn’t sound like you. You always go looking for trouble.”“No, I don’t.”“Yes, you do. But I like it. It means you’re brave.”“Stop, Kade, you’re not making me feel better.”“Alright, you’re not just worried about Harlow and her friend. It’s Alex, isn’t it?”I sucked in my bottom lip. Where did he think I was all this time? And my friends. They must have thought I was dead. Kade was gone too. Would Alex put two a
Gabbie POV“Gabbie! Oh, you are so dead!” Emery hopped on top of me.“Ouff,” I rubbed my eyes to meet my friend’s bewildered expression. “What did I do?”“You disappeared, that’s what you did,” came Blair’s voice.“Right… long story?” I chuckled nervously.“Uh-huh, we have time. Maybe not as much as we have to be at the castle for breakfast.” Blair slipped into her blazer.“At the castle?” I turned to Emery.She shrugged, “Yeah, well, outside the castle. The cafeteria caught fire here and messed up our storage space and most of our food.”“We’ll be eating scrap for months,” Blair mumbled.“Crap,” I said.“Come on, ladies,” Blair said, walking out.I kicked my sheets off so I could hurry and have a quick shower.“Wait,” Emery put a hand on my shoulder. “I thought… something bad happened to you. I thought Harlow or Leiah…”“It wasn’t either of them. It was Kade’s Father. He wants me out of the picture.”Heat rushed to her cheeks and water to her eyes. “I’m sorry Gabbie. I didn’t know wh
Kade POVI locked the door behind us so Harlow wouldn’t bolt and go after Gabbie.“Let me out, Kade.” Harlow crossed her arms.“Not until you accept Gabbie’s my mate now. You can have any guy you want from any pack.”“I don’t want any pack, Kade! We had a damn agreement.”“It’s off. Don’t you get it? We’re fated mates.”“Fated to an omega, Kade. You know what your Dad thinks about it.”“I don’t care.” My fist connected with the locker in the gym changing room.“You should, because if it’s not me, it’s someone else from Sanders. No one will ever accept her, and you know it.”“Fine. They don’t accept her, they don’t accept me.”Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”I unlocked the door. “I’m not. Lay one hand on her and you’ll regret it.”“What are you going to do, Kade? Hit me? I know you like it rough. Has Gabbie discovered that side of you?”I sucked in a sharp breath and looked away. Harlow laughed.“The little cunt has no idea what she’s doing.”“Don’t cross me, Harlow, unless you wan
Gabbie POV“I can’t believe this! What kind of a rule is that? Who makes a rule like that, to begin with?” I ranted.I paused and turned to Kade, who’d been listening to me for the past five minutes. He rolled his head to the side to stare at me.“I mean, Alphas usually sleep with the omegas, but… is it necessary?”Kade shook his head. “No. No, I won’t take one either.”“Kade, what do we do? Alex was serious.”Kade shook his head as he pulled his shirt over his head. “He crossed the line. I’ll kill him.”“Serious?”“How the hell do you think he can take my fated mate and make her his mistress, and I’ll be okay with it? In what world, Gabbie?”“It doesn’t have to come to bloodshed. That means war between your Packs and you know it.”“He won’t relent. You saw him. Come here,” He said.He tugged me close and pulled my shirt over my head. He brushed my hair backwards and kissed my forehead.“Come in with me?”“Sure. We’ll fix this, Kade.”“We have no choice. I can’t live without you.”I d
Gabbie POVI stepped in front of Kade. He pulled me to his chest, keeping my clothes plastered to my naked body.“You’re not going to kill each other,” I said.Alex’s nostrils flared, and he smirked.“Gabriella. I’m going to kill him.”He closed the distance. Kade pushed me out of the way. I landed in Ryan’s arms. He locked me in place. Alex swung, but Kade ducked and punched Alex in the gut. A cocky Henry pack beta charged. He bashed Kade in the back. That was enough for the other betas to join in.“Stop!” I cried.Ryan pulled me back. My clothes feel, but I didn’t care. My mate fought off two shifters at once. Baxter fell into the water.“You can’t stop them,” Ryan said.“Then you do it.”“This is more than you. They hate each other.”I jammed an elbow into Ryan’s side. I ducked between Alex and Kade. Kade shoved Alex several feet before his fist could do me any permanent damage.“What the fuck was that Gabbie?” Kade tucked me behind him partly because I was naked.“It’s fine. I’ll
Gabbie POVDad grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the lake.“What are you doing?”“Can’t you hear them?”This wasn’t an ideal time to tell my Father that I had a mate. Kade must have believed I was dead. If he joined forces with Alex, I can imagine how bad things got for him.“I know them!”“Not now, Gabriella, get into the water. Wolves hate water,” he ordered and shoved me two feet into the water.I hate water too!Dad pulled out a silver blade as long as my arm.“Dad, stop!” I yelled as two wolves burst through the trees.The black one, who was Alex, ground to a halt while my hot-headed mate didn’t stop to pull back his teeth, all he saw was red. I doubted he saw the silver blade my Dad held.The water yanked me backwards as I tried to run out and stop Dad from killing Kade. Dad ducked under the wolf and held his blade out. Alex watched in wolf form as the battle went on.“Both of you! Quit it!”Alex shifted into a naked human.Kade knocked the blade out of Dad’s hand, and I bre
Gabbie POVMy back hit the watch and the current sucked me under. The icy cold water attacked me at every angle. I was powerless to fight my invisible enemy. The rush of the water dragged me forward. There was nothing for me to hold on to and no air to aid my attempt to stay alive. The dark blue abyss of water threatened to make a permanent resident of its mysterious abode.My need for air intensified. I kicked my legs and pushed out my arms but I couldn’t reach the surface in time.***I felt like a rundown car trying to start. Every time I tried to wake up, my body protested. My bones cried, and I couldn’t stop trembling. The orange sky was my last memory before I blacked out.When I fluttered my eyes open again, I felt heat on my back. My clothes were still wet, and my hair stuck to my face. A large jacket covered my chest and part of my face.“You’re finally awake,” a deep masculine voice said.I gasped and jumped up. My bones scolded me for the sudden action.I scooted against th
Kade POVI just declared myself as an Alpha King contender and I wanted to tell Gabbie, but she was stuck doing a dumb punishment. I didn’t know how long she would be doing it, and I bet she would be exhausted when she was done. I couldn’t wait to nurse her back to health in the privacy of my bedroom.I set the weight down and reached for my water bottle. It’s been over five hours; shouldn’t she be done now? My wolf was impatient. Its appetite for Gabbie was larger than most days today. I couldn’t blame him, our mate was gorgeous.She was more than gorgeous. She’s funny, brave, and she’s my peace. That’s why I couldn’t lose her. My suspicions of what Gabbie might be only intensified after she told me about her latest episode of illegal blows. I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I hated to think of us apart but it might be better for us if she left the school.I grabbed a towel and walked out of the gym with it hanging around my neck. I bumped into Alex walking out of the Henry pack gym
Gabbie POV“These forests are full of all sorts of animals. You can’t be sure it was the beast,” Ivan said.“But look at—”“You can’t be sure, omega. You’re not getting out of this that easily.”“Frankly, I don’t feel safe,” Leiah said, straightening her spine.“Yeah Ivan, we should be careful.”“Enough. We were given orders and we’re going to follow through. If the beast comes through here, we’ll take care of it.”“Don’t be cocky Ivan. I’ve come against it and it’s incredibly powerful.”“You’re a beta. I’m an alpha. See the difference?”I frowned. Ivan’s judgment was clouded by his inflated ego, and it could put the rest of us in danger. I hoped Ryan would push the issue, but he nodded and walked out of the hanging vine door.“Five hours,” Ivan reminded us.“Dick,” Leiah muttered.“Yeah.” Finally, we could agree on something.Minutes later, I had my boots and rubber gloves on, trying to rake up the leaves, but there was too much mud to do it quickly. I wasn’t thrilled about cleaning
Gabbie POV“Kade,” I said between kisses. “Slow down.”“I can’t,” he said between kisses. “We might not make it back to the Alpha Castle. Unless I carry you.”I giggled. We made it halfway from the bonfire. Kade stroked my thigh, sending tingles throughout my body. He kissed my neck. He led me to a tree and pinned me there.“Kade,” I moaned.He grunted with satisfaction. He bit the soft flesh on my neck. I sunk my claws into his back. I melted into him. We wouldn’t make it to Kade’s bedroom, and then I remembered the wolf I came face to face with. My heart slammed forward. Kade felt it and pulled back. He cupped my cheeks and held my gaze.“What’s wrong?”“Kade, I saw it. The wolf. It attacked me.”“What?” He blasted, and I cringed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”“Sorry, I just— I kicked its tail.”Kade’s features stilled. He swallowed. “Another illegal blow, Gabbie.”Kade’s a wolf. I wasn’t surprised he was concerned about my new bad habit.“I didn’t know what else to do. It lunged at me.
Gabbie POV“Where have you been, Gabbie? We have to go?” Blair yelled.“I was—”“You have to get dressed. Your outfits are on the bed.”“But—”“Emery’s been itching to do your hair.”“Gabbie!” Emery appeared wearing a petite flowy denim skirt and a white tube top.She styled her hair into massive coils. She brought our dangling earrings and a black choker. Emery never missed an opportunity to dress up.She sat me down and set my ponytail free. With all the buzz happening, no one would listen to me about the beast. Would it come back after I hurt it?“We don’t have much time. Were you with Kade?” She asked.“N-no. Forget it. I’m sorry.”“You’re going to look great! Blair’s dancing around the bonfire, so we need excellent seats.”“She is?”“Yeah, Blair’s been here a long time.”“Right. Glad I don’t have to dance though.”Ten minutes went by quickly, and then I was ushered to the bathroom to change. Emery and I were the last ones in the dorm. The whole school was supposed to be there. Th
Gabbie POV“Gabriella.”I cringed. Every time someone called me by my full name it meant something was wrong.“What?” I turned around to find Alex leaning on the bookshelf.The library was quiet especially since it was late afternoon. Even the librarian wasn’t in. With classes suspended, there was no need to study, though I wanted to keep myself busy. The Omega dance ceremony was tonight which involved petite skirts, tops barely covering our breasts and old folk songs. Plenty of food as well. A huge bonfire would be lit to welcome battle season.A day after the ceremony would be a ceremony where the betas would be pre-chosen for their Alphas. A lot of food would be involved as well.“Shouldn’t you be learning dance steps?” Alex smirked.“I’m not dancing. The older omegas are doing it.”“You’d look hot in those skirts.”“We’re all wearing them.” I shifted on the spot. Communicating with him was still weird because of all that happened between us.“Look Gabbie, I’m sorry. I went overboa
Gabbie POV“Kade?” I asked as he dragged me along the hall of the Alpha castle. “Slow down.”I stumbled, but Kade didn’t stop. He only paused to jam his key into the hole and drag me inside.“Sorry, but things are complicated. I have to start training, and my opponents for Alpha will turn up soon.”“Alpha King?”“No, Babe, for Alpha of Sanders pack.”“You have to fight for that too!”He took my hands and tugged me close. I snuggled into him.“I do if there are any challengers.”“Do you think there will be any?” I asked.“Baxter might but he’s too cocky I’m not worried about him.”“I’m worried about this monster wolf and… it smelling like me. Kade, what if it comes back and someone notices?”He rubbed the back of his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it.“What?” I probed.“Gabbie.”I planted my hand on my hip and glared at him.“Alex knows. I don’t like that he knows your scent. He knows I set the field on fire.”“You did!”“I had to! I couldn’t risk someone else puttin
Gabbie POV“We have to go.”Kade appeared as I picked up the teacup. I hadn’t gotten a chance to try the blueberry muffins yet.“Where to?” I asked.“Your trial. It’s right now.”My palms sweat, and I set the cup down.“I thought it was tonight,” I said as I stood from the comfy patio chair.Eva and Gareth stared at us in disbelief.“I meant it when I said I would testify about when Harlow and Leiah attacked you the first time,” Eva said.“Are you sure you want to do that, mate?” Gareth said, rubbing her arm.“I’m not scared of them.”“Thanks, Eva, but Harlow did most of the attacking.”“It still shows that she’s capable of attacking you again,” Eva replied.“I have a strong and compassionate mate,” Gareth said and planted a kiss on Eva’s lips.She blushed and giggled.Kade hauled me away. I had no idea what to expect. I knew for a fact I would be punished because I used illegal blows but if I didn’t, I would be dead. Kade squeezed my hand as we neared the castle.“Don’t worry about i