We stated off with the journey and it was uneventful until i decided i needed to eat, of course we were running in wolf form, but i couldn't speak with him mentally cause he's yet to mark me and I him.
Had to give him signs, hoping he understands my Message. I was still exhausted from the vampire attack, and sure, my tolerance has reduced.
He should understand that too.
We stopped so i could hunt for something to eat, there was no large prey here, but.... I caught the scent of a rabbit, 'that will do' i thought wryly, not like rabbits are my favorites.
*********
I had leapt swiftly on the rabbit as it scurried out of its den, breaking its neck with a twist of jaws. Without preamble I dug into the fresh meat. I felt my ravenous hunger take over. Manners meant nothing to a Wolf.
I was so absorbed in my dining that I didn't think before acting as Gabriel approached me. All I registered was that there was a Wolf infringing upon the prey that I had caught. I had a single-minded focus on devouring my food, and it was my prey. Seeing another Wolf so close to my kill infuriated me, and I reacted on pure instinct without a human's logical thought intervening. Growling low in my throat, I snapped at Gabriel's legs in warning before realizing my mistake a second later.
Gabriel snarled furiously at my disrespect and in one instant he had barreled me onto my back and had me pinned down, one massive paw planted on my chest. My backpack was crushed underneath me from my own considerable weight and I winced, hoping nothing was smashed. I felt a surge of regret and fear as he towered over me, leaning close. Gabriel had me pinned tightly, though not with unnecessary force. It was as if he was trying to avoid causing me pain. He was growling slightly, his lip curled to reveal one dangerously sharp canine. I mentally reprimanded my Wolf although I knew it was equally my fault for getting so absorbed in my food. I had disrespected an Alpha male, and one with a short temper at that. I knew he hadn't been approaching me to steal my kill. Regardless of his motivations, though, I had snapped at him, which was completely unacceptable.
Yet, as he leaned over, I felt another emotion rising besides the fear and I could not quell it. Lust. I could feel my lust rising at my Mate's close proximity to me and I began to squirm slightly as I realized I was in a dangerous position. Gabriel's Wolf's eyes had darkened considerably until they were completely black. They burned with a bright intensity and I could almost feel his own desire rising.
Thankfully, something else happened then, or I'm not sure where that would have gone. Gabriel's powerful sense of smell obviously detected something else as he inhaled, for his head snapped up and he lifted his paw off of my chest. His ears pricked and I heard another growl erupt from his throat, this one much more threatening. I attempted to struggle to my feet but in a flash he had shoved me down again with his paw. While I was still laying there, belly up, he moved and placed his front legs on either side of my body. He remained in this protective stance, glancing around, the deep growl continuing to erupt from his chest. Gabriel's fur stood on end and I took a whiff of the air. Despite my potent sense of smell I couldn't detect anything. Gabriel, however, obviously sensed something was there for he continued to stand over me defensively.
I didn't move, trusting his Alpha instincts. While I wasn't fond of my vulnerability my Wolf and I found that we rather liked the protective way our Mate towered above us. We remained locked in these positions, my earlier mistake forgotten, for another moment or two before Gabriel's fur flattened again. He stepped away from me, allowing me to scramble up. I whined softly. He shook his head in a very un-Wolflike gesture and I resolved to ask him what the Hell that was about as soon as we Shifted back.
Feeling uneasy, we resumed our journey, although Gabriel first waited a moment longer for me to devour the remaining half of the rabbit. I couldn't shake the prevailing sense of unease, remembering the last time someone had been watching me in the forest, and what had happened to me just days after.
---
The rest of the trip was uneventful, although I did make him stop three times more throughout the day; twice for brief rest periods (I was still recovering from my experience with the vampires, after all, and was weaker than normal) and once to hunt again. We shared no more uncomfortable moments, for which I was glad. Contact with Gabriel made me weak and vulnerable and I wasn't ready for that yet. Besides, he seemed to want to maintain the barrier he erected around himself, the cool distance he kept. Aside from a few brief glimmers of emotion I didn't really know him. Though my body yearned to be closer to him, I was worried about the daunting task that lay ahead.
His territory was much more difficult to traverse than mine. For a few hours now we had been navigating rocky slopes and steep inclines. The foliage was patchy, and as we climbed higher and the sun began to rise in the sky, the landscape around us was thrown into clarity. I wanted to stop and observe, as it was far more beautiful than expected. The ridges and slopes were a different sort of natural beauty than I was used to in my home valley but I could appreciate them all the same. Gabriel, however, pressed on relentlessly and I tried to absorb as much as I could. After all, this would be my home for a while now. The thought definitely made me nervous. Soon I would be meeting his pack for the first time.
It had just getting dark when we arrived, meaning it took us a little less than an entire day to travel to his village. I again realized that Gabriel must have run almost impossibly fast to get to my village in half a day when he was coming to save me.
Gabriel stopped as the trees, already much less prevalent than near my valley, began to thin out even further. I thought I could see the tops of houses over the next ridge. Gabriel jerked his head towards the bag that I had strapped to my back, indicating that I should Shift back. I obliged, feeling a wave of nervousness crash over me. I hid behind a small copse of trees and quickly changed form, the large pack sliding off of my now-human figure. I opened it and dressed myself quickly before striding out to meet Gabriel. My cheeks reddened slightly as his gaze touched mine and I looked down at the ground, remembering our moment from earlier. I was all too aware that our Mating pull may be slightly more difficult to resist now that we'd interacted in wolf form.
It didn't take long to climb the last slope, which was considerably steeper than the others. I felt my nervousness increase tenfold as we finally reached the top. I tried not to gasp as the pack village was laid out before me. The ground dipped downwards immediately in front of us so that the nearest houses were actually in a valley of sorts, but I noticed more houses situated on rocky crags in the distance. I wasn't sure what I expected but it certainly wasn't this. The houses were less updated and modern than mine, clearly built to serve a rudimentary purpose and not as decoration. However, they were still large and well-kept, situated amidst scraggly trees and small, rolling hills. There were many more houses than I was used to, testifying to the size and strength of Gabriel's pack. Not too far from us stood a three-story house that somehow looked more elegant than the others. It was also the largest house that I could see.
"That's where you'll live," Gabriel said gruffly. His face was expressionless but by his stance I could tell he was proud of his pack village. For what I'd heard of the Black Mountains pack before meeting them, I would have expected this place to be much less civilized.
I eyed his house again. It seemed a little grand for his taste, but then I remembered that his father had probably designed it. Gabriel had only been Alpha for four years.
"Come on," He said coolly, and I couldn't help but feel confused as to why he was being so brusque. It was his idea that I come here in the first place, shouldn't he be more excited about it? I furrowed my brow. Gabriel was too unpredictable, a puzzle I couldn't work out.
It was then that I realized that I had yet to see another Werewolf. Where were they? I opened my mouth to ask the question but snapped it shut as I realized Gabriel was leading me away from his house. He led me through the center of town, leaving me to quickly absorb everything as I passed. To my surprise they had electricity. I felt somewhat stupid for thinking they lived like cavemen, but they were so isolated I was surprised they had any modern conveniences at all.
We wandered a convoluted route through the village, twisting and turning around many houses and other buildings, the purpose of which I could not determine. Just as I was growing impatient, we edged along a narrow path on the side of a small cliff and the ground opened up in front of us to a large, grassy field. The expansive scenery was beautiful, but that is not what made me catch my breath.
There, situated in the field, was the rest of Gabriel's pack, some standing and some sitting. There were well over a hundred of them, clearly waiting on us. (Explains why I couldn't see anyone earlier) All of their eyes were fixated on me.
I clenched my hands together in front of me, knowing my nervousness was easily discernible. All of them had stood up eagerly after they saw Gabriel. I had never enjoyed being the center of attention and having so much focus on me was disconcerting. Hundreds of eyes examined me from top to bottom, analyzing me and judging me. I wanted to cower behind Gabriel until the attention was no longer on me but knew that would make a bad impression so instead I straightened my back and kept walking until Gabriel came to a halt. A massive, muscular werewolf with deep brown skin and a shaved head broke from the pack and strode forwards. I recognized him from the Meeting as Gabriel's Beta.
"Welcome back," he said, somewhat gruffly, and Gabriel nodded. The Beta turned to me, examining me closely. I felt a prickle of nervousness but did not look away, standing strong under his scrutiny. To my surprise, one of the corners of the Beta's mouth twitched into a half-smile. I blinked, not expecting that reaction. The Beta turned back to Gabriel.
"I trust your journey was uneventful, Alpha?" He asked formally.
"Eli, I'd like to get right to it," Gabriel responded shortly, although there was no venom or irritation in his tone. I could tell Eli was used to such responses for he merely nodded and moved to stand behind Gabriel like I was, though on Gabriel's other side.
Gabriel cleared his throat. "As you all know, I left the village in order to retrieve my Mate." I wondered if he'd told them about the vampires. "This is Skylar, she will be living here from now on." His tone was clipped and I felt confused, yet again. Apparently that was becoming my permanent state around Gabriel. I tried to brush it away as the attention was refocused on me. There was silence for a few seconds, only broken by a few hushed murmurs.
Once again, I felt daunted by the presence of the Black Mountains Pack. Aside from the youngest wolves, all of them looked cautious and battle-hardened. I saw many cold and calculating looks from the pack members. These weren't wolves that accepted outsiders easily.
"Will she be going through the formal induction?" One she-wolf asked. I held my breath.
"Yes. It is law," Gabriel replied calmly. I felt my nervousness spike as I wondered what exactly that would entail. Every pack had a way of introducing new members into the pack, but every ritual was different. Would that mean they were planning to make me an official member of the Black Mountains Pack? Could I go through with that? If I planned on staying with Gabriel, I knew I had to. Still, the concept of becoming a member of this pack was not yet appealing to me. I didn't know any of them and my entire experience with this pack, short of Gabriel helping save me from the vampires, had been negative.
Gathering my courage, I let my eyes roam the crowd. My gaze locked with that of another she-wolf, a redhead with long, silky hair. Her bright blue eyes were cold and hostile, and my Wolf stirred within me, not liking the redhead's expression. What was her problem? Did she just despise outsiders?
Holding my glare for one more second, the redhead coolly turned her head away. I tried not to let my anger show.
As I kept looking around at the crowd, I realized that the redhead was not the only one who disliked me on sight. It was not a reaction specific to her. Several others gave me the exact same look she did. As I suspected, I was not welcome here.
The crowd was whispering and muttering again and Gabriel raised his hand to silence them. "She will be living with me. Her battle skills and value added to the pack will be tested shortly." I didn't like the way he talked about me so casually, not showing any emotion. Most wolves would be proud to display their Mate to the pack. I looked down abruptly, swallowing the lump that had risen in my throat. I thought I saw the Beta looking at me from the corner of his eye and I tried to put on a brave face.
Dimly, I registered an incredulous snort from one of the larger male wolves. "You sure she can keep up with us? Her pack doesn't train as...diligently as we do."
I had to clench my teeth together to keep from snarling at him, blood boiling at the insult to my pack. I felt my fingernails dig into my palms, and tried very hard to maintain a cool façade. Nothing good would come out of me losing my temper here. Still, my Wolf growled furiously.
I saw Gabriel's expression harden considerably. "Are you doubting my judgment?" He said coldly. The other wolf snapped his mouth shut and looked away, although he still looked dubious.
"Eli has already briefed you on everything else, so we will have our next pack meeting in a week, usual time. If there aren't any other questions, then you all are dismissed."
There were no other questions, and I noticed the pack begin to disperse, many of them still glancing at me. I turned my head away, unable to deal with so many wolves at once. That hadn't gone worse than expected but I wished their reactions would have been friendlier. I guess I couldn't hope for a warm welcoming given which pack I was from. My pack would not have treated an outsider from the Black Mountains Pack any differently, I knew.
I noticed that two wolves, a male and a female, had come forward and Gabriel had walked over to meet them, so I stood on my own an awkward distance from the others. Although my Wolf was growing increasingly attracted to him, part of me was already regretting my decision.
As if reading my thoughts ,I noticed Eli approaching me. "I didn't really get to introduce myself, I'm Eli, the Beta," he said, giving me a slight smile as he offered his hand. His brown eyes seemed sincere, and although the gesture seemed formal I appreciated it and I gladly took his hand. "Skylar," I said softly.
"Welcome to the pack. I know it seems like a bit...much, but you'll get used to it."
I nodded. "I don't think I really have a choice," I said honestly.
Eli shrugged. "I know it seems strange coming here, but obviously it was meant to be." He indicated Gabriel with his head.
"It seems so." I replied vaguely, chewing on my bottom lip. I only wished I could know what Gabriel was thinking.
"Did he show you around?"
"Er...sort of," I replied, remembering my rushed tour where Gabriel hadn't actually told me about anything.
There was a knowing look in Eli's eyes, and I felt like he must be more comfortable with Gabriel than anyone else. "Well let me know if you need anything." I smiled gratefully in response.
And—oh, just a minute, I have to take care of this." He cut off, turning and approaching a wolf that was hovering nearby, leaving me by myself again.
I couldn't help the prickle of irritation that emerged as I observed Gabriel still talking to the two wolves. I may have been patient and reserved compared to some, but that didn't mean I liked being practically ignored by my own Mate. He had gotten distant ever since we left my pack and I couldn't help but feel that I had done something wrong. I worried that I had made the wrong choice coming here. So far he'd been about as warm and inviting as a brick wall.
As much as I was still getting used to the idea of Gabriel being my Mate, I had made the effort to come all this way, hadn't I earned better treatment than the cold shoulder?
My stomach clenched unpleasantly as I noticed the redhead from earlier approaching Gabriel, joining in their conversation. They weren't too far away and I pricked my ears, not caring if it was rude to eavesdrop. The conversation itself was innocent enough, not giving me any cause to worry; I suspected it was just my insecurity emerging, as she really was quite beautiful.
Fortunately, seconds later Gabriel disengaged himself from the conversation and came towards me. I tried not to let my flare of irritation make me do anything stupid.
"I have business to take care of back home if you're ready," He said calmly, although I got a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn't care if I was ready or not. I shrugged noncommittally, and we turned and headed back the way we came, hands just inches away from brushing. Despite our proximity I couldn't help but feel like there was a massive distance between us.