Factors of Change

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your feedback and comments and voting. I sign on every day: every new comment is (usually) a treat and makes my day. Please don't stop!

This came to me a lot easier than the previous chapter; I guess I'm getting used to my schedule. Thank you so much for your comprehension. Please have faith in me and stop pleading with me to continue writing: I never even came close to stopping and I will not abandon this. I want to give Gabriel and Leah a proper story, even more than you want to read it. But I also need time for it, and I refuse to rush it. I would not publish anything here that I wouldn't consider the best I can do.

Thank you once more, Doctime, for your editing and commenting. I usually follow your advice. ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter 6

As the night turned into morning light, I awoke, went back inside the house and showered. Completely refreshed, I changed clothes, trading my jeans and t-shirt for a blue and white summer dress, and left my hair loose to air-dry and curl over my shoulders. Then I called out to William. The sun had barely been up when I decided it was time to leave.

I stood by the car, as William packed our meagre belongings, and turned to look back at the lake. It really was beautiful at this early hour - the trees in the morning light reflected into its surface like a mirror and the perfectly smooth surface was only briefly broken here and there by the brief splash of a trout feeding on a hatching fly. The forest had come alive around us with a myriad of birds singing, and I thought to myself that dawn was highly underrated. I promised myself not to miss out on it so much in the future, and to get up early as much as I could, each time I returned, to simply sit down and appreciate it.

"Couldn't we just stay for the day?" William asked as he unceremoniously dropped my bag in the trunk next to his, interrupting my peaceful thoughts. He yawned widely and shut the trunk, a grumpy glint in his eyes. "It's Friday. Everyone will be here this evening. You might as well wait for him here, and we could take some more time to sleep."

"I don't want to wait, William," I answered him. "I've waited long enough."

"You do know you still have a couple hundred years to go and be with him, right?" he insisted, although I could tell he didn't quite mean it. "You're not cutting it close in any way by waiting a few more hours."

I laughed and walked over to the passenger side, as I got into the car. My mind raced, though; I still could not wrap my mind around the idea of being able to live for so many years. I watched as he got in and started the engine. "How old actually are you, William?" I asked.

He grinned. "How old do you think?"

"I was never good at guessing," I said, watching him carefully. He had been born a Were, which meant that he had grown at a regular pace until he got into his early twenties, as humans do, but then his aging had slowed down considerably. It would take several dozen years for him to age as much as a human would in five years. His face bore no obvious sign of aging, but he had also lost the last remnants of boyishness a man in his early twenties would still have. His features were bold and manly, but he was in terrific shape, and I would have guessed him to be anywhere between 30 and 40. "I have no idea," I conceded. "A hundred? Hundred and twenty?"

He laughed, surprised. "You're good. That's actually pretty close!" he said in a chuckle. "A hundred and thirteen. I was born right after the turn of the century." He glanced at me quickly before looking back at the road. "I'm not going to guess your age. It's not a polite thing to discuss with a lady."

I laughed as well, as I crossed my legs. "That's as well. I didn't age the same way as you all did. Lost a few dozen years."

"True that," he agreed. "How old were you when you were turned, though?"

"Twenty-four," I said, and turned my head to look outside the window. We had just driven off the dirt road that led to the lake and back onto the small, sinewy highway that would lead us through the low mountains and back to Montreal. I shook my head. "But I don't want to discuss that, either," I said softly, and he didn't insist.

We lapsed into a silence that dragged on uncomfortably as the miles went by. William grew restless, as we got closer to the city. As we drove through the suburbs, we were caught up in the early morning traffic. I groaned out loud—I had forgotten that it was Friday, and a work day for most people—and William also let out a deep sigh as we slowed down to an almost complete stop in what now looked more like a parking lot than a highway. "Couldn't we wait a few hours before we left?" he teased, following the car in front of us at a snail's cruising speed. "No, no, of course not. We had to make sure we'd get here right in time for the very worst of the morning rush hour."

"Oh don't you even start that." I said as I shut my eyes and leaned my head back. "It's still early, it can't be all that bad."

"That depends on where I'm taking you," he said, and I turned my head to look at him.

"I want to see Gabriel. Wherever he is, that's where we're going."

He nodded, his lips curling up. "I know that." He nodded towards the dashboard, where the digital clock indicated 7:35. "Only I'm not sure we'll get to his home before he leaves for work."

I glanced outside at the other cars. We had just passed the last on-ramp before the last bridge and the traffic had smoothed out, letting us drive a bit faster. At least we were moving, I thought as we crossed the bridge over the small river and onto the main island. My heartbeat sped up as I listened to the familiar rhythmic thump of the tires against the joints on the concrete highway: I was home, and I was going to see Gabriel. Soon, too, if only all the other cars could just get out of our way. "So where are you taking me?" I asked him when I noticed him steering the car off the highway and onto the ramp to the Metropolitan Autoroute. "The traffic's going to be a hundred times worse here, William."

"It's the fastest way downtown. If you know a route to go there that doesn't have traffic at 8 o'clock on a weekday morning, I'm open to suggestions." I didn't know any other route and told him so, and he chuckled in answer as he reached over to turn up the volume on the radio, cutting off conversation. I leaned back in my seat with a sigh, trying not to listen to the voice of the annoying radio host, as I shut my eyes to try and let the movement of the car lull me into a nap.

***

Managing a pack the size of Montreal's is a gigantic job. The pack's wealth comes from the huge variety of business it's involved in: restaurants, hotels, manufacturing, detail, and leisure. All of the decisions regarding pack management are made in what I can only describe as the pack's headquarters, where all of the higher members have their office and where the Alpha delegates some obligations. The offices are located in the business district in downtown Montreal, in one of the many glass buildings on Peel St.

My private driver decided that it would be more logical to take me there, since we had probably missed Gabriel at home. By some sort of miracle, we reached it in record time, and, only a little after 8 o'clock, William stopped his car and double parked in front of the building before helping me out onto the curb.

He gave his keys to an unknown Were, who appeared to be standing there waiting for him, and asked him to park the car—where, I had no idea, having never dared to try and park my own car downtown—and led me inside. I followed him through the crowded lobby and into the elevator that then took us to the 15th story. He was silent but looked relaxed the whole time. He was also obviously tired and I hoped he would be given the rest of the day off; I rather thought he deserved at least that for putting up with my wolf and me for almost a week.

Many eyes turned towards us as we stepped into the pack offices, but no one commented, or tried to stop us as William steered me through the hallways until he stopped in front of a closed door. He lifted a hand to gently rap on the door; when no one answered, he simply shrugged and reached down to open it. "Are you allowed to do that?" I asked in a chuckle as he pushed open the door to reveal a large, but empty office.

William laughed softly. "You can wait for him here. It shouldn't be long." He glanced at me, lifting an eyebrow. "Do

not

touch anything."

"Of course not. I wouldn't dare."

He snorted softly, but smiled and stepped aside so that I could walk in the room. I heard the click of the door closing gently behind me as he left me on my own and I stood still, looking around.

I breathed deeply and instantly shut my eyes in bliss. Even though he wasn't there, everything seemed to have been permeated with Gabriel's scent. I shivered in pleasure and anticipation as I breathed the now familiar smell of fresh leaves, warm earth and sweet spices that was so distinctly his.

My flats made no sound as I slowly made my way across the room on the thick, dark blue carpet. The wall across from the door was composed of large windows from floor to ceiling. They faced the east so that the morning sunlight poured in now, but would be of no hindrance during the rest of the day. The wall on my right was covered in bookshelves. I walked over there, interested, but was quickly reminded that this was an office, not a library, as I skimmed the titles and found them to be mostly all utility books, not novels. I glanced at the higher shelves, where some leather-bound, older looking books caught my eye, but left them to wander over to the large oak desk that sat in front of the windows instead. I walked around it to sit in a large leather chair, leaning back and making it swing around for a few full 360° turns before I stopped and glanced at the papers strew over the surface of the desk. True to my word, though, I didn't touch anything. I could only see lists of numbers and official papers, in any case: nothing even remotely interesting to my eyes.

What was interesting, though, was the absence of anything personal on his desk, or on the shelves or on the walls. The office was very well decorated, of course, with paintings and plants and old fashioned wooden furniture, but it could as well have been a perfect picture taken from a home improvement magazine. No pictures, no trinkets, nothing that might have said 'Gabriel St-Louis' to me. I had to admit that I found it a bit peculiar, considering all the time he spent here, that he would not have personalized the office more than that in the several years since he had become the Alpha.

Then again, maybe he simply was too busy to keep personal things here. I hadn't even seen his home, after all. "Leave off, Grey," I mumbled to myself, shaking it off. "Whose picture is he going to keep here? His business associates?" I glanced back at the desk, letting my gaze sweep over the surface until it stopped on a spot right next to the computer screen. I smiled and reached out to push the desk lamp aside a few inches in order to clear out a bit of space. Maybe we could take a picture together at the lake—this weekend, perhaps. Then he would have something of his own in here.

Bored, I briefly set aside my promise not to touch anything and opened the top drawer. I'm not sure what I had been expecting, but I sighed in resignation as I reached in and stirred through the boringly standard stack of pens, pins and random pieces of paper. The only surprising thing about it was the mess inside the drawer, which was a stark contrast to the orderliness of the rest of the office and desk. Feeling inspired, I picked up a few pens and pencils and scattered them across the desk, along with a few pieces of paper and various business cards. I tipped the desk lamp to the other side and browsed through the ringtones of the office phone on his desk, going through them until I found the most annoying one. After unplugging the computer screen, emptying the box of paper clips on his chair and hiding the wireless mouse in the lower drawer, between two files, I reached for a pen and a blank sheet of paper, wondering what to write, before I thought of a better way to sign my crime. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I reached under my dress for my pink panties, and I sat squirming on the big leather chair as I slid them off my bottom and down my legs. I let out a soft, breathless laugh as I opened the top drawer and deposited the soft cotton undergarments carefully on top of everything else, and slid the drawer closed. Now, his desk was personalized.

I tugged my dress down and back into place and waited restlessly for a few more minutes. I had just gotten up to go look outside of the window when I heard footsteps in the hallway outside the closed door. I turned around just as the door opened, and watched as Gabriel stepped in. He saw me and froze in his tracks, one hand still on the door handle and a takeout cup of coffee in the other. He was dressed nicely, as always, in a black suit. The top button of his crisp white shirt was left undone; I supposed he didn't go as far as wearing a tie. I smiled at the thought and his face lit up as he smiled back. "Have a nice trip?" he asked in his smooth, deep voice, as he closed the door behind him.

I shivered at the tone of his voice, and found myself slowly walking across the room toward him, drawn to him like a moth to a streetlight. "Very nice," I answered, keeping my eyes locked on his. I stopped in front of him and reached up both hands to his chest, gently running my fingers over the lapels of his jacket. His scent was overwhelming now, wonderfully mixed with the fresh smell of soap and aftershave he gave off. The ends of his hair were still damp; he'd showered not long ago. "But very lonely," I admitted softly, tugging gently on the fabric as if it needed straightening.

"Really," he replied in an equally soft tone. He set his cup on a nearby table and reached up to cup my face with his warm hands. His pale hazel eyes never left mine, questioning, but he said nothing, lightly running his thumbs over my cheeks instead.

"I talked to William," I whispered. "Thank you for sending him with me. He helped a lot."

His hands paused and he tilted up my chin. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I found... something." I gave him a small smile. "I understand everything a little better. I'm just scared, Gabriel. It's hard to believe that I've found a place where I will never get hurt again."

"Leah, what have they done to you?" he let out with a sigh and slight shake of his head. "I could never hurt you."

"Yes, you

could

," I whispered, lowering my eyes. "So easily that it scares me."

"Could you hurt me?" he asked, as he moved a hand to my chin, holding it in place so that I couldn't look away. "You

could

hurt me, Leah. You could easily crush me, with nothing more than mere words. But would you do it?"

"No," I answered with no hesitation. The simple thought of ever saying goodbye to him tore my heart apart. I bit my lower lip and shook my head. "No, Gabriel, I could never do that."

He leaned forward to rest his forehead against mine, shutting his eyes with a deep sigh. "I want you, Leah, more than I have ever wanted anything in my life," he whispered, and my heart soared. I moved in to kiss him, but he leaned back slightly and looked down at me again. "But I need you to promise me something."

That caught me so off guard that I simply stared at him for a long moment, my mouth open. "Gabriel," I finally let out, "You know I wouldn't..."

"Don't leave," he interrupted. I shut my mouth, confused, and he shook his head. "You have moved around a lot, Leah. You have seen and been through a lot, I know that. And I hope you can tell me about it, someday. But I will not ask it of you." He ran his knuckles gently along the line of my jaw, and tucked a stray dark curl back behind my ear. "But I need you to promise me that you will not leave. That this is your pack, as much as it is mine."

I looked up into his eyes, my heart squeezing tightly in my chest. "Gab," I breathed. "With this pack... your pack, I've never felt more at home since I've been turned into a Were than I do here." I gave him a soft smile and leaned up, aiming for his lips again. "I'll never leave you. I promise."

He didn't pull back this time, and I shut my eyes as our lips met. I had intended for it to be a sweet, soft kiss and started leaning backward, but he pulled me back against his chest with a strained groan as he crushed his lips against mine.

A whole week of not having seen him quickly won over any desire I might have had to continue talking. I moaned softly as our tongues met and dug my fingers in his soft hair as he held me tight, my breasts crushed against his chest, his hands roaming down my back to my rear. He suddenly reached down and lifted me up; I gasped softly and chuckled against his lips as he carried me over to his desk. "Well aren't we hasty," I whispered as he sat me down on the edge of his desk.

He smiled as he kissed me again, his warm hands running down my thighs and back up under my light dress. His nimble fingers inched up over my hips, froze when they encountered no panties, and gave a tight squeeze as he tore his mouth from mine. His chest heaved a few times as I smiled at him, my cheeks flushing once more. His eyes suddenly narrowed and his fingers gave my behind another squeeze. "I hope this is not how you were dressed in the car with William," he said in a warning tone. It wasn't a question, and I smiled wider, unexplainably pleased with the tone of his voice.

"Of course not. This is a more recent state of undress."

The corners of his lips quirked up. "Something is missing," he whispered, his hands moving further to cup my rear under the thin fabric of my dress

I shook my head. "Everything is in its rightful place." I chuckled. "Are you complaining?"

"No," he said gruffly, and kissed me again. His hands lifted my dress up to my waist as the kiss deepened and I reached down for his shirt to pull it out of his pants. The kiss grew more feverish and I reached down for his belt, blindly tugging on the clasp until it came loose. I had the button and fly undone in a heartbeat, and he gasped against my lips as I slipped a nimble hand into his briefs and wrapped it around his hard cock. "God," he let out in a breath, tucking his face against the crook of my neck, as I slowly started to stroke him.

I ran my other hand over his arm and turned my head to gently nip at his neck. "Gabriel," I breathed, tightening my fingers around him. "Please..." He let out a shaky breath as he moved his hand up between my thighs and cupped it over my mound. I arched my back first, in anticipation, and then again in frustration when he didn't move his fingers further. "Please!" I said again, louder.

"What?" he asked in a strained whisper. I moaned and his thumb moved slowly, light as a feather as it brushed against the inside of my thigh. "Please what, Leah?"

"Touch me," I moaned. "Oh God. I need you to touch me." He turned his head and kissed me hard as his fingers slipped into my wet folds, and groaned in appreciation. His touch was sure and precise and warm and it didn't take long at all for me to let go of him so I could hold onto his shoulders, muffling my moans against the thick, soft fabric of his suit jacket as the first waves of pleasure washed over me. I slumped against him as they receded, and clumsily grabbed at the collar of his jacket to push it off his shoulders. He got the message and took his hands from me long enough to shrug it off.

"I want you," he breathed against my lips as my hands moved to feverishly push his pants and briefs down from his hips. "I need to have you." His pants fell to the floor with a soft clink and his hands suddenly grabbed my hips to pull me even closer to the edge of the desk. Then, in one movement, he angled himself towards my dripping entrance and slid his cock in with one powerful thrust of his hips. I screamed against the soft cloth of his shirt, shutting my eyes and hanging on tightly to him as he bottomed out. We moved as one, slowly at first, but we were both eager and needy after a week of loneliness and uncertainty. There would be time for tenderness later; right now we only needed each other. We were lost in lust and desire.