Alena woke in Gabriel's bed confused and alone. Feeling as though she had been drugged, she vigorously rubbed her face and tried to focus on her last memory. As she remembered the attack, her heart started beating faster and her breath became short and shallow. Instantly, Gabriel was through the door and gathering her in his arms.
"Alena," he consoled her. "You're safe in my room. Try to not think about it. No one will ever hurt you again."
As Gabriel rocked her in his lap, Alena's fears subsided and she regained control of her emotions. "I'm sorry."
"I told you to stop saying that."
"I can't. I don't understand what's happening but I feel like I'm causing all of these problems."
"Alena," she said softly, "When you're ready, I want you to tell me everything that happened. But for now, we need to take care of you."
"Gabe," she started shyly, "I'm very hungry."
"I haven't taken very good care of you so far, have I?" he confessed in a question. "Come; let me redeem myself for the neglect."
"You've hardly neglected me."
"You think?" he asked helping her from the bed.
When Alena realized that she was naked, she pulled away from him and reached for the sheet. Before she could grab the cover, Gabriel pulled her into his arms and held her against his body. She was torn between running for cover and feeling his touch.
Gently stroking her face with his finger tips, Gabriel held her close roaming his hand up and down her body. As he stroked down her back, he continued down to slide his hand over her firm, shapely bottom. Pulling her closer to him, he lifted her up against his hard erection and sighed against her face.
"Never be shy with me," he whispered in her ear. "Very soon, we will bring this torment to an end."
"When?"
Setting her back from him, Gabriel quickly produced a red, silk robe and covered her. "The Council meets in two days. During the meeting, I will request permission to change you," he informed her watching her face for any expression. "Eight years ago, you agreed to become my life mate."
"But then everything fell apart," she reminded him with a gentle quiver to her voice.
"We didn't," he declared. "Other people separated us. Could you allow that again?" he asked with apparent trepidation.
"No," Alena vowed and sealed her promise by standing on her toes to reach her arms around his neck and pull his mouth down to hers.
Accepting her invitation, Gabriel pulled into his arms, relishing the feeling of knowing that, once again, they were planning to be together. This time, no one could separate them. Hoping he would never be forced to make a choice, he knew that his loyalty to Edward and the New Kingdom would never again separate him from Alena. He could only wish that she would never choose her sister over him.
"Now, let's get you some food," Gabriel said guiding her from the bedroom to the kitchen. "I've had the refrigerator and pantry stocked with food, which is a new experience for this room."
"I appreciate the consideration."
"I'll have room made in the closet for your clothes too, for as long as we are here."
"Where else would we be?" she asked surveying the contents of the refrigerator then deciding on scrambled eggs and toast.
"Obviously, we will move to another house," he carefully explained, "for privacy."
Realizing the need for their privacy, Alena blushed but smiled at him. Grabbing the necessary ingredients and utensils, she focused on making her meal. As she moved around the kitchen, Gabriel studied each motion and gesture she made. Finally deciding on the one task in which he could assist, he walked to the coffee machine and reached for the beans to grind and brew.
At the small kitchen table, Alena placed her plate before her seat as Gabriel followed with the steaming cups of coffee. She smiled at him before digging in to the first food she had eaten since the sandwich on her first night in the mansion. Savoring scrambled eggs seemed a bit over exaggerated, but she was sure that this food was the best she had ever eaten.
Gabriel watched her with interest as she speared the repulsive looking clump of eggs onto her fork and rolled her eyes in appreciation. How anyone could enjoy the mutilated, congealed embryos was beyond his understanding but the movement of her mouth enclosing around the fork and the moans of pleasure were enough proof for him to note the recipe to memory. He would certainly provide anything that provided her that much happiness.
While Alena enjoyed her meal, she was very aware of Gabriel's interest in her actions. Cautioning herself to slow down so she did not look like a wild beast tearing apart its prey, she tried for daintier bites but gave in to the hunger that demanded more. Looking back at Gabriel, she wondered which she craved more, the food or him. He had told her that their torment would end in two days and while she could understand his desire to be away from the mansion during her change, she could not understand why they had to wait any longer for sex.
"Because we need to take this slow," he answered her thoughts.
Blushing again, Alena dropped her eyes to her empty plate and asked quietly, "Haven't we been taking it slow?" Then bringing her eyes to his, she asked "Are we trying to set a new, world record?"
"As I said," he answered pulling onto his lap, "Torment." He then kissed her brow and explained, "We need a considerable amount of time alone."
"So why not now?" she offered quietly, "We're alone right now," she stated simply while wrapping her arms around his neck.
Narrowing his eyes as he looked towards the door, Gabriel said, "No, actually we are not."
Suddenly Edward was walking into the kitchen staring at Alena. "I need to talk to her," he said to Gabriel but continue to bore his eyes into hers.
"Do I get to talk to your mate?" Gabriel countered in an unfriendly tone.
"Damn it, Gabriel!" Edward roared, "Every fucking thing in my life is falling apart and you need to act like a bastard."
Holding Alena close to his chest to shield her eyes from Edward, Gabriel replied, "She is the only thing in my life. I lost her once for king and duty. I will not make that mistake again," he said with explained dryly. "She was an innocent victim last night. If you want answers, let us talk with your mate."
"Why do you hate her so much?" Edward asked in desperation. "What makes you so sure that Iona is involved in this?"
"I told you," Gabriel said, as though repeating his account to a child, "When I heard Alena call me for help, I leaped down the stairwell. I found Iona pressed against the door to the gym, laughing as though she were enjoying that fact that her sister was being attacked."
"Surely, you misunderstood what you saw."
"Edward," Gabriel said placing his hand on the man's forearm, "Even you saw her trying to fight me from entering that room."
Alena had heard this exchange with her face pressed against Gabriel's chest. Trusting his words, she knew that her fears had just been confirmed. The girl barely favored her sister, and although they had shared a few laughs, Iona was indeed not Lia.
"Gabriel," Edward finally pleaded, "Please let your girl tell us everything so we can know how this treachery occurred."
Silently contemplating Edward's request, Gabriel stroked Alena's hair as both a gently gesture of comfort but also for his assurance that she was indeed unharmed from last night's events.
"I'll tell you everything," Alena offered turning in Gabriel's arms, "But first, you both must promise that you won't hurt her."
Looking at each other in confusion and then to Alena, the men said in harmony, "Are you serious?"
"Baby, she tried to stop me from getting to you."
"I know," she answered, "And while she may be different and not care for me, I can't help it. She's my sister and I love her." Braving eye contact with Edward, she asked, "Will you please promise to not hurt her? She said that you would be angry."
"I promise," Edward quickly answered ignoring his friend's raised brow. Gabriel knew him too well. If angered enough, Edward would immediately find a loophole to his promise and serve adequate justice. "My dear," he responded, "tell us what happened."
When Alena continued to be quiet, Gabriel turned her face back to his chest and laid her head against his heart. Years ago, she had told him how the preternatural rhythm of his heart was soothing as a lullaby. Now, he hoped that the sound of his heart and the feeling of his arms around her would assure her that she was safe. He hated to ask her to relive last night's attack, but Edward was right, they needed to know how the events occurred.
"My love," Gabriel said to her, "We need to know exactly what happened. And the best way to tell us is for you to remember every detail. You do not need to speak. Just hold onto me while you think about everything from the beginning."
Slowly nodding, Alena tightened her grip around his back. Starting from the exit of Gabriel's apartment, she remembered the elevator ride, struggled through the memory of Iona's anger when she had called her by the wrong name, the visit to Cassian and finally the scene in the fitness room. Once a comforting sound to her, Gabe's heartbeat accelerated and alarmed Alena. Finally concluding with her memory of Gabriel finding her in the shower, she took a deep breath and refused to remember any more.
Hearing Edward groan loudly, Alena slowly turned to face him afraid of his wrath. Expecting him to be red faced in anger, she was surprised to see his despair and agony. Edward, vampire king of America, was heartbroken.
"Edward," Gabriel said, "It's not Cassian she wants but the blood he's giving her."
"I'll fucking kill him!" Edward yelled slamming his fist into the table.
Setting Alena in another chair, Gabriel caught his friend as he stood to leave the apartment. "Edward, I know you are angry. Just stop and think through this for one minute."
"I don't need to think about anything," her roared, pushing Gabriel away from him. "I gave that fucker access to my home and he repays me by destroying my mate!"
"Damn it, Edward, stop and listen to me for one minute." When Edward paused, Gabriel hurriedly continued, "Obviously Cassian was placed here to breach our defense. He's chosen your mate to be his weapon against you. Apparently, he influences Iona through the blood he gives her so something must be in the blood."
"Go on," Edward said quietly.
"The revolution taking place is not the result of infected blood," Gabriel reasoned to his friend. "It's only a method of attack used by the rebellion. Let us remove this contamination from the mansion, test a sample and then see what our adversaries try to do."
"What about Iona?" Alena asked.
"It seems that she continuously seeks the infected stock," Gabe reasoned, "so apparently she's not infected but just addicted."
