Alena trembled in fear watching the scene in front of her. First this strange woman, who she had seen in her dream, had managed to enter the treatment room where the children slept. Before she could scream for Gabriel, she had been grabbed by none other than Cassian, a man who apparently enjoyed flirting with danger. But now, his body lay on the floor, headless.
Lifting her eyes to Gabriel, she saw a man that she barely recognized. His black irises dominated his eyes leaving no whites shining through. The animalistic growl continued ripping deep within his chest as he glared at the audience surrounding him. In his hands, he gripped Cassian's head, eyes blinking and mouth gaping.
With a final look at the body on the floor, Gabriel balanced the head between his palms and, with little effort, crushed the skull until it no longer resembled a man's face. As his preternatural strength rose to the surface, he looked at the red hair woman smiling at him in victory. Understanding her demeanor, Gabriel shook in horror as he realized his act of protecting his mate may have just cost her life. Certainly, Helen would be granted his death sentence but her offer of exchange meant that Alena's death was also desired.
"So," the venomous bitch said, "the mighty Gabriel Philandros has fallen." When she saw the fear cross his face, she screeched in laughter. Knowing that his concern was not for his life, but the life of this insignificant female human, Helen only laughed harder.
"So, Edward," she said in humor, "which will it be? The great, once infallible general, or the bitch and bastards?"
"Me," Gabriel answered. "If my brother wants my life so much he can have it; but only after I've killed his favorite whore."
"His whore?" Helen asked with a wicked grin. "You honestly think that Heron is the only brother I've fucked. I've had them all, except you Gabriel. For eight years, I've collected cum of almost every brother of the Third Creation but you've ignored me. And for what? For this pathetic human who is so weak that her body can't even change to become one of us?"
With his unnatural speed, Gabriel dropped the bloody flesh from his hands and moved across the room grabbing Helen in a crushing hold. Before he could kill the woman, he stopped and looked at the small hand touching his arm.
"Gabe?"
Moving his gaze from her hand, Gabriel stared into the terrified eyes of the woman he loved. Dropping the woman in his grip, he let his mind wonder into Alena's prepared to see the fear she had for the monster that he must certainly appear to be. Instead, he saw the fear she had for his life. The life that he was destroying in a foolish burst of outrage to protect her. Now, in her mind, there were no thoughts of siblings, children, or changing. His mate's only concern was centered on him.
"Gabriel," Edward said, "We need to talk."
"Talk?" Helen repeated. "There will be no talking. You," she said pointing to Edward, "will give us what we want. I will not fail like the other pathetic weaklings the master has sent before me," she spat with a meaningful look at Iona and the dead body lying at their feet.
"Guards," Edward commanded, "take this woman to a holding cell. Do not let her escape and secure the block on her thoughts. When I release the hold I have on her now, she had better not be able to communicate with anyone," he finished. Then, as though he had a second thought, Edward walked to the woman and gently stroked his fingers down her face. When she collapsed in an unconscious heap to the floor, he motioned to the guards to remove her from the room.
"Gabriel," Edward said looking his friend. "What have you done? You promised to defend me against Heron and now he will take my kingdom."
"For four thousand years," Gabriel responded while never looking away from his mate, "all I ever wanted was this one woman. You and our brothers have destroyed yourselves through your lust. And now that your sins have created these children who will be used to destroy us, you blame me."
Turning to face the American king, Gabriel continued, "I will accept the sentence issued by the Council. Until that time, I will remain in my rooms under house arrest." Looking into Alena's eyes again, he cringed at the message she sent but nodded his head in agreement.
"And my fate will also be hers."
"What?!" Iona yelled from the doorway. "Edward, you stop this. I mean you fucking stop it right now."
"Quiet," he responded.
"I will not," Iona continued. "This disaster is your fault. My sister will not die because you can't say no to some willing cunt."
"But it's paid off so well for you, hasn't it dear?" Edward replied with venom.
"Iona," Alena said standing behind Gabriel. "I belong with Gabriel. I can't live without him." Looking at the king glaring angrily at his mate, "And you need Edward. Whatever happens was meant to be."
With her final words, she placed her hand on Gabriel's arm and together they walked from the room. As they entered the elevator, she moved closer to him but felt him tense and move away from her.
"I would prefer to wash this blood from my hands before I touch you," he said quietly.
"Gabe," she said grabbing his hands to open his arms, "we will be together to the end." Moving closer to his body, she leaned her face against his chest and wrapped his arms around her back. Settled in his embraced, she wondered at the sense of calm she could feel during this chaos. The steady beat of his heart was the only sound she heard until the chime of the elevator announced their arrival at his suite. As they exited the car, two male vampires, massive in size approached them in the corridor.
"Sir?" one of the men said to Gabriel. "We were told by the king to report here. We don't understand."
"You will do as instructed," Gabriel said. "I am under house arrest; therefore, you will ensure that I am confined in my quarters until summoned to appear before the Council. The only exception that I request is that no one interrupts us until that time."
"Yes sir," the two guards replied in unison.
Walking into the apartment, they proceeded to the bathroom where Gabriel stripped his clothes as Alena turned on the water in the shower. She turned and looked at the magnificent body of the man she called her husband. Fading in comparison to his beauty, she felt her confidence waver as he looked down her frame. Of course Helen had verbalized what she was sure everyone had been thinking. Her weakness was the cause of her rejection.
"Weakness?" Gabriel asked. "Baby, you may be foolish for linking your fate to mine, but no one could ever call you weak. You've taken a life of problems and tried to make everyone happy. Even just now, you intervened before Edward could react to your sister's threat. No other woman could be my mate. Only you."
"I'm glad you approve. So what do we do now?"
