Thanks to WorldHistoryBuff for editing this chapter. For those who have noticed the hard changes in the POV, the editor does catch, correct and suggests improvements. Unfortunately, the copy and paste function eliminates the *** used in the transition. I hope the following chapter is better.
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Alena paced in front of the library doors. After checking on the children, she had returned to the rooms she shared with Gabriel but found the apartment empty. Reaching through her mind to find his thoughts and eventually his location, she had been slightly startled to discover a barrier that she could not breach. She had felt the tension increase throughout the house while she was tending to Abigail but had not yet discovered the cause.
Now, having tracked Gabriel's location in the library with his three brothers, Alena anxiously paced in the foyer. She stopped by the door hoping to hear some of the conversation that would explain the current rise of emotions but she quickly discovered that the brothers were using their natural, telepathic skills to communicate to each other. The only sounds were occasional explicative outbursts from Tecumseh or quiet groans from Antony. She knew that her eavesdropping was inexcusable but the separation from Gabriel's mind was pushing her to the brink of panic.
As the hours passed, Alena finally sat in one of the ornate chairs that graced the foyer of Antony's home. She sat not because she was tired but for the fact that she could see the effects of her pacing on the worn fibers of the carpet. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the cushioned back of the chair. Thinking of her children, she felt a vision form behind her eyelids and suddenly she was watching them as they sat together watching television.
"I need to get them out of this house," she murmured quietly.
"Get who out of the house?" Iona asked.
Snapping her eyes open, Alena looked around and was surprised to find that she remained alone in the room. Her heartbeat increased from its preternatural speed as she wondered if she was possibly having a breakdown.
"Alena!" her sister's voice snapped.
"What?" she whispered.
"How are you doing this?" Iona asked. "I can hear you as though you were standing in the same room with me."
"So I'm not crazy," Alena said with a sigh.
"The jury is still out on that. You're definitely compulsive obsessive something."
"Shut up."
"Can you imagine what Edward or Gabriel would think if they saw either of us right now?" Iona asked.
"Gabe's already worried about me," Alena answered. "But maybe we've developed a new skill and he would be happy that I'm finally becoming more vampire than human."
"So do you think we can communicate silently?" Iona asked suddenly standing next to Alena. When her sister gasped in surprise, she then asked, "Get spooked much?"
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Move here so quickly."
"You really need to work on your skills," Iona answered with a laugh. "So do you think we can communicate telepathically?"
"I don't know. Think of something and I'll try to hear."
After a few seconds, Alena said, "I can see your bed. Quit picturing the object and get your mind out of the gutter."
"I can't think of anything to say without picturing it," Iona replied but sobered when she saw her sister's wistful gaze towards the library.
"They've been in there for hours," Alena whispered. "What's going on?"
"Edward blocked me out several hours ago so I asked him the same thing," Iona responded. "Apparently, they are going into battle soon and Gabriel has an ingenious plan that requires some assistance from .... others."
"Others?"
"An innocent peace offering that could be dangerous for the messenger. This is not a war for the Third Creation alone. Others are being required to ... participate."
"The children?" Alena asked but was relieved when Iona shook her head.
"No, Gabriel is probably incapable of forming any plan that could harm you or those kids," Iona answered. "Don't worry. He's not sacrificing any innocents. Just asking for a volunteer to be the Trojan Horse."
Before Alena could ask for an explanation, the library door opened and Edward walked out. Iona immediately leaped to her mate. With a brief glance of acknowledgment to Alena, Edward led his mate up the stairs. Tec and Antony soon followed Edward's exit but neither paused to look at Alena. She remained motionless in her seat waiting for Gabriel.
Alena was staring at the door when his large frame filled her vision. In that brief moment, she finally saw the warrior that others feared. His massive stature appeared indestructible. His head was bent down but she could see his anger from his rigid posture and clenched jaws. When he looked up, the icy glare from his dark eyes told her that he was capable of immeasurable wrath. Although his appearance frightened her, it was the loss of contact with her mate that kept Alena paralyzed in the chair. When he heard her gasp, Gabriel turned away and took a deep breath.
"Alena. I'm sorry. Just give me a minute."
The sound of his voice in her head broke the spell and she quickly moved from the chair to his side. The connection with her mate had always been strong even before she had changed. But now, feeling him in her mind and standing so close to his body sent a jolt of arousal through her body. When Gabriel looked at her, his eyes sparkled with mischief and his wicked grin let her know that his male ego had correctly interpreted her reaction.
"Soon," he said reaching for her hand. "But first, I need to speak with our children."
Gabriel led Alena up the stairs and toward their apartments in silence. Before he opened the door to the children's suite, he paused in the corridor and frowned. Shrugging his shoulders, he opened the door and ushered Alena into the room where Abigail sat watching the television.
The father and daughter looked at each other and then quickly glanced away. Alena smiled as the awkward moment passed between the growing child and uncomfortable parent.
"You find this humorous?"
"Not at all," she replied. "I just realized that misery loves company. I've been uncomfortable with them all day."
"Abigail," Gabriel finally said. "Are you ok ... I mean, how are you?"
"Ok," she barely whispered.
"Good. Where's your brother?"
"Uh...he went to get us some sodas," she answering nervously looking at the door.
Gabriel cast a questioning glance at his mate who merely shrugged her shoulders.
"I'll find him later," he said turning his attention back to his daughter. "I need to discuss some things with you."
"Dad?"
"I will be leaving the house in a few hours and I need you to stay near your mother. Please try to tolerate your brother the best you can," he added with a small grin but avoided looking directly at Abigail.
"Josh and I can hear what's going on," the child said walking slowly to her dad. "I know we're too young to help but we know what you have to do."
Gabriel slowly moved his gaze across the room resting on Alena momentarily before looking his daughter in the eye. "I'm sorry, Abigail," he finally said.
"For what?"
"Our failures. Mine and my brothers'. If we hadn't loss control then you wouldn't have to experience any of this conflict."
"Yeah but Josh and I wouldn't even be here if there hadn't been, well, a few indiscretions."
" What have you told her?" Gabriel silently asked Alena.
