🐺💣🔪 #MY_BLACK_KNIGHT 🔪💣🐺
🎴Happen 16
✂✂ #Phase 3
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
Theme: Friendly Intruder
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I was about to turn and leave, reaching my hand out to turn the light off, when something caught my eye. It was a small black shoebox that was ba-rely visible in a gap between his hanging shi-ts. Now a shoebox in a closet was unremarkable enough, but something made me hesitate. His shoes were on the far side of the closet. Why would a shoebox be here, and why was it hidden?
Open it, my Wolf instructed curiously, all frustration with me gone. Once again, logic and curiosity clashed in my br@in.
I chewed on my bottoml-ip, contemplating. That would certainly be intruding and would be a gross invasion of his privacy. What would Gabriel say if he found out I’d rifled throu-gh his clothes and opened boxes in his closet?
He’d probably be even angrier than he alre-ady was. Still, I couldn’t ignore the nagging voice in my head, the voice that wanted to find out as much as possible. I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep until I at least got a peek into the box.
‘Now look what you’re getting yourself into, Skylar. This is wrong. So wrong,’ I mentally chastised myself as I reached towards the box. It wasn’t very heavy, and I clutched it to my che-st as I settled down, cross-legged on the ground.
I opened the small box with trepidation. The first thing I saw was a picture, face up. I gr@bb£d the small stack of pictures first, setting the box back down. I perused the picture, wondering why it was shoved in a box instead of being displa-yed in Gabriel’s be-droom. The picture depicted a man with che-stnut hair and stunning blue eyes. Although his coloring was different, I again recognized the regally high cheekbones and straight nose that Gabriel and his mother had. Even throu-gh the picture, the man had an incredibly piercing gaze. Looking into his eyes I felt expo-sed and vulnerable. Something about the man just seemed…foreign. Unnatural. I placed the picture back into the box, suddenly feeling nervous.
The next picture was of a smiling woman with brown hair and eyes. Her expression glimmered with warmth and she had pretty, fulll-ips like Gabriel’s mother. If I had to guess, I would say the two pictures in the box were of Gabriel’s maternal grandparents when they were younger. So why were they shoved in here? Disregarding my unease I shuffled throu-gh the last few pictures, none of the people looking familiar or as if they were related to him in any way.
Feeling creepier by the moment I set the rest of the pictures aside and I peered back into the shoebox. I let out a small g@sp of surprise as my gaze fell upon a beautiful n£¢klace with a heart-shaped locket. The beauty of the trinket wasn’t what surprised me; what shocked me was that it was made of pure silver. My unease grew by the second. Why would Gabriel have a jewelry item made of pure silver, a werewolf’s greatest weakness? How could he bear to sleep knowing a potential weapon was sitting in his closet? I peered closely at it, but kept my skin far away from any contact. The locket glimmered with small gems but I dared not open it. I’d had enough experience with silver as it was.
I couldn’t help but wonder where he’d gotten it. It didn’t look like a lover’s token but still….I felt a sharp pang at the thought and brushed it aside. There was only one other item in the box. I hadn’t noticed it before as it had been hidden un-der the stack of pictures.
It was a large, white, stunningly beautiful feather. Avoiding the locket I pu-ll-ed it out of the box and held it up. The color of the feather was so pure that it made Gabriel’s white shi-ts look dim in comparison. I wondered what sort of bird it could possibly have come from. It was shaped elegantly and incredibly soft to the t©uçh. I ran my f!ngersacross it, marveling at the texture. To my surprise I felt a small tingle in my hand as I ran it across the feather. The s-en-sation was odd and unexpected, the source of which I could not determine. However, my Wolf was whining in the back of my mind and my instincts told me this was no ordinary feather. I began to feel the urgency to put the feather back in the box and leave without further ado.
*
Hall Of Supernatural Stories
*
I quic-kly did so, putting the pictures back on t©p. I wasn’t sure what all I had just seen but my Wolf was telling me I nee-ded to leave. I stood up abruptly and shoved the box back in place. Everything I had seen made me uneasy; it showed me more of Gabriel, but I had actually grown even more confused. There was definitely a lot more to his story than I’d thought. Perplexed, I made my way out of his be-droom.
About half an hour after I’d returned to my own room, I heard the front door turn. Gabriel was back. I exited my be-droom and made my way back to the landing. Gabriel would probably notice my scent as soon as he returned to his room, but it was better that I wasn’t caught in there. I knew that there would probably be a confrontation about it, and I deserved it. I’d snooped in there and wouldn’t be surprised if he yelled at me for it later.
I leaned over the railing to the stairs, observing cautiously as the front door swung open and Gabriel strode in. He was coated with a light sheen of sweat (a detail which I attem-pted to ignore as the smell was surprisingly alluring), his hair slightly matted. His clothes stuck to his sweaty skin and I tried not to stare at the defined muscles beneath the thin layer of fabric. Although most of his agitation seemed to have ceased, Gabriel still looked tense. His unfathomable eyes found me almost immediately and he halted, staring up at me.
The silence stretched out over a few seconds as I tried to find something to say. I realized that my anger from earlier had abated somewhat. I hadn’t meant to set him off. Still though, his overreaction was a bit extreme. I would have to remember not to bring Will up again.
For once, Gabriel broke the silence. “I spoke with Eli. He agrees with me that we nee-d to test your fighting ability. You’ll start tomorrow.”
I swallowed a bit nervously. I knew I was a pretty good fighter by my pack’s standards, but what would the Black Mountains Pack think?
I asked the question that I had been pondering for a while. “Why are you testing me? Do you plan on having me join the pack?”
“No wolf can go on living with this pack without being tested.”
I bristled slightly at the way he phrased that. Was being his Mate not good enough? I felt a rush of determination to prove myself to him, even though p@rt of me felt insulted that I would have to go to such lengths. With a twinge of insecurity, I thought that maybe my Mate didn’t think I was worthy. My Wolf growled lowly at the notion.
“You were gone a long time.” I decided to change the subject, not wanting to get into another argument.
Gabriel didn’t respond for a moment; instead, he began to head towards the kitchen. “Are you hungry?” He asked, clearly not wanting to address the earlier issue.
I sighed, ma-king my way down the rest of the stairs to follow him. “I guess,” I replied, somewhat sullenly. Why was it so damn ha-rd to talk to my own Mate? I felt like it was ha-rder now than it had been that first night in the clearing!
Gabriel opened the refrigerator, scanning the contents. He seemed determined not to look at me.
“Normally, one of the pack cooks takes care of the meals.” He pu-ll-ed out a plastic container. I caught the scent of chicken and my hunger intensified.
“Where are they now?”
“I gave her the day off,” he replied.
I nodded aimlessly, wondering if he s£nt the cook away because I was going to be here. Gabriel swiftly transferred a few fried chicken brea-sts to a plate, pu-ll-ed out some paper towels to cover them, and shoved it unceremoniously into the microwave without a word. Typical bachelor cooking style, reheating leftovers in the microwave, I thought wryly. I shifted from foot to foot, itching to say something.
“Earlier-” I began, but he cut me off, turning to look at me. I resisted the urge to shudder un-der his heavy gaze.
“Don’t talk about…..him. Other males. My Wolf doesn’t like it.” He said shortly, turning away from me after he did so. I blinked, surprised at the admission. My Wolf liked the idea of her Mate being possessive, and I had to admit some p@rt of me did, too. Even if he was going overboard.
“Okay but-”
“Just don’t.” He muttered. I huffed in mild irritation but dropped it, changing the t©pic.
“What happened in the woods earlier?”
Gabriel placed both hands on the counter, sighing. “I scented a vampire.”
“W-what?” I stammered, feeling a flutter of fear, although I wasn’t that surprised that they were still following me. Why hadn’t I scented them myself?
“They may have figured out where you are, although a vampire could not have followed us here during the day. I’ve doubled the patrols again.” He did not seem plea-sed.
“Why couldn’t I smell it?”
“Most vampires are much weaker than werewolves, physically. However, they leave almost no traceable scent. It is nearly impossible to track them. In that they have an advantage.”
I bit myl-ip, remembering the time I’d been watched in the woods but I’d ba-rely caught a scent, and how I could ha-rd ly smell the vampires when they were in the same room as me. It made me nervous that I couldn’t rely on my werewolf s-en-ses.
*
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
*
It was then that I recalled with a jo-lt the names I’d overheard in the storage unit. I hadn’t had a chance to question (or even talk to) Gabriel about it before, as we’d left for his pack village pretty much immediately after my father healed my injuries. Everything had been so hectic that I’d forgotten to share the information I’d gathered.
“Speaking of vampires….the two you killed mentioned another one. Antonio. And said something about Antonio having a master. Does that name ring any bells?”
Gabriel’s eyes darkened, and he slowly shook his head. “No. I always thought they were solitary.” I got the feeling that there was more to it than that.
“How do you know so much about them?”
He turned his head slightly, and I saw his jaw clench. “I was told about them when I was much younger. I was warned they might look for me.”
“Why do they want you?” I faintly realized that we were actually having a normal conversation, or at least a conversation without shouting.
Gabriel’s shoulders tensed. He remained silent. The seconds trickled by, but still he didn’t respond.
“….Gabriel?” I asked hesitantly.
Gabriel made a noise de-ep in his throat, almost akin to a growl. “Don’t do that.” His voice had taken on a rou-gh edge as he spoke.
“Don’t do what?”
“Don’t….say my name like that.” He was gripping the countert©p ti-ghtly.
I was about to ask why, when my Wolf’s inner sm-irk clued me in. Oh. I tried not to blus-h as I realized what he meant.
I felt the tension thickening yet again. I was craving the conversation with him, wanting an explanation for my question about the vampires, but the microwave suddenly beeped loudly, effectively ending the conversation.
Gabriel seemed relieved for the interruption as he opened the microwave and pu-ll-ed the food out. The ju-icy scent invaded my nose, ma-king my mouth water. He divvied the food out onto two plates, gr-abbing a loaf of bre-ad from a bowl near the refrigerator. He opened the appliance again and pu-ll-ed out two bottles of water. He set one in front of me and indicated that I gr-ab my plate and drink. I did so, hesitating slightly before I made my way into the dining room. The table was large and expensive-looking, but I could tell Gabriel didn’t use it often.
*
Hall Of Supernatural Stories
*
I sat down in the nearest chair, half-expecting Gabriel to take his food upstairs and eat by himself, but to my surprise he walked around the table and sat down across from me, placing the bre-ad between us. To any outsider, it would have looked like a typical couple sitting down to eat. I looked down at my food and blu-shed. This activity just seemed so… normal, especially for our unconventional relationsh!p. If one could even call it a ‘relationsh!p’.
I registered Gabriel’s eyes on me, and I slowly looked up to meet his gaze.
“Eat,” He ordered sternly, as if I were a small child.
“Okay, bossy,” I murmured un-der my breath and gr@bb£d a piece of bre-ad. I was somewhat nervous being this close to Gabriel and I could feel my Wolf’s awareness at our proximity. As if on cue, my Wolf began to push a few…inappropriate thoughts into my head. I scolded her mentally, trying to get the lvstful thoughts of my head, but I couldn’t help but observe the way Gabriel’s muscles rippled as he lifted the food to his mouth, or the faint scent of sweat that still clung to him.
‘Dammit, Skylar!’ I thought as I felt yet another blus-h creep onto my cheeks. Sometimes I hated my pale skin, it did nothing to hide embarras-sment.
A moment of silent eating pas-sed, but just as I was about to attempt another conversation Gabriel froze, his eyes becoming unfocused. I could tell he was having a mental conversation with another pack member. I let my mind wander as Gabriel had his silent conference. How often would we sit at this table to eat together? Would we ever get to the point where there was no discomfort between us? I realized that Gabriel always refrained from any physical contact with me. It was difficult to imagine the progression of our relationsh!p.
He set his food back onto his plate, sighing, and I knew the internal conversation was over.
“Pack business.” He stood up, looking resigned. The self-deprecating p@rt of me wondered if he was glad to get away from the awkward conversation with me, then I berated my own insecurity.
He wants to be here with us, my Wolf said firmly in argument with my insecure thoughts.
I realized I was still sitting there, staring blankly at Gabriel as picked up his plate, throwing the scra-ps away. I wondered if this was a frequent occurrence. He had such a big pack that there was probably always someone that nee-ded help. I felt a pang of sympathy for him despite myself. Alpha Brett always had a hectic schedule, and my pack was only half the size of the Black Mountains Pack. Gabriel had a lot on his shoulders.
He was exiting the kitchen now and heading towards the front door. For a second, I genuinely thought he would leave the house without a word. I felt a surge of sadness; despite all of my reservations, I still wanted to be close to Gabriel and I couldn’t do anything about it. That was just the Mating bond at work.
Because of thoughts like these, I was surprised when Gabriel froze in the doorway, facing away from me, shoulders hunched. He stood there a moment, unmoving.
When he spoke, his voice was even dee-per than normal, and there was an un-dertone in his voice that I couldn’t place.
“The pack will come around. They’re just wary of strangers.”
I blinked, surprised. So he’d noticed the uncertainty and the animosity at the pack meeting, then.
“How do you know they’ll warm up to me?” I asked, hoping he’d elaborate.
There was a heartbeat of silence. I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
“It’s impossible not to,” he said, so softly I could ba-rely catch the words. An instant later I heard the front door to the house open, and Gabriel was gone.
I sat there for several seconds, heart pounding. Had he really just said that? I couldn’t help the warmth that had rushed throu-gh me at his words. It was probably the nicest thing he had ever said to me. I was also completely bewildered, as his words were totally at odds with his behavior. Gabriel was saying it was impossible not to warm up to me, yet he hadn’t been warm at all. Until he said that.
I took a de-ep breath, trying to control my racing emotions. It scared me that one little s£ntence from Gabriel could elicit such a reaction from me.
I finished my food in a hurry and disposed of the plate, my cheeks still feeling warm from my Mate’s words. I began to head upstairs towards my room, my mind going over our conversation over and over again in my head. It hadn’t ended in an argument thankfully enough. Perhaps we were ma-king progress. If his pack ‘c@m£ around’, like he said, maybe I’d have an easier time being here. I still had to wra-p my head around Gabriel and his multi-ple personalities but I felt even more determined to get to know him now. Something told me that if there was goodness there, the ha-rd work would be worth it.
—
Half an hour later I was bathed and clad in my nightclothes, lying in the surprisingly soft be-d. My b©dy was tired but my mind would not rest despite the fact that I knew it had to be super late at night and I wouldn’t get much sleep. Aside from the thought that I would be slee-ping in Gabriel’s house tonight (although he wasn’t back yet), I couldn’t shake my nervousness about the day to come. I would be tested, he said. That likely meant I would have to mock-fight one of his trained wolves for practice. I desperately wanted to rise to his pack’s standards; I couldn’t imagine the difficulties I would face if I was perceived as weak. I couldn’t let these wolves see my fear.
Trying to quiet my Wolf, who was pining for her Mate, I closed my eyes and willed sleep to come. I dimly registered a faint rumble of thun-der in the distance. Despite the comforts of my room, I felt lonely. I missed my family and my pack. My Wolf and I couldn’t help but imagine being in Gabriel’s be-d, inhaling his scent as I fell asleep. I wasn’t br@ve enough to creep in his room again but perhaps if I got to know him well enough I’d feel comfortable doing so.
I quietly exhaled, forcing my whirlwind of thoughts to slow as it began to rain outside, the droplets splattering lightly against the windowpane.
As I began to doze, my thoughts were increasingly scrambled. The last wayward thought I had before I fell asleep was of the pure white feather and the beautiful silver locket in Gabriel’s closet. Where had they come from?
—
—
#Tobecontinued……
********
Yep,
Am aware the Happen 16’s haven’t exactly been the best of Happens (smiles) kinda filler.
But then we should be getting something to cheer about from the next happens
Before the real saga begins.
See ya then.
Tbc