My black knight Episode 28 b

🐺💣🔪 #MY_BLACK_KNIGHT 🔪💣🐺
🎴Happen 28
🍺🍺 #Phase 2
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
Theme: Taking It All In (2)
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I subsided into silence. I wasn’t going to lie to myself; I did have feelings for Gabriel, strong feelings. My Wolf was p@rt of that, but a lot of them had developed from my human side. Seeing the depth and torment that hid behind Gabriel’s dark eyes just made me want to help him in the way that only a Mate could. But there was a risk if I chose to travel down that road, a hvge risk.
It was not just the risk of a broken heart. Because I was a werewolf, it was the risk of a broken soul. It wasn’t like I would get hurt, but then recover years down the line. If his Mark faded, I would never be a complete person again. It would be impossible.
Rejecting him would be painful for both of us. It would be miserable, excruciating. But it would pale in comparison to the agony of his Wolf slowly pu-lling away, of the bond fraying then breaking, of his Wolf gradually losing recognition of the Mating bond (at least based on how Gabriel had describe-d what happened to his parents). Rejection caused an immense amount of pain, but I had never heard of it slowly driving a Wolf to insanity; probably because most of the pain was instantaneous instead of drawn-out.
But if his Mark didn’t fade….my life would be complete.
I knew I couldn’t be anywhere near Gabriel when I was ma-king such a decision. I couldn’t think clearly around him.
There were a couple hours of silence in the car, in which both of us remained tra-pped in our own thoughts. After a while I began to doze off with my head resting against the window. Just when I was lingering on the fringes of sleep, Gabriel spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes sh0t open and I glanced at him in surprise. Gabriel was not the type to apologize often or admit fault. He was a proud Alpha, after all. He’d never tried to broach the subject in such a blunt manner before.
I paused for a moment, chewing on myl-ip. “It isn’t your fault,” I finally replied.
He ran a hand throu-gh his dark locks, his common agitated mannerism. “Yes it is. My selfishness brou-ght us here. I should have done the right thing for you from the beginning.”
Rejecting me, he meant. I didn’t say it aloud but I knew what he was referring to.
“No.” My reply was firm, surprisingly. He glanced at me, taken aback. “You were right in telling me everything and then letting me choose. I deserve the chance to make my own choice.” The thought was just occurring to me as I said it, but it made perfect s-en-se. I un-derstood a bit more now that I had time to think. I wasn’t as angry with Gabriel for bringing me to his pack, or even for taking weeks to tell me his secrets. At least he was giving me the choice, letting me decide for myself which path I wanted to take. Rejecting me from the beginning would have eliminated my free will. I knew that now.
We fell into another thick silence. I could tell he wasn’t trying to push me or sway me in any way. He was letting me think. Unfortunately, I had a ha-rd time doing just that in such close quarters to him. I couldn’t help but notice the way his arm flexed when he shifted gears, his sculpted profile, the way his hair fell across his forehead. I was losing it, I knew. I was ba-rely able to control my train of thought anymore.
By some small mercy, after another long stretch of troubled thinking while afternoon transitioned into early evening, sleep finally found me. I lost myself in its enveloping warmth, pushing aside all of my worries and preoccu-pations for the time being. After such a mentally and emotionally strenuous trip I nee-ded to rest. Perhaps everything would be clearer when I woke up.

When I next awoke, things were definitely not any clearer. I was surprised to note that I was lying on something soft in a horizontal position: Gabriel’s couch. How did I get here? I frowned, confused. The last thing I remembered was the car trip home. I must’ve fallen asleep and Gabriel carried me in here. I lowered my head, feeling a blo-ssom of warmth mingled with pain at the thought of him carrying me in here while I obliviously sle-pt. My emotions were so muddled I couldn’t make heads or tails of them.
 
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Hall Of Supernatural Stories
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I sat up slowly, glancing out the nearest window. By the tendrils of light snaking across the horizon I saw it was very early morning; I must’ve sle-pt for nearly twelve hours! I must have been extremely distressed to sleep that long. At least we’d made it back sooner. I was somewhat surprised that Gabriel had decided to drive back all night with the threat of vampires, but I supposed he didn’t want to leave the pack for too long, and I had the n£¢klace for protec-tion.
Judging by my Wolf’s subdued mood, she was no more looking forward to saying goodbye to Gabriel than I was. However, it had to be done. I had to come to my own decision without any sort of influence from my Wolf or hor-mones. I had to be completely sure I was doing the right thing.
Almost abs£ntmindedly, I traced the shape of the cross on the end of the n£¢klace. It definitely felt warmer. Having it around my n£¢k did make me feel safer. Even if it would only last a few weeks, the vampires could not t©uçh me. I only hoped I could find similar protec-tion for my pack, as-suming Raziel found what he was looking for.
Seconds later, I heard the front door open and shut and Gabriel strode into the room, his eyes finding mine instantly. A slightly pained look crossed his face before he masked it un-der a blank façade.
“Are you hungry?” He asked a bit gruffly. He clearly wasn’t sure how to act now that I knew everything about him.
I shook my head. I had no appetite; in fact, my stomach was churning. I had thought about it a lot on the car ride home and I wanted to return to my pack, at least to make my decision. I was sure Gabriel would not be happy about it but he would un-derstand. He had to.
They hated me here, or at least most of them did. The animosity was intense. How could I make such a life-altering decision around so many unfamiliar and unfriendly wolves?
And, if I admitted it to myself, being near my family would help. Besides, I nee-ded to warn the pack about the vampires, at least to the extent that I could without breaking my promise to Raziel. They deserved to know.
You returning home could put them in more danger. What if Cain comes for you? My Wolf mused.
He could come for me regardless of which pack I’m staying with. Both packs are in danger, I responded. It was true, and Riley’s face and wi-de-eyed innocence flashed before my eyes.
Then another horrifying thought c@m£ to me.
Or….he could come for my family to get to me, regardless of whether I’m with Gabriel or at home. I started feeling sick as I said it. It would make no difference where I was; other wolves around me could get hurt, and I wouldn’t wish that on my pack or Gabriel’s, regardless of how much they disliked me. They were his pack, and it would hurt him to lose more pack members, so therefore I didn’t want it to happen.
He can’t t©uçh me because of this n£¢klace though, and Raziel is going to get the other items to protect our packs. We just have to hold out until then.
“…Skylar?” Gabriel cut into my thoughts, and I realized he had been staring at me expectantly. His use of my name made my heart flutter and I tried to ignore it.
“I was going to…” I trailed off, taking a de-ep breath. I had to tough it out. “Return to my pack. At least for a bit.”
His expression ha-rd ened slightly but he seemed unsurprised.
“If that’s what you want,” he said, a bit stiffly.
“It is,” was my soft reply. He turned away, shoulders hunched.
“Your things are in the room across from your old one. I figured you wouldn’t want to go back…” He trailed off, but I un-derstood the gist.
“Thanks.” I stood up slowly, fidgeting. It was uncanny how Gabriel could go from so open one day to completely closed off the next.
 
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As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
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“Normally I wouldn’t let anyone leave, especially after they c@m£ to my pack so recently. But I un-derstand this is a special…circu-mtance.”
His callous tone almost made me flin-ch before I realized he was likely ha-rd ening himself out of self-preservation. He cared about me, right? He had to or he never would have been this un-derstanding.
“Thank you,” I mumbled.
“Are you leaving immediately?”
I sighed, staring at the ground. Why was I feeling guilty?
Gabriel clearly took my silence as confirmation. “I will esc-rt you to the border then. I’ll meet you outside when you’re done packing.” Without another word, he had briskly walked to the front door and exited the house again. I couldn’t help the dejection I felt caused by the thought of leaving him. I could tell my Wolf was not happy about it but she un-derstood what I was doing. She, too was still adjusting to the newfound discoveries about her Mate.
Gabriel’s emotionless attitude did hurt, but not as much as it had before. As I headed upstairs and began to throw my piles of clothes into my suitcase, I knew he was probably just protecting himself. For all he knew I could reject him any minute. In fact, judging by the way my clothes had been neatly folded by my suitcase, he had anticipated that I might leave. I stared at the clothes remaining to be packed, and I nearly felt like crying. His scent was all over the small bundles. He had clearly folded them with care and spent enough time in here that his scent still lingered. Had he spent all night curled up on my clothes? I swallowed, ha-rd , and fought back tears. I ra-pidly threw all of my other necessities into the bag before exiting the room with haste. My hunch was probably wrong but the thought of Gabriel sitting here, folding my stuff, was enough to nearly s£nd me sprawling to the ground.
Oh how I wished it could all be normal.
I met my Mate outside and we set off at a brisk walk towards the edge of a village without a word. p@rt of me wished I could say goodbye to Eli but at the pace Gabriel was setting there would be no time.
You might see him again, my Wolf said, thinking about returning here once everything had been settled. I knew that’s what she wanted: a life with her Mate. It was a risk she was probably willing to take, but was I? I shook the thoughts away.
We Shifted as soon as we entered the trees, me with my bag of necessities again on my back, clothes tied to my ankle. Seeing Gabriel in his mas-sively powerful Wolf form was enough to set me on edge again. Every ounce of my own Wolf pined for him but she was far more subdued than normal, because she knew of the possible consequences now. I could see my Wolf’s sadness reflected in Gabriel’s Wolf’s de-ep orbs. While running as my Wolf was usually a liberating experience, today my thoughts were much preoccu-pied elsewhere. Gabriel ran near me, muscles rippling with every stride, but we made sure not to let even the fringes of our fur brush. There was no telling what would happen if our Wolves took over.
That run as my Wolf was the least enjoyable of my entire life. Having something so close, yet not being able to have it, was excruciating. Everything was amplified in my animalistic form. I took my anger out on the ground, pounding against it with my mas-sive paws as we to-re throu-gh the un-dergrowth.
Finally, we neared the border. Gabriel indicated that we Shift back, I as-sumed to say goodbye. Feeling downtrodden I switched forms behind a copse of trees, throwing my clothes on haphazardly. I didn’t want to do this, I didn’t want to leave him. But I nee-ded to think clearly. I had both Gabriel’s future and mine in my hands, and it was not the time to make an impulsive decision. Too much was at stake.
We approached each other in a small clearing, st©pping a few feet away. It was mid-afternoon and the sun shone high above our heads, throwing everything into clarity. I was reminded of the first night we’d met, in a clearing similar to this one.
“I’m surprised you’re letting me run the rest of the way by myself,” I started the conversation hesitantly, trying to keep my voice light.
“If it weren’t for that n£¢klace I’d never let you. I’m sure it would upset your pack if I joined you, but without that protec-tion, I wouldn’t care. Be careful; it’ll be long past dark before you’re home.” His eyes flashed with worry, and he was still taut with tension. I s-en-sed that he was putting a great deal of trust in Raziel’s n£¢klace by letting me be alone in the dark. That spoke volumes of the Angel’s wisdom, for Gabriel seemed to not trust easily, and I was sure it was a higher standard when it c@m£ to me, his Mate.
“Don’t worry, I’ll meet up with border patrol. The vampires won’t come near me. I’ll be safe.” I t©uçhed the wooden cross and felt its warmth, really hoping the blessed item worked.
Gabriel sighed, looking down at the ground as he clenched his jaw. A moment of silence pas-sed by.
“I don’t want to let you go, really I don’t. Everything in me is going against this.” He closed his eyes for a second. “But just this once, I know I nee-d to step back and let you make your own decision.”
I stared at him, surprised yet again by his honesty. He must really have cared to put aside his Alpha nature and let me be independent this once, when I most nee-ded it.
His eyes fixated on me then, and there was alarming intensity in them. I could tell everything he said was about to be spoken with a conviction.
“But you have to know this, Skylar. Take your time deciding, and I will un-derstand. If it’s days or months, I will un-derstand. Don’t return to me until you’ve made a decision. And when I do see you, I want you to end this. You can either reject me and move on with your life or you can accept me and become p@rt of my pack.” He stood there, shoulders tense, as I stared. “But don’t come see me unless you’ve made your choice. I can’t take the pain of not knowing anymore.” His gaze was scorching, desperate, and I swallowed ha-rd as Gabriel’s eyes bored into me.
I gazed at him then for a long moment, and I’m sure my expression mirrored his. A series of emotions fli-ckered between us then, along with the usual electricity of our close proximity. I tried to convey to him everything I was feeling throu-gh my eyes alone. I didn’t want to use words because I wasn’t sure how to put my feelings forth verbally. I just hoped and prayed that he could somehow know what I was thinking. I wanted him to know that this was causing me pain, too, and that both my Wolf and I cared for him de-eply. On the other hand, I was worried that articulating my feelings for him might make it even more painful, and I didn’t want to cause Gabriel any more torment than I was by leaving. He didn’t deserve it.
We stayed like that for a bit, just staring into each other’s eyes, silently conveying our emotions to the best of our ability. I wasn’t sure how long I would be going without seeing him. I wanted to memorize the way he looked now, even if I would be seeing him again soon, because I knew how ha-rd it would be to go without him for even a day. I kept the mental image locked inside my head before I nodded once, slowly.
“I un-derstand,” I said, the words coming out a whisper. He nodded, once, the fire in his eyes dimming slightly.
I turned to leave and took a few steps away. My Wolf was whimpering loudly and I tried to f0rç£ her down. I wanted to go back to Gabriel and embr@ce him, but I knew I couldn’t. It would only make everything worse.
“Stay safe, Skylar,” Gabriel said, so quietly I ba-rely caught the words. I glanced over my shoulder to lock eyes with him.
“I will. Goodbye Gabriel.” I tilted my chin up with sudden conviction. I couldn’t make him wait a long time, that would be cruel. Seeing him standing there alone, looking more dejected than I’d ever thought possible, I knew I had to make my decision fast. “I will see you soon,” I added, putting every ounce of honesty I could into those words.
Then, without another look back, I turned and re-entered the fringe of trees, heading home.


#Tobecontinued …
 
So there we have it,
Skylar is going back home!
What do you think fate has in stall for her?
I have to warn you guys though,
Prepare for some really heartbreaking and emotional scenes up ahead.
Tragedy may fall,
There might be telling circu-mtances.
We have just drifted into another section of the story, i hope you haven’t loos£ned ur seatbelts?
It might be one crazed ride.
And of cos, the action scenes are coming!
See ya in the next Happen.