2. Gabriel
Chapter 2
Gabriel
K icking a pebble, Gabriel slowly made his way down the cobblestone street. He sighed, remembering how beautiful and well-kept this village was when his father was in charge. Now, Zareia was a crumbling mess.
He knew that it wasn’t his fault, but the guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders all the same.
Just like last night’s massacre wasn’t his fault.
“You look exhausted,” Daciana said, falling into step with him as they headed toward the town square.
“Thanks,” he muttered with a huff. His gamma never failed to state the obvious, especially when criticizing him. It was usually one of his favorite things about his long-time friend. Today, not so much.
Lowering her voice, she asked, “Was it that bad?”
Gabriel nodded. “A bloodbath.”
“I can’t believe you went on your own. That was incredibly stupid, even for you.”
“Again, thanks.”
“She’s right,” Joel said, joining them from across the street.
At that, Gabriel finally stopped and turned toward them both. “I know. I’m sorry. All right? I just needed… to run.”
It was a flimsy excuse. One they could both see through easily, judging by their matching looks of disbelief. Neither questioned him further though.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Daci, will you go relieve Pax for a while? I need to speak with him. Tell him to meet me in the gardens.”
She narrowed her eyes but agreed before taking off. As soon as she was gone, Joel opened his mouth, but Gabriel lifted a hand.
“Don’t.”
“Then, tell me the truth,” Joel said. “Talk to me, Gabe.”
Sighing, Gabriel grabbed his friend by the arm and dragged him into the nearest alleyway. This early, Zareia was still quiet, but there were already plenty of people starting their day. He watched as a young couple walked by, hand in hand, kissing and laughing quietly. The corner of his mouth quirked up as he wondered why they might be sneaking around at this hour, where they were heading or leaving.
“Gabriel,” Joel said in a softer tone, his hand tilting Gabriel’s chin toward him.
Speaking of sneaking around.
Gabriel leaned forward, capturing his friend’s mouth in a quick kiss. When he tried to pull away, Joel fisted his shirt to hold him close. A low rumble of approval escaped Gabriel’s throat, and he pushed Joel against the brick wall. He slid a hand down Joel’s hard abdomen, making his way lower and lower.
Gasping, Joel grabbed his wrist and broke the kiss. “No,” he said, his breathing ragged. “Not until you tell me what’s going on. Stop distracting me.”
“You know, you’re awfully bossy toward your alpha.” Gabriel brushed his lips against the side of his neck.
“You like it.”
Gabriel chuckled. He did like it but only with Joel. His friend was the only one allowed to tell him what to do, and only in private. And not all the time.
Well, Joel and Rose. He really didn’t want to think about his younger sister while kissing Joel in a darkened alley though.
He scraped his teeth along Joel’s skin, pushing their hips together.
“Shit,” Joel hissed, bucking forward. As if his body knew exactly what he needed, even if he wanted to refuse right now. Groaning, he used his strength to push Gabriel back.
Gabriel didn’t fight it. Joel had never denied him before, so Gabriel knew he was serious. He took another step back, giving them both some space to cool down. As it was, he was already straining against his pants. If Joel wasn’t going to get him off, he needed to stop now.
“Why did you go out on your own?” Joel braced himself against the wall again.
Gabriel crossed his arms while breathing in deeply. “Because we’re running out of time, and I had to.”
Joel’s gaze softened. “Does that mean…”
“I found her,” he said with a nod.
His friend didn’t say anything for a long moment, but the shock on his face mirrored Gabriel’s own feelings. Joel shook his head. “How?”
“I don’t know. Luck? I happened to be heading in that direction and heard the screams.”
Joel let out a sigh, not calling him out for the blatant lie. “Were there any survivors besides her?”
“I don’t know,” he whispered.
Nodding, Joel said, “All right, let’s go find Pax. Where were you heading?”
Gabriel appreciated that he understood they needed to focus on something else at the moment. This was a huge deal, and he needed to figure out how to handle it, but he couldn’t just jump right in. Though, he couldn’t delay too long.
“The gardens,” he said as they made it back to the street and into the bright sunshine. “Someone mentioned trouble with the crops, so I wanted to check in with Jeanne.”
By the time they made it through the town square and to the garden on the northwestern side of Zareia, more people had ventured out. The sun warmed the air, dissipating the last of the morning chill. Paxton arrived almost simultaneously and called out to them.
Gabriel and Joel paused, turning to wait. The beta joined them with a subdued smile. Even Gabriel’s usually cheerful best friend couldn’t seem to be as optimistic today. It was as if a cloud of gloom had settled over them all. Of course, there weren’t any real clouds above. That was what their biggest problem was with the crops; it hadn’t rained in months.
“Daci said you wanted to speak to me?” Pax asked as they pushed through the gate into the largest of their community gardens. “I was supposed to be with Rose until this afternoon.”
“She’s fine with Daci for a bit. I need you to do something for me.” Gabriel walked along a row of root vegetables, noting that it all looked fine. As far as he could tell, at least. Pausing, he faced Pax and Joel. “I want you to take a group to see if there were any survivors in the village.”
Paxton stiffened. “You want us to see if… a bunch of witches survived an attack? Why would we do that? Not that I support the rogues, but I couldn't care less if they killed them all.”
Gabriel tilted his head. “It was a small village. I’m sure it was full of families, children. You don’t wish them all dead.”
He knew his best friend better than that. The man had one of the biggest hearts of anyone he knew. “Fine… I don’t.”
“Besides, we need to know if anyone is looking for her yet.” Gabriel had already filled him in on what happened after returning this morning. Only his inner circle and those guarding the village gates knew of the witch he’d brought back with him. He had no doubt everyone would know soon though.
“And if they are looking for her?” Joel asked.
Gabriel kicked at the dirt beneath his boots. “Then, we’ll deal with it if it becomes an issue later. I don’t think anyone recognized me, but if the witches survived, I’d wager they’ll still search here first.”
“All right, I’ll head out now. Where is this village?” Pax said.
After Gabriel explained where he’d found the place, Joel agreed to go with Pax. They planned to grab a few others on the way out as well.
“Tell…” Paxton hesitated. He cleared his throat, and Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“I’ll tell Rose you’ll be back tomorrow.” Gabriel shook his head, the corner of his mouth curling up. His friend took his duties of watching over her way too seriously. And for that, Gabriel was eternally grateful. Though they were seven years apart in age, Rose adored Paxton. He was one of her best friends, another older brother figure to be there whenever she needed anything.
Which was more and more often as of late.
His friends took off, and he continued through the garden, winding his way to the northernmost end. He easily found Jeanne looking over a dried-up area of soil. It didn’t look just dried up though. Kneeling beside the older woman, Gabriel reached for the blackened potatoes. “How much did we lose?”
“Not a lot.” She wiped her hands on her pants and stood before pointing along the row. “Just this spot, not enough to worry about, but…”
He knew what was coming. Rising, he said, “But if we lose more, it will be.”
She nodded. “And it isn’t just because of the lack of rain. I’ve been bringing water from the well to help. I don’t know what exactly caused it, so I don’t know how to prevent it. If it spreads, it could be bad.”
“Agreed,” he said with a sigh. “Just keep me updated. Let me know if it progresses.”
“Yes, sir.”
Taking another look around, he raked a hand through his hair. This didn’t seem too bad now, but he knew it was only going to get worse over the next couple months. He bid her farewell and headed toward his next stop. The apothecary was nearby, using many of the herbs that grew here too. As he pushed open the door, the familiar bell chimed overhead.
“Good morning,” Rolfe said as he turned to grab a small jar off a shelf. He held it out for Gabriel, already knowing what he was here for. “How is she today?”
“She was asleep when I left, but she seemed all right.” Taking the tonic, he thanked the man.
“I added a little extra willow bark to help more with pain.”
Gabriel swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. “We appreciate it.”
The bell chimed again, and he clenched his jaw. He didn’t mind the healer seeing him upset—after all, he knew better than most what Gabriel was facing—but he wouldn’t let the others in his pack see him in a vulnerable state like this. Blinking away any lingering emotions, Gabriel turned to find Torin entering.
“Ah, just the man I wanted to find,” Torin said with a grin.
“Is everything all right?” Dread immediately filled Gabriel. Torin was one of their sentries, usually guarding their small prison. This morning, the witch had been fighting Gabriel tooth and nail, so he’d taken her there to calm down. He thought it would be in everyone’s best interest to put her somewhere safe until he could face her. At least, that was his excuse. The truth was, he’d needed some space to think through everything and come up with a new plan. So, he’d left the girl in a cell under the watch of Daci’s twin brother, Darren. He’d put Torin on patrol instead, trusting the twins more.
Had Torin seen something outside the village walls? Were the sorcières already here, ready to fight for the girl Gabriel had taken?
When Torin’s smile shifted into one of malice, Gabriel’s stomach twisted with unease. “Oh, it’s fine. I switched positions with Dare, and I’ll tell ya, that witch is a stubborn one, but I’ll get her to talk. That’s why I came here first, to get some?—”
“Wait, what?” Gabriel stood taller, his heart thudding in his chest. “What do you mean get her to talk ?”