Chapter 4 - Westley
I knew that this was a crazy idea, but it was the only thing that I knew would work. They could move into my house, where I could keep a close eye on them. I had the space, and it was much nicer than the place they were living in.
And I could spend time with Gabriella. Did it go against everything I was trying to do before? A little. But maybe this was better.
I could tell that Hazel was adjusting to the idea pretty quickly.
She was still in the kitchen staring at my fridge like it was magic.
Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked around, taking it all in.
Gabriella was less ecstatic. She had her arms crossed with an angry expression plastered on her face.
“I can show you guys the rooms.” I pointed down the hallway.
Hazel came out of the kitchen nodding her head. “I call the bigger one.” Hazel headed down the hallway, and I looked back at Gabriella. She was twirling her fingers together, doing another look around before following after her sister.
Hazel pushed the first door open. I had the bedrooms set up as guest rooms when I first moved in, so they were equipped with queen-size beds, dressers, and two bedside tables.
The first bedroom I had painted a light green with yellow bedding.
The curtains were drawn up, leaving the room in a lit glow.
Hazel’s nose scrunched up as she looked around. “Please tell me that both of the rooms don’t look like this.”
I chuckled as I shook my head. “No, they don’t.”
I opened the second door, which was a deep purple with deep blue sheets. The rooms were opposite. One was bright while the other was a little darker.
“I want this room,” Hazel said as she stepped inside. She threw her bag onto the bed like she was marking her spot. She smiled. “It’s bigger than our last rooms.”
I looked at Gabriella, whose lips were drawn into a tight line. I could see the fury still swimming underneath. She turned and marched down the hallway. I followed after her. “Gabriella, talk to me.”
“No!” she yelled as she turned around, shoving her hands against my chest, stopping me from getting too close to her. “You forced me into this! Don’t act like this is the solution to my problems!”
“Well, you weren’t exactly going to agree to the idea. I know this isn’t easy, but it was the only way for this to work. You have to admit to that.”
“It’s insane!” she screamed back. “You think being married to you is going to solve anything! My sister and I were so close to getting away from all of this, and you just dragged us back! We were almost free from all of this.”
“I know you don’t see it this way, but this is a solution to your problems, Gabriella. Running away from your problems isn’t going to solve them. It’s just going to create new ones!”
“You don’t know that!” She shoved at me again. “You took away our chance at a new life!”
I took a step back and sighed. “Fine. Let’s say you got away. Where were you going to go? What were you going to do about money? Hmm? What were you going to do about a home and finding food? You have no idea how far you would have had to go, or where you would have even landed?”
“That isn’t the point.”
“No, it is. You planned to run away, but you didn’t think about what would happen next.”
“I wouldn’t be here! I wouldn’t have to worry about us being treated like we are garbage, looked at like we are going to be arrested or beaten up! You have no idea what we have had to deal with.”
“You don’t know that! You don’t know if another pack would open its arms up to you. You don’t know that they would have treated you better or if they would throw you aside without a single thought.”
“Well, now I never will because you fucked it all up!” She turned, storming toward the door. I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.
I hurried after her, needing us to find some kind of even ground for this to work. But as soon as I got outside, I found two guys standing on the sidewalk. Gabriella stood just a few feet outside the doorway, frozen.
“We know that you are connected to everything that’s been going on here,” he snarled at her, one looking ready to move off the sidewalk and into my yard.
I took in the guys, not knowing who they were. They weren’t part of any group that I worked with. I didn’t know every face and name like Brandon and Kaleb did. I spent more time in the woods than I did in the pack.
I narrowed my gaze on them, tracking each step they took. They were just a few inches from stepping on my lawn, which would become a big problem for them.
“Is there a problem here?” I asked, stopping next to Gabriella. The guys looked at me for a moment, thinking. One was shorter with a bigger build, but you could tell it wasn’t muscle. He had a chubbier frame, while the other was tall and thin. They both looked disgusted as they looked at Gabriella.
“Do you have any idea who you’ve just allowed into your house?” the chubby one asked, shaking his head.
I crossed my arms. “I do, so might I ask who the hell you are?”
“This is Kyle and Martin. They believe my sister and I are dangerous and that we are part of the whole hybrid problem,” Gabriella said, looking at them with a mixture of tiredness and anger. “I’ve told you guys that we have nothing to do with what’s going on.”
“It got worse after you joined our pack,” the tall one snapped. “We have problems all the time now, and we know you and your sister are part of it. You are both witches.”
“Neither of us has magic,” Gabriella said, throwing her arms up. “How can we cause a problem if we don’t have magic?”
“You’re lying,” he snapped, stepping onto my yard. I took a step forward, and they quickly took one back. I bared my teeth as I growled, “I would be very careful where you walk.”
I had no problem beating the shit out of someone for entering my property. Much less one who was planning to lay their hands on Gabriella.
“Just who the hell do you think you are?” the fat one asked.
I stepped off the porch, taking a few casual steps toward them. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I walked. But I could see the shift in their eyes the closer I got. They were more bark than bite. I, on the other hand, was not.
“You probably don’t know me because I spent a lot of time out in the woods rather than behind a desk like Brandon and Kaleb. But let me assure you, if you step one foot on my lawn, place one finger on my wife, I’ll have no problem ripping limbs from bodies.”
They both went pale, and the fat one stammered for words.
“And I’m Westley. One of Brandon’s special ops buddies. He actually trained me on everything I know.”
“Did you say wife?” the tall one asked, looking horrified and disgusted. He looked back at Gabriella and then at me, seeming stunned.
I nodded. “I did.” I took a few more steps toward them, and they took a few more back.
I stood just a foot in front of them now.
“So, Gabriella and Hazel are under my protection, which makes them fall under Brandon and Kaleb’s protection.
But, since that didn’t matter before, and you clearly have no respect for your Alpha, otherwise you wouldn’t be bothering them.
So, maybe I should make a point and break a few bones now? ”
They both stammered back. The fat one fell backward, trying to quickly pull himself back up. The other one started to run for it. I almost smirked at the fear in them now. One second, they were ready to drag Gabriella away, and now they couldn’t move fast enough.
I watched them run off and stood there for a few extra seconds to make sure they didn’t come back.
I turned and found Gabriella still standing in the doorway.
She chewed on her cheek, looking defeated now.
As much as she wanted to deny this, my plan was safe.
She had a place that soon everyone would know to leave alone.
I also knew this would be the talk everyone would hear about, which meant it could go one of two ways. Everyone would leave them alone, or everyone would become more interested. Either way, I was going to make sure they were protected no matter what.
“Still think my help isn’t needed?” I asked, feeling like I was placing the final nail into a coffin.