Chapter 10
After a long showerand a quick meal, I slept. The fatigue from days of fear and adrenaline clung to me and pulled me down into a hard, dreamless sleep. It wasn’t until I felt the bed dipping beside me as a familiar and comforting presence slipped under the covers that I woke. I had no idea how long I slept, but moonlight streamed through the now uncovered window, highlighting a freshly showered Gabriel.
Seeing him here with me, safe and well, unleashed a new flood of emotions. The dam shattered, and tears once again streamed down my face. I reached for him without a word, needing to feel his presence, to prove to myself that he was here and that I hadn’t stumbled into a dream.
Gabriel wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. He brushed a kiss against the top of my head and stroked my hair, offering comfort in a way that he likely knew words couldn’t.
“Your friends told me everything,” Gabriel said. “They didn’t want me to disturb you, but I just…” He released a long breath. “I needed to hold you after everything we’ve been through.”
I nodded and curled into his chest, grateful he’d woken me. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Gabriel’s hold tightened, and he sighed. “I know. I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for you.”
What could he say that would make me feel better? But his comfort meant everything to me. He and Chris hadn’t been friends—far from it—but he knew exactly what Chris had meant to me.
This was a new feeling for me, and one I didn’t really like. Growing up, I’d never had anyone I could call family. I’d been passed around from one home to another, never quite feeling like I belonged. I’d always been alone. Never wanted. But I had a family now, and I wasn’t emotionally equipped to handle losing one of them.
I’d cried so much today that my eyes were itchy and heavy. I didn’t want to cry anymore, but it felt like I couldn’t turn them off. I’d always heard it said that everyone mourned in their own way, and it looked like this was mine.
My mind flashed back to the last time Jaden, Josh, Chris and I had gone out dancing together. That was the same night I’d met Gabriel. Before all that, we’d simply been a group of friends, enjoying a night on the town. Chris had been a phenomenal dancer, and he’d always said I was his favorite partner because I was the only one able to keep up with him.
Except, now, we would never dance together again.
“I don’t know how to handle this,” I admitted in a soft, broken voice. “I’ve never lost anyone before.”
Gabriel’s arms flexed around me. “You remember him. You carry him with you in everything you do. You honor his memory. He may be gone, but he’ll always be a part of you.”
His words, soft but earnest, touched something deep within me. Because my mate was nearly two-hundred-years-old, I knew he had experience in these matters. He’d already lost one mate prior to meeting me, so he was all too familiar with the sharp sting of loss. I couldn’t even imagine how I would handle something as devastating as that.
“If I’d lost you…” The words caught in my throat, a haunting possibility that I couldn’t bear to even consider. The very thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I shuddered against Gabriel.
“But you didn’t,” Gabriel said, pulling me closer. “You were the one that got us out of there. You took the initiative and now here we are, safe and sound. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Except, he couldn’t promise me that. Adrian wouldn’t quit until we were dead. And since I refused to lose Gabriel, that left us with only one option. I had to go to work, hunt this vampire down, and slay him.
I leaned back and gazed up at Gabriel, memorizing his features in the moonlight. In this moment, he wasn’t just the Vampire King, he was also the man I loved. Someone I had come to depend on and cherish. And I would do anything to protect him—as I was sure he would do for me.
“I won’t let Adrian take you from me,” I said. “I know he’s your father, and I’m sure deep down you still care for him even after everything he’s done, but…”
Gabriel’s expression fell, and he shook his head. “There’s no but. I don’t see us resolving this peacefully. He’s made his choice, and now I have to make mine.”
“What about your brother?”
“Elias…” Gabriel sighed, then closed his eyes, his head resting on a pillow. “I won’t sign his death warrant yet, not until I know exactly what game he’s playing. But if he’s truly sided with my father, then he’s also a traitor. Which leaves me with no other option.”
My heart broke for Gabriel. I couldn’t begin to imagine how it must have felt to kill his mother, and now he had to face the same fate for his father. If we killed Adrian, Gabriel would become an orphan, like me. But also like me, he’d found himself a new family. Me. Lucy. Sam. Josh and Jaden. We would never abandon or betray him like his parents had.
“I love you,” I whispered. I’d only ever said it once before, but now, I never wanted to go a day without telling him that.
He opened his eyes and turned his head until our gazes connected. “And I love you. More than anything.” His fingers traced my wrist, which still sported the faint remnants of his bite. “I haven’t forgotten about this and what you did for me. We need to talk about it, but not tonight.”
“No, not tonight,” I agreed. I was too numb. “Do you need to call your people? Tell them what’s happening?”
“No,” Gabriel said after a moment’s pause. “Before all this, Elias said Adrian was sewing discord and trying to turn my people against me. Without me being in England and talking to them in person, I don’t know who I can trust anymore. I’ll figure all that out when this is over.” He kissed the top of my head. “Think you can get back to sleep?”
I nodded. But before I closed my eyes, I tipped my head back and gazed up at him once more. “You’re staying?”
“Forever,” he said, the corner of his mouth pulling upward.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, though the sound was quite weak. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” He turned his head and kissed my temple. “I’m not going anywhere. Not tonight.”
Warmth pulsed through my chest, and I settled against him, quickly falling back asleep while cocooned in his arms.
* * *
I woke abruptlyto the sound of muffled voices just outside the bedroom door, dragging me out of a deep sleep. The instant I moved, Gabriel stirred, then bolted upright. He pushed the tousled hair back from his face as his gaze darted around the room as though searching for a threat. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one on edge.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, his voice a deep growl.
“It’s nothing,” I reassured him. “Just heard some voices, and it woke me up.”
Gabriel’s attention leapt to the door, and he frowned as he focused on the conversation. Our visitors were attempting to whisper, so as not to be overheard, but that was a tough goal to achieve around those with supernatural hearing.
Kicking off the covers, I rose from the bed, then took a moment to stretch out my aching muscles and feel out my side. After three days of captivity, then running a marathon through never ending marshland, my body was feeling things I hadn’t felt since my first days as a werewolf. But at least my ribs finally felt better.
Gabriel climbed out of bed behind me, and together, we walked to the door. As we approached, the conversation became clearer. Lucy and Jaden’s voices were hushed but tinged with worry. I caught mention of the Academy, and that was all it took for me to yank open the door, only to find them standing in the hallway, heads bent together.
Jaden practically jumped out of her skin, clearly surprised to see us. “Oh, Maddie,” she breathed. “Did we wake you?”
“Well, yeah, you were talking right outside my door,” I said with a half-smile.
Her expression became apologetic. “Sorry. We didn’t mean to. We were just discussing something… Something that can wait until tomorrow when everyone’s had a good night’s sleep.”
My smile fell. I hadn’t missed the inflection within her voice, or the hard glance she’d paid Lucy. I turned to my sister, my brow furrowing when I noticed her pale complexion. Too pale. Clearly, something was wrong.
“Spit it out,” I urged.
“It’s nothing,” Jaden rushed to say before Lucy could speak. “Nothing important, anyway. We can discuss it in the morning.”
“Or we can discuss it now,” I said.
Jaden’s mouth pursed. Obviously, something had happened since we’d last spoken. Something that had very clearly upset her.
I was about to press harder when Lucy sighed and stepped forward. She took my hands in hers and held them tight. That wasn’t a good sign, and my breath caught as I stared down at our joined fingers.
“She deserves to know, Jaden,” Lucy said. “And if we don’t tell her, someone else will. So we might as well be the ones to spill the news.”
Oh god. There was news. And it was obviously bad, seeing as how Jaden seemed incapable of meeting my gaze now. Great. Just freaking great.
Would we ever get a break? In the few months since I’d met Gabriel, it felt like it’d been one bad thing after another.
Lucy squeezed my hands and drew my attention back to her. “The council knows you and Gabriel are alive. I don’t know how. I assume Adrian informed them. In response, they’ve issued a country-wide statement requiring all slayers to keep an eye out for both of you. And there’s more…” She heaved a deep breath, then looked past me to Gabriel. “They’ve reinstated the bounty on your head.”
The news hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me momentarily breathless. For a second, everything seemed to freeze, the weight of Lucy’s words pulling me down. Gabriel took a step toward me, his entire presence bristling with tension.
I shook off Lucy’s grip and reached behind me, my right hand clasping Gabriel’s. Anger seethed within me, threatening to explode any second now. “This is bullshit,” I hissed, my rage ready to boil over. “A country-wide statement? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Gabriel squeezed my hand, but that didn’t calm me as he’d likely hoped. The council had already stolen one person I loved. I’d be damned if I let them do it to another.
“Oh, to hell with this,” I fumed. “I’m done. I’m so fucking done with all this bullshit. They’re the ones who should be running. They’re the ones we should be hunting.”
I released Gabriel’s hand and took to pacing the hallway, if only to burn off a little of the chaotic energy rushing through my veins. I needed to hit something, kill someone. Preferably five someones.
The frustration boiling inside me was palpable, and I needed somewhere to direct it. If I didn’t, I thought I might burst. I’d never felt so damn angry before in my life. So angry that it felt like my wolf might rip through my skin just so I could sink my fangs into someone’s throat.
“Maybe…” Jaden hedged.
I whirled on my heel and glared at her. “Maybe what?”
Her wide eyes bounced between me and Gabriel. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“Jaden,” I growled.
She winced, then took a step back, as though trying to put some distance between us. I’d never seen my friend respond to me like that before. So I stopped pacing and took three deep breaths. Only when my pulse started to slow did I open my eyes and lift a brow.
“Maybe what?” I repeated in a far calmer voice.
She swallowed, then glanced at Gabriel. “Maybe it would be better if you went home.”
A brief, but heavy, silence blanketed the hallway.
“What?” Gabriel finally asked.
Jaden sighed, then leaned against the wall and tipped her head back. “I don’t mean forever. But maybe you should consider it. You’re the Vampire King. You belong in England. If you stay here, we can’t guarantee your safety. And I would hate to see you hurt. Or worse, killed. It would kill Maddie if you died. I know it hurts to hear, but maybe you should go.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Gabriel snarled. It was the first time I’d ever heard him take such a tone with one of my friends.
“I know, but I felt like someone should suggest it.” Then Jaden shot me a sad glance. “Maybe you both should go.”
My anger evaporated in an instant. I stumbled forward a step, the pain in my chest almost unbearable. “You want me to leave?”
“No. Never. But we don’t always get what we want. This is big, Maddie. Bigger than anything you or I have ever taken on before. We can handle a few vampires here and there, sure. But the Academy has unleashed all their slayers on you. And not just the best in Jackson. The entire country. You’re going to have people hunting you from all over. When they find you, they won’t hesitate. They’ll slay Gabriel and take you back to Jackson to hand you over to the council.”
“Jaden—”
“I love you, Maddie. You’re my best friend. My sister. If something ever happened to you…”
I crossed the hallway and dragged her into my arms. The second we came together, her body began to tremble and she started crying. I couldn’t blame her. We’d just lost one of our best friends. Of course, she wanted me somewhere safe. Somewhere far, far away from the Academy.
“England isn’t so bad,” she whispered. “And those loyal to Gabriel would protect you there. Protect both of you. You’d be safe.”
“England isn’t my home,” I countered.
“I know. But you could make it your home.”
I stuffed all my emotions down, then drew back to meet Jaden’s gaze. “I’m not going anywhere. This is my home. You are my family. You, Josh, Lucy, Sam, the kids. Gabriel and I belong here with you. Okay?”
Jaden looked dubious. Guess my speech hadn’t been all that inspiring. But she eventually nodded, clearly realizing I wasn’t going to budge on this. Most people dreamed of traveling abroad. I, however, did not. I wanted to be here with those I considered my family. After all these years, I deserved that, didn’t I? I sure as hell wasn’t going to run simply because my former employer had deemed me a traitor.
Jackson was my home. And I wasn’t going anywhere—Academy be damned.