Chapter 26

Chapter 26
Gabriel pov

I wasn’t entirely sure that leaving Rhea alone was a good idea, especially after what had just happened, but what fucking choice did I have? I still have a kingdom to run, people who need protection from all the things that go bump in the night. I can’t babysit her all the time, she has to learn to look after herself. She is capable.

She is incredibly strong and independent one moment, and then the next she is as fragile as a small child. The way she switches makes me dizzy, though I suppose that she could say the same thing about me.

Perhaps I have been too hard on her, I did take her away from her family after all, but regardless of how cruel I have been, she still needs to learn to obey me. Even if she doesn’t always want to. We all do things that we rather wouldn’t. It’s a part of life.

I hesitate as I leave the room, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest, she showed true potential and power today, even if she doesn’t realise it. Not only will this strange power of her protect her, but it’ll put a target on her back for the rest of her life.

My kind do not like having a weakness to anything, and whatever she was doing out there was causing vampires to turn to ash in a split second. We can regenerate from most deaths, but not that. There is no coming back from ash. It’s why we always burn the bodies.

How did she even do it? First the colour of her strange wolf, and now this, she is something else entirely.

I’m glad she is here with me, not only can I keep her safe, but perhaps when I earn her trust, she will use that power for me and what I want.

If the rebels don’t get to her first.

They must have known she was different, someone must have told them.

I walk into my office, pleased to see that Rayan was already sat at the desk, going over stacks of papers. This better be quick, I promised Rhea I would return to her.

He turns to me as I shut the door, “what the hell happened out there?” He demands, forgetting who I am. “what were you going outside the walls without an escort?”

“I can protect myself Rayan, or do you forget who I am?” I growl, taking a seat in my chair by the window. “Let’s get this over with, I have other places to be.”

Rayan huffs in frustration, shaking his head as though I am an adolescent who doesn’t know the rules. “You aren’t meant to get close to her Gabriel, you are just meant to get her pregnant a couple of times.”

I almost lose my temper; I almost throw him across the room. But I hold it back, biting the inside of my cheek.

I can’t let anyone know what is happening to me, or to her. We are different, I feel connected to her somehow. But rayan wouldn’t understand. Not yet.

She isn’t just a vessel anymore, she is so much more.

She is becoming so much more in my eyes.

“She will carry my child when I am ready to place one in her womb.” I tell him, leaning back in my chair, “but that isn’t why I called you here.”

He clears his throat, suddenly seeming very uncomfortable, “then you called me about the attack?”

I nod, “I did.” I say carefully, “I want to know how they got past our security, an attack against their king should not go unpunished, I want everyone involved brought to me. Everyone that is still alive.”

“Some of them got away.” Rayan sighs, as though he has a greater burden on his chest, “some of the guards took a bribe from the traitors. They let them pass through.”

“I don’t care if they got away!” I shout, slamming my hand on the desk. “It is your job to find them and bring them to me!”

He flinches, shocked by my anger. “I will find them.” He confirms.

“Good.” I growl, trying to calm myself down. “As for the guards, I want them all brought to the underground at first light. Let them think they’ve gotten away with it, but don’t let them leave.”

Rayan bows, “None of them will be permitted to leave the grounds, I’ll spread the word.”

“How many died?” I ask, looking at the storm brewing just outside the window.

“What?” Rayan asks, eyes on the window.

“How many did we kill?” I ask, “and how many of our own died fighting them?”

“We killed over three thousand.” He says, looking through the stacks of papers again, “and we lost seven hundred and forty three.”

“Seven hundred and forty three of my best warriors are dead because the guards took a bribe.” I say, slowly turning back to look at him. “Who told us that they took a bribe? How did we find out?”

“One of them confessed, he told me all the names and ranks.” He says softly, his eyes still o the papers. “He was executed straight away.”

“Good.” I nod thoughtfully, “he can’t tell the others that we are coming for them.”

“One more thing.” Rayan clears his throat, “some of the men are freaked out, they saw what the she wolf did, and they’re talking, they think she was sent here to kill us all.”

I laugh, out loud. “She belongs to me, make sure that they all know that.” I stand from my chair, “and make sure that they all know the consequences of trying to take what is mine or harm her.”

“And what are the consequences?” He asks, eyes black with anger.

I look him in the eye, all my rage gone, replaced with something softer, something that seemed at lot like determination. I will keep her safe. Even if I have to kill them all.

“Death.” I say quietly, “the consequence for harming her, is death.”