Chapter 181

I nodded, not sure I believed him, “topolino? Little mouse?” Sabastian looked at me fondly, ‘Yes, by what my grandchild said I thought you had two heads and a snakes tongue, instead I find a little mouse,” Sab laughed at his own words, Gabe smiling as well, but Sab quickly sobered up. “I called my sister little mouse too. Such a small baby, spending most of her time in fear. I am not a good man but my topolino, she- she knew real monsters,” and for that moment, Sab couldn’t mask the sadness, neither on his face or in his voice. All these years and his loss was – it was as though it happened yesterday. Always fresh. Clearing his throat, Sab retrieved his fork and resumed eating, “Can’t let good food go to waste,” he said stuffing his mouth at a swift pace. “Men,” Clara muttered. “So where is your bambino?” Sab choked out with his mouth full, moaning as he shoveled more in; completely unaware of the looks he was receiving. That or he just didn’t care. “Uhm, she’s with Casey,” I answered distractedly. “Casey?” Clara tried to pull attention off her mate, who temporarily forgot his manners according to her thoughts. “Her mate,” Gabriel replied going with honesty; Clara raised a brow in question. “Casey was injured on Friday; Ava has been very clingy with him as well.” “Poor dearie,” only compassion? I stopped eating, these two were confusing me, I figured I could go one of two ways, weak and shy, or brave and strong. . . . “Okay, cut the shit. What are you guys playing at?” I questioned coldly reading their thoughts. “Chelsea?” Gabe whispered. I shook my head, I wouldn’t be stopped. “What do you mean dear?” Clara said at the same time. “You guys – you both appear to be – is this an act?” I stammered. Guess you decided to go for stuttering and incompetent, Aria deadpanned. “topolino… is there a place you and I can speak privately?” Sab asked. “Absolutely not!” Gabriel snapped at his own great grandfather, eyes darkened, near black. Sabastian cocked his head to the side, appraising Gabriel, holding his gaze, “I will be the last person on the face of this planet that would, could or even want to harm your mate Zuccherino.” The words did little much to calm Gabe, but then I tried. “It’s fine, he and I will not leave the house. Okay?” I turned his face towards me, caressing his cheek. His eyes going from black to my favorite color, Sage green, with a forest green outline. Back to his normal self, he nodded, I stood giving him a smile, “This way,” I told Sab. When he finally stood, he grabbed his still half full plate and fork as well. “Lead the way topolino,” he said and I could only laugh, as did his wife, while Gabriel just glared at his plate. . . . Climbing the stairs we walked to my office on the third floor. “My Zuccherino cares for you. Clara and I, we act this way because of you. In fact it is not act, my sister was like you, a White Wolf. I couldn’t save- - save her, but I can support what Gabriel has done. In my world we do not let those in the family business out, once you’re in you’re in for life. Is that why you believe my behavior to be an act? That I am not being sincere?” “Yes” my response immediate. “Zuccherino told you of my sister?” I slowly nodded. “If she couldn’t get a chance, then you will. You – we, my Clara and I, and my wolf believe in you and Gabriel.” He said eating still. While I just gaped at him, incredulously. Just like that? He’d support us? I checked his thoughts, and even they were pure. Still I couldn’t trust him. His grandson, George, Gabriel’s own father did so much to break us apart. Sad had to have some angle. He had to. I couldn’t even – it wasn’t for my sake, but Gabriel’s. if Sab was trying to con us, it would wound Gabriel like no one had ever done before. “My sister was a beautiful child. We were both born in the 1500’s. It was a less humane time. Women were treated like cattle but my father refused that for any of my sisters. He was hard on us men, but his daughters,” Sab said closing his eyes, reminiscing, but with the grimace, I knew it was nothing pleasant. Also knowing from Jack that if found, werewolves were tortured until they died. “When my sisters shifted, all of us brothers protected them like warriors. They were all brown wolves. Then when my little topolino was 13 years old, she shifted. A white wolf. She became more introverted, on her own, not running with the pack, afraid to even look out of the window. She began having night terrors. She claimed she didn’t remember her dreams. She became afraid of her very own shadow. Four months later she was kidnapped. That was the one and only time she had been able to escape.” When Sab opened his eyes I saw only sadness, his pause was brief. “Her life brought me one thing… awareness. Even our kind has monsters. She returned worse than when she left and never recovered. She spoke very little and any light in her eyes from her child hood was gone. Her once telling eyes were hollow. She gave me this,” he stopped reaching into his blazer, pulling out a folded piece of paper. Glancing towards the sheet paper, I looked at him curiously. Sab held the paper, unfolding it and from what I could see it was old parchment paper, aged and blank. “A week before she was kidnapped, for the second time, she told me that I wouldn’t be able to protect her. I would help a white wolf, but her not her. I – I was frantic. The whole family kept her under lock and key. But she… it was… she knew better than us,” he was back there, the pain rolling off of him in large waves. “We locked her in every night, and one morning when we went to unlock the door, and she was gone. My family searched high and low and we found her with another pack. It happened four more times and the last time she gave – gave me this piece of paper, said I should give it to the next white wolf I meet,” he handed me the paper, but looked torn. I didn’t understand why he would be so emotional about this. The paper was blank. It is the last thing he was given by her Aria thought making see. I reached for the paper slowly, cautiously, like it would burn me or something, I sighed. Taking it, I flipped it over to examine it closely and there was a small finger print of blood near an edge. “Her blood?” I questioned. “Mine,” he shook his head sadly.