The next morning Everly woke up with her head laying against a hard chest rather than her soft pillow.
As she focused on her surroundings better she began to feel tingles on the arm that was holding her to him in a firm hold.
She inhaled the smell of him, and her eyes closed at how intoxicated it made her feel, it was more sensual than anything she's ever experienced before.
She was sure if she wasn't a human she would beable to feel alot more. He would have a specific scent too if she were a wolf.
Why was he in here though? Did something happen last night that made him lay in bed with her?
She went to sit up, but his arm tightened around her and she smiled lightly. "Alpha Gabriel?" she spoke softly.
He didn't let go so she reached up and brushed his cheek with her fingers, his lips twitched some.
Everly sighed "Gabriel, I need to get up."
Gabriel smiled and opened his eyes looking down at her loosening his hold a bit. "You called me by my name.."
She shook her head and slipped from the bed and walked into the bathroom, she walked over to the sink and turned the water on.
Everly seen dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. She splashed her face and held onto the counter top as a wave of nausea hit her.
Taking a deep breath and counting to 5, when it passed Everly went on ahead to brush her teeth but half way through she had to stop and run to the toilet and throw up the empty contents of her stomach.
She felt someone move her hair from her face and began to rub her back.
She could taste the metallic taste in her mouth and seen the red liquid flowing from her mouth, and she was pretty sure the person behind her could smell it.
It was blood and it was making her dizzy with the more she threw up.
Gabriel continued rubbing her back and when she finished her body leaned into mine.
"I lied, I don't feel fine." she replied breathlessly.
"I know, but we will figure it out, Everly." he told her softly, her skin felt warm against his own "you are also running a fever."
Everly nodded her head, she felt that when she got up, she thought it was just because she was close to him but she was still warm even after coming in here.
"I need to take a shower, it will help..." she told him, but didn't move from his hold.
Gabriel turned her around and her arms wrapped around his neck making him smile, when he stood up her legs went around him.
She really must not feel well for her to be ignoring the sparks that's flowing through her skin right now because he wasn't wearing a shirt, just his bed pants.
He told Jocelyn and Kyle to leave lastnight, that he would take care of her while they got to know one another.
He was happy for both of them, Kyle was a good guy and Jocelyn seemed like a pretty good person herself. She's loyal to Everly and he loves that, couldn't ask for a better Beta Female.
After turning the water on he wanted to let her go and let her shower but he simply got in while they both still had their clothes on. Gabriel felt one of her hands move to his neck and began tracing the tattoo he had that went over his shoulder and part of his chest.
Her touch calmed him and his wolf down alot, because for the past week he has been restraining himself from not touching her at all.
Everly looked up at him a confused look on her face. "Why did you not tell me?" she whispered.
He glanced down at her a guilty look over took him, he could see how hurt she was just by looking into her eyes. "I planned to. I just wanted you to heal from what your last mate put you through."
She closed her eyes and sighed softly. "His name is Aiden Parker, he is one half of The River Ash Pack Alpha's!" she told him and opened her eyes "You have to promise me you won't kill him..."
"And why not?" Gabriel asked her a little shocked "he denied his pack a Luna when he rejected you"
Sighing she smiled at him "Aaron has a mate, it's not his destined mate but a chosen one, the pack has a Luna regardless if I was there or not, besides..."
Everly lifted her head up and cupped his face with her hands. "He brought me to you, Gabriel!"
He smiled leaning into her touch, "we will figure out how to make you better." he told her then kissed her forehead.
Gabriel felt her lay her head back down on him but he frowned when he realized she never told him who she believed it was that did this to her..
"Who do you think did this?" her body tensed up at his question but she didn't answer him, she just shook her head.
"I don't want to cause problems here..." his hands ran through her her long wet hair and her eyes closed again.
She felt him lathering her arms with the soap she had in the shower, probably to distract her.
Her cheeks heated up when he moved down to her legs, but he was being so gentle with her that she didn't even know why it was embarrassing her.
Maybe because no one has seen her like this before? Or wanted to, hell even Aiden didn't want her and they were destined to be together.
"You are falling asleep, Everly"
She didn't realize it until he said it that she was, her eyes opened again and a breath left him because he was looking down at her. "We can get out now..."
He placed her on the bench in the shower then turned the water off. He grabbed 2 towels and turned around. "I won't look while you take your clothes off, but I don't care if you see me."
He took his pants off and to her surprise there wasn't anything underneath them, she looked away feeling like she was seeing something she wasn't meant to.
Everly lifted the nightgown up and off her body, as she wrapped the towel around herself he was still drying his body off.
Slowly she might add, her eyes trailed over the muscles flexing in his back as he moved.
Then against her better judgement they moved down further...she really should look away now, but it was so perfect. He was defiantly more toned than both Aiden and Aaron combined.
Hearing someone clear their throat made her turn to the door and her cheeks flamed up seeing that Jocelyn had caught her.
Gabriel quickly covered himself up and raised an eyebrow at her in question. "You and Kyle weren't supposed to be here till noon!"
"It is noon," Kyle yelled from the room.
Opening the shower door Everly went to walk past her friend when she stopped her.
"How are you?"
"Tired. I'm tired Jocelyn."
Kyle turned around when he seen her walk out in a towel, when he realized there was a mirror in front of him he closed his eyes.
Gabriel came out and stood in the doorway of the bathroom, he could feel Jocelyn's eyes on him.
"She knows... she also told me what twin it was, and asked me not to kill him." he heard Jocelyn scoff.
"You may reconsider that sir." he looked over at Kyle "why?"
"Because my parents told both of them where we are after my tether broke. They are at the gate."
He looked over at Everly who was shaking as she fumbled through her clothes, she glanced back at them and he seen fear in her eyes.
Gabriel walked over and grabbed her hands as he stood behind her. "They can't hurt you if you are with me. Join my pack and and you are untouchable."
Everly shook her head, his mother would have her killed if she pledged to him, who knows what she would do if she found out he was her mate.
"Why not?" he asked, he can't help her if she won't tell him everything.
"I can't tell you, she will kill me!" she told him softly.
His wolf growled in his head, causing it to slip from his mouth.
He turned to his Beta. "I want my mother brought here! And my son isn't allowed at her place under any circumstances."
She looked up at him with wide tear filled eyes. "How did you know?"
He calmed down some "Because ahe has made it clear from the start that she don't like you. I just didn't think she would do something like this"
"If you can we need to have you join then we are going to see what those idiots want." Gabriel told her softly kissing her temple. He let her go so she could get dressed and walked out with Kyle.
"I want her brought to my office after we get back. We need to get these Alpha's away from my territory first."
Kyle nodded, he was equally as upset. His mate told him everything lastnight as they talked, he learned she was a hybrid and he was overjoyed. He has never met one before, only heard of them and how strong they were.
To know that his future Luna was hurt by his old Luna hurt him, she used to be so down to earth when he was a kid. But since her mate and husband died she has became a cold-hearted woman.
"You and Jocelyn have to come becuse she used to be apart of their pack, and she would want you there." Gabriel told him stopping in front of his door.
"Yes sir. I'll get some extra warriors to come with us too..." Kyle told him and left.
**********
They were 10 minutes from the gates and Gabriel turned to Everly while they sat in the backseat.
"There's 2 ways you can join, Everly. By pledge or by me marking you." he told her catching her attention.
Everly thought about it; she knew what that mark entailed, she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet. Then there was the need to complete the mating, she defiantly wasn't ready for that.
"For now, I think the pledge would be best.."
He smiled, he had a feeling she would choose that one. But deep down he wanted to mark her, just to show off to that bastard Aiden that she was now his.
He smiled again and moved closer to where he was next to her, "I don't have a cup so.." he bit his wrist and offered it to her.
"Wow, now I feel like a vampire Alpha Gabriel!" she mocked as she stared at his wrist when she took it in her hands.
"Hurry or it'll heal." Gabriel chuckled.
Shaking the thoughts away she brought it to her mouth and slowly closed her eyes.
His blood tasted sweet on her taste buds, is that normal for blood to taste sweet to another? She was sure that could be due to the mate bond the more she thought about it.
When she pulled away she licked her lips to rid them of the remnants of the blood on them.
"Ready?" he asked and she nodded.
"I, Everly Reynolds pledge my life and loyalty to you Alpha Gabriel Rodriguez of The Mystic Shadow Pack."
Gabriel smiled when he felt her tether form into the pack, but her being human she wouldn't be able to mind-link.
Exceptions are made for Luna's and Beta's that are human so she would after she wears his mark, but she wasn't ready for that yet, and he respected her wishes.
He would take as long as she wished.
"We are here" Jocelyn said from the front seat.
He looked down at her, following her gaze he seen who she was looking at; her eyes were on the one that he assumed hurt her, they were identical to him, so he couldn't tell them apart.
He remembers meeting them when his pack helped their pack with that horrible vampire attack a few years ago, but they weren't quite as filled out as they are now. Still small compared to him but definitely more filled out.
They both had brown hair one had it pulled back into a man bun and the other kept it down just above his shoulders. Their pale complexion made those brown eyes of their seem emotionless.
They were looking at the SUV they were sitting in, but the tinted windows kept them from seeing anyone, from seeing her.
"I'm right here with you... he can't hurt you again" he tilted her head up and she locked eyes with his.
She seemed to get lost in his eyes every time she looked into them and it drove her crazy, like how is that possible?
The slamming of a door made her jump and break eye contact with him.
Kyle and Jocelyn had gotten out already.
Everly opened her door with shaky hands and it took everything in her not to fall from how shaky she was. She felt Gabriel wrap his arms around her from behind, both Aaron and Aiden growled because of it, confusing her.
"I don't feel good, Gabriel..." the nurse in her was telling her to calm down but she knew it wasn't because of Aiden being here.
It was the poison in her system.
Gabriel placed the back of his hand on her forhead, her fever was back. "Jocelyn, did you bring any water?"
She opened the door and pulled out a bottle and handed it to him.
As they began walking he opened it and gave it to her. "Drink some, when we get back I'll get you more Tylenol." she took it from him and took a sip, when she handed it back he seen red in it.
Gabriel stopped her and stood in front of her, her eyes were dazed and faraway, when she started coughing he could hear those idiot Alpha's behind him asking what was going on.
When Everly looked at her hand, blood was covering it, then her vision blurred when she felt her knees give out on her.
Before she hit the ground Gabriel caught her in his arms going down with her. He felt Jocelyn beside him along with Kyle. "We need to get her to the pack hospital."
"What about them?" Kyle asked
Gabriel looked over only to see several of his warriors holding them back. "They can enter. Only so we can find out why they are here, then they leave."