by Marla Monroe
A soft knock at the door had her burying her face against Aaron’s neck. She didn’t want to see anyone like this. Aaron had pulled on jeans after Levi had left, while Gabby had on boy shorts and a T-shirt. Being shifters, they were used to being nude around pack members, but not around strangers. Being covered didn’t mean she was okay with having company, though.
Aaron seemed to think it couldn’t hurt because he called out for them to come in. The door opened, and even with her stuffy nose, Gabby knew that the Sylphies had come into the room. She struggled to stop sniffing but didn’t look in their direction.
“Can we help?” Ariel asked.
“I don’t know. I sure hope so.” Aaron stood up with Gabby in his arms. “Let’s go sit in the living room. Maybe you should get Sienna as well. I’m desperate enough at this point to ask anyone for help.”
When he sat down on the loveseat, Gabby pulled away from his neck and wiped her face. A small hand holding a wet cloth appeared in front of her face. She took the offering and looked up to find Krista smiling shyly at her.
“Thanks,” Gabby said.
The Sylphie just nodded and settled on the couch next to her sisters. Sienna hovered near the end but didn’t sit. She looked like a hummingbird afraid to light lest it get caught as it perched.
“We know that you and Levi are bond mates and that you are mated to Gabrielle, yet something seems to be wrong with the mating. Since Levi tore out of here as if the hounds of hell were at his heels, I have to believe that it has something to do with him. He is the one I removed some residual magic from, so it stands to reason, he is the problem,” Ariel offered.
“I felt the mating heat first. We never know what will trigger it when we’ve been around someone all our lives and never knew it before. I didn’t realize that Levi didn’t share the heat until one day while we were talking about her. He’d wanted to wait to give Nessa and her mates time to relax and adjust after what they had been through earlier.” Aaron stopped and kissed Gabby’s forehead. “I realized in that moment that he didn’t really feel it. I was all but chewing my own leg off wanting to claim her, and he was so calm about it. I didn’t say anything at first because I thought maybe he hadn’t been around her as much as I had, but finally, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”
“He just tried to mate me, and his wolf refused me. He wouldn’t bite me,” Gabby whispered.
“Levi loves you, honey. He, the man, loves you,” Aaron told her.
“That in itself is a great honor. Where all other shifters are ruled by what their wolves dictate, your Levi chose you despite his wolf,” Yvette said.
“But without his wolf, it isn’t a full mating, and those never go well for our kind,” Aaron told them. “Many shifters only have one mate, but most have two. When a shifter loses their mate, they can go crazy with grief or waste away and die. Usually, having children will help them continue to have a productive life, but not always. We don’t want this for Gabrielle, Ariel. Her wolf is already retreating from her because Levi’s wolf has rejected her. I don’t understand. We’re bond mates. We should both feel the mating heat for the same wolf.”
“I’ve never heard of bond mates not sharing the same mate,” Ariel agreed. “Maybe I missed something when I sensed the residual magic on Levi. All three of us will try again.”
“I hope you can help us. I love him just as much as I love Aaron. He’s hurting right now, and I don’t know what to do to help him,” Gabby said. She struggled not to burst into tears again, but grief smothered her as it felt like every second that ticked by marked another tear in the fabric that held her wolf to her and her mates to her wolf.
“We’ll do everything we can, Gabrielle. Don’t give up hope. It is the one thing that no one can take from you. If you lose it, then it is because you gave it away.” Ariel stood up. “We all need to get some rest. Tomorrow will be a very stressful day. We have a lot to prepare for.”
“Ariel? What is going on with Kindle and Galen? Levi was arguing with them outside earlier,” Gabby asked before the Sylphies walked away.
The other woman stiffened then shrugged. “There is nothing going on. They seem to be the ones who have the problem.”
Gabby didn’t miss the worried expression that passed over her two sisters’ faces. There was something up with the three of them. She hoped it wouldn’t interfere with Ariel’s ability to help her and her mates. She couldn’t help but feel a little selfish right then with the ever widening gap growing between her and her wolf. It was already harder to think clearly, and when Levi had failed to mark her earlier, she’d realized her strength was fading as well.
Ariel had said not to lose hope, that no one could take it from her, but Ariel didn’t have a grieving wolf as her other half. With her wolf buried so deep inside of her that Gabby could no longer feel her, hope did nothing for her but extend the throes of death.
Chapter Fifteen
Levi woke lying next to a stream that ran through pack land. Looking around, he determined that he was not far from home. He’d run most of the night before, arguing with his wolf side about Gabby. His wolf argued back that it was his human side that was the problem. In the end, nothing was resolved, and he finally collapsed in exhaustion, more so from his anger than from running.
When he slipped through the pet door in the back of the house, Kindle looked over from where he sat at the kitchen table. He didn’t say anything, just nodded and continued to sip his coffee. Levi padded out of the room and down the hall to the stairs that led up to his room. The house was massive since it held not only individual bedrooms but also suites for when they all mated.
Fuck! Gabrielle should be here in our suite as our mate right now. Instead, she’s miserable in her little cabin with Aaron because of me, and I don’t have a fucking clue what’s wrong.
He shifted back and jumped into the shower. How could his wolf say it was his human side that was the problem? He adored Gabrielle. She made him smile just looking at her. In fact, Levi figured he was already in love with her. She sure as hell turned him on. He sported wood anytime he was around her, and she tasted like pure ambrosia. What could his human half possibly be doing to hold up the process? It wasn’t his human side that had refused to mark her last night. He’d filled her with his seed. What more proof did the damn wolf need?
As soon as he had finished washing off, Levi dried quickly and pulled on clean clothes. Not only did he need to apologize to Gabrielle, but to Aaron as well. Then there was the whole righting the natural order on pack land to keep the HAS bastards away. Once again he felt torn between his mate and his pack. Did his dads feel this way? How did they reconcile with the pull?
When he jogged downstairs, it was to find Joseph and Jessup eating breakfast with their dads at the stove cooking. He only saw this occur a few times in his life, and they always centered around one of their talks. He sighed. As much as he wanted to talk to them, now wasn’t the time. They needed to work on protecting the pack, and he needed to talk to his mates. Instead, he walked over to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. Then he sat down across from Jessup and Joseph with a nod. They didn’t look much happier to be there.
“Morning, Levi. How are you feeling this morning after your run?” Deland asked, turning away from the stove.
As his dad set a plate full of eggs on the table, Levi nodded. “Fine. What’s going on?”
“We’re cooking breakfast, son,” Phillip said.
“We all know when you come over and cook for us that something is going on and we’re getting a talking-to by the two of you,” Levi said. He didn’t have time to play the game this time.
“Fair enough. Let’s cut the bullshit.” Deland took a seat at one end of the table, and after setting a platter of bacon and sausage on the table, Phillip grabbed the chair at the opposite end.
“What happened last night, son?” Phillip asked.
Levi sighed. “I tried to mark Gabrielle, but my wolf wouldn’t do it.”
“So you left her with Aaron to run around like a spoiled child that didn’t get his way,” Deland finished.
“I was furious and didn’t need to be around them like that. I tried to make my wolf bite her after shifting, but Aaron stepped between us and told me to go run. He was right. I would have seriously hurt her if I’d done that.” Levi ignored the food and stared into the cup he held in both hands.
“What are you going to do about it?” Phillip asked.
Neither of his dads appeared the least worried as they passed the food around and filled their plates. Levi didn’t have an appetite. He wasn’t sure where the conversation was headed either, and that always bothered him when he couldn’t predict an outcome.
“I’m going to apologize to them and get the Sylphies out to start helping train our guards to recognize changes when magic is being used near our land. We’ve got to get everything put back to rights and figure out how to keep the humans off our land. HAS isn’t going to stop trying to get to us,” he said.
“That’s a good plan, son.” Phillip sipped his coffee before setting it back down. “Your mother is over there right now, helping Aaron handle Gabby. She’s already weak and suffering from the incomplete mating. Evidently, from what your mother has told us, she’s been feeling this for several weeks, and it’s slowly been getting stronger.”
“By not facing this sooner, you’ve left her vulnerable, Levi. You’ve got to figure out what to do about it sooner rather than later. This isn’t something that can be put off. Even if you can solve the problem now, there is still the chance that she will never regain her full strength back. Her wolf has weakened its connection with her,” Deland said.
“How am I supposed to choose between my mate and the pack? How do you do that? I can’t,” Levi snarled, standing up from the table.
“No one’s asking you to, son,” Phillip said softly.
“We’re still the Alpha and Beta of this pack, Levi. We’ll take care of the pack, and you take care of your mate.” Deland didn’t look up from his plate. “The time will come when you and Aaron will have to deal with all of this. Until then, focus on getting your house in order, and we’ll handle the rest.”
Levi felt as if his dads had just cut him to the ground with that. They’d pretty much accused him of trying to take over the pack. He hadn’t been doing that. Had he? All he’d been doing was helping them by taking over areas a little at a time to give them more time and to learn what he needed to know. Did they think he was trying to usurp their authority? He hadn’t meant for it to appear that way.
Everything was falling down around him. He was a failure as a mate, and it looked like he was not only screwing up as the future Alpha, but as a son as well. He dropped his head and flexed his hands out by his sides. What the hell was going on with him?
“I need to go.” Levi turned to leave.
“Son, I’m not complaining about how you’ve helped take some of the pressure off of us, me in particular, but I want to make sure you understand that you aren’t alone. You have us, your brothers, and the entire pack to support you, Levi. Ask for help when you need it, not when things are getting behind.” Deland stared up at Levi with a compassionate expression.
“I understand. I’m going to check on my mate.” Levi swallowed around the knot in his throat and walked out of the house. Since he didn’t have the truck with him, he grabbed one of the four-wheelers they kept around the place and drove toward Gabrielle’s place.
He let his dads’ words sink into him as he rode the short distance to her little cabin. Though Deland’s words had been a little harsh, they made more sense when he let them sink in. He’d allowed himself to obsess over being the best Alpha he could be and allowed the magic that had been riding him to do more than just dampen his emotions. He’d completely shut down in order to be what he thought the pack needed. He’d been wrong on so many levels.
Sure, he needed to be neutral in a lot of things, but at the same time, he had to be able to feel the pulse of the pack to know when they were healthy and happy and when there was trouble brewing. By shutting down his emotions, Levi had effectively cut off the pipeline of information that he received concerning the pack’s health. More importantly, he’d put his mate in danger and let down his bond mate in the process. His wolf was right. His human part was the problem, not the wolf. He’d put up the barrier when he’d felt as if he had to choose between his mate and the pack. There was no need to choose. Taking care of his mate was part of taking care of the pack, and by ignoring her, he’d effectively ignored the needs of the pack.
And even more importantly, he’d tried to assume his dad’s role before he was ready. His role now was to care for and protect his mate. He needed to start now and pray he was not too late.
Levi pulled up at the back door to her cabin and cut the engine. When he stepped up on the back porch, the door opened and his mother walked out, closing the door behind her.
“Levi. Gabrielle is very weak. I’ve never seen this progress so quickly before. The Sylphies are out working with the guards. They said if you want them to come back to see if there was anything they could do, to let the guards know and they would hurry back.”
Levi nodded. “Thanks, Mom. I appreciate you helping with my mate.”
He started to walk past her to the door, but she pulled him into her arms and hugged him. He hugged his mom often when he saw her, but this was more than a hug. She seemed to be bolstering his soul and offering her support. He could feel her fear for his mate and her love for him and his brothers. Levi squeezed her back and stepped away. He needed to see Gabrielle.
* * * *
Everything seemed too difficult to Gabby. Sitting up, walking to the bathroom, and even breathing all seemed to require way more effort than she was willing to expend. She couldn’t figure out why nothing felt right to her anymore. She had never been one to allow herself to sink into depression, but that was exactly what had happened to her from one breath to the next. Maybe it was that her wolf had taken not just her hope when she’d deserted her, but also her will to live. She had left her alone to face the knowledge that one of her mates didn’t want her.
“Here, Gabby. Drink some water. You’ll get dehydrated if you don’t.” Aaron hadn’t left her side since Levi had run off. She’d dozed off and on for several hours between rounds of crying but was unable to sleep now.
She took a sip of the water to please Aaron. He didn’t deserve this. He was to be Beta of the pack, and she’d reduced him to being her nursemaid because she couldn’t shake the doldrums that had latched on to her like a snapping turtle. Each time she thought she could push her way past the intense sadness and get up, she lost her momentum and sank deeper instead.
Someone knocked on the bedroom door but didn’t wait for Aaron to tell them to come in. The door opened and Levi stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Gabby’s heart stuttered but quickly returned to its slow, dull beat. She didn’t even have the energy to build hope at his presence.
“Aaron. I’m sorry for letting you down. I should have listened to you when you first mentioned the mating heat. Instead, I put you off instead of trying to figure out what was wrong with me that I wasn’t feeling it,” Levi said as he walked closer to where he sat holding her in the chair at the foot of the bed.
Levi didn’t give Aaron a chance to respond. Instead, he turned his gaze to her. His eyes glittered as he went down on his knees in front of her.
“Gabrielle, baby. I owe you much, much more than an apology. I let you down when I put my perception of my duties to the pack in front of you. You always come first. I lost sight of that, and because of it, you’re suffering. I’m so sorry, Gabrielle. I will make this right, somehow. I love you more than I can understand. You are my breath and my soul. I will defend you to all enemies and spend the rest of my life caring for you and trying to make you happy.” He looked at her, reaching up for her hands.
Gabby let him take them and gasped at the heat she felt from them.
It seeped from his skin into hers, warming her cold body when Aaron hadn’t been able to. She basked in the radiance of it like a cat sunning himself on a warm stone. It felt so right for the first time in a long time.
“Will you ever forgive me for neglecting you, baby?” he asked.
She smiled. “There’s nothing to forgive. You can’t help your wolf’s decision.”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t my wolf who prevented our mating. It was my selfish behavior that got us into this situation. I will get us out, Gabrielle. Rest and save your strength. I’m going to talk to the Sylphies and to Sienna to see if there is something they might be able to think of to fix this mess I’ve made.”
“Wait, Levi,” she said. “Have them all come here. I don’t want you to go away again. I need you here. Please, Levi.”
The idea of his disappearing from her sight again filled her heart with terror. Gabby knew she wasn’t thinking rationally, but nothing could change her mind on this. He needed to stay close to her.
“Okay.” Levi turned to his brother. “Call the guards and ask them to send the females back. Is Sienna with them, or is she still here in the cabin?”
“She’s here in the cabin.” Aaron stood up with Gabby cradled in his arms. “Here, you hold Gabby while I go call the guards and find Sienna.” Aaron passed her into Levi’s arms before crossing to the door.
“You feel so cold, precious. Let’s find a blanket to wrap around you.” Levi carried her to the bed where he scooped up a blanket and returned to the chair.
After wrapping the blanket around her, he held her in his arms as they sat waiting for Aaron to return with Sienna and news that the Sylphies were on their way back to the cabin. Several long minutes passed before there was another knock on the door. This time when it opened, Sienna stood on the other side of the threshold.
“Um, Aaron said you wanted to see me,” she said with her head down.
