out here ... or held prisoners inside.
She fervently wished she could do something useful, like dislocate her shoulders and slip her hands under her feet. But the pole would still be in the way even if she could do that trick. She considered her options and came up empty. With the gag tight on her mouth, she couldn’t work it off and chew on the ropes.
She sighed heavily through her nose, shaking her hair out of her face.
There was nothing to do but wait and see if Gabriel would uphold his promise to her. She just hoped he didn’t do anything stupid--like getting killed before he could rescue her.
The wry thought did little to ease the tension cramping her belly. In all honesty, she knew she had no one to rely on but herself. Smart people didn’t trust their fate to others. The urge to let Gabriel play her hero and sweep her into his arms went beyond tempting, but it was completely irrational. More than likely, they were outnumbered, definitely weaponless, and in the middle of nowhere.
She was going to have to get free by herself and try to do something. She just wasn’t sure how much she could do if someone didn’t come back inside ... and by then, it would probably be too late....
Chapter Six
Nardo pushed Gabriel roughly, driving him ahead to the luna clearing where the pack met each cycle, when the moon sat fat in the sky and pulled them to shift with near irresistible force. Gabriel stumbled from the forceful push and whipped around, his voice a menacing growl, “You push me again, I’ll kill you, mon ami.”
Nardo returned his menacing look, his eyes flashing in the dark, but he said nothing.
He did not touch him again as they walked.
Gabriel thought of Jessica being taken away by that bitch, Lavinia. He hoped she did nothing so foolish as to hurt Jessica, for if she did, she would regret it.
His fury rolled inside, like the flames of a white hot blaze. He should have expected this. He had, but not so soon, and not when he was with Jessica.
His brains fled to his cock every time she was near. Had he gotten a handle on his lust, he never would’ve been so foolish as to take her home, or any other place he’d ever been. The pack could sniff him out so easily. He should have known they were waiting to take him.
Gabriel felt like hitting something. His fists tightened with the urge. He knew he’d soon have the chance to satisfy the bloodlust.
They crossed the guardian-like trees into the clearing, moving toward the center.
Nardo parted from him silently as they reached the center, moving back into the shadows of the trees. Gabriel stood in the placement of the accused. A mark of shame for the worst trespass on pack laws, the accused stood surrounded by the pack, yet alone.
The last time the pack had met to try an accused had been a few months back, when Raoul had trespassed into vamp territory to claim a human woman.
Gabriel had done much worse, and he knew it. He didn’t expect to fair as well as Raoul.
He expected to die.
A dead calm settled over him. No matter their decision, he would not allow harm to come to Jessica. They’d taken her father. They would not take her too.
Regret left a bitter taste in his mouth, vanquishing the lingering sweetness of her kiss. He’d wanted so much more, and he had no right to those desires. No right to her....
Gabriel angrily thrust the thought to the corners of his mind, preparing himself for judgment. To help her, he must remain clear, focused. He could not allow thoughts of her to distract him in an already deadly contest. One false move could prove instant death ... no chance for survival.
Yet still, she entered his thoughts. He knew little enough of her, but even his limited contact had him distracted to the point where he thought of nothing else. He resolved to destroy those urges. He couldn’t have her, but neither would anyone else. He would see to it.
He looked up at the sky a brief moment, feeling the energy of the moon course through him. The moon shone down clearly, gilding his muscles with silver, days from ripeness. Had the moon been full dark, he would still have known he was not alone. Gabriel needed no light to see his brethren move from the shadows and into the circular clearing, ringing him until there was no opening for retreat.
Low, feral growls carried on the air, angry rumbles of dissension. His beast tensed at their challenging voices. The air vibrated with their energy, moving like chain lightning through the crowd. His beast answered their challenge, eager to face them, unmindful of the odds. His brain clouded as his beast threatened to take control. It stretched inside, uncurling through his limbs, making his muscles jump with power and barely checked violence.
It seduced, promised the euphoria only animalistic existence could provide ... the high of the fight, the rush of wolfen speed ... the taste of kill.
Gabriel closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his hands clenched tightly. The lure was as seductive as a woman, stronger, in a way that insanity beat the sane.
With effort, he fought it back, until he was panting for breath. He opened his eyes and faced his pack as he would an enemy. What he saw confirmed what he’d already suspected. A shudder of remorse surged through him.
They were all naked. Ready to shift.
Ready to kill.
He knew it with absolute certainty.
More than anything, that fact brought home how serious his situation was--as if he could have ever been in doubt. And still, he did not regret finding Jessica, nor staking his claim to her. He regretted not warning her away from New Orleans, for not fighting her stubborn streak and getting her out of the city while she was still safe. The warding medallion would never hold now. It was a miracle the power had lasted as long as it had. Without it, she would be in danger wherever she went ... any place that neared a Lycan stronghold. She might not ever be safe again. She needed a mate able to fight for her, able to secure their place in the world. Perhaps an army would not even be enough....
He told himself he could have made her go, even though it was foolish to think she would have believed anything he said.
The menace of the pack quieted as their leader came forth, moving with stealth through the parted bodies and into the clearing.
Gabriel faced him, shielding the anger from his eyes, tamping down his sudden, fierce urge to shift. Gabriel did not speak. Instead, he waited to hear what the charges were. They were not animals--not yet.
Deron, pack leader, had forced them to retain some measure of humanity in the pack structure. He’d ruled them for over two decades, taken control when it looked as though the vamps would wipe out their race entirely in these parts. They’d been easy prey then, solitary. Deron had forged them into a group. Now Gabriel wondered how far Deron’s humanity extended. Ideally, Gabriel would be allowed to face his accusers and deny their accusations, and would be granted a fair trial by his peers.
He nearly sneered at that thought.
They were eager for blood, anyone’s blood--especially one who’d found someone precious and rare ... and dared to deny them equal chance to pursue it for themselves.
The hunt for women able to survive Lycan mating was fierce, and usually deadly for the female. He’d heard of some Lycan communities to actually hunt their females in a competitions of sorts, where only the fastest and strongest won and the weak perished.
Deron raised his arms, quieting the angry murmurs around them before he began to speak. “Gabriel Benoit, you stand before the pack charged with attacking fellow pack members John, Michael, and Cruz, and for claiming a female without fair contest. How do you plead?”
“I am no’ guilty for attackin’ John, Michael, and Cruz. For claimin’ the female, I am.”
The pack roared with disbelief, deafening him with angry howls and shouts. A wind rose, ruffling his hair, seeming to echo their fury.
