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She was at his head level, finally able to peer into his eyes without craning her neck. She took his face in her hands, and he closed his eyes. He may have been a powerful alpha to the pride, but to her, he was the softest of creatures.
“Come back to me,” she muttered, the lump in her throat growing larger. “Just come back to me, Gabriel. I will be destroyed without you.”
And with that, he pulled her one final time into his arms and crushed her mouth with his own. She leaned into his hands as she arched her back, kissing him forcefully yet never so scared in her entire life.
When they parted, she was breathless. Gabriel looked afraid also.
“I said I promise. I never break my promises."
His hand slipped away, and she watched him climb into the car. Dawn swallowed him whole, and she was finally able to weep on her own in silence.
She called her friend Sophia over to keep her company. She wanted to have a pleasant distraction rather than lying in bed waiting for him to make his triumphant return. They should be spending the day talking about baby names and what color to paint the nursery.
Lily had never loved anyone before to the point of pain. It was a fantastical notion that she thought would remain within the fictional world. But meeting Gabriel had changed everything in more ways than one.
A child that was their own was coming to life inside her as she sat in the lounge, drinking endless amounts of tea. Something in her kept buzzing the way the relics had while inside the silk bags, like an oncoming doom far beyond her control.
Had he taken them with him? she wondered. He had gone inside briefly for his pack, but she hadn’t seen them in the kitchen. She knew he would do the right thing.
Lily had to trust him.
EIGHTEEN
GABRIEL
Leaving Lily on the porch was like having to tear flesh from his body. He had to get out there and make things right for his pride, his people, and most of all, for the future of his mate and child.
Going into battle was never a source of anxiety for Gabriel. He was an alpha, after all, and it was his role to lead. He was built to endure when everyone else would flee. He was their warrior and their hero. And that was the way it had been for years.
But leaving his beloved standing there, knowing she was swallowing back tears, told him this was different. He had something to lose … a beautiful, bright, and exciting future. All of that hung in the balance.
He drove with conviction, doing his best to conceal the fear that froze his heart. He had told her that he didn’t need her there as a distraction. But then again, she was always in his mind.
Finding his mate and falling in love was exactly what he had craved for years. The wonderful pain it caused was breathtaking, as palpable as a knife sinking into his chest. Delicious and agonizing, all at the same time.
Gabriel had to fight for her, for himself, for his people, and for the unborn cub that would carry his legacy. He wasn't afraid of losing as much as he was afraid of losingthem. If Malcolm got his hands on the Lantern’s Eye, his entire species would be obliterated. He didn't know exactly how, but he knew that the fading away would include the fetus swelling inside his mate's womb.
That thought was what kept him moving. It was the same thought that made him fantasize about sweeping her off her feet and whisking them away to some unknown hidden oasis.
But that would be cowardly. Gabriel was no coward.
So he continued on, the sun rising high in a crisp autumn sky. His enforcers were behind him, and some were elsewhere. He had sent secret messages that not even Lily knew about. He had to cover all angles in case of the absolute worst. That was also a part of his job description.
Gabriel pulled along the side of the road, tucked against the forest the way he had during the first venture to locate the relic. He climbed out of the car cautiously. He waited for the two cars following behind him. They parked nearby, and Levi, Mark, Frederic, and a shifter named Bryan emerged. All their faces were somber and foreboding.
They nodded at Gabriel, and he descended into the woods. He could already smell Malcolm and his crew. As knowledgeable as they were about shifters, they certainly lacked the ability to cloak their personalized aromas.
Stillness sharpened as they pressed through the density of the evergreens. Gabriel had taken the pieces of the relics. Levi was the biggest after him, and he stashed two in his pockets. Gabriel had the other two. He had held onto the bulb, and he could feel it pulsing through his pants.
There would be disastrous consequences if the interaction did not go smoothly. He warned his men of this beforehand.
He saw Malcolm first. He appeared even smaller than the alpha had imagined. He emulated traits of a slippery serpent even more in person. Malcolm couldn't have been very old, but he carried himself with the air of a much more seasoned man.
His tongue flicked out of his mouth. Behind him was Ava, her bow and arrow laid across her back. Four more men came out with far less confidence, holding long guns. They were shotguns, Gabriel noted.
“Stay close. Watch her. She may go among the trees,” Gabriel muttered to his men.
They stood solid around their leader, forming a half circle to protect him from all sides. It was what they had been trained to do without instruction. A shifter's nature was that of battle, whether reluctant or proud.
