Gabal

Chapter 13

Minutes stretched on painfully slow as Gabal watched his Match look over the fallen woman. His Second and his Shadow stood at his side and waited with him, each of them growing more concerned as time went by. None of them knew what she was doing or how long it would take but if they based their assessment off of the last two patients she had seen, they could assume something was wrong. Nervous murmering could be heard from outside, the crowd that Gabal had dispersed was slowly building again as word spread further throughout the pack. Samuel shifted on his feet as Gabal began to pace. Bringing himself close and spinning away again before he could give into the temptation to seize his Match and lock her away. The Alpha's most loyal men watched on in awe as they witnessed the amount of restraint their leader possessed. Had they been in his shoes, they would not be waiting as patiently as he was.

Ansel was the only one that maintained his stoic composure. He stood with his back to the door, hands locked loosely behind his back, feet comfortably spread and planted. He would never show it, but he was incredibly frustrated with his Luna. Watching his best friend slowly spiral into madness over the last few years had been hard, but it seemed like he was being driven even faster to that point since Gabal had met his Match. Be that as it may, Ansel was slowly gaining a grudging respect for the Luna. He watched over her as she worked herself to the bone the last few days, exploring every avenue and helping in any way she was able. She was constantly worried and Ansel could tell that she was taking her inability to make progress personally. So, he focused his attention on the two vulnerable women before him with an intensity that he reserved for only the most serious situations. If anything happened, he would be there for her, not only for his friend, but maybe a little for her sake as well.

That was how he caught it before anyone else. Gabal and Samuel both had nightmarish scenarios running through their minds and were effectively distracted. Visions of a Luna that would never wake and a rampaging Alpha Hellbent on mindless destruction were harrowing imagery. It wasn't until Ansel had reached Aoifa and pulled her away from the girl that they realized something actually was wrong.

Ansel laid his Lady on the ground and moved to observe a stirring Corrine. Gabal took his rightful spot beside his Match and did his best to rouse her, becoming more desperate by the second. He stroked her cheek, calling her name, shaking her gently. He did his best to conceal his growls and control the shift of his claws. Air had difficulty entering his lungs as he stared at his unresponsive mate. She simply laid limp, head turning freely as he became more violent in his efforts. He was crying her name out now, mind nearly gone, starting that dangerous spiral down into the chasm of madness over which he so often hung. He had almost forgotten what it felt like, these past few days with her. She wiped away the deep, dark, insanity and brought new life to him. Filling him with warmth and teasing his control in new, less lethal ways. He had come to love her already, in all her quirky, driven, loyal, sweet, selfless glory. He couldn't lose her now. He wouldn't lose her now.

With his two closest allies and friends clawing uselessly at his arms and back, Gabal felt his maw shift. Samuel and Ansel knew what was coming. That could feel it the moment Gabal made his decision. They cried out, trying to reason with a beast too far gone. "Give it time," they called. "The curse only works on shifters. If you do this, you will regret it. You are too far gone to control yourself. Please, listen."

"But, alas, their words fell on deaf ears. Panic sealing out any sound but the furious run of blood past his ears. He lifted his Match with ease, bringing her throat to his mouth, clenching the back of her neck with a clawed hand, and cradling her back with another. He opened his jaws wide over the column of her neck and struck.

The whole room heard the crack and every heart stuttered. The Second and the Shadow dropped to their knees beside their Alpha and listened as their Luna's heart beat one, then twice, and stilled. Gabal let out a choked cry of despair around the bleeding skin and broken bone that was supposed to hold his sacred claim. The store was still for another moment before Gabal freed his mouth and began to wail. Samuel and Ansel clutched at his shoulders, pressing their foreheads and cheeks against his, crying silent tears of their own. Gabal shook violently with each sobbing breath, his body heaving mightily with each wet, raspy exhale. Every ounce of rage had been extinguished and the only thing that remained was utter, soul snuffing anguish.