The Secret Pull

Chapter 7 - Explanations

PAUL -

Someone was banging on my front door. Loudly. I wanted to ignore it but they seemed intent on breaking the door down. I knew it wasn’t anyone from the pack. I raced down the stairs to the foyer and flung the door open. There I stood face to face with Gabriella's parents. "Where is my daughter?!" Claire Alarie shrieked. She pushed her way inside and her husband, the Sheriff, followed closely behind her. 

"She is upstairs, in bed sleeping," I gestured up the stairs. Before I could tell them the exact room, they both darted up the staircase calling out her name. I found it rude and intrusive but I understood their feelings. I followed them quickly up the stairs. I watched in restrained annoyance as they opened up every door on the second floor until they reached my bedroom. As they walked in, my mother, who was at Gabriella’s bedside, rose from her seat. My father, standing in the corner with his arms folded across his chest, remained silent.

“My sweet..sweet Gabby”, Claire raced to sit down on the bed next to her sleeping daughter and took her face in both hands. She pressed her hand to her daughter’s forehead before scanning the room. “What happened? My daughter-in-law said there was an attack. She said you were on Dexton road but when we arrived there was nothing there.” Before I could answer she spat, “Did you hurt my daughter? Why won’t she wake up?”

I could feel all eyes in the room on me, ready for an explanation. I wasn’t completely sure what happened myself. It all felt surreal. I looked towards my mother who nodded at me, urging me to answer. She too was filled with questions when she first heard what happened. The entire pack has been talking about it. 

I took a deep breath before starting, “I was out on border patrol with a few soldiers when we encountered some rogue wolves. They were already running when they saw us and so we chased after them. They refused to stop and answer why they were on our land.” I folded my arms over my chest and continued. “I chased the one that seemed to be in charge to Dexton road where we fought. I was then ambushed by more of them. I was wounded.  Uh… Gabriella suddenly appeared in the middle of the fight firing a gun. She shot and killed two werewolves. One of them tried to jump on her and she deflected him mid-air with some kind of invisible barrier.”

The room stared at me in disbelief. “That… can’t be possible, Gabby doesn’t know how to do that!” Claire cried out. She turned her head to look back at her daughter lying asleep on the bed. 

“I saw her do it. Then she told me she would heal my broken leg.” I calmly interjected.

“Gabby…. My Gabby was firing guns at werewolves?” Sheriff Alarie blurted. “She killed them?” he asked. I nodded to him.

Mrs. Alarie interrupted, “Gabriella..tried..to..HEAL..you?” Her eyes widened before she turned to look back at her daughter on the bed. 

“Gabby saved my life and healed me.” I stated firmly, looking straight into her baffled eyes. “And then she passed out. Our pack doctor said she isn’t in a coma but she hasn’t awakened.” I gave a deep sigh in frustration. “I brought her back here because she is my mate and here is where she should be.” 

Everyone in the room looked at me in dead silence. Their collective glances at my wrist confirmed what I suspected. They could see I wasn’t wearing the brown woven bracelet I've had since childhood. It was then I realized the truth of what I suspected all along. There was magic in the bracelet. The bracelet was keeping me from Gabriella and they all knew about it. I whispered “I burned it” as if to answer their silent question. 

"You cast a spell on me?" I questioned the room in disgust.

"Paul," my mother, was the first to speak. She moved towards me with her eyes begging mine for understanding. She raised her hand over her heart. “We all made this decision together. You were four years old when you first bonded with Gabriella. You didn’t understand what was happening. You both needed time to grow and develop your own identities apart from each other.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “It’s been over twenty years!” I yelled. “When were you all going to decide it was time?” I was filled with rage but most of it was directed at myself when I thought about the things I’d done to Gabriella, my mate. I was also filled with resentment that they let me do it. 

My father stepped out from silently observing in the corner. With his eyes ablaze, he shouted,  “Watch how you speak to your mother, boy!” My ego bristled at the challenge. He was an Alpha wolf and my father. My respect for him was the main thing keeping me from not immediately responding to his provocation. “You would not be the leader the pack needed you to be if you were running around like some lovesick pup!” His voice boomed. I stepped closer letting him know I was only going to restrain myself for so long. My mother hurriedly slid in front of him. I was taken aback, and not completely sure if she was trying to protect him or me.

Mrs. Alarie lifted her head pleading “Can we not do this at Gabby’s bedside?!”. The room fell silent momentarily as she rose from the bed and walked toward me. “I created that enchanted bracelet to ensure that both you and my daughter could live happy lives away from each other. It was to give you a chance to grow and mature independently from each other. It would have been unhealthy for you both to be so attached as children.”

“It was to ensure my daughter didn’t become a pregnant teen after you reached your ascension.” My head shot to my parents as she spoke. Gabby’s mother was aware of the transition we called  ‘the ascension’. It was during this period that we as werewolves fully accepted our wolf counterparts and shifted for the first time. It was typically the time most wolves discovered their one true mate. My parents must have told her this. This was no small thing. Especially with my father’s aversion to letting humans know anything about our existence. Mr. Alarie finished by saying “we wanted her to have the opportunity to finish school and to achieve her goals instead of simply being your mate.” 

“An Alpha’s mate has to help lead the pack. She was never going to be JUST my mate!” I grunted in protest. I turned to look at Gabriella lying innocently on the bed. She looked like an angel with her beautiful red hair sprawled across the pillow. What better purpose could she have than being happy with me? “You made us hate each other…hurt each other,” I said bitterly.

My eyes shot to my parents for understanding and my mother bowed her head in shame. “The bracelet’s spell was only to turn your love and infatuation for her to...disinterest,” Claire stated in a low voice. She watched me as she explained. “I didn’t realize how strong the connection would be, or… how intensely you would come to...dislike each other.”

“Why was I the only one with a bracelet?” I demanded to know. I thought of all the times I put myself in Gabriella's path just to hurt her. I always felt an attraction and I now know that was our mate bond. She never seemed to have the hostility that I felt. I had always dismissed her bright lovesick eyes as the usual effect werewolves had on pitiful humans. I never considered that she might be drawn to me more than the typical human. I certainly was drawn to her. I would catch a whiff of her scent at school and just go hunting for her. But, my intentions for her were never good. 

I’ll never tell her how much I got off on teasing her back then. Secretly, I enjoyed hunting her down at school. I could remember the thrill of hearing her heart rate rise every time I came near. The sound always started as a little pitter-patter but when I started speaking. It raced so hard and fast that I felt like I was on a roller coaster. The agitation radiated from her in waves, feeding my wolf's predator frenzy. I’d say it was similar to chasing prey in the forest. The faster they ran, the more excited I became. Going after Gabby was like a shot of adrenaline. Instead of the delight of having finally found my true mate, I feel shame.

My mother stepped closer and rested her hand on my shoulder. “You wore the bracelet because you would have recognized her as your mate and understood what that meant.” 

My father stepped forward, but this time, his voice was low and calm. “Paul, I know you are angry, but now is not the time. We need to talk about Gabriella’s care”. He turned to Mrs. Alarie and asked “Do we need to take her to a hospital? How long will she be asleep?”

Claire went back to her daughter’s side and stroked her cheek before speaking. “She is exhausted from exerting so much magic. Trying to heal a werewolf has taken all of her strength. I am surprised she was able to do it. She should wake up when she has restored her energy.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and said, “I’d like to keep her here until she wakes up. I need to talk to her. There are some things I have to….apologize for.”  Everyone looked at each other. From the look on my face, I think they knew  this wasn’t going to be a debate.