The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Her body was motionless as shimmery golden eyes flickered across his face and body, her ears twitched slightly as she studied him. What was she thinking? Was she going to run from him again? Maybe he should leave before she did and hurt herself again. Or was it better to stay still and wait for her to react first? He'd never been so unsure of himself in all his life. Balling his fists by his sides he understood for the first time why Raphael had run from Rouge and just how hard it had been for his brother to do.

As she studied him he found himself doing the same. He noticed how her golden antlers glinted in the dim light. They were magnificent, a chill passed over him as he imagined how many hunters would give their left arm to have them as a trophy mounted to their wall. Her short coat was golden brown, flecked with patches of white and shimmering gold. Her body was skeletal and he could see her ribs through the soft-looking fur. His fingers itched to stroke her coat and see if it was as soft as it looked. But it was her eyes that really caught his attention. Even in the dim light, he could see they were beautiful. Large pools of shimmering liquid gold seemed to hold him captive.

By the gods, why did they give him such a bride, why couldn't it be one he was deserving of. The last golden hind was his fated? How did that happen? He was about to turn and leave when she let her form shift from a hind to a human. His eyes widened and the blush returned to his cheeks as she stood there contemplating him. In embarrassment he looked up towards the ceiling and took a deep calming breath, his demon was screaming in his mind, mine, mine, MINE. Looking down she remembered how uncomfortable nudity made two-legged beings. They all seemed insistent that flesh must be covered no matter how warm it was. She could understand it in the cold when Demeter sent the snow and ice, but when it was warm it was so strange to warm yourself further with clothes. But she could still remember the gasps of the humans the first time she'd entered a village naked. Grabbing the sheet from the bed she wrapped it around herself and cleared her throat.

"I'm not naked now." Still blushing profusely Gabriel brought his blue eyes back down to meet her golden ones. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again. He repeated this a few times before she finally broke the silence.

"It was all just a bit much. It's been an overwhelming couple of days, then you were there with fangs and eyes." Gabriel nodded.

"Of course. I am sorry. I should have contained myself." She watched his uptight stance and noted the formal tone to his voice, much like Winston's.

"You're not like Cassiel." His jaw ticked as hurt flashed in his eyes then disappeared just as fast as it had appeared.

"No. I'm not." Gabriel felt sick to his stomach, he'd never been the most charming of the brothers. In fact, everyone preferred his youngest, handsome and charismatic brother. Even Azrael in his most insane moments was more personable than Gabriel and he knew it. He was a soldier and a gentleman, but warm and charming he wasn't and never had been. But to hear it from his fated bride was like a body blow. He kept his face blank as his heart shattered and turned to dust. Knowing she would reject him was enough to crush him, without hearing his bride preferred his brother. Somewhere deep in his mind, his demon screamed that it would kill Cassiel.

"Do you like cake?" Caught completely off guard by her sudden change of direction he couldn't keep the confused expression off his face.

"What? Cake?"

"Yes, cake." She repeated as she spied the sundress and sunglasses across the room. "Cake. Cassiel stole me some from Winston. It's very good. Have you eaten cake?" Baffled at the strangeness of this he nodded slowly.

"Yes. I've had cake."

"We could go get more cake together." At her words, he felt a spark of hope flare inside him as his heart began to pound. She was asking him to get cake with her. He would get her all the cake she wanted.