The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Kaia thought she was going to be sick, never had she eaten so much. She had tried every single dessert on their table and even finished off a few of her favourites. She was like a child and even though she was getting full she wanted to try them all. It had been a  struggle to get Gabriel to eat any of them at first, he kept insisting he was enjoying watching her eat. But when she'd leant across the table and spoon-fed him he'd gotten a strange look in his eyes and willingly allowed her to continue feeding him some of each. There was something about the dark lusty look that made her feel that odd tingling feeling again.

When she'd finished with the deserts, they'd moved through the restaurant to leave.  As they moved towards the door, she'd noticed it was much more full than when they had entered and that all the weird and wonderful creatures that filled it seemed to be there purely to stare at them, they all seemed to have stopped eating to watch them. Gabriel's jaw had twitched slightly as he held her hand against his arm and picked his way through the tables but that had been her only clue that he noticed the stares.

Out on the square it had been even worse. Crowds seemed to have gathered near the entrance to the restaurant as they made their way through the doors. Creatures craned their necks to see over the shoulders of the person in front. There was no way Kaia was mistaken about it, every eye was fixed on her. As they went back past the fountain and towards the portals the crowds seemed to follow them as if they had important business in that direction. Kaia had felt more and more jittery, she had never seen so many other living beings, it felt like it took an eternity to walk back across the square. She had thought the villages near her forest home had been crowded with forty to fifty inhabitants, but this was unlike anything she'd ever seen, there were bodies pressed in from all directions and what felt like a million eyes fixed on the previously solitary doe. The vampire had squeezed her hand as they walked as if he was sensing her panic.

Gabriel was furious, he'd known bringing her to the square would draw some attention to them. But he'd never envisioned the sheer scale of it. Even some of his own staff had come out to stare at them. He wondered how much was Sisoa and her gossiping and how much was just word of mouth since people had seen them arrive.

As they stepped into the portal Kaia half noticed a huge red brick and black painted wood building with a huge red-lit wording across the front. It seemed to be the only other place on the square that was as crowded as the portals area now was. Before she could register what the building might be, they were back in Gabriel's Gardens.

Gabriel glanced towards his home, then to the cottage where the hind was staying. Resisting the urge to audibly sigh he turned them towards the gatehouse.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Kaia." His words sounded odd and wooden even to his own ears. He noticed from the corner of his eye her glance back to the house, then to him and across to the cottage.

"Gabriel?" There was something about the way she said his name in her Greek accent that made a shiver run down his spine.

"Kaia?" He paused and turned to face her. She looked up at his huge muscular frame and locking eyes with him she licked her lips.

"I don't know..." She paused and again glanced back to the Manor house then the cottage. "Is my bed not small for us both? Is your bed the same size?"

He felt a lump in his throat, she thought he was going back to her room with her.

"You want me to sleep with you?"

"Is that not what fated ones do? Rouge said it was her favourite part of being mated after the lovemaking."

"Kaia, I...." gently he tucked a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear and let his hand stroke her cheek. She watched him expectantly when he didn't finish his sentence.

"Do you not want to sleep with me?" He was sure she looked hurt.

"Are you sure you want to sleep with me, Kaia?" He still couldn't let himself consider that she might want him even a tenth of what he wanted her.

"Why wouldn't I? I thought fated ones lived together and made love and had children."

Something tightened in his chest as he gazed into the swirling pools of gold staring up at him. Could it be this easy? He knew it was for many, you met your fated and knew them, loved them at first sight. But could it be that easy for him? It had been so much harder for Raphael and Rouge. Could the fates really be blessing him in this way?

Feeling emotions he couldn't name bubbling to the surface and exploding in his chest like fireworks, Gabriel scooped his precious hind into his arms and turned back towards the house as he locked his lips onto hers.

***

Gabriel watched as Kaia slept peacefully in his bed. He felt the tightness in his chest again as he kept trying to convince himself she was real. As a child he'd never wanted to find his fated bride, seeing his mother so deeply unhappy because of his father he never wanted that. But then he'd spent time outside his family home in his adolescence and discovered that wasn't what it was meant to be like. His mother and father were in the minority and most fated couples were happier than he could ever have imagined. He just had to look at Bodmin and Francis, one without the other was unimaginable. Since seeing how good it could be, he'd spent most of his adult life wishing for his fated bride and imagining how happy he'd make her.

But now he finally had her he couldn't convince himself it was real.
She made a whimpering noise as she fidgeted in her sleep making him smile. Not only did he have his fated bride but she was truly uniquely beautiful. He knew he should be sleeping but had her there looking so peaceful. He just didn't want to waste a moment of it.

His heart nearly burst when she rolled over and pressed her back against his front. She wiggled against him a little then let out a sigh of contentment in her sleep that made his breath catch in his throat. Putting his arm around her and burying his face in her golden locks, he dozed off to her warm cinnamon scent filling his senses.