His Angel

Chapter Eighteen

The fight continued on into the morning. It was officially Christmas Eve, not that it felt like it. Gabriel led me down a path were he said Michael was waiting. I had lost Xavier somewhere along the way and it worried me. I kept trying to tell myself that if anything happened, I would feel it through the bond. It wasn’t helping much though.

            We treaded past a small river, parts of it frozen from the winter temperatures. My toes were frozen from the bare track in the snow but I knew I couldn’t stop.

             I slipped on a piece of ice, my feet sliding backwards as I landed on my knees. Gabriel swiveled towards me, grabbing me by my arms and hauling me up. He didn’t say a word as he carried me in my arms, my body shaking uncontrollable. Even with my enhanced metabolism, I couldn’t do this much longer.

              “How the hell am I supposed to fight Michael if I can’t even walk?” I mumbled mostly to myself, my eyes staring at the ground as it rushed past us at Gabriel’s speed.

              Gabriel’s grip tightened, “You don’t have to fight him, Anna, there is another option.”

             “No, Gabriel. End of discussion.” I told him firmly, my teeth chattering.

            “I can’t just let you walk into a suicide mission, Anna!” Gabriel cried, his voice rising and his eyes flashing.

            “I’m not asking for your permission.” I told him haughtily.

             Gabriel let out a growl, his fingers digging into my thighs, “What would Xavier say about this, Anna? Do you have any idea what happens to a wolf, especially an alpha, after their mate dies?” His voice was calmer, controlled but still angry.

               I winced, my heart tightening in pain. “He’ll be fine,” I mumbled for myself and for him, “He promised he would.”

               He snorted, “Yeah, sure. Xavier loves you and by the mark on your neck and your closeness with each other I assume you’ve already mated.” I winced again and Gabriel continued, “That’ll make it worse. It’s bad enough before they mate, before they actually know each other. After,” He paused, his eyes cold and distant, “It’s hell.”

                The way Gabriel’s blue eyes flashed cold and his fingers around me were tight yet weak, I wondered if he was talking from experience.

                “Gabriel,” I spoke softly, meeting his eyes, “How do you know all this?”

                His tone was cold, detached and his blue eyes refused to meet mine, stuck in a memory. “It’s not just humans that get Chosen, Anna. Wolves can be Chosen too.” I let him continue, trying to hide my shock.

             “I was a wolf, a long time ago. I believe I was born somewhere in the 1500’s, I can’t remember exactly when.” He laughed bitterly, shaking his head, “I was an Alpha, a cocky, arrogant, young alpha who thought nothing could touch him. I was stupid. A pack of wolves attacked us in the night, killing everyone in sight. They destroyed my pack, my two baby girls and my mate. They left me alive so I could live with it, so I could weep over my mate’s cold body and my children’s body that will never grow.”

               “God,” I choked out, “Gabriel, I’m sorry.”

             He nodded, finally meeting my gaze, “I was Chosen shortly after and was gifted with the ability to make people forget, which I’m guessing you already know. I could erase anyone’s memory, including my own. I couldn’t bring myself to do it though; I couldn’t bring myself to forget them. I’d rather live with the pain of knowing that they died than having no memory of them at all.”