Beta Lodge

15

favorite Lana del Rey song? (pt 2)
***

After I got back home, I made Gabriel dinner and then waited for him to come home.

What has my life come too?

When he didn't come home after the first few hours I packed the dinner away and then played with Zeus before turning on the tv.

What would my life hadn't been if Gabriel didn't choose me?

At my old pack I'd have more freedom, I guess? I'd be a pack warrior and I'd just live my normal life. However, I thought I would be fighting crime and kicking butt and yeah I guess I was doing that with having to protect Lilly but Gabriel was so old-fashioned with the whole 'cook dinner for me' thing.

I understood that he had a lot of work to do, I wasn't going to fight it.

At least he did the dishes sometimes.

But I desperately hoped, and I mean, desperately, hoped, that once we got married he didn't just expect me to stay at home and give him a baby. I'd go along with marrying him but there was no way I was getting pregnant at eighteen.

I was barely ready to get married.

Not close to even think about the possibility of me being a mother. I was on birth control already for my periods and I really hoped he didn't make me go off it.

And with all this rogue stuff going on, I'm not even sure if it was the best idea. Even Lilly is shaken up and she is one of the strongest people I know.

Stress can break people down and form cracks in their strong exterior.

I wondered if Lilly's life was the same way. I mean Alpha Donnelly and Gabriel were from the same pack, so they were probably brought up the same way. Lilly and I hadn't really talked about it, but I'm pretty sure she had to cook for Alpha Donnelly too.

As did every other female in the pack for their own mate.

Overall, cooking for Gabriel wasn't that bad. I mean he did give me his whole credit card and he looked so relaxed whenever he ate food. Normally he was so tense and the fact that I could help him relax, even if just a little, made me feel better about the whole situation.

Gabriel was a good man and he was a good beta. He just was under a lot of pressure all the time.

I stared out in space for a moment before a loud boom of thunder shook me out of my thoughts. I brought my head back to the show before checking the time.

It was currently eleven pm and Gabriel still had not come home. I didn't text or call because we surprisingly had not exchanged numbers yet and I had no idea when he would be back.

I don't even know why I was annoyed with him for not telling me that he might be home late. He probably had a lot of work to do, especially with today's events.

But I couldn't help but be worried.

The raging storm outside didn't help my anxiety. Normally I loved storms, especially loud ones. Like if there's a storm at night, I want the thunder to wake me up from my sleep. But Gabriel wasn't back and I couldn't contact him.

Around midnight, I switched off the tv and gave up waiting up for him because my eyelids were getting too heavy. I gave Zeus a pat on the head before padding up the stairs. I had long since changed out of my outfit and was already in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie.

I pulled on my socks and then made sure the closet door was closed before getting into bed.

People who slept with their closet door open scared me.

As tired as I was, I couldn't sleep. I had gotten to Gabriel being in bed with me, it was hard to sleep without him. Nonetheless, I forced my eyes shut and just when I thought I was drifting off into dreamland, the door slammed shut and I heard someone stumble.

I just got comfortable.

I pulled the covers off me and walked downstairs to see Gabriel in the kitchen eating leftover bowl of pasta. He quickly finished it before placing it in the sink but he stumbled a little on the way there.

Is he...okay?

"Gabriel?" I called and looked at him with curious eyes.

He looked at me and walked over to where I was standing. His black hair was a little damp from the rain and so was his suit, but he had taken off his jacket and tie and thrown them on the couch.

His broad muscled chest was visible through his white dress shirt but his tattoo looked like a giant black blob underneath.

I realized that something was different. Gabriel smelled different.

"Are you drunk?" I asked him.

It made sense if he was. His eyes were slightly red and his breath reeked of alcohol. I tried desperately to take the situation seriously but my mind ran off to the one vine that said, 'Just add two shots of vodka,' and then it showed Kermit the frog absolutely losing it on the dishwasher.

I bit my lip to hold back a laugh and he looked at me curiously, like a lost puppy, and my heart swelled.

"Alpha Donnelly needed to de-stress and so did I. Like a bachelor party kind of," Gabriel looked at me and then smiled.

Like actually smiled, with teeth and everything.

I was so taken aback I didn't even know what to do. One thing was for certain though and it's that this man was breathtaking. Normally he was so stoid and emotionless and no he looked so much younger. The smile died down to a smaller one and he looked down at me.

He grabbed my waist with one hand and then poked it with the other. I jumped back at the touch, "Alright bucko li-,"

He cut me off with another prod to my waist.

"Soft," he mumbled, "I like,"

"You need to sleep," I said, looking at his eyebags.

He just grunted and then nodded before following me up the stairs to the bedroom. He got changed into sweat and a t shirt before crawling into bed.

"You're too nice," he murmured, "you put up with me and my bullshit," and then snuggled into me.

I bit my lip.

"You're so soft and warm," he groaned and then nodded in approval before passing out.

I couldn't help but smile at his large blacked out figure. He was like a teddy bear, a huge cuddly teddy bear.

I had made it up in my mind that I liked drunk Gabriel.

***
the next chapter will be sweet like this one. enjoy it while it lasts.