Gabal

Chapter 7

Aoifa's knees made contact with the floor less than a second later. Her reserves were totally spent. Her well flared, almost angrily, and started to sap at her physical resources to replenish her loss. She struggled to keep her eyes open and rise to her feet. She needed food, something with lots of carbs, something sweet. Halfway to standing, arms wrapped around her. She was startled by them, almost forgetting her guests in her exhaustion. She relaxed in Gabal's hold, but forced her eyes open and her face neutral, refusing to show weakness.

"What just happened," asked a shaken Jackson. He tried to put on a tough front but one could tell by the slight tremble to his voice, and knees, that he was affected by the magic she had just displayed. As she glanced at the others, she could tell the same, though it was farther beneath the surface.

"We're home," was all Gabal said. He was busy rooting around in the kitchen after he set Aoifa on the counter. After a few moments he returned to her with the rest of her cashews from the night before and a tub of coffee, cookies and cream ice cream, her favorite. Gabal could already see her aether eating away at her body. Her cheek bones stuck out much more than before, and the slight sway she had even though she was stationary let him know she was much more tired than she appeared. He snapped his eyes to his pack. They watched her like hawks. Weariness oozed from them, suspicion clear on their faces.

Gabal neared his teeth and snarled. Their eyes immediately fell to the floor, shoulders rolled in, expressions contrite. "Out. Go home. Jackson send Samuel."

They shot him confused looks. Their Alpha wanted them to return from Ireland? Across the globe? And then send the pack Beta away? "Bu–," a booming roar erupted from their commander and everyone scrambled to do as he bid. The door closed quietly behind them. Ansel was the only one that remained, though he took up a patrol along the perimeter of the cabin, deciding to give the couple some time alone. He understood the protective instincts that ruled Gabal at this moment.

His Alpha's Given had expended an amazing amount of energy to do what she did. He had never seen anything like it. And because of this, her body was taking all of the nutrients she had stored for normal body functions and recycling that into aether to replenish her well. Any fat would go first, then muscle, then it would begin to sap energy from organs. If enough energy is used, it could easily kill the witch. Ansel held a worry for the girl he had not felt in ages. A protective urge that had been lost with his mate. Ansel paced around the cabin, shoving those revelations deep, and let go of all emotion as he did what he did best and kept a lookout for threats to the ones he held dear.

Inside, Gabal was feeding Aoifa spoonfuls of ice cream. He sat on the floor, back to a cabinet. Aoifa was leaning back against his chest from where she sat on his lap. He had one hand curled around her throat, his thumb tilting her chin up slightly. He would have found the way she swallowed beneath his hand intimately erotic had the circumstances been different. As it was, he was a bit too miffed to consider that too deeply.

"Aoifa," he started, his tone little more than a growl. He was livid. She could have died. The state she was in right now... As scared as he was that she would leave him, forsake the bond, if he was too overbearing, he could not chance her death. His previous thoughts about her knowing her limits were obviously bull.

His hand tightened on her throat, not enough to bring her pain, but enough to bring a bit of rasp to each breath. "Never again." He waited for a response, not pleased when he felt her pull away from him and shift off his lap. Fear coiled in his belly, releasing only slightly when she settled herself back against him, facing him now. Her face had gotten better after half the container of ice cream and the rest of the cashews. The gaunt quality was nearly gone.

"Why," she questioned. A quick scan of her face revealed only earnest curiosity, no challenge, no fear, no disgust. She wanted to know why? Did she truly have so little regard for her life? The more he thought about her question, the angrier he became. When he could finally get the words out, it was little more than a growl.