Hey guys! I said that I'd upload after the next votes but I couldn't wait! Plus, I'm still new to this and don't want to press my luck. I really do hope you'd vote for this chapter though as it would mean a ton to me! I think this is a pretty long chapter so I've added some humour to it as well. Anyway, I hope you like it/ fan/vote/comment and keep supporting it! :)
P.S. Please also check out my other book: How it Started with Abercrombie & Fitch. Description is underneath this chapter! x - Hilda
[Picture of Gabrielle! >>]
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Four
I couldn’t deny that their pantry was stacked—I mean, these were fully grown boys—add the wolfness in and of course they’d be a pack of hungry mutts! I ate more than I’d ever eaten in two days because I always watched my diet—wolves didn’t need to diet but girls did and I didn’t take advantage of my wolf-metabolism so I didn’t eat like a pig.
We were naturally fit—just like vampires (non-existent creatures) or Olympians were. We don’t know why but we couldn’t gain but there was this one weight we’d stay on. I could sense Corrine staring at me as I sat and ate a plate of eggs, sausages, bacons and mushrooms with my bowl of porridge. If anyone came down and told me I was eating like a pig—I had my defence since they said I hadn’t eaten in ages.
I found myself still thinking about Jarred—the feel of his breath, the sound of his thumping heart. I mean, who could deny that he was damn beautiful? I actually had the thought of how he would look without clothes…ugh. I’d never wanted anyone in my life!
What confused me was why the hell I could want him to touch me back when I hated it when boys touched me.
“…said we had to…Wait, are you even listening to me?” Corey asked. Oh, well…seeing as I didn’t hear anything then no.
But I nodded—which was a bad thing seeing as ten seconds later she nodded and had a massive grin on her face. “Great! After you have breakfast, get dressed! Oh, how I love grocery shopping!”
“Wait…what?”
She pouted. “So you weren’t listening to me.” She sighed, she obviously didn’t want to tell me anything. “Knock yourself out,” she muttered and I understood that she meant that I could dig in her mind. She normally didn’t give me permission so she obviously didn’t want to say whatever it was again.
Okay, so you’re reading my mind right? Well I’ll start with the easy stuff: Our house got trashed. Before you freak out and I can see your face, Elle so just listen! Because I’m Jordan’s mate and you’re…well, doesn’t matter but, uh, we have to stay here so we can be protected. I already agreed and we have to because they’ll be able to protect you and me and I promise everything will be okay!
I didn’t know what to say—I didn’t know if I was upset or if something inside me opened up. I think my words came out as a sort of whisper, I could feel the wolf inside me want to come out and run, far, far away.
“Please say something, Gabrielle.”
What could I say? That if it was possible for me to shit myself and die on the spot then it would happen? I could feel my hear twist with guilt—this wasn’t Corey’s fault. I turned…they smelled me. They found me. I couldn’t push away the fact that I hated it…the fact that I couldn’t save my only friend. They’d all die because of me.
“It’s okay.” I managed to choke out. I stood up, far away from the breakfast that I no longer wanted and swallowed. “As your Alpha I release you from my pack and you are now able to join others.”
Her shock was immensely surprising. She smacked me in the face—a nice, swift, SMACK that just hurt but sort of woke me up more than I already was. This was for her, so why was she going insane?
“Are you fucking crazy, Gabrielle Marie Brandt!? You’re freaking being hunted out there and as my Alpha I should want to protect and put my life out for you!”
“You’re the Alpha?” a distant voice asked. The voice sent shivers up my spine and made my body relax. I immediately knew it was Jarred. How the hell could he calm me when no one else could? Could I trust this guy or something?
I frowned when I saw him. The half-naked guys were behind him along with Jordan. They all wore the same masks of surprise. Okay so they heard the conversation…this obviously wasn’t going to go well. I hated to use the powers I was handed but I needed to talk to Corrine…this could be my last chance before I lost her to these people.
I lifted my hand and created a shield around the kitchen and the archway—now, anyone who went through would just rebound back—it was a stupid gift but useful at times. I didn’t even realize I could do it till I had sex the second year I escaped him…I didn’t know if I was ready and the boy on top of me wouldn’t stop—I was drunk and not myself, then the shield seemed to know what to do for me.
“I am the Alpha of the only pack here in Ohio. I didn’t claim this territory therefore I step back as Alpha and allow you to claim this land.” They still didn’t say anything and they looked…shocked, like they seriously couldn’t see this coming. I mean, hey, were these boys being sexist?! I clenched my fists and saw that they tried to make their way through the invisible shield.
“What did you do to this room?” the guy…I think his name was Mark asked.
“I shielded myself and my one and only ex-pack member.” They all looked confused. “I don’t trust any of you but I trust Jordan because he’s Corey’s mate—I’m sorry to say that’s the only reason I trust him but listen to this: I am the power you feel. You think that this territory has such a huge pack? Well it doesn’t—technically we only run in with rogues, otherwise it’s only Corey and I.”
Jarred looked pained and I didn’t know why but his face twisted in pain—his lustful eyes, looked like he wanted me to say that everything I was saying was a lie.
“But you’re mated.” Another of the shirtless guys said. “You can’t be and Alpha and be mated to an Alpha it’s just not—hey ow!” I noticed someone hit him but I didn’t understand and I couldn’t register his words. What?
Did he mean I was still mated to…the bastard? He wasn’t the Alpha though…just the Beta! I tried not to think about his words so I kept talking: “I’m Gabrielle English. If you haven’t heard of me already then you’re crazy. Leave me alone and don’t follow me—don’t bother me and I won’t bother you.”
I stepped towards Corrine and hugged her. “I love you, Cores. You’re the only friend I’ve ever had. This is my last order as Alpha: Don’t leave Jordan. Don’t leave this pack. Don’t come looking for me.”
I felt her body stiffen and she gave me a sad smile. I understood that she got everything, knew that she couldn’t go against my orders—even when another Alpha would order her to come get me. My manipulation made my persuasion powers stronger. So now, she couldn’t see me—I had to see her.
And I wouldn’t because I refuse to put her through that pain, that sorrow. She deserved to be happy. As I let go of the shield I held I took a breath. “I wish I could say it was nice meeting you all…” I said, glancing towards Jarred who kept his eyes on the ground. What happened to the lustful looks? “But it wasn’t. Goodbye.”
And I left. Just. Like. That.
Jarred’s POV
She…she was the Alpha! I should have felt it—the powerful aura around her. I thought it was her pack leader and of course our pack hadn’t ever come across she-wolves that were Alphas. To think she was the powerful wolf that took on the whole of Ohio…it was weird but it kind of turned me on a little.
Damn. Then stupid Mark had to say she was already mated. I’d never heard of a case of Alpha-to-Alpha relationships. As far as I knew, my mother only became the Luna Alpha because she married my father. She was a human—and she didn’t even know about wolves till she and my father had laid eyes on each other.
But now—could it be possible? Two Alpha’s couldn’t exist—it wasn’t possible, that would defeat the reason for having a pack leader. I admit I felt frustrated but seeing her in full control—the way her eyes raged when she said she only trusted Jordan because he was Corrine’s mate, the power she had to keep us all out.
And she admitted to being a Riser, like Mitchell. I heard about the pro’s and cons of being a Riser and I’ve never met one in the flesh apart from my own brother and as far as I knew, Mitch could only turn and he didn’t have powers yet. To see someone so powerful, so control. Especially if it was Gabrielle—damn, did she make power look good.
The next thoughts that trailed my mind as she left was: Why didn’t she recognize me as her mate? Was this some sort of rejection? Maybe it was even because of the Alpha-to-Alpha mateship…maybe she couldn’t see past the power. She was so guarded that it frightened me to look at her, she was definitely not fragile but the power emitted in her voice made me want to run up and consume her.
I wanted to have her so much that I couldn’t look at her without feeling my wolf surface. I couldn’t turn in front of her—my wolf would go biserk.
“Jarred, snap out of it!” Jordan said, shaking me.
I growled at him but he nodded, seeming to understand that I needed time. She left, practically quicker than any creature I’d seen in my life. The words she said before she left lingered in my mind: ‘I wish I could say it was nice meeting you all…but it wasn’t. goodbye.’ Goodbye? Would this be the last time I would see her?
My wolf growled inwardly and I fought it. I hated battling my wolf. Of course we made the perfect team but seriously! We were having a hard enough time as it was—because since we’d found her, we were unsettled and couldn’t put apart our differences.
I wanted to touch her skin softly, to caress her and make her feel like I deserved her. My wolf wanted to jump in and…for lack of better words, eat her up. I closed my eyes and fought my wolf. When I opened it I was a little dazed. Corrine sat by the corner, looking confused and staring straight ahead.
“Elle’s been through so much that you wouldn’t understand. You saw the branding, didn’t you?”
We all nodded, obviously Corrine would be telling Gabrielle’s story for her. She closed her eyes. “Elle needs help. She—she doesn’t think she does, she knows she’s powerful and the bitch is so damn proud of it!” Corrine laughed, mockingly, but I could see the pain in her eyes. I clenched my fists, wishing this would have a happy ending.
“You might know Alpha English.” There were mutters and growls in our group.
We knew Alpha English—he was a cold blooded killer. For one, in the mundane world he did anything and everything to see drugs—the worst kind that could kill humans, I even heard that he used to kidnap human children and scare them in his wolf form—this, in our nature was wrong. Our wolf was our friend, ally, our gift—and he used it as a foolish party trick to frighten people making them mentally ill. In the wolf world he was notorious—his previous Alpha—wait…
Alpha Brandt. Didn’t—Corrine stared at me wide eyed. Had I been thinking aloud? Wait…Corrine’s been ditched from Gabrielle’s pack so that must mean..?
Corrine, can you hear me?
Yeah, don’t worry. I think—I don’t know but some of the guys minds are disrupted. I think they’re a little shaken up by Elle’s power so they’re minds are a little muddled. I was like that too—couldn’t think straight, couldn’t link with other minds.
Is Jordan here?
No, but he’s watching me very intently. He can’t hear me and he’s getting frustrated. Listen—yes, Alpha Brandt—he’s Elle’s dad. I don’t know the full story and I don’t want to…to tell you because it’s up to her. She released me so I can’t get her…but you can’t.
I nodded, all the boys looked at us confused but they didn’t say anything. Corrine sounded so worried about Gabrielle that I felt like she wasn’t telling me something.
Of course I’m not telling you ‘something’ Jarred. You might be her mate but she might not believe it. Her past it more gruesome than you can imagine.
Is…the branding, did he…did he do that to her?
She didn’t tell me. Whenever she wants to turn she leaves and goes far away so that her scent won’t be traced. She’s shared so much to me, protected me and I’ve never known any better. But I know her better than she knows herself. She needs our help and you need to convince her to trust you.
I can do that. If she’s my mate then she’s meant to be mine.
Did you know Gabrielle had a tattoo?
No…What is it?
It says ‘Never look back’. I’ve pieced it together but I knew this: Gabrielle is serious. When she says something she makes it happen and she doesn’t look back. She could be leaving Ohio for all I know, or not. She wants a normal life before running rogue. She hid that part well—she didn’t want to hold me down, I knew that and when she found out she was an Alpha she flipped! She doesn’t take responsibility, trust or relationships well. Please, be gentle with her.
Why do you say that like I’m going to tear her to shreds?
Because you may think she’s powerful and strong but you know nothing until you know the things she went through.
***
I dismissed everyone and they were all confused. Corrine put on a brave face and mind linked me to speak to Jordan about any further plans. If she was my mate she would be important in the future of the pack…and…I didn’t want to lose her.
I already felt empty enough.
Jordan sat back, still confused. I briefly wondered why Gabrielle’s power didn’t affect me but tried not to take notice of it. Some things…people shouldn’t bother and linger towards. Maybe she could explain everything when she decided I was the good guy.
If...if she decided I was the good guy.
“What do you want to say, Jarred? Spit it out, you’re killing me!” he said, clearly frustrated.
Wolves have amazing hearing—strength. The things you see in Twilight or Underworld could be true—except, one, in Twilight they say we protect humans from vampires (creatures who so clearly do not exist) and in Underworld the lycanthropes are seriously ugly. I get why Jordan was so frustrated—we usually spoke through our mind link because it was clearer than words—plus, we could secretly tell each other things.
“I need to find her, I need you to stand up as my beta.”
He nodded. “I knew you’d say that, I could feel your wolf start panting as soon as she left.” I wasn’t embarrassed at his words but he knew enough of what I was saying. “I had Lucas from Corey’s school check on any students checking out, she’s staying—plus, she’s intent on this normality thing she’s got her heart set up to.”
“So what do I do, rock up and apply to be a student?”
“Lucas has the documents filled out and ready. You just have to be good and play nice. Me and the boys will be out to pick you up from school but there’s a dorm across her building that we’ve rented out, that way you can keep a close eye on her.”
“Doesn’t that seem a tad stalkerish, my darlings?” a sweet voice asked. I didn’t even realize and when I saw her, I ran towards her and picked her up. She locked her arms around my neck and I felt her sniff me, it was something she always did whenever we saw each other. “Nice to see you too big brother.”
Lacy was my only sister as Mitchell was my only brother. Lacy just applied for the college too, which meant she’d occasionally run into Gabrielle. Good…another person to keep watch for her.
“You smell like mateship but not exactly mateship.” She said, observing me when she let me go.
I didn’t understand what she meant so I looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She sighed. “Boys!” she huffed then advanced towards Jordan. “You both smell like it—however, this one, smells like true mateship. Ugh, it’s so gross that I’m going to gag!”
I seriously couldn’t understand women. They were so strange and…peculiar. What the hell did she mean ‘true mateship’. I looked at Jordan who blushed…okay what was I missing?
“Sometimes, I think that there isn’t a light in there, Jarred.” Lacy said, “Mateship—to our kind, S-E- ” I covered her mouth and quickly understood her words.
“When did you start growing up?” I asked narrowing my eyes at her. Seriously! She’d just graduated and she was already thinking about…ugh! Damn…I was whining. I felt like a woman.
“About when I was seventeen and lost my virginity in a cubicle with some guy I don’t even know.” she said sounding sad. What the fuck! I looked at her angry and she started bursting into fits of laughter. “Damn, Jarred! You’re such an overprotective freak! I didn’t lose my virginity in a cubicle but I did however lose it when I was seventeen with—,” she was suddenly cut off by none other than Mark.
“SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TODAY!?” he screamed—a little too loudly.
Hmm…something was definitely going on there. “I was just finding out who banged my sister and took her innocence away.”
“Oh. Nice. Was he a nice lay?” Mark asked…a little too flirtatiously.
“He was pretty average, I mean, below the belt and there wasn’t anything too pretty about his—,”
“OKAY!” I said, “I’ve heard enough.” Seriously? Who wanted to hear about how their little sister’s innocence was taken away from them. And seriously, why was Mark blushing like some fool!? Wait…suddenly a thought came in my mind. “Who was he, Lace?”
“Why do you want to know…Jar?” she said, mischievously. I looked at her straight and she tilted her head towards Mark who was pretending to pay attention to a book…that the idiot was reading upside down.
“Mark, how’s that book you’re reading. Is it any good?” I asked, clenching my fists. Oh, he so did not! And with my sister! My baby sister! If I wasn’t so damn in control and thinking about…her…I would definitely tear him apart. Limb. For. Limb.
“Yeah, It’s pretty amazing.”
“And you would know cause you can read upside down?” Jordan added, covering his laughter—failing at covering his laughter. He sounded like he knew what was going on. I made a mental note to have a pack meeting over this.
Mark was blushing and Lacy started to laugh again, she was clearly amused by him—and this, wasn’t a sight I’d ever seen from my baby sister. “I’ll deal with you later.” I said, keeping a sturdy voice. “For now, I need to go somewhere. When I leave, Jordan’s in charge. No parties,” I started then turned to Mark, “No sex.”
Lacy giggled. Oh god, this would take some getting used to! I slumped my shoulders and ran upstairs, I needed to make some final arrangements and pack some things before I went…to study.
But there was a good side to this! I’d see her—be able to help her and watch over her twenty-four –seven…Fuck! I did sort of sound like a stalker! Damn Lacy and her incoherent thoughts! I shook them out of my mind and thought of her—her face, her eyes, the way her hair looked when she stirred in her sleep.
Yes, I watched her sleep—once, and only to see that she’d turn human again. It was worth all the guys dissing me for being whipped—seeing her sleep and waking up next to her—it was the most marvellous thing in the world.
And if I won her heart then I would have her forever.
****
How It Started with Abercrombie & Fitch.
Abercrombie and Fitch. For American teens, famous for its sexy appeal, half-naked advertisements, gorgeous models and skin-tight clothing. Now, let’s skip all this nonsense and head all the way to Chicago, Illinois where Noah Hunt—Hollywood’s golden boy, head’s over to high school.
Noah’s smart, sexy and he’s a good guy with good intentions. Girl’s create stories about Noah that have to do with them making Noah have a rocky reputation. This makes relationships hard for Noah. Now, let’s bring bad-girl and recently-released-from-juvenile detention: Miss Blake Deveraux. Blake has trust troubles—she has trouble with socializing and always get’s hitched with the wrong crowd. Two different people from different places of social statuses—the rich boy, the poor girl. The good boy—the bad girl. The golden boy and the girl everyone forgot. But somehow they both catch each other’s eyes. So why do they end up lusting for each other and eventually turning it into more than a single night stuck in school? And why did Abercrombie and Fitch look so damn sexy on Noah?