It's short but I hope you like it :)
Ring - Picture at the side
Shadow of the Day - Perfect song for this Chapter :)
x, Hilda
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16. Proposal
Gabrielle’s POV
“You okay?” I ask Jarred.
He’d been fidgeting for about forty full minutes now and it was actually annoying me a little. If he wanted something to hold he could have taken my hand...but he didn’t. In fact, since my family’s little ‘visit’, Jarred had been getting further and further away. It frightened me.
Of course I didn’t voice out my thoughts. He’d been so worried about his Alpha duties outside Ottawa that we’d barely had time together. Now—his baby sister’s reception—would probably be the longest he’d been with me. He kept fidgeting and looked nervous.
I put my hand over his clenching to unclenching fist and shot him a look. He stiffened at my touch and I felt a warmth build up inside me. It reminded me of the Heat but less painful...It wasn’t the painful need—no. It was more of the love I knew I felt for Jarred. I needed him—not just for sex or whatever lust built up inside me. I quickly ripped my hand off his and felt my heart throb painfully.
“Are you okay?” He asks, returning my question back to me.
Oh so now he was worried?! “Jarred, piss off.” I said, regretting my words as soon as I’d said them aloud. I stood up and left him sitting there, a dumfounded expression on his face. I wanted so badly to take my words back but I felt such anger. How dare he ignore me then ask me if I was alright? He was supposed to be my mate wasn’t he? What the hell was he doing practically ignoring me?
Lacey got married today, three days after my brother’s visit and they’d finally completed the Union Run. They got married in a little church called The House of Hope. Lacey looked beautiful—she looked like an angel except with a bulging stomach. I could see the happiness that radiated out of her when she and Mark were pronounced as husband and wife. I’d truly never seen anything so beautiful.
I wanted it too.
Stepping outside the giant white tent, I reached for one of the poles, using it as support when I took off my silver heels. I didn’t want to be there anymore—it wasn’t that I didn’t like Lacey. As mates, Jarred and mines’ family should have been close but ever since my brothers’ visit I’d only had time to bond with Jarred’s mother and father. At least they liked me a little bit.
Unlike everyone else in this godforsaken wedding. Where everyone adored Corrine or Lacey I was practically ignored or looked down on. They tried not to have any eye contact with me but I suppose that it’s hard—especially because they knew who I was now. They knew about my mother being the Queen of Wolves—something that ran thick thorough blood that could never be earned. They knew my father was the most powerful Alpha, up till his death. They knew my brother is a monster. They knew my mate would slaughter them if they tried anything on me.
They knew I could slaughter them.
Everyone in that room was afraid that my brother would come and attack. They were frightened for their mates...honestly? I think it was a good that they were afraid. Being afraid was a fuel to be braver, to be stronger. They had to be at their strongest if they were to fight off my brother. Maybe that was why Jarred seemed reluctant to be with me.
Maybe he changed his mind. I felt my wolf howl inside me, wanting her mate. As if on cue, his strong husky voice came from behind me. “Gabby?”
“What are you doing here?” I ask snappily. In the darkness I saw Jarred’s emotionless face turn from blank to guilt-ridden. I felt bad that I had done that to him but he was ignoring me! His mate! “Lost something back here or what?”
“Yeah. I lost someone.” He murmured, walking closer to me. I felt his warmth from my back, felt him turn me around. Not once did I fight his touch. Jarred lifted his hand up and caressed my cheek. I fought the shiver that wanted to escape through my body. “You.”
I took a hold off his hand and winced, hating the burning lust—the love—that built up inside me. “Why are you ignoring me then, you asshole?” I croaked out.
Again I watched the guilt wash over his face. I looked away, not wanting to know why he was guilty. Mates were ever rarely guilty unless they’d done something stupid. Ignoring your mate was one thing but I couldn’t help but remember the feeling of not being good enough for him. Maybe I wasn’t good enough for him. After all, I was me, a broken Alpha daughter. I didn’t even own the rights to my mothers’ land, I didn’t own the title of ‘Princess’ since my mother had never properly acknowledged me as her daughter. I was practically replaceable and Jarred was stuck with me.
I couldn’t help but feel like a failure. He reached over again, taking my chin and looked at me. His features, once soft and filled with love was now filled with anger. “I can hear you.” He choked out. “Don’t,” he starts, pleadingly. “Don’t ever think you’re not good enough, Gabby.”
I forgot how nice it was to hear him sound so loving. “If I was good enough then maybe you’d be here for me, Jarred.” I met his eyes. “If I was good enough then I would have bonded with your family as the wolf spirits had planned it out to be. I would be worthy of being your Luna. I’m none of that. I’m practically a Rogue.” I spat out, again the disgust I felt of myself made Jarred tighten his hold on my chin.
“You are worthy of me and so much more, Gabrielle.” Using my full name I knew he was being serious, I knew he wasn’t simply trying to make me feel better. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been paying attention to you.”
“It’s not just that though, Jarred. My mother is coming. My brother is too. I could strike a bargain with them and end this all. I know it—every Alpha here know it. You do too.” His blue eyes hardened, immediately they turned black, he growled at me and I knew he was fighting an internal battle with his wolf.
I’d never seen Jarred possessive. I figured it was because I twisted his mind with a forgetting spell. I figured it’d probably be the fact that no male wolf eyed me due to the fact that they knew I—or my crazy family—could harm them. But now, as I stared into my mate’s dark eyes I knew for the first time that he is possessive. I knew he gave me a long leash, I knew that he gave me freedom to roam around. Male mates’ never usually allow their females out of their sight if it could be avoided.
Seeing Jarred’s wolf take over made mine want to come out too but I fought her. I knew that I needed to calm Jarred down before we both did something that we’d regret. “Come back to me.” I whispered, wanting to see Jarred’s blue orbs. I leaned forward and went on my tip toes. I was only as tall as his chest so he leaned a little. His wolf must have thought I’d give them a kiss but I leaned towards his ear. “Come back to me, baby.” I purred.
He shivered. I pushed myself away from him and found his blue eyes hooded with need. He reached over to touch my face and I let him, leaning my cheek into his rough palm. “I love you.”
“I love you.” I honestly said, he released a breath that he seemed to be holding. I was unprepared for his next words.
“Marry me, Gabby.”
Jarred’s POV
I think she stopped breathing. I shook her a little and watch her eyes widen, she was obviously running my words through her mind.
Over the past three days I remembered what I said to her. I told her I’d be there for her, always, as long as she’d wanted me there but I knew my little mate was stubborn. I knew that I had to do more than that. I knew I wanted her in all ways. I wanted to mate her and be tied to her in all ways possible—legally and everything.
I wanted to mate her as my wife, as a woman tied to me by law. When I told my father he pat me in the back and grinned, pleased with my thoughts. They all heard what Stephenie went through—Gabby’s little sister was like her in almost all ways except for the fact that Stephenie was a lot more open unlike my mate who spoke as if her words were too powerful to be heard.
It was okay though. I left her alone with my family. Mitch loved her as he had from the first moment he’d seen her. My mother was proud of me also and loved Gabrielle. She didn’t have time with Lacey since the whole wedding fiasco and I saw the way the other Alpha’s stared at her—they were scared of her and angry that she would put their mates in danger. It pissed me off so much that I tried my best to stare them down and succeeded. Now they just ignored Gabby.
I told my mother of my plan and she was so excited. She was torn apart that her only daughter was knocked up but she was happy nonetheless. I had my parent’s full support and I had a box in my pocket to prove it. I knew Gabby loved rubies. Red was her favourite colour and I remember her telling me that she’d prefer rubies to diamonds. So that was what I’d gotten my gorgeous mate.
I stared at her and watched as she opened her mouth then shut it again. She was going to say something but chose not to. I sighed. “Gabby, you don’t have to say yes or no now. I just...I love you. You know that right?”
She nodded.
“You know I’d do anything for you, right?” Again she gave me a nod. “I need to hear you, Gabrielle.” I tried to place an ordering Alpha tone on her.
I knew she hated that and I saw a flash of black through her eyes. Her wolf obviously didn’t like that either. “You listen to me, Jarred Blakely.” She ordered, her power stronger than mine so my ears immediately focused on her voice only. “You come here after three days of ignorance and ask me to marry you. You come here and use your Alpha tone on me. You come here and you ask me to marry you...and...you’re not even prepared?”
I was surprised by her words. “What?” I asked breathlessly.
“You ask me to marry you and you’re not prepared. What is this Jarred? Don’t play with my feelings.” She said angrily. “You don’t ask a woman to marry you when you’re not prepared for it. These things aren’t a spur of the moment kind of thing, Jarred!” She raised her voice sounding exasperated. “You need ring—to get on your knees! To—,”
She stopped dead at her tracks and her jaw dropped as she watched me go down on one knee. I was about to laugh—my mate was angry at me because she thought I asked to marry her as something that was brought on by the moment, the thought I was unprepared and I was only doing it to make up to three days of ignoring me! But I couldn’t laugh, my amusement left as soon as I saw her eyes turn glassy, the water in them seeking to escape.
I shook my head. “Hey, don’t.” I pleaded. This was supposed to be a good, happy moment. I reached over inside my suit jackets’ pocket and took out a velvet box. If I thought her eyes couldn’t widen any more, I was wrong. They did as soon as she eyed the box in my hand.
I smiled at her. “Gabrielle, I love you,” I started to say. “I’m sorry for the past three days but I’m telling you—I never wanted to ignore you. As my mate you’re always to be put first but I didn’t and I ignored you. I hurt you—something I would never want to do in a million years.”
“So why did you?” she interrupted.
I smirked a little. “Baby, let me finish.” She closed her mouth and I began again. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I did it because I didn’t want to suddenly ask you after you’ve been shaken up. I also wanted to find the time to find this.” I opened the box and she gasped. “I didn’t get you a diamond because you said you preferred rubies.”I took it off where it was being held and took it out finding her left hand. “I know I said I’d wait for what you’ll say but no matter what the answer is, this is and forever will be yours. This is my heart, Gabrielle. My heart that you so easily took from my chest.” I placed the ring in her wedding finger and loved the way it contrasted on her tanned skin. The way the rubies and Swarovski’s glinted against the white gold band. “But now I have to ask, Gabrielle...Will you marry me?”
“Why?” She choked out.
“Because I want you to be mine in all ways possible. Mundane or otherwise. I want to mate you knowing you’re mine and mine only. I want to own you—to be able to stake a claim to you that wasn’t created by the wolf spirits.” Honest. Every word spoken from my mouth was honest.
“Then I’m yours.” I beamed, standing up and spinning her around. I knew that I would treasure this moment for as long as I could. She was mine. Soon she’d really be just mine.