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17th December, 2017
Alpha Gabriel's Territory, Nivadia

~

The clicking of my boots against the marble floor of the Palace follows me like a shadow. The tight grip of the leather body suit as suffocating as the restraints pulling at my chest. I will finally be seeing all of Gabriel's territory. Even if the circumstances aren't the best. I haven't seen past the Palace grounds and the forest I came from. I can't help but wonder if the landscape will be the same as it is on Earth. If werewolves, magical horses and witchy powers exist in Nivadia then I can only assume that the magical lands don't end there.

The large exit doors come into view as I travel down the left side of the twin marble staircase. I can hear the chatter of people outside, but the main halls of the Palace are unusually empty. I have only seen the occasional maid and Vanya, who had to leave to fetch my travel food from Aunty in the kitchens. Kenna and Emilia travelled to a neighbouring pack for a much needed holiday. They left early this morning only truly leaving after they had a chance to say goodbye to me, all the while apologising for leaving before I do. I, of course, told them it was more than alright and that they deserved the time off. I don't think they have left my side since the day Gab appointment the sisters to me. Apparently the annual lunar festival was being celebrated in that pack and they had to leave this morning to confirm their spots in the festivities. Vanya will join them once I've left. I told them that Vanya didn't have to stay behind and miss the start of the festival but that only led to them looking offended that I would even consider that they would leave me to 'make my own bed and Goddess forbid carry in the hot water for my morning bath', as Emilia put it.

I sigh in exasperation at their old fashioned way of thinking before crossing the threshold of the Palace, squinting slightly from the blaring midday sun. I spot Gabriel and Huxley talking with a group of warriors I assume are going to be travelling with us to the temple. I try to force my lips from curving into a smirk at the sight of the group of muscular half naked men but I fail. The sight satisfying my pre-teen self's most scandalous fantasies. Gab's back tenses as I come up to the group. He turns around, taking the time it takes for me to walk to the group to observe my outfit. His eyes darken a shade before growling lowly. The people around us quickly avert their stares in our direction, his growl must have been a warning to his pack. A shiver travels down my spine, an automatic response to him that I have stopped trying to tame.

"Alpha,"I greet, feeling particularly cheeky today.

His forest green eyes turn into a hunter green shade, either from my teasing tone or the fact that he doesn't like me calling him by his title. Apparently I am his equal and because of that I should greet him by his name, to which I replied that if I was his equal I could call him anything I damn wanted. That particular rebellious act had him chasing me around the fields by the training centre until I fell onto the floor in a fit of giggles. I hadn't felt that light in a long time. Not since Adam, not for almost a year now. I hadn't realised how heavy my chest had been until that day in the fields.

"Are you ready to leave?" Gab asked, his predator glaze washing away.

I shake my head before looking over my shoulder. Vanya said she was fetching my food packs but that was over twenty minutes ago.

"I'm waiting for Vanya, she is getting my food from Aunty" I explain to him.

Realisation shapes his features, "Ahh, well almost half of the pack on Palace grounds have already traveled to Alpha Eric's pack for the Lunar festival, leaving Aunty understaffed. It wouldn't surprise me if she forgot to pack the food and it rushing to get it now," he says.

"This festival's really that big huh?" I ask.

"Yes, it's the biggest gathering for youth in Nivadia. Eric is a notorious party animal, his pack known for the parties he throws. It's the one time anyone from teenage to adulthood can act without pack law and parent approval," he nods.

"I see... and have you gone to any of these festivals?" I ask.

"I stopped going once I became Alpha when I was twenty, but went for about seven years beforehand" he answers me to which I raise an eyebrow.

"And what exactly did you do at these festivals where the rules were considered secondary to your desires?" I enquire, hearing Huxley send a quick prayer to the Goddess who I can only guess was right along side Gab at the festivals.

Gab's face turns a shade red before he open and closes his mouth, trying to find something to say. My body tenses with jealousy, a completely irrational and undeserved emotion considering my relationship with Adam but it burns to hot for me to smother it.

"I'm here" Vanya calls from the stairs, running down with a backpack of food.

It was Gab's turn to talk to the Goddess, thanking her for saving him. I only hum, my stare telling him that this isn't over. He gulps and my eyes tease him, 'the big bad Alpha males scared of confrontation, who would have guessed?". He simply harrumphs in reply.

I face my full body to Vanya and smile at her. Her red face the same shade that Gab's was a second ago. She rushes to the group before bowing her head to Gab and myself. She hands me the backpack and I put it on.

"My apologies Alpha couple. Aunty forgot to make the food so it took longer than expected" Vanya explains with her eyes lowered to the ground in submission. It is rude to start an Alpha directly in the eyes without their permission, it is considered a challenge otherwise.

I look over to Gab and he seems to say, 'told you so'. I let out a light laugh before turning to Vanya and embracing her in a hug. Vanya tenses before letting out a surprised "Luna!", I shush her before telling her to hug me back already. She does instantly and tightly.

"Enjoy your holiday, Vanya and make sure to keep an eye on your sisters. You'll must tell me everything when I return" I say before releasing her.

Vanya rolls her eyes before saying, "I think it is more likely to be the other way around Luna! Once I get some wolves-bane into me I become a completely different person."

I laugh at her expression when she remembers the group of people around us, her face going an even darker shade of red. She apologies again before realising the attractive men now staring at her.

"Ah-well I best be going now Luna, the journey to Alpha Eric's pack is a day's journey" Vanya says before curtsying and rushing back into the Palace with her tale between her legs.

I watch her retreat greatly amused. The chatter of the group rises up again breaking me out of my amused trance.

I walk to Gab's side, Huxley bowing his head in greeting. I smile back at him before asking him if we should leave now. He nods before untying his short strings, I squeal before quickly covering me eyes.

"What on Earth are you doing?" I yelp.

I hear him laugh before saying, "I have the shift so you can ride my wolf, Amore. How did you think we were travelling to the temple?".

"I thought we were walking there!" I screech back, blushing faces seeming to be todays theme.

"That would take an outrageous amount of time, plus, my wolf is extremely rideable" I can hear the smirk in his voice.

"Fine, just do it already!" I exclaim.

I hear a chorus of rustling clothes, then bones breaking and popping then nothing at all. I peak through my fingers and see everyone in their wolf form, everyone but Huxley. I give him a inquisitive stare.

"Someone needs to take care of the pack Luna," he replies.

"Yes, right," I say back before focusing on Gab's large black wolf.

He stalks to me on four legs, his head reaching a foot above mine. I reach up and scratch his neck, a purr coming from his chest. I snicker in reply to which he gently nips my forearm, I grasp before swatting his side. What I can only assume to be a wolf laugh forms his vicious face, his panting breaths fanning my face.

"Alright you big fur ball, can we go now?" I ask, hearing Huxley softly laugh behind me. Gab's larger green eyes zero in on Huxley before narrowing. Huxley simply raises his hands in defence.

Gab kneels down before laying on the ground, his height now low enough that if I jump I can get over his back. I do just that, settling into soft fur and firm muscles. If I close my eyes it almost feels like I'm back at my grandparents farm, riding their horses all summer. Gab lifts us up until he's full height, my core and legs going soft for a second as I adjust to being this high off the ground. I grip onto his hair, having to tighten my hold due to the silk texture of his fur. Gab turns his head to look back at me, silently asking if I'm ready, I nod at him.

He looks at Huxley, to which Huxley bows his head and vows to protect the pack while he's gone. Gab seems satisfied with his answer before releasing a powerful howl into the air, a domino effect of howls appearing from across the land in return. Gab hunches back on his legs before taking off in with a spring. The speed of his powerful body making me reflectively drop down so my entire torso is nestled into his back. Gab's chest rumbles in approves before running faster, faster than any horse could, faster than any human, the only thing coming close is a car. I risk looking behind me and see a pack of wolves running behind us, our group forming a Dimond shape around us. Protection, I realise, trained warriors working as a synchronised unit to protect their Alphas.

My body soon relaxes into the strong mammal under me, my legs tightening around his sides as I steadily rise my torso from his back. Wind slaps at my face, whipping stray strands of hair com from my side braid. I raise my arms and start howling into the sharp wind.

A chorus of joyous howls are my reply.

____

We stopped every hour or so I could stretch my legs and relieve myself. I didn't try to convince myself that the frequent breaks were anything but for me, not doubting that these trained warriors could travel the entire way without stopping. We didn't make camp until the sun started to set. We stopped at a cave opening by a mountains base, the interior showing a recently used environment. There was a fire setup in the centre of the cave with bed mats and thin blankets neatly rolled up in the corner. Gab explained to me that this is one of the checkpoints for traveller passing by. Apparently they were scattered across his pack in case of an emergency. It didn't take long for the warriors to set up camp and light the fire, illuminating the stone walls in replacement of the Sun which disappeared a good hour ago.

I was currently sitting on my bed roll, eating rabbit jerky from my backpack. The others eating raw meat from the catch Lukas made, who turns out to be the lead tracker of the pack. I learned that he was the biological brother of Kenna, his dark skin and purple eyes the spitting image of his younger sister. He escaped his abusive pack along with Kenna, Vanya and Emilia. I quickly began to like every warrior that was travelling with us, their stories more interesting than the last.

I tried not to make a face of disgust as they wolfed down the raw meat, their inner animals coming out as the preys blood coated their mouths. Once I sat down on my bed roll I found that I couldn't get back up, my inner thighs tender from ridding Gab's wolf. I made the mistake of voice my thoughts when Gab asked why I was walking funny. He continued on by smirking and saying that he 'wasn't lying when he said his wolf was extremely rideable'. I never felt more satisfied then when I flipped him off, and to my eternal amusement finding out the no one knew what the gesture meant.

Gab came up to sit beside me on the bedroll, having notice that his was. I smile up at him before resting my head on his shoulder. I recently began comfortable enough around him that physical contact didn't make me sick to my stomach with guilt. Although nothing other than innocent gestures like handholding and hugs have occurred between us, I can't help but wonder if it is developing into something more. He wraps an arm around my shoulder as Anx, one of the warriors, begins to tell us camp fire stories of Nivadia history and scary tales.

It's not long before my eyes slowly flutter close. I hear Gab tell everyone that it's time for to sleep. The chatter goes silent after that and I feel Gab gently rest me on my bedroll, draping a blanket over my body. Rustling continues behind me before a heavy weight rests over my torso.

"What are you doing?" I ask Gab as he nestles into my side, his arm over my body.

"Don't get any ideas Amore, this is just for body heat" he replies. .

I roll my eyes at his blatant lie to which he pinches my side.

"I didn't say anything" I whisper.

"You didn't have to" he grumbles back before telling me to go to sleep.

My body becomes his humble servant and follows his command, sleep soon embracing me just like my mate .