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12th August, 2017
Alpha Gabriel's territory

Black on white, endless markings, never stopping. The black ink is beginning to become meaningless, they have all begun to say the same things. A child of the moon is the Goddesses chosen... they possess special abilities... they are always mated to a special wolf... their offspring will possess unequal power... they must be cherished and protected... love them as you would the Goddess. So much documentation, endless catacombs of information but no answers. Their great history is spread throughout this humongous library, their way of life is close enough for me to reach out, all this knowledge at my disposal. I almost feel ungrateful, I have been given the chance to experience a completely new species, a new world but hold no desire to learn about them. I just want to go home, back to Adam, back to where I belong.

I huff as I turn another page from the old, yellowing paged book. I try and focus on the meaning behind the words, but it once again repeats the same thing as the other books. This is pointless, every book I am given leads me around in an endless loop of nothing.

I focus in on my ladies talking quietly amongst themselves, desperate for some form of entertainment. After my encounter with Gabriella six weeks ago they have been my shadow. Their one condition in not telling their Alpha was that they would be with me wherever I went. I will admit it is nice having the company. I have come to learn that Vanya, Emilia, and Kenna are not from this pack originally but from a distant pack across the deep sea, wherever that is. A common feature of their pack being violet eyes. They are not related by blood, but that does not mean they do not see each other as sisters. They grew up together in every way possible, from birth their parents were close friends to their first steps and continuing until they transferred to Gabriel's pack. I mostly learned all this from Kenna, who after finding out I actually enjoy listening to her talk, would chat with me any time I would ask. It took the first three weeks for all three to warm up to me, which in on itself was a job. Their culture reminds me of the Monarchy ruling back in the middle ages, as does their architecture and clothing.    

"...you can't do this anymore Kenna, you know who she is loyal too," Emilia whispers harshly.

"She is loyal to me Em, you don't know her like I do," Kenna quickly snaps back.

"Need I remind you of what she did to you when she found out-" Vanya whispered.

"She has changed!" Kenna raises her voice, loud enough for me to hear even if I was not eavesdropping.  

I look over to them to see them already watching me with worried eyes, their expressions assessing my reaction. I give them a soft smile in return, to which Vanya gladly returns while the others still look worried.

The grand entrance to the Library opens, causing our attention to shift. Gabriel and Huxley walk through conversing with each other. Huxley says something making Gabriel laugh, the crinkles at the edges of his eyes crunching together. My ladies quickly stand and curtsy in their leaders' directions. I remain sitting, as usual, waiting for them to join me at the table. I make eye contact with Gabriel's forest green portals, they twinkle with a light I haven't seen before. His smile only grows as he greets me.

"Hello Sarah, how has the research come along?" He asks politely while taking a chair next to me. 

I sigh loudly, my will to stop him from calling me Sarah fading away. I look back down at the pages in exasperation, a piece of my blonde hair falling over my eyes.

"I have gotten nowhere, everything I read seems to say the same things but in different ways. See right here," I reach for a book I finished hours ago, " it says the children of the moon are the direct ancestors of the Moon Goddess, spread throughout the realms her children lay, waiting for the day of return and then here" I move to the book I am reading now " the children of the moon are said to be placed in different faraway lands, their unknown Goddess guiding them back to their rightful home,"

I look up to Gabriel with apprehension. My reaction only causes him to smile slightly before gently taking the book from my hands.    

"How about a walk? You haven't been out of the castle yet, would you like to see our pack?" he asks softly.

I think about it for a moment. Seeing the perimeter will help me find the best route to escape when the time comes, plus I have not left the palace since my encounter with the evil queen.

"Yeah, I would like that," I reply.

He stands tall and reaches for my hand, I reluctantly take it. I clench my teeth as soothing tingles cover my skin, the very action feeling as though I am cheating on Adam. I discreetly slip my hand from Gabriel's when I stand, walking towards the exit. The longer we spend together the harder it is getting to ignore this feeling that these wolves call the 'bond'. It feels as though an invisible force pulls me to him, no matter how far away he is I always seems to know where he is. It is a looming force that I would rather not have.

Gabriel and I walk next to each other, a peaceful silence washes over us as we walk down the empty hallway. I do not hear my Ladies behind me, making me guess that they wanted us to spend this time together alone. I sigh loudly, looking down at my brown leather boots. I seem to be sighing more these past days, my lungs desperate for some relief from the constant stress weighing down on them.

"What is on your mind?" Gabriel questions, his tone seeming to have a hint of worry.

"Do you want my honest answer?" I ask.

"Always," he answers back quickly.

I look up to him and search his eyes. It is almost like the man I first met those ten weeks ago was but a distant memory, the man I see before me now being one of the kindest souls I have met. I cannot help but be cautious. I am afraid to act out, ready for him to lock me away again. Yet a part of me that is usually dormant is sure that he would never do that to me again, his outburst rooting from a dark fear that he no longer has.

"Besides our research leading nowhere? It seems you forget that I have recently been ripped from my life and thrown into a world with mythical creatures that were supposed to be nothing more than bedtime stories, not to mention I now have a brooding Alpha male who is claiming me as his," I release sarcastically.  

He grumbles for a second and nudges me playfully with his elbow.

"I can assure you that these mythical creatures are very much real. Regarding the research, there is only so much that the Palace Library will say, the place where the information will be at its highest is the Grand Temple but that is a weeks run from here. Also, the brooding Alpha male is not claiming you as his. He understands that you do not have any romantic feelings for him, but he does hope that one day, you may learn to accept the love that he has," he replies in a playful voice until the end, where it leads off into a soft far off melody.

The heat of his gaze forces me to break eye contact. I gulp down the words my heart earns to say.

This isn't real Seraphina, you read of the power the bond has over mates, you only have room for Adam in your heart, do not mistake lust for love.

"So, you admit it? You are a brooding Alpha male," I badly joke.

He laughs softly, making me feel better about my lame joke.

We walk into the busy crowd of workers, all bowing towards us before moving on with their jobs. I notice Katlyn leaning against the far wall from us, her skin-tight black dress stretching from the angle in which she is leaning. Her face is cold beauty, showing no emotions. Her dark eyes watch me like prey before moving to Gabriel. She licks her lips as her eyes look him up and down, a smirk playing at her lips. My eyes narrow at the action, my hand slipping into his without thinking as jealousy ripples through my core.

"Sarah?" Gabriel asks confused at my sudden need for contact.

I break my glare at Katlyn and look up at him, then back down at our hands. I untangle our fingers before shrugging, not knowing what to say.

He brushes it off while leading me towards the open-door exit. I look behind my shoulder, searching for Katlyn. She is still leaning against the wall but this time she has a sour look on her face. She wickedly smiles at me, her wolf-like canines showing. I quickly look away.

I really don't like that woman.

Gabriel leads me along the meadow resting in front of the Palace doors, the sound of laughing people and giggling children blessing my ears. We walk until a small but noticeable pathway enters the forest. My heart skips a beat at the endless possibilities by entering this forest. What if I accidentally stumble across the portal again? Will I be able to outrun Gabriel?

A little skip joins my step as a smile stretches my mouth. This could be it!

I get so carried away with my thoughts I forget the male walking with me. That is until I hear his laugh. I look at him, confused. He shakes his head, his smile reaching his eyes.

"It is nothing, you just remind of one of the pups when they see something new and exciting," he says humorously.

"Do not make fun of me, Alpha, I have not been in the forest for far too long," I rebut. 

He simple shakes his head, his smile still not leaving.

"Come, I must show you the lake," he says before veering off the pathway.

I follow willingly, my eyes taking in every detail. I make sure to take notice of all the obvious landmarks. Fallen tree with red mushrooms, white-barked tree... blue and yellow moss. Well, that is a new one.

I hear the trickling of water and my heart accelerates. Could this be the river I fell into all that time ago? I rush through the thick shrubbery, ready to dive for the river if I must. I come into the clearing and stumble to a stop. Cristine water tumbles over rocks, making mist form around the cascades. It is beautiful, but it is not the river I so desperately wanted. Gabriel walks to stand next to me, his arms cross over themselves as he looks out onto the gorgeous sight.

"It is beautiful, is it not?" he asks.

I hum in agreement, but it is half-hearted.

"Is it not to your liking?" he questions uncertainly.

"No... no, it is beautiful, I am lost for words," I say back truthfully, but it is not what I wished for.

"I come here when I need to think, not to far upstream is a waterfall and just behind it is a cave. When you go into it, it feels as though you are protected from the rest of the world, safe within the protection of the water," he tells me.

"Will you show me?" I ask.

"As you wish," he replies before taking my hand.

I try to pull away, but he holds tightly. It seems I gave him the wrong impression earlier with Katlyn, yet what was I expecting him to think? I did it out of jealousy, not love or affection but how is he to know the difference. I feel guilt seep through my skin at my actions from before and stop fighting his hold. Neither of us deserves to be in this situation. He should have a mate who loves him and only him, who has not given her heart to another who she may never see again. I deserve to be back in my own world, becoming Mrs Washington.

The waterfall comes into view, its size towering over us in strength. The sound of water slapping against water sings to me, the air I breathe in being the clearest I have ever given my lungs.

"This is amazing," I whisper.

He looks back at me and nods.

"Is it not?" he replies.

He walks towards the edge of the bank and begins to unbutton his shirt, showing the eight glorious protruding muscles that protect his stomach.

"What are you doing?!" I squeak and turn around.

"I am going to swim," he says in an obvious voice.

Moments later I hear splashing water. I turn around to no longer see Gabriel, the only sign of him are his clothes messily thrown to the ground. Minutes pass and I begin to worry. Rushing towards the edge of the water and look into the muggy water. Can werewolves drown?

"What are you looking for?" I hear from behind me.

I quickly spin, the movement almost giving me whiplash. Gabriel stands in front of me in all his glory, water dripping down his bare skin, a smirk resting on his chiselled face.

"You jerk!" I growl before shoving his hard chest.

He does not move an inch.

"I thought you drowned!" I yell again, my heart beating painfully in my chest.

"You will not be able to get rid of me that easily mate," he laughs before walking past me.

I blush at the sight of his strong back and rapidly look away before my eyes wander.

He swims some more. His occasional laugh wakes me up from my daydream as I sit on the grass next to the water. I relax into the sun, thinking about a far-off world that I call home before loud rustling in the bush appears next to me.

My head snaps in the direction of the noise, my senses on high alert. The bush moves more, and loud stomps hit the ground. I quickly get up from the ground and back away. My mouth opens to call Gabriel until the creature shows itself.

There, walking towards the river is a tall strong horse with snow-white hair, its mane shining in the sun like light hitting water. It pays no attention towards me as it reaches its head down to drink the river's water.

Memories of my childhood flash before my eyes. My grandparents owned a farm an hour from the city in a small country town, their house in the mountains. I stayed there every summer until I turned sixteen. When I was eight my grandfather bought me a gorgeous horse, his height towering over my small body. His hazelnut hair was so soft to touch I spent most of my time gliding my hands along the fine particles. His hair colour gave my eight-year-old self his name, even if it was generally given to girls. Hazelnut. I spent more time with that horse than any other human, he was my best friend. It broke my heart when I had to say goodbye to him, not only did I lose my grandparents that day but I also lost my closest friend.

I slowly walk towards the horse until I am standing beside it. He lifts his head in my direction and stares at me through his large black eyes. His huffs out through his nose before stepping back. I reach my hand out, telling him I mean no harm. We stare at each other until he kicks the dirt and walks towards my open hand. His nose meets my skin causing me to smile.

"Atta boy," I gush before rubbing the side of his face.

He leans into my hand before moving it towards his neck. I happily scratch the spot. I get so lost in the moment, the rest of the world seems irrelevant.

The horse's head snaps up and looks behind me. I follow his gaze and see Gabriel standing a few meters away from us, water sparkling off of his tanned skin. I smile at him, overjoyed. The warmth leaves my hands and I hear the horse backs away. I look at the white horse and reach my hand out for him again.

"It's alright boy, he won't hurt you," I coo softly.

His hoof stomps onto the ground loudly before he rears up onto his hind legs. He turns around, sprinting into the forest, leaving me perplexed as to why he reacted that way.

I look back to Gabriel with a frown on my face, the warmth of the horse lingering on my skin. Gabriel still stands there, frozen. He blinks before stepping forwards and pulling me into a hug. he lifts me up into the air and spins me around.

"You are a true blessing Sarah," he chuckles before setting me down onto the ground.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I have never seen an animal willingly approach a person before. Our wolves always cause them to get scared and run away, especially a white horse!" he bellows.

"What is so special about a white horse?" I question, becoming all too aware that his arms are still around me.

"They hold gifts just like you, Sarah. Their powers are sought for throughout the lands but they are incredibly hard to catch. They can bring the dead back from the afterlife, but for that to happen they must leave their mark on the person. They must willingly pass part of their essence to the person, the fact that he left you to touch him was magical on its own."

A/N

hey guys,

I am very sorry for the late update, I have had the most hectic days lately.

Love you all,

Peace out xx