Warring Twin Wolves

Chapter Fifteen

Cooper’s POV:

          Our celebration was so beautiful, and I loved seeing our friends and pack members.  I was eyeing Jaycie, wondering if it would be considered rude to just scoop her up and carry her upstairs now.  Maybe I should wait until her family is in the meeting with mine.  I saw Beta Wyatt collecting the necessary people to follow him to my father’s office.  I started to get very fidgety, as soon as they were out of sight, I was doing what I had been dreaming.  I grabbed Jaycie when I knew the coast was clear, and I was so impatient, I tossed her over my shoulder and went for the stairs up to our room.  Jaycie yelped as soon as I picked her up and then was just giggling.  

          As soon as we entered the room and I deposited her onto the bed, I heard my father’s voice over mindlink, ‘Cooper, I think it would be a good idea if you attended’.  I was confused, ‘Attend what?’.  His voice sounded like he was close to laughing, ‘Where are you right now?’.  I took a deep breath to steady my temper, ‘In my room, why?’.  My dad was laughing now, ‘Did you forget about the meeting after the celebration in my office?’.  Where is he going with this?  I was confused, ‘What about it?’.  My father now sounded like he was enjoying himself, ‘We’re waiting for you'.  I slowly came to realize what he was saying, ‘I was supposed to come?  I thought that since I-’.  He cut me off, ‘What.  You thought that you had a pass because you have a new mate that you want to r****h?  She needs to get used to this.  Alpha business first.  See you in a few’. 

          I turned to Jaycie who had been waiting patiently when she figured out I was on mindlink.  I could barely look her in the eye, “Um, Jaycie, baby, I’ve got to go.  I was supposed to join them for the meeting between our families because I am in training”.  He swore under his breath, “I should have already figured that I would need to attend.  I am the future Alpha, and I need to go. I am so sorry”.  

          I heard some musical tinkly laughter and looked up at Jaycie.  She was smiling and when she finished giggling she took a breath, “Cooper, do you think I am not accustomed to having to wait for loved ones who are Alpha?  I will see you back here when you get out, okay?”.  I let out my breath in relief, and shook my head, “How did I get so lucky?”.  I gave her a quick but passionate kiss, adjusted myself and my pants to more giggles from Jaycie, and I was out the door.  

          When I entered the office, everyone was very serious.  The two families were seated, waiting in the sitting area, facing each other.  I came in and sat next to my father.  My father turned and looked at me, with his mouth twitching.  I narrowed my eyes at him, almost daring him to poke fun at me in front of everybody.  He smirked at me, then made a serious face and looked across to the Ravenwoods, “Alpha Maxwell, do you have anything to ask before we hear their accounts of what happened that night?”.  

          Alpha Maxwell looked at his Luna, and after glancing at his son, “No, I just want to know what occurred”.  Alpha Matthew nodded, “Well, why don’t we start with-”.  Gabby cut him off, “Excuse me, father, I think I can save us all energy and time”.   She stood up and started, “I, Gabrielle Stone, accept yo-”.  She didn’t get to finish her declaration, because Danny, showing all the movement I had seen from him all day in just a movement, jumped out of his chair, crossed to where Gabby was and covered her mouth so she would stop the acceptance to his rejection.  This is getting interesting.  

          All eyes were on Danny.  He seemed to feel everyone’s gaze on him, and he took a quick look around the room.  While he was distracted, a look of agony crossed his face, “Owwwww!”.  When everyone looked at him to see what was amiss, we saw that Gabby had sunken her teeth into the hand that he had used in his attempt to silence her.  He breathed deeply while holding his hand, “Please, Gabrielle, please don’t say it.  I know that I didn’t give you the chance to talk it through, but please, can we please talk about this first?  Please?”.  Wow, the desperation in his voice almost made me feel sorry for him.  Almost being the operative word.  I watched my sister carefully.  I know her very well, and I think she is thinking of giving him the time to talk.

          My sister sat with her head held high, “Okay, what information can you give me that you think will affect my decision?”.  Danny looked disappointed that she was speaking so formally with him.  He seemed deflated, but soldiered on, “Well, I had been trying to get rid of this girl all night.  She was gone for a while, but then appeared again right about the time I saw you.  Cindy, the girl, spotted you across the room, and I swear at first I thought that she started to tell me all of this information because she just happened to see you, and that triggered her to say all of that”.  

          My father cleared his throat for Danny to stop talking and look at him, “What information did she tell you?”.  Danny swallowed and continued his story, “I was just getting to that Alpha Matthew.  Cindy has a reputation for gossiping, but my sister always wondered where she got her information because it was usually true.  So Cindy told me that Gabrielle was known among the guys from all the packs.  That she slept around and had guys in each pack that she had slept with”.  I started to growl.  I wanted to rip this girl apart..  

          I guess Danny truly felt awful about all this because he had tears that had started to leak.  He wasn’t sobbing. His eyes just poured tears down his cheeks.  He sniffed, “When I went to talk to Gabrielle, I was having trouble controlling my wolf.  He wanted to claim her right that minute before any other guys got to her.  My brain was also foggy because of her scent, and when she led me to another room in the packhouse that she knew would be empty, I thought that was because of her frequent visits to see the guys of Blue Crescent Pack.  That was where the party was, sir”.

          My mother spoke up this time, “Did it occur to you at all that maybe the information was false?”.  Danny was really frank, “Truly, no.  Between the emotions, the fogginess because of her scent, my wolf, and quite honestly, her beauty, my brain was not working to full capacity, and my judgment was impaired.  This is not an excuse.  I should have realized that I needed to take time and step back from the situation before making a life-changing decision.  Understandably, Gabrielle was upset with my questions and refused to answer, which was making my wolf try harder to get out because his authority was being challenged.  When Gabrielle started to get testy with me and then tell me off, I could barely hold on.  My nerves were so frazzled by this time, and I wasn’t thinking clearly.  I said the words to the rejection so fast, my mind barely registered it.  I ran, and before I shifted I made sure my beta knew to take Jaycie and Cindy home.  I could feel the pain she was going through, so I shifted and ran, thinking the further away I was from her, the better it would be for her.  I probably thought it would be better for me too, selfishly.  When my brain finally cleared, and I was able to think everything through, I saw how stupid I had been.  I couldn’t believe what a dumb mistake I had made, and I wanted to fix it somehow, but I had made such a mess of things, I figured I wouldn’t get the chance.  Then I heard she hadn’t awoken, and I’m going to be honest with you, I was entertaining ending my life, because I had caused my mate such pain.  Please forgive me, Gabrielle.  I am so sorry”.  

          The room was silent for quite a few minutes while everyone processed what had been confessed.  I think we were all waiting to see Gabby’s take on what he said.  She looked like she was very conflicted.  I broke the silence, “Why didn’t you have Jaycie explain everything to me so I could then talk to Gabby about it?”.  He briefly gave me a disbelieving look, “Um, well, you were so angry, understandably, about everything.  I mean you were planning on having me banned from anything having to do with Dark Moon Pack.  I also heard how you were talking to my sister just because she mentioned my name.  You didn’t disrespect her or anything, but you didn’t want to hear her side of things because she was on my side, or she’d play the devil’s advocate, and you didn’t like the direction the conversation was going.  Mind you, I am not complaining or saying you were unreasonable.  I would have reacted the same way if the same had happened to my sister.  Oh, and I did explain it all to Jaycie, but I wouldn’t give my permission for her to tell you because I didn’t think I deserved any consideration.  I am sorry for making everybody’s lives miserable this whole time”.  

          My father was quiet and then asked, “Daniel, what outcome were you hoping for?”.  Like we were watching a tennis match, everyone’s heads turned to Danny,  to hear his answer, “If, at all possible, I would ask that Gabrielle give me a second chance”.  His eyes were glistening with his tears as he turned them to my sister and from his position on his knees, he begged, “Please Gabby, all I want is you.  I have been acting selfishly which only caused you heartbreak.  At to least give me one date”.  

          He was looking up at Gabby, with a hopeful expression on his face.  She looked deep in thought.  We heard someone else take a breath to speak, “Son, I am very disappointed in you.  You are not supposed to question the choice the Moon Goddess has made for you.  I do respect that you stood up and took responsibility for your mistakes, and are trying to make what amends you can”.  Danny’s mother agreed with her husband, “Baby, I second everything your father just said.  I hope you can work all of this out”.  

          I looked over at my sister and saw that she seemed to be overtaken by all that was happening. She lifted her head and stuck her chin out and sat up straight with a look of determination.  We all watched her, and awaited her decision.