The Alphas Assassin (Complete)

The Rejection

*Ariella*

I practically threw myself from the car as Carter pulled into the driveway of the home, it was late in the night and the pathway was lit with the small solar lights that line the sidewalks and driveway. I heard Carter's door slam shut as he followed behind me.

I burst through the front door of the mansion, startling a maid as she dusted a statue near the door. I heard Carter run in behind me and the door swung closed behind him.

The smell of sandalwood hit me like a bomb, that scent that made my entire body heat with need even though my heat had finally dissipated with my conception. I couldn’t explain why my body reacted so violently to his scent. But I couldn’t bother with the reason why currently, I just needed to find him or Melany.

I rounded a corner and slammed into a body about the size of mine. We both flew from one another and I opened my eyes to see Beth groaning, rubbing her head where we had head-butted one another. Her eyes shot open.

“Ella!?” She squealed as she stood. She paused as Carter followed around the corner. He knelt to help me up as Beth scrambled to her feet. “Where have you been!?”

“There’s no time… where is Gabriel?” I asked.

“He’s… orienting a new cook… but why-…”

She was cut short by a loud smash. My eyes tunneled as the scent of blood suddenly Wafted through the air. My heart dropped into my stomach and began thudding like a bass drum. It was his… I knew it was his somehow.

I took off past Beth, sliding around the next corner before throwing myself at the office door, clambering my way into the room and pausing as the door slammed against the wall. I panted and the coppery scent of blood flooded into my nostrils.

A vase laid shattered beneath a kneeling Melany, she turned her face to me in confusion, her red hair swayed with her head. Blood spots on a shard of the vase and ground radiated a sick feeling into my stomach before the bathroom door to the side opened and Gabriel paused, a rag held over his palm before he looked up, his nose twitching as he saw me. Our eyes met and my body heaved with a painful spark through my limbs.

Mate…

Before I could even think he rushed to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him. His uncut hand pressed up and tangled into the hair on the back of my head and he buried his face into my neck. He took in a deep breath of me as though seeing me was a huge relief. A relief he had been begging for for the past 4 days. He tightened his hold on me as I heard steps behind me.

“Ari…” Carter paused as a low growl emanated from Gabriel’s chest. He released me and spun me around him, forcing me behind him as he stepped up to Carter.

“Did you take her!?” He hissed in a foreboding voice, the rumble of his voice caused my insides to quiver. I looked back to Melany as she finished picking up broken pieces of the vase. She set them inside the cracked base of it. Her eyes flicking from me and to Carter then to Gabriel whose chest was squared with Carters.

She mouthed: “What the f**k?” And I held up a finger to her.

“Where has she been!?” Gabriel screamed, “where did you take her!?” I could see his claws elongating on his fingers as he stepped toward Carter.

“Listen buddy, she asked me to…”

“I’ve had my entire guard searching for her! And she was with you!?”

“Dude, back off!” Carter finally pushed his hands against Gabriel’s chest, Gabriel stumbled back slightly before he tried to lunge for Carter. I quickly stepped between them. Pressing my hands against his chest, blocking a fist from connecting with Carter's cheek. The crisp look of his light blue button up was tarnished by a few smears of his own blood From his hand. His teeth had sharpened, his eyes blackened. He was on the verge of shifting and ripping Carter's head off… Goddess only knows if he would have followed through with it…

“Where did you take her!?”

“She didn’t want to be here!” Carter's words seemed to cut Gabriel deep and he paused and looked down to me. His eyebrows pinched together in question.

Beth stepped behind Carter “What… happened?” She asked, we all took sideways glances to her then I peered behind Gabriel at Melany, who stood nervously.

“I… knocked over the vase by accident…” she whispered.

Gabriel’s chest flexed under my fingers as his shoulders rolled. His black eyes fixating back on Carter, anger boiling over in his gaze. He looked demonic, like a wild beast ready to tear someone from limb to limb. His look sent a shivering fear through my body… I didn’t recognize this Gabriel…

“Gabriel… Please…” my voice a saddened whimper as I pleaded. His eyes suddenly faded back to the hazel green I was used to and he looked down at me. His canines clearing his lips as they shrunk back, he looked like normal Gabe again…

His shoulders loosened as his hands dropped down to my hips and he once again wrapped me tightly in his hold. I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around his shoulders. I wanted to sob into his neck and tell him everything. I wanted to tell him that my wolf had called out to him, I wasn’t even sure if he had felt the bond snap into place as our eyes met when I walked in… I was too focused on making sure he was safe, and that Melany was safe.

I had to get her extracted safely and brief her on the circumstances so she didn’t suffer the same fate as the man who had been executed at the Farm when we were young teenagers…

Tears threatened my eyes as I held onto him. His breathing finally calmed as he breathed me in. I could feel his heartbeat slowing as he held me. He let out what sounded like a small sob as his arms tightened.

“I… was so worried…” he whispered into my neck.

Tears suddenly flowed from my eyes as a sob overtook me. I tightened my grip around him as I cried, he held me as if he thought he’d lose me again if he let go too soon. I didn’t know what to say to him… there were so many things I wanted and needed to say, and none of them could form a coherent thought to start out.

“I’m sorry Princess…” he breathed, “For hurting you… for pushing you away…” I heard a sob escape his lips as he adjusted his grip on me. “I’m sorry…”

“Gabe I…” I heard Esen’s voice join the mix of Gabriel’s sobs, Melanys apology to Beth, and my own cries. He paused as his footsteps hit the door. “Ella… you’re back…” I looked up to him from Gabriel’s chest, and managed a small smile from the corner of my lip as I nodded.

“Everyone get out…” Gabriel’s voice growled against my chest. I tried to look toward his face but he tightened his hold. Making sure his face stayed buried into my hair.

“Gabe…” Beth went to protest.

“Out…”

“Ar…” I heard Carter start, Gabriel’s chest rumbled against mine.

“Go Carter…” I responded.

There was no more protest. I heard all 4 sets of feet exit the room and the door closed behind me. Leaving me alone with the Alpha…

He slowly released his arm from around me. His good hand came around me and cupped my cheek. I leaned into the feeling of his palm against my tear streaked skin. As he pulled away, I could see tears in his own eyes.

“I'm sorry…” he repeated softly. “I… I’m so sorry for the pain I caused you Ariella… I’m sorry for the pain my family caused you…”

The sound of my name coming from his lips caused a confusing array of emotions to flood over me.

He knew more about me than he should now, we were never meant to come this far, I was never meant to fall in love with him, never meant to become pregnant with his child, he was never meant to know my true identity.

I had quickly become used to just being “Ella”… I had become used to being a normal pack member going about daily life, enjoying the simple life of a pack house employee, and the lavish life of being the Alpha's plaything… I knew the circumstances would turn out worse the longer it went on…

But I never expected to be held in the Alphas arms, the son of the man who murdered my pack and wish to tell him every secret about me, to beg for his forgiveness, to beg for him to kiss me like he had before… to beg for him to love me in return…

“If… if I could take it all back… and meet you in normal circumstances I would…” he whispered. “I would do anything to not have hurt you so deeply…”

“I’m… sorry Gabriel…” I sighed softly. I didn’t know what else to say. There wasn’t much I could say to make any of it make sense to me. “I… can’t stay…”

“Please… Ariella… please… I…” he paused, “I need you…”

But tears spilled down my cheeks as I shook my head trying to pull away from him. My heart broke as I watched his hazel eyes flood with his own tears.

“I, Ariella Laurent… reject you… Gabriel Belford… as my mate...” I whispered, choking on my own voice. A sharp pain stung my heart. His eyes widened, hurt streaming over his face at my words. He shook his head.

“I won’t… I won’t accept…” he stated through a sob. “No matter how long it takes… or how far you run… I will chase you… until the ends of the earth…”

I shook my head and stepped back, reaching for the door handle of the office that held so many visceral memories of us… “I’m… sorry Gabriel…” I pulled it, and as his hands left me he seemed to crumble to the ground. His body was in a heap as I pulled myself out of the door. My chest burned.

“Ari!” Carter started

“Ella!” Beth and Esen said in unison, rushing to me.

“Carter…” I started as I walked passed. “Let’s go.”

I could see Carter steal a glance at Melany and she nodded, following behind Carter as he turned.

“Ella…” Beth began, rushing to me and gripping her hand around my wrist. “What’s going on…?” She asked.

I had to fight back a new string of tears. But I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. “I’m sorry… I can’t be here… I rejected him…” I whispered into her ear. Hoping only she would hear me. Her heart thudded in her chest. I could hear her stammer as she tried to comprehend my words.

“W…what…?”

“Goodbye…”

And before she could answer I pulled away from her. Leaving her standing in the middle of the hallway stunned.