THE STOLEN PIECE

CHAPTER 57 - NOT GOING BACK

MARIA

Gabriel took a step back. I could see his anger, I could feel it through the link, howls started to invade the night. The pack could feel Gabe’s emotion and they were reacting to it. Suddenly wolves started to appear between the trees. Gabe was still beyond mad.

-Stay back!

As he said the wolves stopped walking toward us, they looked confused. “I don’t like this situation,” Nova said with a trembling voice. She was still weak and wasn’t confident we could shift after we just did. “Try to calm Zeus, Nova…” “I’m not calm with the situation, you think my brother will?” Great, she wasn’t even trying to help us out of this.

-Gabe you promised you wouldn’t get mad…

-I never promised anything.

His voice was even deeper than before. I looked around and the wolves had a confused look. They felt the anger of Gabe but didn’t understand the situation. They must be thinking I did something awful or wrong… but I haven’t even told him, he is just assuming… “And are his assumptions wrong?” “Well I don’t know what his assumptions are about Nova, but thanks for your help.” I said with sarcasm and cut the link off. I had a situation to affront and Nova’s attitude wasn’t helping at all. Then I heard steps, they were not stopping, I turned and saw Lucas walking towards us.

-Stay back!

Gabe screamed and all the wolves took a step back except for Lucas, he just lifted his hands and kept walking, slowly but he didn’t stop.

-It’s okay Gabe, it's me.

-You stay out of this!

I could feel Gabe's anger.

-It’s okay, everyone can go back to their duties, it’s just a sibling fight… right Gabe? Or do we need all the members here instead of doing their duties?

Gabe let a low growl and then took a deep breath.

-Yes, get back to your assigned duties.

The wolves were doubtful but slowly started to leave.

-What's wrong Gabe?

Lucas said, trying to approach him. I felt uncomfortable so near to him, but he wasn’t even paying attention to me. He was focused on Gabe.

-It's already late Gabe, Harvey fell asleep in the office and I’m not sure he finished the schedule, we should go and help him…

-No I have things to do here.

Gabe said, looking at me. I could only look at Lucas's back. I didn’t feel the sparks or the bond, he was still taking the serum, and with his wolf suppressed he couldn’t notice my scent and Nova’s presence. “Let's go to him! Tell him to stop taking the serum! We can be together now!” Nova was pushing me towards him, but I stood my ground and didn’t move an inch.

-Gabe, I’m not sure what you are arguing about, but you woke up many members and others stopped patrolling because of the feeling on the link. I came here following wolves that shifted inside the main house and ran here. I thought we were being attacked. You need to calm down, you can’t react like this to sibling fights…

-It's not a sibling fight! Maria wants to leave the Kingdom and go back to the city to Taylor!

Lucas turned around and saw me, I could see something in his eyes but he quickly looked back at Gabe.

-It’s her decision Gabe, we must continue doing what is best for the kingdom.

-No! She has Nova back! She should be fighting with us to find Sam and answers!

My heart sank when he told Lucas I had Nova back. I didn’t want him to know. I… What if he wants to bring Asher back… I was not ready.

-I know she has Nova back, but we can’t force a member to fight or stay if they don’t want to.

-YOU KNEW AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?

Gabe walked toward Lucas and lifted him from his shirt.

-It was not my information to share, and she didn’t tell me I noticed-

How did he notice? Did he know? But he can’t sense my scent and there are no sparks… He hasn’t seen me in Nova’s form. How did he know…

-How did you notice?

I said.

-Your eyes, just like Eva’s... When you stop drinking the serum, the light in your eyes… The sparks in your eyes were back… And your annoying attitude also returned a bit.

As he spoke Gabe let him go and he started to arrange his shirt.

-Why didn’t I notice?

Gabe said with a calmer voice as he sat on the ground.

-You had many things going on right then, you were working in the pastry shop and you had many things on your mind. When we left you had to take this place and change it… You didn't have much time to be around, but look how much you changed it, the kingdom, or at least the royal pack is now back to being a pack and not just a bunch of refugees. So your job was successful.

Lucas started saying to him and sat next to him while he passed his arm around Gabe’s shoulders and moved him trying to cheer him up.

-But she is my sister and…

-And she is old enough to do her own stuff, she got the doctors to work with each other and got the hospital in better shape, on her own. You don’t need to check her up 24/7. She can handle her stuff and when she is ready she can tell you about it.

-I know but still…

Gabe yawned.

-You are a tired man, you did night patrol yesterday and it’s almost time for the sun to appear and you haven't slept today. Let’s go back to your room. You promised the training team you will teach them how to shift faster and you need the energy to do that, and I can’t help you because I can’t shift. so go to sleep because we can't let the kingdom down.

-Okay…

Then Gabe looked at me.

-Tomorrow at dinner we will finish this conversation.

He said and then he stood up and started walking back to the main house. When Gabe was out of sight Lucas stood up.

-Thanks.

That was all that I could come up to say.

-Stop messing with his head.

-What?

Lucas' voice sounded mad, nothing like when he was speaking to Gabe.

-Yes, he is doing his best, you don’t know how it feels to be different from your pack and to have all the members' eyes on you, waiting for you to fail…

-And do you?

I said in spite, why was he talking like that to me. He had never talked to me like that. But when I said those words the way he looked at me and then I got it. He actually knew that feeling, he was an alpha without a wolf, of course, his pack wasn’t okay with that. “You need to apologize!” Nova said, and she was right.

-I’m s…

-Anyway, Gabe already passed that stage, and now they respect him and trust him. We can’t go back to having the pack with doubts, but he needs to control himself. What happened today can’t be repeated again. Gabe can’t awaken the members for nothing, next time we better be under attack and not you upsetting him. Heis doing his best but still, he can’t control all of his feelings and him not being an official part of the pack is hard for him. That makes his link connection unstable and completely based on his strength, energy, and emotions. When he loses focus it’s just chaotic, so don’t mess with his mind.

Now I was confused, why wasn’t Gabe part of the pack? Now with Nova, I was connected to everyone but kept the link closed so they didn't notice our presence. But I could feel Gabe…

-Why are you?

-You made it clear that you wanted your freedom, so go and search for it, but let the rest walk their paths.

He said while he started walking back to the main house, but before I lost sight of him he turned around and looked at me.

-And if being with dreamy doctor Taylor is what you want, go to him I’m sure he would be happy about that.

-You knew?

I was shocked, I thought I kept that part private and to myself.

-My job was to keep an eye on you and Eva. Of course, I knew. And the nurses are really loud, so the gossip in the staff room was always clear, even to my human hearing.

-But you never said anything to me?

-I could say the same about you, you didn't tell anyone so I assumed you wanted to keep it private, so I did.

As he said that he kept walking and left. I smiled. That was Gabe’s friend. He always had that intelligence and protected my brother, even controlling his bad attitude or making Gabe calmer. Gabe looks up to him, just as if Lucas was our own brother. He always teases me and I didn't like him because he was always with Gabe when he came. I think that just like Sam I was indeed jealous of their relationship, I was used to having the full attention of Gabe, but when Lucas came they both got into a bubble of their friendship and I felt left out. I looked back at the moon and tried to feel Mom. I wasn’t sure where she was, but I needed her. I heard some doctors saying that strong warriors were trying to protect other packs and bring survivors back so I think Mom is there and Dad wouldn’t let her be alone, but why haven't they come back to see us… Is that still mad at us because we left? I didn’t want to wake Gabe, so I went to the hospital and found an empty bed and slept there. In the morning some members came with huge bruises, apparently, if they forced the s**t their bones would c***k so hard they pierced them, they arrived with bruises with no open wounds but still, we had to break them back so they could heal the proper way. They had to rest for 7 hours so their bones could be back to normal before breaking them again for the s**t. But they only talked of how fast Gabe shifts. I felt proud of Gabe, when we arrived they didn’t even want to look at us, and now they smile when they talk about him.

-They say he was a twin sister.

One of them said.

-Really?

-Yes, I can’t wait to meet her! Imagine she is my mate? My pups will be so strong they could become the alpha’s really easily or at least the third in command!

They were talking between them with me in the same room. Didn’t they know I was his sister? I never had that problem with Sam… I saw my reflection and a tear escaped my eyes. I missed my brother and I just wanted him to be safe. The rest of the day passed faster than I would have wanted to… It was dinner time and I walked back to the main house. I wasn’t ready to afront Gabe again and I didn’t want to alter him again. I opened the door and saw Lucas in Gabe’s seat.

-What are you doing here?

I said to him.

-Gabe told me to wait for you and tell you he is sorry, but he had to go.

-What? Go were?

-He thinks he knows what pack is going to be attacked next. So he took warriors and left…

-Why did you let him go? He is at risk and…

-He is the Alpha. I couldn't stop him even if my life depended on it, he wanted to go.

-You are his best friend! He admires you, you could have stopped him!

-But he felt the need to protect the kingdom! He didn't leave to find Sam! He wanted to be the King the kingdom deserved, I wasn’t stopping that.

-You are selfish! Why just think about the kingdom, what about me? He is my brother and I already lost one! Why didn’t you tell me…

-As if you thought about me when you decide things!

-You are still the same jerk as years ago!

-And you are still the same spoiled princess!

I slammed the door and ran into our room. His scent was old, at least 3 hours ago. I opened the closet and saw the clothes intact. So he wasn’t planning on staying much. I closed my eyes and tried to feel the link but nothing. I let out some tears, why did he leave without saying goodbye. I heard steps and didn’t need to look back, the scent of grass and lime invaded my lungs.

-Are you here to mock me?

-I knew you would cry… And so did Gabe, if you had asked him to stay with tears he would have. That’s why he left without confronting you. He is trying to follow his path and…

-I would have gone with him!

-It’s Dangerous, and Nova is still not used to being back or has had proper training. You could have been at risk and Gabe wouldn't have his focus on the fight but on protecting you. The enemy is strong and we can’t risk him being distracted while he fights.

I knew Lucas' words were true, but I still hate them. I needed to be strong, and I needed to be helpful, even more than anything. I wanted to stand next to Gabe and help him. I looked directly at Lucas in the eyes.

-Train me.

-What?

-I know you have trained alongside Gabe, so help me train!