Chameleon (Supernaturals) (18 page)

Gabriel watched me, and when I couldn’t stop trembling he held out his hand to me again. “You do not need to suffer,” he said. “Please.”

I didn’t have any other choice. His body was calling to me, and I knew how it would ease my discomfort. Driven by physical need, I crawled across the couch and collapsed against him. I clung to him like my life depended on it.

I hated it.

“What’s wrong with me?” I cried.

Gabriel wouldn’t let me pull away from him. “You are still very weak,” he explained. “You were without any supernatural presence for over two weeks. It nearly killed you. It will take a while yet before you can spend any significant amount of time without physical contact.”

So this was my life now? Living a thousand times more addicted to this stranger than I had ever been to Russ? So weak that I couldn’t even last two minutes without needing him to hold me? What did they do to me?

“You should have just let me die.”

“Do not despair Danielle. These feelings will pass. Your strength will return.”

We sat in silence a few minutes and then Gabriel asked, “Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Or some fresh air maybe? Would you like me to show you around? We have an amazing view of the city.”

I didn’t respond. I may have been too weak to refuse his energy, but I didn’t need anything else from him. I didn’t want him to take care of me or be nice to me. I didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

When I said nothing, Gabriel picked up the book and began reading to me again. I willed myself to go to sleep and prayed I’d never wake up.

. . . . .

It had been days now, a week even, since I’d awakened from my torture, and I always woke up to find myself with Gabriel. He left my side only when absolutely necessary. I hated that as much as I was comforted by it.

He continued to talk to me whenever I was awake, and I continued to ignore him. Unfortunately I couldn’t ever be apart from him for long. I often tried to leave the room and always—always—I had to go back to him.

Gabriel insisted I was getting stronger all the time. He promised me that I’d start to feel better soon, but it didn’t seem that way. I may have felt less weak physically, but if anything, the connection I felt with Gabriel, my physical need to be in his presence, was only getting worse. Sometimes I didn’t even think I wanted to be away from him anymore. Sometimes I was scared by the thought of being separated from him.

I had been sleeping on the couch next to Gabriel as he made his way through
Macbeth
when a knock came at the door. I was intrigued by the idea of seeing another person but I pretended I was still sleeping when I heard the Supreme High Councilor’s voice.

Gabriel carefully stood up and draped a blanket over me before joining his visitor.

“I am sorry to interrupt you so late,” the Councilor said, “but I have brought the items you asked for. Shall we talk over a cup of tea?”

“Yes, sir.”

I heard someone fill a teakettle and pull a set of cups and saucers from a cupboard, spoons from a drawer. I hadn’t really spent much time exploring my new cage, but I’d gotten enough of a look to know that it was essentially a lofty studio apartment except much bigger. It was furnished in that same gothic style as the consulate.

The bedroom was the same as the one from the vision I’d had. It made me nervous to go in there but Gabriel insisted that I needed my rest, and we slept together each night in that bed made for a king. Every night I fell asleep wondering which night would it be that I would eventually wake up screaming and find myself lost in his kiss...just like in the vision.

The Councilor’s voice interrupted me from my thoughts. “How is she doing?”

Gabriel replied with a venom in his voice I didn’t think he was capable of. “How do you think she is doing?” It was even more shocking that this obvious rage was directed at the Supreme High Councilor. “She spends most of her time awake crying. She calls out for someone named Russ in her sleep. She does not eat. She will not talk. She responds to nothing I offer to her.”

Gabriel took a deep breath and let it out, “She is completely broken.”

“You must have patience,” the Councilor said in a wary voice. “It has been little more than a week since she came to you. She suffered a very traumatic ordeal.”

“And at your hand!” Gabriel said with anger. “I do not understand how you could do such a thing! Why, sir? Why were you so cruel? Her pain must have been excruciating!”

“Do not be cross with me Gabriel. I did it for you. Danielle has been manipulated into bonding with only two supernatural beings since she was three years old. Her bond with the Devereaux boy was so strong that she would not ever have been capable of loving anyone else. Even if she’d only felt a sisterly connection to Russell, it’s all she’d ever know. Any other romantic connection would feel wrong to her.”

“But torture, sir? She did not deserve that. No one should have to suffer as greatly as she did. I cannot imagine such pain that could so wholly destroy a person the way she is now. It was too cruel.”

I didn’t dare move a muscle—didn’t even let myself breathe—in fear that they would realize I was awake and stop talking. I was completely taken in by this conversation. It amazed me but I felt the weight of the Councilor’s grief even before he spoke.

“Yes. What I did to Danielle was cruel in a way, but it was also necessary. We had to break her bond with Russell. What Alexander did to those children was wrong, and dangerous for them both. Danielle will be healthier now. I only wish I could have done the same for Russell. Imagine the agony he must be feeling in being parted from her right now.”

The Councilor sighed again. “Do you understand, Gabriel, that I did it to help her? To save her? I hated doing it. I feel like a monster for it, but she is the Chosen One. I had to do what was best for her even if I didn’t like it. Please do not think me cruel anymore. If there had been any other way, you know I would have never allowed her to suffer so much.”

Just then the teakettle whistled. “Please do not be upset anymore, son,” the Councilor said.

“Yes, sir,” Gabriel replied as they prepared tea without continuing their conversation.

After a while, I heard Gabriel say, “I am still concerned about something.”

“What is on your mind?”

“Danielle.”

He always said my name with so much emotion. I couldn’t understand it.

“She was so full of energy before. So passionate, and brave and full of life. All of that is gone now, sir. Everything is gone. Her aura is still as powerful as it ever was, but I can’t feel
her
anymore. Her soul has been stripped away. What if there has been too much damage done? What if she is no longer the girl she was? What if she is unable to fulfill the prophecy now?”

“Have no fear, Gabriel. She will regain herself over time, only now she will be able to live her life properly.”

“You’re sure, sir? She will come back?”

“Of course I am sure. She has you to make her strong.” They scooted their chairs away from the table. “Will you inform me if anything changes? I should like to speak with her when she is ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you.” The Councilor stopped as he opened the door. “And how are
you
doing, Gabriel? This is quite an adjustment for you too, and I’ve been so busy lately we haven’t been able to spend as much time together.”

“I am all right sir, except…never mind. Thank you for explaining your actions.”

“Come now, Gabriel. Something is weighing on your mind.”

Gabriel hesitated and then quietly said, “I am not sure what I am supposed to do, sir.”

“Be patient. She will come back when she’s ready.”

“I do not mean that. I mean… I do not know how to be someone’s mate. I am not even sure how to be someone’s friend. With all due respect sir, all I have ever had is you.”

“Oh, Gabriel, do not make yourself uneasy over that. You will learn. Just be yourself and your relationship will come naturally.”

Now there was much affection in the Councilor’s voice.

Despite the love being shown him, Gabriel’s answering voice seemed tiny. “What if she does not accept me?”

“I would not worry about that too much. She will open up to you eventually. It is her destiny after all.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must go for now, but do call if there is any change. I will be her mentor just as I am yours. We can help her together.”

I heard the door shut and then a few minutes later Gabriel was attempting to wake me up. “I brought you some tea,” he said sitting me up and taking a seat on the sofa next to me.

He placed a cup in my hand, but I was still too overwhelmed by his conversation with the Councilor to take any interest in the tea. The Councilor thought he was helping me. He said that Alex had manipulated me—hurt Russ and me on purpose. He said Russ was suffering right now.

“Please, Danielle. You need to try to get something in your stomach.”

I shook myself from my thoughts and looked at the boy in front of me. Gabriel had been angry on my behalf. He was worried about me. It was hurting him that I was not taking proper care of myself.

He’d done so much for me since I came here that I couldn’t deny his request. I looked down at the cup. I’d never been a big fan of tea—Russ and my dad had turned me into a coffee junkie years ago—but it was warm and smelled of honey and lemons. When I brought the cup to my lips Gabriel let out a breath of relief.

“Thank the Creator,” he muttered to himself. “Sip very slowly. They used healing magic to keep you from starving to death, but you will still make yourself sick.”

When I was done with the tea Gabriel took my cup away and returned with his hands full. I gasped when I saw my quilt. I snatched it up and buried my face in it, inhaling its familiar scent.

“The Councilor said this would make your transition here harder, but I saw the way you clung to it when you arrived and thought you might be happier having something from home with you.”

I pulled the cloth away from my face. I was touched by the thoughtful gesture and felt he deserved to know that, but I still couldn’t meet his eyes as I whispered, “Thank you.”

I heard Gabriel suck in a breath, and really I couldn’t blame him for his surprise. That was the first I’d spoken to him in almost a week. He cleared his throat nervously and then sat down with me again. “There is something else I asked the Councilor for.” He brandished a small box and said, “I know very little of human customs, but I understand that when two people are united they wear rings as a symbol of commitment to one another.”

Gabriel placed the box in my hands and pulled the lid back. My jaw dropped at the sight of the matching wedding bands lying on the small velvet cushion. I’d wanted to go back to ignoring him, but how could I? I looked up at him incredulous. “Are you asking me to
marry
you?”

Gabriel shifted uncomfortably. “I believe it is too late for that. The council has already sanctioned the union.”

“No!” I dropped the box like it was on fire. “We can’t be married! You need my permission! I—I’m only sixteen! It’s not even legal!”

“The laws of the council are not the same as the human laws you understand. It is done, Danielle. We have been paired.”

Married.

I was married!

Gabriel was my
husband
. At least he obviously considered himself to be as much since he picked up the rings I’d dropped and slipped the larger one onto his left ring finger.

“The Councilor told me that you do not understand the ways of the supernatural, and that this might be hard for you to accept at first. That is why I wanted the rings. I want you to know that I am committed to you, Danielle. I accept this union and give myself to you as a mate.”

I was in shock. I sat there unable to move or say anything while Gabriel slid the other band onto my finger.

He pulled my hand into his, something he’d done many times since I’d found myself here, but this time it was not the same. This gesture was not about my need for supernatural energy. This touch had meaning. He was claiming me as his wife.

My memory of our future kiss and the supernatural desire I felt toward him physically made the moment so much worse. He waited for me to say something but what was there to talk about?

When my eyes brimmed over with tears I turned away from him. It didn’t do me any good because I couldn’t bring myself to let go of his hand. I was still weak. I still needed his touch, and worse than that I found it comforting.

“What can I do to make this easier for you?” Gabriel asked me.

There was nothing he could do. “How can you be okay with this?”

Gabriel gave my hand a small squeeze. “Of course I am all right with this,” he said sincerely. “The Councilor has always said that someday he would find me an exceptional mate, and I trust him. Would you like me to say I am displeased with his choice? Because I am not.”

Gabriel pulled my chin up, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. “I have been wishing for a companion for some time now, and since the moment I had the vision of you, I prayed to the Creator that you would find your way to me. I was desperate to meet you. When the Councilor told me that you were to be given to me as a mate I rejoiced. I could sense how scared you were when we met, and how sad, but you were also brave, and strong, and good and beautiful.”