Gabriella - Alpha Marked, Book II (7 page)

“No.” He barely recognized the word for what
it was.

The woman blanched, all color fleeing her
face, and she spun to dash away, leaving behind a cloud of fear.
Good. Let him wallow in his misery in peace.

Another shot disappeared, the burn barely
noticeable now. After the fourth, he abandoned the glass entirely
and merely clutched the bottle, taking gulps as he desired. But his
wolf burned it all away, leaving him mostly sober and still filled
with the misery of losing Gabby.

And Berke.

And his position as Lieutenant.

He couldn’t be around his best friend with
Gabriella’s absence lingering between them. Nor could he continue
working alongside the other guards now that they were aware of his
cowardice and no longer respected him as a wolf, not to mention a
warrior.

Another gulp that his beast treated like
water.

Memories flitted through his mind, the bright
red blood of his parents overlaying the tear stained face of his
mate. One image would ghost past only to be replaced by yet
another, his torment continuing with every passing second.

His father’s mouth ringed in blood.

The first drop of moisture clinging to
Gabby’s lashes.

His father’s clawed hands coated in gore.

The anguish in her eyes.

His parents’ limbs scattered on the
floor.

The sobs that coated her words as she said
goodbye.

The final goodbye at his parents’ graves.

Jack’s chest constricted as if a steel band
wrapped around him and squeezed. His heart stuttered as his lungs
froze when the truth slammed into him like a runaway train.

He’d said goodbye—given up—and abandoned her
before he had the opportunity to even
know
her. He’d tossed
away love because he was afraid of the pain. Inside he knew that he
was a wolf, a deadly beast who lived and died by tooth and
claw.

Jack would fucking die, shatter if he ever
lost Berke or Gabby. Life wouldn’t be worth living without either
of them.

A large, heavy body leaned into him, and he
turned to face whoever had intruded on his solitude. Roar building
in his chest, he snarled at the newcomer but then bit back the
sound. “Berke.”

His friend snatched the bottle away and sent
it sliding down the smooth bar, the glass gliding over the polished
surface with ease. “You have a choice, Jack.”

He gulped, the alcohol in his stomach
threatening to make a return visit. He’d made a decision, of sorts.
He recognized what he’d been trying to do. He’d turned into a
damned pussy instead of embracing life. Fifteen years of half of a
bond with the man beside him and it’d taken a curvy Marked to make
him see the truth.

Berke didn’t look at him, his gaze distant.
“Because of us—”

“Me. Whatever it is, it’s because of me.”

He nodded. “Because of you, Gabriella is
about to face Hannah in a Mate Challenge.”

Jack’s wolf rushed forward, shoving past his
mental walls. The rapid crack and snap of bones came in a blinding
rush of burning pain and boiling rage. Hair didn’t seep from his
pores but burst from his skin. His fingers reshaped to claws in
barely a blink and then he was ready to defend his mate.
“Mine.”

A jolt of anguish and rage shoved its way
over the bond he shared with Berke. “And she would have been had it
not been for your refusal to complete our Alpha Pairing.” Berke
took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Hannah obviously heard
about Gabriella. And because the she-wolf is a heartless cunt, she
decided that she was my mate, not Gabriella. A Marked can’t be a
single wolf’s mate, can she?” A mirthless laugh escaped his lips.
“Hannah has taken the stance that Gabriella is encroaching on her
territory and making untrue claims.”

“We’re not an Alpha Pair.” Jack couldn’t
breathe. The walls of the bar were closing in on him, choking him
with the truth.

“And that gave the woman an opportunity to
make our lives hell and possibly kill our mate in the process.”
Barely suppressed fury tinged Berke’s words.

Thoughts whirled through Jack’s mind like a
tornado on crack. “We’ll do it. Now. Where are Keller and Garron?
They can confirm our pairing, and we’ll find a Pack or start our
own and we can—”

“Do nothing because the Mate Challenge has
been announced and accepted.” Berke’s grim resignation slid into
Jack.

“When?” He choked on the word, his wolfen maw
fighting to push it past his lips.

“Now.”

* * *

“Now?” Gabby screeched. “Right now? As in
this second?” She gulped. Okay, she could do this. Really. And
live. Maybe…-ish.

Scarlet was ranting at her mates, the Ruling
Alphas. “Go get them right this minute and work your mumbo jumbo
and then the fuckdicious assholes can claim her already! What good
is it to have the biggest dicks in the room if you can’t swing ’em
around?”

The two men winced, but it was Keller who
spoke. “Now, sweetheart…”

“Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me. My sister is
about to be torn into dog kibble because two of your wolves are
pussies.” Then Scarlet meowed.

Gabby would have been offended if her sister
hadn’t been telling the truth. “Has anyone else noticed that she’s
a wolf, and I’m, I don’t know,
human
?”

Whitney stood and glared at the Ruling
Alphas. Since she didn’t have a Mark and was at the Gathering due
to some magical clerical mistake, she had a little more leeway.
“What do your stupid furball laws say about
that
?”

Go Team Whitney.

“Actually,” a rolling, baritone sliced into
their argument. “They say that a Challenge between a wolf and a
human shall be conducted in human form. Any hint of the wolf’s
control slipping results in an automatic forfeit and dismissal of
the Challenge.”

Everyone’s attention shifted to the newcomer.
Make that, newcomer
s
. Two wolves stood before them. They
appeared to be like any other wolf in attendance, but they held a
hint of something
other
.

From the corner of her eye, Gabby watched
Whitney sway, body leaning forward and toward the two men as if
drawn by a string. Nudging her sister, she burst into the
silence.

“And you are?” Gabby raised a single
brow.

“The Ruling Wardens. Emmett,” he gestured to
himself. “And Levy.”

“Well it fucking took you long enough.”
Scarlet’s words echoed in the now crowded room.

“It took what it took, Alpha Mate.” A smile
teased Emmett’s lips, and Whitney stepped toward him.

Oh, she didn’t like this guy already.
Elbowing Whitney once again, she forced her mind back to the issue
at hand.

“So, no claws or fangs or fur? Just fists and
feet?” Scenarios and ‘what ifs’ tumbled through her mind.

Levy nodded. “Correct.”

“How do you determine the winner?” This was
the worrisome part. Was it, like, death? ’Cause that would
suck.

“First blood.” Emmett’s voice was flat and
matter of fact.

Gabby huffed. Okay, not horrible. Sure,
Hannah the Whore was probably faster and stronger than her… And
probably had a lot more experience in fighting. But Gabby could
pull it off…-ish.

“Okay. First blood. Sticking to skin. I can
do it.” Gabby nodded, trying to convince herself more than everyone
else. “What happens to the loser?”

She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she
needed to ask the question.

“She will be set aside while the winner is
given the opportunity to mate with the male in question. The loser
will be denied the male.”

“So, if I lose, whether Berke wants her or
not, she gets a crack at him, and I have to steer clear
forever.”

“Gabby, no.” Scarlet shook her head and
glared at her mates. “This isn’t happening. You two make the laws.”
She snapped her fingers at Keller and Garron. “Get to rewriting.
You’ve got some super-magical pen hanging around, right?” She
growled. “Give it to me and
I’ll
redo the fucking things.
’Cause this,” Scarlet waved at Gabby. “So ain’t happening.”

“Alpha Mate,” Levy drew everyone’s attention.
“The laws are as they have been for centuries. They are what keeps
us civilized.”

“Civilized?” Contempt coated Whitney’s words.
“Two assholes fighting Keller and Garron last night for their
position
and
Scarlet is considered civilized? And this?
Gabby getting Challenged as Berke’s mate is civilized?”

“Hannah is claiming that Gabriella is lying
and trying to turn her mate against her.” Emmett calmly stated the
facts.

“And I claim she’s a manipulative beyotch.
Amazing how anyone can claim anything, innit?” Whitney’s voice held
scorn, but Gabby could see a hint of something else when she looked
at the two Wardens.

God help her. Whitney couldn’t be attracted
to the two emotionless wolves. Whit most assuredly couldn’t imagine
having some sort of relationship with them, could she? Because
that’s what Gabby was seeing. Whit had that dreamy “love me” look,
and she knew from experience that it never ended well.

“Whitney,” Levy eased into the
conversation.

“Miss Wickham.” Whitney snapped.

“Miss Wickham,” Levy continued. “All Marked
are subject to wolf laws and they state—”

Gabby threw her hands in the air. “Do you two
know anything other than ‘suck it up buttercup’?”

That got her two snickers (from her sisters)
and four identical looks of confusion (from the wolves). Apparently
furballs didn’t grasp everything. Look at how dumb the smart people
were.

“Okay, so it boils down to me stepping into
the ring with Hannah and fighting for two wolves who
don’t even
want me
. That’s it, right?” The meaning behind the words
pierced her heart, nearly bringing her to her knees.

“Unfortunately, their decision to claim you,
or not, is not in question. The belief of your status as mates is.
Is Berke Davis your mate?” Emmett’s gaze was focused on her.

“Yes.”

Levy nodded. “Then we should go to the grand
ballroom and complete the Challenge.”

It was so easily said, yet Gabby struggled to
make her feet move. A single word pounded through her mind: blood.
Six letters, a single object. So infinitesimal when compared to the
entire body. A single cell would end it all.

The thought carried her to the elevator and
down to the lobby. It pushed one foot in front of the other as she
navigated the hotel’s hallways and into the grand ballroom. It
nudged her to the edge of the forming circle, and she stared at the
evil she-bitch across the rapidly emptying area.

The heavy thud of feet rose above the low
murmur of voices, and the crowd parted in a rapid wave. In moments,
two men burst into the center of the cleared circle, both of them
breathing heavy with exertion. Berke and Jack.

“Stop!” Jack’s voice cut into the sudden
silence. “Call off the challenge. Gabby belongs to us and—”

Emmett strode toward her mates, well
ex-almost-mates. “And are you now a complete Alpha Pair eligible to
recognize and claim their Marked.”

Jack paled while rage coated Berke’s
features. “We can do that now. Ruling Alphas please—”

Levy held up a hand and silenced Jack.
“Regardless of your status, the Mate Challenge has been issued and
accepted. If you’d still like to receive the Ruling Alphas’
blessing, you may. However, it won’t change what is to happen.”

She really, really hated the Wardens. Hated.
She wanted someone to pee in their corn flakes and throw a flaming
shit bomb at their front door.

Both men swayed, their stricken gazes locking
onto hers. They strode toward her, concern and worry in every line
of their bodies.

“Gabby…” Jack reached for her hand.

“Gabriella…” Berke grasped the other. “You
can’t do this. We won’t let you.”

Gabby shook her head and tugged free of their
hold. “It’s done. You acknowledged our status as mates, but never
formed your Pair and claimed me.”

“It wasn’t you, love.” Jack sounded so
sincere.

“Right.”

“We’re going to ask the Ruling Alphas for
their blessing. We want you. I was…” Jack’s words trailed off, and
Gabby filled in the blanks.

“An asshole? A jerk of massive proportions? A
heartless bastard? A pussy?” That’d been her favorite word tossed
around today.

“All of the above.” He gave her a sad
grin.

“Gabriella, I don’t…” Berke seemed at a loss
for words.

“It doesn’t matter.” She sighed and shrugged.
“I’ll be fine. I mean, I know Tae Bo and Turbo Jam, right?” She
forced a chuckle. “And, hey, X me baby.” She raised her arms and
crossed her forearms to make an “X”.

Jack raised a single brow in question.

“What? You guys haven’t heard of P90X? It’s
like, the most bad ass workout system ever. I mean, I barely made
it through the warm-up, but I totally watched what they were
doing.” Gabby cracked her neck. “I got this.” She turned toward the
men who may or may not become her mates. “The question is: once I
win, what happens?”

Jack licked his lips, reminding her of what
they shared, and lost, not long ago. “With Keller and Garron’s
blessing, we’ll complete our bond and then claim you as ours.” He
cupped her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “There’s a
lot to say, but I know what I did wrong, and I’ll fix it as soon as
you take care of Hannah.”

Right. The she-bitch.

Berke twined his fingers with hers, tugging
her attention from Jack. “She doesn’t have any experience in
fighting and will probably come at you like a girl.”

“Hey, I’m a girl.” She narrowed her eyes, and
Berke rolled his.

“She won’t have any form. Imagine random
punches, scratching, and hair pulling. Keep out of her way and try
to scratch her first.” Berke huffed and Jack picked up on tossing
out tips.

“She’ll come at you with her nails, but duck
and punch her in the stomach.”