6 #MY_BLACK_KNIGHT 6
Happen 25
As Produced By SheriffSquinty
Theme: Raziel
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“Skylar.”
I moaned something unintelligible, turning so I could escape the bright light that had fallen upon my closed eyelids. I felt like I was cringing away from something that I couldn’t place, something awful that I did not want to have to deal with.
“Wake up.”
“Go away,” I muttered. I was not a morning person.
“Skylar!” He said, irritated, and it was then that I recognized Gabriel’s deep voice. I quickly sat up in bed, rubbing my sleep-filled eyes to see him standing nearby,
looking down at me with an impassive expression on his face. The events from the night before suddenly came rushing back and I blushed furiously, looking away
from him. I couldn’t help the fresh wave of hurt that washed over me and my Wolf whined quietly in the back of my mind.
“What time is it?” I asked, attempting to keep my voice devoid of emotion. I couldn’t help but feel paranoid about my appearance; did I look like a sleep-
deprived corpse? Did I have bed-head? I felt embarrassingly self-conscious to have him seeing me first thing in the morning. I attempted to smooth my hair down a bit without making it too obvious.
‘Skylar, what are you doing? Who cares what this emotionless prick thinks?’ I mentally berated myself. I had intended to give Gabriel the cold shoulder today and that’s what I was going to do. After the way he treated me last night, I felt pretty confident that I’d do a better job of being cold to him today than I had
yesterday.
“Just before six. We need to go.”
I just nodded mutely, hating the fact that he was waking me up at what felt like an ungodly hour in the morning. I knew we had to make it back before sundown, but still! As Gabriel stepped away from my bed and strode over to his belongings, I
reluctantly stood up and stretched. I slowly and monotonously began to gather my own things, already knowing that today was going to be miserable. I could only
hope that the answers I obtained would be worth the wait.
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As Gabriel checked out of the hotel I grabbed a muffin and a small coffee from the free breakfast bar; might as well eat while I could. The food was still piping hot as it was six in the morning and it had just been laid out. I clambered into Gabriel’s
large car as I munched on breakfast, attempting to keep thoughts of last night at bay. Such thinking would only make this day far more difficult.
Gabriel climbed in and we drove off, the silence thickening above our heads. The atmosphere in the car was tense. I refused to make simple conversation like I had the day before. I had every intention of remaining stonily silent as much as I could, at least until we were in Raziel’s presence.
The minutes trickled by as we drove through town. I pretended to be extremely
interested in the passing city scenery, although it was a dull grey day and all of the buildings blended together. I noticed that as we drove it became slightly more
rural, the houses larger and further apart than the ones in the central part of the
city. As Gabriel turned a few more corners I was taken aback by the sheer size of the homes we passed; they all had massive plots of land and a couple of them were three stories tall. This Raziel must be a wealthy fellow.
We wound our way up a fairly steep hill, and I could barely tell that we were
anywhere near a city. The trees arched overhead and pressed thickly on either side of the car. Open fields whizzed by, cattle grazing idly in one of them. I spotted a few rolling hills in the near distance. It really would have been a beautiful scene if not for the dark sky and the even darker mood inside the vehicle.
The silent tension was crackling between us but if Gabriel thought I was
apologizing he was very much mistaken. He was the one that had treated me like dirt, regretting even the simple action of putting his lips on my skin. The thought caused pain to lance through me and I huddled in the seat, keeping my face
stubbornly turned away from him.
To my great shock, he actually broke the silence (for once). Hearing his words, however, pissed me off even more.
“I have my reasons, Skylar.”
While I loved the way he said my name, the way he could just dismiss his actions the night before infuriated metono end.
I tried not to let my anger show. “I’m sure you do,” I said, my voice coming out satisfactorily indifferent.
I was looking out of the window still, refusing to notice his reaction, whatever it maybe.
“If you knew them, you never would have done that last night.”
Oh, so apparently I was the only one in the wrong? I gritted my teeth, trying to calm myself. The tactic wouldn’t work if I displayed my anger openly.
“Whatever you say.” Again, I kept my voice devoid of emotion.
This time I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see him tensing.
“Skylar.” I repressed a shiver as my name rolled off of his tongue. Would I ever get tired of hearing my name fall from his perfect lips? ‘Don’t think like that,’my
logical side reprimanded.
“That’s what they call me.” I was actually impressed with my own stubbornness. It was clearly irking Gabriel to no end, and I thoughthe might’ve been a bit insulted, too.
“Don’t do that,” he said, an edge in his voice.
“Okay,” I replied coolly.
His hands clenched the steering wheel. I was sure it bothered him, as an Alpha, to have a wolf being borderline disrespectful with him.
“Stop being difficult!” He snapped. I almost spluttered with indignation; out of all people, GABRIEL was telling ME to stop being difficult? Just because I was
giving him short, emotionless answers like he always gave me? I had to force my
retort down, instead continuing to stare mutinously out of the window. He deserved every second of the cold shoulder treatment.
Thankfully, his escalating anger was cut short as he turned into a narrow drive and we pulled up to a large house. I couldn’t help but stare, impressed. It was two
stories, built in a traditional style with imposing columns in the front. There was a large, wrap-around porch. It was excellently landscaped, bright flowers bringing
attention to the detail of the front garden. The road continued to the side of the
large house up to a separate garage, which contained a sleek silver car. Apparently, Raziel had a decent amount of money.
Gabriel pulled up behind the silver vehicle and turned off his car with a bit more
force than necessary. I hurriedly opened my door and scrambled out, not wanting
to continue the argument where we left off. I tried to ignore Gabriel’s obvious
tension as we strode towards the sidewalk leading to the front of the house. Three steps led up to the massive porch, which we followed to an imposing wooden door. I suddenly felt my nervousness spike. What would Razielbe like? Gabriel raised
his fist and knocked loudly, three times. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d even bothered to tell Raziel we were coming; I hadn’t heard him making any calls.
I heard the large doorknob turn and I shifted position, chewing on my bottom lip nervously. With aloud jerk the door was yanked open, and I couldn’t help my
mouth from dropping open slightly as my eyes fell upon the man standing there.
*
Hall Of Supernatural Stories
*
I recognized him instantly as the man from the picture in Gabriel’s closet. The one I had presumed to be Gabriel’s grandfather.
But this was impossible. The picture had seemed slightly worn so I’d assumed it
had been taken when Gabriel’s grandfather was younger. He’d have to be at least in his sixties now, considering the fact that Gabriel was in his mid-twenties. Yet the man standing in front of us was clearly in his mid to late thirties; he hadn’t aged a
day since the day the picture was taken. Obviously he was nowhere close to mortal. Perhaps I had been wrong about his identity altogether.
All of this processed in an instant as I attempted to control my shock. Raziel was intimidatingly tall, about the same height as Gabriel, so I estimated him to be at
least 6’5. I felt tiny next to the towering men standing near me. Raziel had dark
brown hair and the stunning blue eyes that I remembered from the picture, and his build was surprisingly muscular. He was exceedingly attractive, with the same
chiseled jaw and sculpted features that Gabriel had. I had absolutely no clue how old he actually was.
“Raziel,” Gabriel was greeting the other man as I tried to get ahold of my surprise. Raziel looked my Mate up and down appraisingly, and I was surprised to see a fair amount of warmth in his gaze.
“Would it be too cliché to say you look all grownup?” The man said, a hint of teasing in his melodic voice. I blinked, taken aback. Definitely not what I was expecting.
“That’s what werewolves do. They age,” was Gabriel’s neutral response. He seemed as if he was trying to control his emotions and I was left even more befuddled.
“This must be Skylar, then,” Raziel said after a slight pause, and his gaze slid to meet mine.
I froze, completely taken aback by the intensity of his stare as our eyes locked. His eyes were the most electric shade of blue I had ever seen. It was like they were
deep, unfathomable pits, drawing me in. I got the same sensation I had felt upon looking at a picture of him; that there was something foreign and unnatural about him, something I could not comprehend. I felt incredibly intimidated as I could sense his power and wisdom just by looking into his eyes, but I bravely held eye contact.
He is something else. Not werewolf. Not vampire .Other, my Wolf said, and she, too sensed Raziel’s powerful presence.
I didn’t want to appear rude, so I forced myself to speak before I made a complete idiot out of myself in front of Gabriel. Pushing aside my wariness I replied, “Nice to meet you.” My voice came out slightly shaky, to my embarrassment.
Raziel smiled slightly, and I couldn’t help but feel like he was sizing me up with his penetrating eyes. I held my ground stubbornly, not wanting to show how
intimidated I was. “Pleasure is all mine.”
“Are we going to stand out here all day?” Gabriel snapped, clearly annoyed.
Typical Gabriel behavior. Raziel chuckled lowly as if he was expecting this before standing aside and beckoning us inside.
Once inside, I glanced around in wonder at his expensively decorated and richly
furnished home. There was a plush carpet under our feet with intricate designs, and next to us sat a table covered in oddities. Some over them looked very old and very expensive. Paintings adorned the walls as Raziel led us to a sitting area. The
pictures depicted everything from landscapes to war scenes. Apparently he was some sort of collector, with extremely expensive taste. I would try my best not to touch anything.
Raziel glanced over his shoulder, icy gaze catching mine once again. “Would you like some tea?” He asked politely as he indicated we sit down on an expensive
leather couch nearby.
“Um…” I started,not wanting to impose on his hospitality.
“I don’t mind, really. I haven’t had a guest in a long time.” He grinned a bit, flashing a set of brilliantly white teeth. I blinked, slightly stunned.
“Okay…thankyou,” I managed to force out. Raziel was disconcerting to say the
least. Gabriel, for his part, turned down the offer of tea, still looking irked. I sat
down slowly on the couch, unsure what to make of this situation. Gabriel sat down on the same couch, as far away as possible from me. I was slightly hurt before I
remembered I was ignoring him as much as possible. Even so, I could tell he was very tense.
I glanced to my left to see Raziel rummaging around in a grand kitchen with
marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Exactly what did he do for a living?
A tense silence descended upon the two of us. I tried not to fidget, wanting to
appear collected and cold. Even his presence mere feet from me was enough to set my nerve endings on fire.
Raziel thankfully returned a moment later as the tea was brewing. He eyed us with an unreadable expression on his face before he sat on the armchair across from us. Gabriel wasted no time getting to the point. “So you got my message then,” he
said, somewhat abruptly.
“I couldn’t exactly miss it,” Raziel said wryly, his eyes glimmering as if he had some sort of inside joke.
Gabriel glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “You told me to come here once the vampires showed up. Well, two of my pack members are dead,” his voice had
grown cold and monotonous as he spoke of the tragedy. My eyebrows rose; so Riley hadn’t been the first?
Raziel nodded, his expression turning solemn. “I’d hoped you wouldn’t have to come find me. I thought there was a chance you were well enough hidden.”
“Apparently not. And they seem to take pleasure in harassing her,” Gabriel said, indicating me with a jerk of his head. I tried not to look hurt at the fact that he
wouldn’t even look at me.
Raziel looked at me thoughtfully. “I need you to tell me everything, Skylar. From your first interaction with the vampires to the last.”
I swallowed hard, not exactly wanting to relive the kidnapping experience. If it
could help the werewolf packs, though, it was my duty to speak about it. If Raziel really knew so much about vampires we needed his help. I knew nothing about this man, but if Gabriel was familiar enough with him to trust him, I would have to as well.
I nodded and tentatively began to describe what had happened, starting from the
time I had felt like I was being watched in the forest right after meeting Gabriel,
then to the fight in the alleyway, up to everything that had occurred in the storage room. I made sure to give Raziel the names of the vampires that I remembered and the things they’d said about the rest of their ‘pack’, or whatever vampires called it.
When I got to the part about being silvered I noticed that Gabriel had visibly
stiffened. As I continued to talk about my ‘interrogation’, his agitation only
worsened. I was pretty sure he’d figured out what had gone on in there but had
never expected to hear it outright. I tried to keep my voice toneless as I described the brutal beating I had received, but right when I got to the broken rib Gabriel
couldn’t contain a vicious snarl from emerging from his throat. His hands gripped the couch cushion. I glanced at him in open surprise, not expecting such a strong reaction.
Raziel’s eyes flickered over to my Mate, who was staring into the distance with his jaw clenched as he tried to get ahold of himself. I couldn’t help but feel a small
prickle of warmth that the thought of someone hurting me was pissing him off so much. At least it was some sort of emotion.
“Gabriel. Calm down,” Raziel said firmly. I blinked in shock; I had never heard anyone order Gabriel to do something before.
Gabriel folded his muscular arms in front of him, glaring down at the ground. “I didn’t know all of the details,” he hissed, apparently trying to explain his reaction. “I should have made them suffer a lot more than they did.” I felt another rush of warmth, vainly trying to control my body’s reactions.
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#Tobecontinued…..