6 #MY_BLACK_KNIGHT 6
Happen 45 (L)
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
Theme: Now She Wants Her Mate
Sub Theme : Deep Thoughts
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‘Ginger’s Cafe’, read the aged sign above the door as Gabriel ushered me
inside. The bell chimed merrily as we entered and I immediately inhaled the
warm odor inside; I had always adored the smell of coffee, and my heightened senses made it even better.
Gabriel was right about the place being crowded. It had that ‘homey’ feel to it, with little mismatched chairs with plush cushions and tables in almost
every square inch of space, and a few booths in the corners. Almost every spot was occupied and loud chatter filled the air. The lady behind the
counter greeted us but Gabriel scarcely noticed as his eyes roamed the room for Raziel. There were several people staring at us (or, more
specifically, Gabriel’s massive and imposing form) but I did my best to
ignore them. My eyes finally settled on Raziel, sitting at a table in the back corner and eyeing us with something almost akin to amusement in his
piercing blue eyes.
We made our way over to the Angel and he greeted me warmly, tossing me his dazzling smile. I blinked and weakly returned his greeting as I settled in one of the comfortable chairs. Gabriel copied my motions, nodding his
head as he acknowledged his grandfather, but wasting no time getting to business.
“Why did you want to meet in a human settlement?” my Mate asked, the same thing I had been wondering earlier.
Raziel’s smile dropped a little, becoming grim. I saw preoccupation flash
through his blue orbs. “I can’t be sure, but when I was heading back to my house I thought I sensed a vampire nearby. It was likely just coincidence, a rogue vampire, because I’ve done a good job of staying well hidden.
However, just in case I decided to come back here to throw any pursuers off the scent. I will be returning shortly, of course. I can’t leave her alone.” I knew he was talking about Rebekah. Raziel probably felt like he was
abandoning her in the mausoleum, even though she was in a comatose state so deep that she might as well be dead. His clear affection for his daughter was touching and I had to look away.
Gabriel did not look pleased by this vampire-related information and he folded his arms in front of his chest, contemplating.
“The human settlement is perfect because the vampires’ sense of smell is nowhere close to yours, so they’ll never be able to track us. Plus, it’s one of the last places they’d expect a rendezvous and they can’t do anything
about it during the day,” Raziel added.
I had to admit, he had a point. I really hoped he was right about it being a rogue vampire and not one of Cain’s. If they found the Angel, we were in trouble. Raziel had to remain in complete and utter secrecy.
“Anyway, on to the subject at hand, here is what I want to show you.” Raziel reached down and lifted a black messenger bag from next to his chair. He opened the flap, giving me a glimpse of the bag’s contents, which
appeared to mostly be papers. He reached in and pulled out a small packet
of documents. I leaned slightly closer, peering at the papers before
determining that they had obviously been scanned or copied judging by the quality of the printing.
I had absolutely no clue where Raziel had copied them from. My eyes
widened as Raziel spread the papers out and I got my first good look at the contents of the pages; writing. Endless lines of flowing script in a language I had never seen before. I had taken spanish in high school but other than
that I had little experience with foreign languages; however, I instantly knew that the writing on the pages was in no modern day language. It seemed
archaic and foreign. Somehow, I got the feeling that the words themselves had power.
“Where is that from?” Gabriel asked, an edge in his voice.
“I’ve been here a long time, Gabriel, and I’ve made a lot of contacts, some older and more powerful than others. Just know that I copied these pages from someone with a very….large collection of old books. Trust me, our
secret is safe with him.”
Gabriel looked uncertain, his dark brows furrowed, and I knew he wanted to
press Raziel but had enough respect for the Angel not to.
“What language is that?” I blurted out, genuinely curious.
Raziel smiled tightly, and the expression didn’t reach his eyes. I could tell
this was an uncomfortable subject for him. “It’s the language of my kind.
Very old, and unknown to humans. It’s a dialect I’m not as familiar with,
though, so I’m working on translating. Some of it is harder to read because the original book was hand-written.”
I stared at the papers with renewed interest, absorbing the impact of the hundreds of black characters scrawling across the pages. The language of Angels…it was an intimidating concept. I couldn’t even think of a response, so I just nodded absentmindedly as I tried to study the pages as much as I could from across the table.
“How much have you deciphered?” Gabriel cut in, moving his chair closer to Raziel so that he could get a better view of the documents. I understood
now why Raziel picked the most secluded table in the coffee shop. Gabriel and I would block the view from any prying eyes, not that any human
would be interested in a stack of papers. Didn’t most humans deal with that sort of thing every day?
“Not a lot, unfortunately. I’m having difficulty with the messy handwriting and some phrases that are specific to this particular dialect. Plus I haven’t had to read or write this language in…well, a long time.”
*
Hall Of Supernatural Stories
*
“How many pages is it?”
“The book as a whole is hundreds of pages long, but this is the section on
Rituals involving Angelic presence. I found a couple of keywords that might pertain to our situation and copied the relevant sub-sections…so I ended up with about forty pages from the book.”
Gabriel’s eyes returned to the pages and he pulled a couple of them
towards him, dark eyes scanning the lines intently. I noticed Raziel watching me and my eyes met his. I raised my eyebrow questioningly but the Angel
said nothing, staring at me as if he was trying to find the answer to a
conundrum. After a moment he appeared to come to some sort of
conclusion, for his piercing gaze returned to the task at hand. He spread the pages out further and for several minutes, the two continued to look over the foreign script.
I wanted to scoot closer and lean over Raziel’s shoulder as I watched, but something held me back. I didn’t want them to think I was getting in the
way while it was already surprising enough that Gabriel brought me along. Plus, I sincerely doubted I would be of much help. The language of the
Angels was beyond my comprehension. Surely Raziel would let me know if he needed something.
As a quarter hour passed with Gabriel still silently reading and Raziel
pointing out some marks he had made while previously scanning the
papers, I let my eyes wander around the cafe. There really wasn’t a lot to
look at. It was mostly young human couples or working professionals
enjoying coffee. Once again, the fresh scent wafted into my nostrils and my
stomach growled. I blushed, hoping the men hadn’t heard it. My piercing
hunger was just now making itself known and I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.
When Gabriel finished reading, he looked poised to ask a question but Raziel spoke before he could.
“Now that you’ve looked over them, I will tell you that there were some
small parts I deciphered earlier. Most of them contained nothing of use to us, but there was one section that I think will be immensely helpful for you to read.”
I leaned forward eagerly, hoping it was something that could help us bring Cain down, but when Raziel’s gaze focused on me I was surprised to see
him looking almost apologetic.
“Unfortunately, Skylar, this is something that requires I speak with Gabriel alone. It’s quite personal, and I think it is best he hears it when you aren’t here.”
I frowned, feeling slightly offended and hurt, but not wanting to argue with Raziel. Why had I been brought all the way out here if they were just going to make me leave?
“You two can speak about it later if you so desire, but for now it needs to
be a private conversation.” Raziel’stone was polite but unwavering. I sighed and glanced at Gabriel, who looked completely confused. I thought I saw
regret flash through his eyes, as if he wished I could stay, but he kept his mouth shut and just gave me a small nod.
“Okay…um…I’ll just go get something to eat,” I said quietly, feeling
uncomfortable. I tried to keep my face expressionless. Gabriel would have
some explaining to do later. I wanted to be kept in the loop, but making me leave before revealing the only important information made me feel oddly insignificant and useless.
“Don’t go far. I’ll come find you,” Gabriel said. Had I just imagined the way his tone softened slightly when he spoke to me?
I nodded and turned to leave the cafe, aware of my Mate’s eyes boring into the back of my head. Part of me wanted to get some coffee but as my eyes
fell upon a bar and grill across the street, I realized that I actually needed a heartier meal. Striding out of the cafe, I was glad I had shoved my wallet
into the back pocket of my jeans on my way out. These jeans had buttoning pockets in the back, which was perfect so the contents didn’t fall out while I was running in wolf form and my clothes were tied around my ankle. I
hadn’t been sure we would have time to eat, but now I was grateful for my foresight.
It was bright and sunny outside but there was a slight nip to the air as I
made my way towards the grill; many humans had on jackets, and a cold
fall was fast approaching. The grill was called “Rocky Mountain Burgers”,
and I recalled eating here a couple of times in high school. The meaty smell of grilled beef assaulted me as soon as I entered the establishment along
with a loud wave of human chatter. The grill was fairly busy but I didn’t attract much attention as I approached the hostess stand.
“Hi, can I help you? Are you waiting for someone?”
“Um…no, just me actually. I’d like a booth if you have it.”
The blonde waitress raised an eyebrow but kept a false smile plastered to her face as she grabbed a menu and gestured for me to follow her. She led me to a booth next to a window that funnily enough gave me a view of the cafe across the street.
“Your server will be right with you!”
I nodded and smiled, knowing she probably thought I was strange. When
the waitress came and asked what I wanted to drink, I received a similar
odd look. The woman was probably wondering what kind of a person came and ate at a sit-down establishment by themselves. I was getting a couple glances now, especially from a table of a group of guys sitting near me, but I studiously ignored them as I examined my menu. I wasn’t a human, and I didn’t care about human standards.
It wasn’t like I had a boyfriend to eat with, anyways.
You have Gabriel, my Wolf chided, as if he hadn’t already been on my mind. I can’t exactly picture us eating together at a place like this. It’s too…normal. Well, sometimes normal couples are the happiest. Look around!
I did as she ordered, letting my eyes scan the couples nearby. I felt a little pang as I saw the guys’ cheesy grins, the girls’ bright expressions and
happy eyes. A few young men and women had kids tagging along with
them. I watched one woman spoon-feed her child as the man across from her beamed proudly, love and adoration in his eyes.
I bit my lip hard. I wanted that, I really did. One day I wanted a child of my own. I wanted to be one of those couples holding hands across the table or just sharing a casual lunch in the middle of a busy day. Granted, werewolves didn’t partake in the whole ‘dating’ scene as much as humans, but they still
spent time together whether it was running, hunting, or doing more ‘human’ activities such as cooking and dining. Some werewolves
occasionally went on dates in places like this or around town.
*
As Produced By Sheriff Squinty
*
I wanted that. Looking at the visible love around me, I was struck by just
how badly I needed that companionship, especially when the man I dreamt about was so close to me.
But there might be horrible consequences of Mating with him, i thought,
but there was a chance of true happiness as well. Sure, if everything went wrong I would have to deal with the agony of losing Gabriel’s love, if I ever secured it in the first place. But if I didn’t even try? I would have to handle the guilt and regret of never knowing. I would be condemning Gabriel to a life without love because I was scared of what MIGHT happen. It would be my sense of self-preservation prevailing, and it would be incredibly selfish of me.
That’s what I’ve been telling you all along, my Wolf said.
The waitress arrived, a bit belatedly, with my Dr. Pepper and took my order. I asked for the biggest, meatiest burger they had and a side of fries, slightly irritated that she had broken into my train of thought even though she was just doing her job.
Her expression clearly indicated that she didn’t think I was making a wise choice with my order, but she didn’t comment.
“So are you sure nobody else is joining you?” I didn’t like the smug tilt to her lips.
“Positive,” I mumbled, and her smirk widened. I narrowed my eyes at her condescending behavior. She flounced away, leaving me alone with my thoughts again.
He’s designed for us, Skylar, perfect for us. He has his issues, but there is a reason Fate deemed him worthy of being our Mate. It’s like spitting in
mother nature’s face not to try. My wolf explained. Extraordinary everyday from
STORY CENTRAL(SC) TELEGRAM GROUP
For some reason, I felt my hands shaking slightly, and I interlaced my
fingers. All of the pieces were clicking together in my head, the reasoning
finally making sense. In a burger joint, of all places, I had really managed to sit down and think about what I wanted to do. I had wasted enough of my time. Cain could show up on our doorstep this week! The thought struck
me with horror; what if he hurt Gabriel? What if something happened to my Mate before I could even give him an answer?
Or, what if you Rejected him only to later find out, some way or somehow, that it would’ve worked out? My Wolf asked.
The concept caused a sharp burst of pain to shoot through me and I
tensed. No, I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t be able to live with the what-ifs. If I said no to Gabriel, I had absolutely zero chance of having true
happiness. I would also force him to live a life alone because I was too
scared to act on my instincts. If I said yes, I had a fifty percent chance. There
was the potential for severe pain and loss, but the trade-off was a higher chance of a happy life. Was it worth it?
Thinking of Gabriel’s dark eyes, perfect face, and his moments of rare but
true emotion was enough to answer the question. Thinking of how my
parents and every other Mated pair acted around each other was enough
to answer the question. Thinking of the happiness in my mother’s eyes
when she saw my father every day was enough to answer the question.
I was ready to be brave and follow my heart. It was impulsive, and there
could be consequences, but for once I was going to take a risk, because the reward was worth it. I would only ever get one true Mate. I was going to-
“Hi there!”
The deep, male voice cut into my determined thoughts. Snapping out of my reverie, my gaze focused on the young man sitting across from me. He had sandy blonde hair and glinting hazel eyes, with a mischievous tilt to his
mouth. He was one of the human men from the table near me; his friends were blatantly staring at us, a couple of them chortling.
“Um…hi?” I asked, furrowing my brow as I stared at him in confusion. What could he possibly want?
“I’m Brandon. I just noticed that you’re sitting here alone.” His eyes
glimmered with amusement. Inwardly, I sighed, really not wanting to deal with this now. Normally, random guys didn’t just come up and talk to me. Anne had always gotten the majority of the attention. Thinking of her, I felt a pang of sadness so I shook myself out of my unpleasant thoughts.
“Yeah…” was all I said, not sure where he was going with this.
“Well, would you like some company?” Brandon grinned, flashing a set of white teeth. A burst of chortling broke out from his friends. With my
sensitive hearing, I could detect the laughter even though they were trying to hide it.
“I’m fine, thanks.” I kept my tone clipped so he would get the message. He didn’t take the hint. “What’s your name?”
“Skylar.”
“Where are you from?”
Why did people always ask me that? “About an hour away.” Surely my choppy replies were boring him.
“May I ask why you’re sitting here all by your lonesome?” Brandon’s grin
widened. Was he mocking me or hitting on me? I couldn’t tell at this point. “May I ask why the Hell you’re in my seat?” A new voice broke in, angry and deep, and I felt shivers run up and down my spine as I registered Gabriel’s presence.
He stood next to me, towering over the booth and glaring daggers at the human. He looked ridiculously attractive even when furious, I couldn’t help but notice.
The boy glanced up, his amused expression morphing into one akin to fear before he attempted to school his face into a blank mask. It didn’t really
work.
“I…uh…she was sitting alone and…is she your girlfriend?”
“Leave. Now.” Gabriel was practically snarling. I was pretty sure the human, Brandon, was about to lose control of his bladder. His friends had quieted immediately and were staring at us in horror.
The human stood up very hurriedly after that, his face paling. He mumbled something practically incoherent before stumbling back towards his table. His friends scooted slightly away, and I knew Gabriel’s Alpha presence was affecting them although they didn’t know it. I felt like smirking, actually
basking in Gabriel’s protectiveness for once, although if he’d hurt the
human it would’ve been an unnecessary scene. My Mate was still glaring at him as if debating whether to follow Brandon and threaten him more.
“Gabriel….” I said softly, placing my hand on his arm in an attempt to
soothe him. He tore his eyes away from the cowering group of humans to focus them on me. I quickly pulled back my hand, remembering Gabriel’s
previous words about physical contact. With a sharp exhale, he slid into the booth on the opposite side from me, though his face remained tense.
“Thanks,” I said quietly, feeling my cheeks turn red. “I think they were just
making fun of me for sitting alone more than anything.” It was true; I mean, why else would Brandon have felt the gall to just sit with me? I doubted
that he was going to ask me on a date. High school experience taught me that most guys my age preferred their women much curvier than myself. Gabriel’s eyes darkened and I saw some undefined emotion flickering in their depths. “You should never have to sit alone.”
I blushed even further as he stared at me, and suddenly my previous
thoughts came back to me. I clasped my hands to prevent them from
shaking as I took in every detail of my Mate’s appearance. I felt nervous, or far more nervous than was usual.
Was it because I’d had such deep thoughts about him and made some major headway with my decision, even while sitting alone in a random burger joint of all places?
“ …Skylar?” I belatedly realized Gabriel had been trying to get my attention and I blinked at him, knowing I’d been staring off into space.
The waitress had arrived at our table and was setting my steaming food in front of me, glancing at Gabriel out of the corner of her eye. My mouth
watered as I inhaled the delicious scent of beef.
“Umm…hello…sir. She, um, didn’t tell me anyone else was coming! Let me get you a menu!” The waitress spoke in a rush with pink-tinged cheeks, quickly dashing off to get Gabriel a menu and silverware. She wasn’t
looking down on me anymore, that was for sure.
“Are you okay?” Gabriel seemed genuinely concerned.“Yeah I’m fine. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I wouldn’t have ordered such a big meal if I knew-”
“No, go ahead. I’ll eat too.”
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as the waitress returned and Gabriel told her to bring him whatever I was having. This all seemed surreal. I knew it was circumstantial that we were eating together, but sitting across from
him at a restaurant was something I would never have expected to happen.
It was just so…normal. Almost like we were dating. The notion made my
heart skip a beat and my Wolf yipped in joy at my newfound thoughts
about Gabriel. I realized just how patient she’d been with me ever since we left the Black Mountains Pack.
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#Tobecontinued…..
_ _-Agboola-_ _