The Journey To Become The Perfect Werewolf

by Olive P. Farley

  But Gabriel wasn't going to let me go that easy. He stormed across the room and grabbed my face forcing me to look at him. I was shocked by his actions. He had been so gentle up until this point. My eyes met his blue/gray ones and I saw pain etched all over his face.

  “You. Are. Not. Leaving. Me.” He said in no uncertain terms. “Do you know how long I've waited for you? Do you know how much I want you? You're not going anywhere.” He was hurt and angry, that was obvious. I started to protest. I had to make him see this was hopeless but before I could say a word his lips were on mine and all thoughts of leaving were thrown from my head.

  His lips claimed mine and the sparks overwhelmed my senses. His kiss was passionate. It was consuming and I didn't want it to stop. His hands moved from my face and one arm slipped around my waist pulling me closer to him while the other tangled in my hair. My lips parted as I tried to catch my breath and his tongue claimed mine. My head was spinning. I felt a heat spreading through my body and I moaned.

  As suddenly as he had begun kissing me, he stopped. He looked me in the eyes and repeated. “You're not going anywhere.” Before he let go of me and abruptly left the room.

  Chapter 13

  I sat there in shock for a moment, absorbing what had just happened. Gabriel wasn't letting me leave, that much was clear. Truth be told, I didn't really want to. I was still nervous about everything. I couldn't see how this would all work out. I didn't see a happy ending for me.

  My mind went back to the kiss. That was intense. I had been kissed before but never like that. I had never been so attracted to anyone and that kiss had filled me with emotions I didn't even know how to identify. All I knew was that I wanted more. I had wanted him to touch me. I had wanted so much more. I didn't doubt that he wanted me either. He made no secret of it. Did I affect him like he affected me?

  Gabriel came back in the room with Suzie traveling behind him.

  “We're leaving.” He said to me and I looked at him confused. Suzie set about removing my IV and taking everything away.

  “Is it ok for me to leave already?” I asked both scared and confused. It had only been a few days since I had been injured. I know they said our kind healed fast but this seemed too soon.

  “You are fine to go, dear.” Suzie replied.

  “Gabriel said he wanted to bring you home and you're healed enough for that. You still need to take it easy for a few days. Watch for any signs of infection.” Suzie handed me some clothes. “I figured you would need these. They're my younger sisters. She's a little shorter than you but about the same size.”

  Gabriel glanced at the clothes and then at me. “We'll get you some new clothes once you're better.” He promised.

  “Thank you Suzie, and please thank your sister.” I really did like Suzie, I thought.

  “It's my pleasure. Everyone is going to be so excited to meet you! We've been hoping for a Luna but a Beta female is great too. Our pack has been sorely lacking in some female leadership.” Leader? Me? Beta? I started to panic and my eyes shot over to Gabriel. He glared at Suzie clearly annoyed.

  “I will explain that all later. There is nothing for you to worry about, ok. Only thing you need to think about is healing.” He tried to reassure me.

  “I'm sorry. I think I may have spoken out of turn. I think I'm all done here. I'll let you get changed so you two can be on your way.” Suzie said nervously as she rushed out of the room. Was she scared of Gabriel? Or was she just embarrassed because her comment had made me uncomfortable? I waited a moment for Gabriel to leave so I could get changed but he didn't. Did he expect me to change in front of him because that was not happening.

  “May I please have some privacy?” I asked sweetly. Gabriel flushed and seemed embarrassed.

  “Of course, yeah, of course. I'll be right outside the room.” He said, dashing out of the room. I couldn't help but let out a little giggle as the door shut. He seemed so flustered and I found it adorable. I quickly changed into the borrowed clothes. They fit ok but as Suzie had said they might be, the clothes were made for a shorter person and weren't an exact fit. I was now in a hoodie and jeans. I put on socks but frowned realizing I didn't have shoes.

  I opened the door to let Gabriel back in and he smiled.

  “ Ready?” He asked.

  “I don't have any shoes.” I said.

  “That's ok. I will get you some later. We didn't know what size you would need.” Ok. Guess I was just walking out of here in socks then.

  I walked out of the room and followed after Gabriel since I had no idea where we were going. He took my hand as he led me through the halls of the small hospital until we hit the double door leading outside. He opened the door for me and I thanked him as I started to walk out. Before I could make it out of the door I felt him suddenly swooping me up making me shriek in surprise.

  “It rained earlier. I didn't want your socks to get wet.” He explained. Strange. The ground didn't look wet. Why did I feel like this was just an excuse to have me in his arms?

  He carried me as if I were weightless. He must be strong. I wasn't a tiny girl. I was about 5'8 and had to weigh at least 135 lbs. I was by no means overweight but I know a lot of girls were more petite. I wasn't in my peak shape either. Years in the institute had made me lose muscle mass. I had been quite toned from running before entering it, but now I was simply slim. Gabriel had to be at least 6'4. He was one of the few men who could make me feel short. When we got to his car, he opened his passenger door while still holding me which was also impressive. Then he sat me down in the seat and shut my door before going around and getting in the car. His car was nothing fancy, a ford I think. I had never been much into cars and hadn't really paid attention to the make. I had noticed it was silver though. I buckled my seat belt and Gabriel started the car and we set off. It took about twenty minutes of driving before we pulled up to a quaint little cottage. It was made of stone and had flowers all around. Off to the side of the cottage was lattice arbor that had ivy all over it. That must lead to the back yard. I loved the cottage on sight. It was lovely.

  “Welcome home, Carrie” Gabriel said as he picked me up from my seat and carried me inside.

  Chapter 14

  Gabriel carried me into the little cottage and set me down as soon as we were inside. I looked around and immediately knew I would love this place. It had to be pretty old and had a rustic charm about. Absentmindedly, I started to explore. The walls looked like stucco and had pastel colors. There were windows in every room letting plenty of natural light. There was an old world charm about the place but it was clear it had been updated too. It had all the modern conveniences but they had been added carefully, it seemed, so it didn't change the feel of the place. The furniture looked like antiques, maybe family heirlooms, and fit perfectly in the space. The house seemed larger inside than it had appeared outside.

  The only strange thing about the place was that Gabriel lived here. The cottage was beautiful but it hardly appeared like a bachelor pad. There was definitely a woman's touch here and I felt jealousy at the thought.

  “This was my Grandparents home. They left it to me when they passed. My parents live a few miles away in my father's ancestral home. This place was in my Mother's family for a few generations.” He told me, as if reading my mind. That made more sense.

  “Let me show you your room. You should probably lay down.” I followed him as he led me down a long hallway. He motioned to a door and opened it to let me inside.

  It was a beautiful room and took my breath away. It was a very pale pink and had a white four post bed with lace draped across the posts. The bedding was a floral print and the accents were all a pale green color. There were large french doors that led out to the back yard. I could see a swing hanging from a large tree and a small pond in the background. It was so picturesque and just perfect. In any other setting I would have found this all too girly but somehow here it was just perfect.

  “This was my Mother's room when she was growing up. My gra
ndparents never changed it when she moved out and married my father. She was their only child. I left it intact too though it has been cleaned for you. I hope you like it.”

  “I love it.” I replied still mesmerized by this little piece of heaven. He smiled at me beaming, clearly happy that I liked it. I couldn't help but return the smile.

  “I'll let you get settled and rest. If you need anything, my room is across the hall.” He turned and kissed my forehead as he left, shutting the door.

  I walked around the room admiring the decor. Like the other room, the furniture was made up mostly of antiques. I saw a door to my left and opened it. There was a bathroom inside and I was glad to have one attached to my room. It wasn't anything fancy but it had an old oversized pedestal tub and I couldn't wait to take a bath in it. I decided a soak sounded perfect so I started running the water and stripping off my clothes. While I was waiting for the tub to fill I went to take a look at myself in the floor length mirror. I wasn't happy with what I saw. All over my body were bite marks. They were scabbed over and healing but there had to be at least 10. I had 2 on my left leg and 3 on my right. One on my left arm and two on the other. Then there was one on the left side of my abdomen and a shallow one on my shoulder, dangerously close to my neck. I shuddered, remembering the attack again. I had been so terrified but there had been no way to communicate. No way to stop them. I took a deep breath. It was over now. I was safe. I was healing.

  I walked over to the tub and checked the temperature. The bath was very hot but I liked it that way. I looked around and realized that there wasn't any soap. Damn. I figured Gabriel had some so I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my body as I left the room to find him.

  I walked across the hall and knocked on his door. I could hear him shuffling around inside but he quickly answered. When he opened the door and saw me in nothing but a towel, his jaw dropped but he quickly recovered.

  “Uhh, can I get you something?” He asked.

  I blushed realizing I was practically naked.

  “I was about to take a bath,” I explained.

  “Did you need a hand?” He asked, a playful smile spreading across his face. I couldn't help but smile back while the blush in my cheek intensified.

  “No…. Do you have any soap and shampoo? I didn't see any in there.” I replied. He was pretty adorable when he smiled like that.

  “Of course. Give me a moment and I will grab them for you.” He went back in his room, leaving the door cracked. I waited for a second but I was curious about his room. I lightly pushed the door open and glanced around. This room was mostly done in dark blue. It looked like the room was painted a light blue and again, there were antiques everywhere. The bedding seemed more modern and I had to guess he has changed it to fit his tastes. I can only guess what had been there before had been some shade of pastel. His room was larger, obviously the master suite. I looked on his dresser and saw his watches laid out and his wallet laying there. I was curious and picked up his wallet and opened it up to the ID. Gabriel Knight, I read. How fitting, I chuckled to myself.

  “What's funny about my ID exactly?” He said, watching me with that playful smile. I quickly put it down embarrassed at being caught snooping.

  “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosey.” I was mortified at being caught red handed. Gabriel crossed the room, standing close to me. I looked up at him and was again lost in those blue/gray eyes.

  “Yes you did. But it's ok. I'm curious about you too.” He said. He was close to me. Our faces were inches apart. I found myself focusing on his lips willing him to kiss me. My wolf wanted him too. It felt like my wolf was trying to fight it's way to the surface, desperately wanting to take control. His hand cupped the side of my face and he looked deep into my eyes.

  “Learn anything interesting?” He asked a sly smile playing across his face. I blushed again.

  “Your last name?” I said.

  “Ah. You could have just asked. What's your last name Carrie? I just realized I don't know yours either.” I smiled. His hand was still resting on my cheek, sending sparks into my skin. It was very distracting but in a good way.

  “Phillips. My last name is Phillips. Caroline Yvette Phillips.” He smiled at me warmly

  “Beautiful name Caroline. Nice to officially meet you.” He teased. I suddenly became very aware that I was only in a towel.

  “I better get back to my bath before it cools.” I said detaching Gabriel's hand.

  “Of course.” He handed me the shampoo and soap and I turned around to leave the room. When I reached the doorway I turned to glance at him. He was watching me with an expression I couldn't read.

  “Gabriel” I started, “ thank you for being so kind to me.” He looked at me and smiled but there seemed to be a sadness in his eyes.

  “I will always be kind to you Carrie.” He said. I smiled as I walked to my room. Gabriel had been a perfect gentleman for the most part, except for that one incident, not that I minded. I got back into the bathroom and checked the water. It was still hot. Good. I removed my towel and lowered myself into the water. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. Gabriel said he would always be kind to me. I wanted to believe him. Oh, how much I wanted to believe him.

  Chapter 15

  After I finished my bath, I had no choice but put back on the clothes Suzie had loaned me. I brushed my long hair and decided to explore the rest of the house. I left my room and made my way down the hallway back into the living room. I saw that this room also had double doors leading out into the backyard. I walked around admiring the old furniture thinking how nice it was he had things he inherited from his family. Not something I was likely to ever have. I saw some pictures on the mantle and stopped to look at them. In one picture I saw a couple on their wedding day. Must be Gabriel's parents. His mother was beautiful. It looked like Gabriel had her eyes but she had lighter coloring. She had short blonde hair with the same curls that Gabriel had. His father was tall like Gabriel and had a similar stance. He had short brown hair and a strong jaw. He was handsome but not as handsome as Gabriel. But he had kind looking eyes, I decided. Then I saw a family picture with both of his parents, a young boy of 3 or 4 and a baby in his mother's arms. The baby was definitely Gabriel and he was adorable. The last picture was an older couple who I assumed were his grandparents. His Grandfather was a sweet looking man with thin white hair and his Grandmother had white curly hair and Gabriel's playful smile.

  I walked out of the living room and an amazing smell demanded my attention. I followed the smell to the kitchen and found Gabriel cooking. I hadn't realized how hungry I was and whatever he was cooking it smelled delicious.

  “Hungry?” He inquired.

  “Starving!” I replied.

  “I'm not much of a cook but I made some stir fry. I thought you might be hungry. Is stir fry ok?” He asked, already serving us each a plate.

  “ Yes, I love stir fry! Thank you for cooking.” I sat down and started digging in. I hadn't had a meal like this in so long. Home cooked. Fresh. It was delicious and I made sure to tell Gabriel so. After we finished eating, Gabriel took my plate and put the dishes in the sink. He turned around and looked me up and down.

  “Would you like to watch a movie with me? I'll let you pick!” He said with that playful smile.

  “Sure.” I hadn't seen a decent movie in years. Not only that but I had decided to at least get to know Gabriel so to do that, I would have to spend time with him.

  We went out to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Part of me expected it to have a plastic cover and I giggled at the thought.

  “What? What made you laugh?” He asked. I wasn't sure if I felt comfortable enough to tell him.

  “Please tell me.” He pleaded. “I have to know what made you laugh so I can make you do it again.” Gosh his smile was hard to resist.

  “When we sat down on the couch, I just had a random thought.” I explained.

  “You're going to have to be more specific.” He said, smir
king.

  “I…. well…. a lot of your furniture seems old fashioned and I know you said this was your Grandparents place…..” I hesitated. “ So, I couldn't help but think the couch might have one of those plastic covers on it.” I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. Partly because I still found the thought funny and partly because I was slightly embarrassed repeating it to him. Gabriel burst out laughing to my surprise and I laughed too.

  “Maybe the place could use a little updating. The furniture was all here and I didn't see any need to replace it. Plus it does remind me of them. But the funniest part is that there actually was a plastic cover! I took it off because I hated it.” We both started laughing again.

  Gabriel grabbed the remote and turned on Netflix. Then he passed the remote to me.

  “Ladies choice. Do your worst.” He joked.

  “Romantic comedy it is.” I chirped playfully.

  I flipped around until I found something we could both tolerate. I handed Gabriel back the remote and he sat it down. At first we both sat on opposite ends of the couch but about a third into the movie, Gabriel moved closer to me and took my hand. My first instinct was to move away but I didn't want to hurt Gabriel's feelings.

  As the movie ended, I yawned realizing how tired I was.

  “I think I'm gonna head to bed.” I announced.

  “Okay.” Gabriel said. “But can I ask one favor before you go?”

  “Favor?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

  “Just a little one.” He said, winking at me. I wasn't sure what to say. He request felt playful though so I agreed.

  “Okay, but only one request.” Gabriel came close.

  “Will you give me a goodnight kiss?” I blushed. I considered saying no but it wasn't like we hadn't kissed already. But this time he was asking me to kiss him. Then it occured to me that I could just give him a peck on the cheek. He hadn't specified after all.