His Little Fae

Melancholic Bloodlust (I)

"Family is supposed to be our safe place,

Very often, it's the place where we find the deepest heartache."
_________________________

Gabriel smirked, the expression dark and bloodthirsty.

He's killed before, Alexandria. He'll do it again.

Without glancing away from him, I spoke to the she-wolf behind me. "Get out of here, Victoria."

No jokes, no nicknames. She had to leave. We both did.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes flaring as she stepped closer to my side. "I'm not leaving you here," she whispered, the words reaching only me.

"I'm not an idiot. I've watched you and Levon train. You haven't shifted yet, and the magic you have now isn't enough to defeat him." Her words were low and matter of fact, but I could see the panic in her eyes.

She was right. Gabriel, in his shifted state, was stronger than me. And without the full extent of my power, I didn't stand a chance. Plus his little vampire lackeys didn't make this any easier.

But I could hold them off for a few minutes. It'd be enough.

Livius would never forgive himself if she got hurt. I'd never forgive myself if another pack member got hurt.

I ignored Victoria, my eyes sparking as I met Gabriel's golden gaze. "Going to introduce me to your little friends this time around?"

He grinned again and my blood ran cold, but I didn't flinch away. Castiel wasn't here this time. And Gabriel was an enemy. I had to take care of my own.

"Hm, no point in introductions before what I've got planned for you," he responded, his voice cool and collected. "Send the little dog away, Alexandria. This is between us."

Victoria snarled and took a step forward. "Send your blood suckers away first, you bastard."

With a sharp glare, I gripped her wrist when she attempted to step past me and tugged her back. She met my gaze and shook her head. "I won't."

"Go back to the castle, Victoria."

Her nostrils flared in defiance, and I tore my gaze from Gabriel's amused eyes to look at her. "Now," I growled, and she went utterly stiff.

There had been something different in my tone, a command she could not defy, and I watched with relief as she stiffly turned and walked away, her eyes betraying her own unwillingness.

Once she was out of my line of sight, I turned back to Gabriel.

The older man clapped his hands together, his eyes glinting beneath the moon. "Now, then..."

I didn't have time to react when he appeared in front of me, but I still managed to barely dodge his fist as it swung to meet my jaw. He suspected the response.

The air was knocked out of my lungs a second later when his knee plunged into my gut, and my bare skin met the hard bark of the tree behind me. My head ached at the sudden contact, my spine lurching while I coughed out my own blood.

Gabriel arched a brow and towered over me. "Have you gotten weaker, Princess?"

It's okay. Victoria's gone. She's safe. She'll get to the castle and call for backup. Just buy time, Alexandria.

Buy time.

I didn't think that was possible. Not with the way Gabriel was looking at me right now, with the hatred of a thousand wronged fae.