Chapter 2
Gabriel watched as Vega jumped over the gate to her townhome, unable to temper the hunger that surged through him at the sight of her. Once she was inside, he dropped down from the oak tree whisper quiet, but remained in the shadows, pulling them around him so he was all but invisible.
It didn’t matter that she was inside, the image of her was seared into his brain. Long, lithe, sexy as fuck. As always.
Her long, jet-black hair had been in a tight braid against her head and hanging midway down her back. She’d let it grow out longer in college. And damn, had she grown up in the last few years. Enough that not just he had noticed. Her violet eyes in her human or vampire form were electric, captivating. So much so that she often wore contacts to soften the color. He’d memorized everything about her. Because if he was around her, he was watching. Covertly, of course, and not because his Alpha had ordered him to.
Gabriel couldn’t help it. Couldn’t take his gaze off her. He had an addiction and her name was Vega.
As he continued to watch from the shadows, he frowned as he took in her concise movements. It was strange to have the thought, but she moved like an operator. Like she’d been training. He’d noticed the difference in her over the last year. Because yeah, he’d kept tabs on her even if he hadn’t been her bodyguard the last two years. Chloe, the pack female who’d been her roommate the last couple years, hadn’t said that Vega had requested extra training.
But something about her was different. He was certain of it. Her posture and even her gait were confident as hell. She walked into a room like she owned it. Maybe she was just coming into her own, but… No, he’d noticed it again tonight as she’d strode down the quiet sidewalk to her home. She’d been aware of him even if she hadn’t called him out.
He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t acknowledged him, not with the constant tension between them, but he was surprised she’d known he was there. Considering his ability to blend in, to use the shadows as he pleased—hell, he wasn’t sure what to make of this.
Nothing. That was what he’d make of it. Absolutely nothing. He needed to get her out of his head. To stop finding excuses to come to New Orleans to see her.
Vega was off-limits. For a multitude of reasons. She was too damn young, for one. But mainly, he’d seen her death in a vision forced on him by a seer years ago. Long before he’d met Vega. He knew enough details about what could happen to her, where she could die, that he tried to keep his distance to protect her.
His wolf was having none of it, however, and the truth was, nothing was written in stone. Not his future, not hers. Still… Nope.
Turning away from her place, he stalked down the sidewalk. Time to get the hell out of here. Finn and Lyra were inside with her. They’d been worried when she hadn’t answered her phone.
When his buzzed in his pocket, he drew it out. Seeing Finn’s name, he immediately answered. “Everything okay? I saw her head into the house.”
“I don’t know. She was being cagey but it was subtle. She’s not coming home for Christmas.” Finn’s voice was neutral.
But Gabriel knew the male would be upset. Because the news was a punch to his senses. Sure, he avoided her when he could, but he still liked knowing she was home, with her pack, especially around the holidays. Maybe that made him a masochist. He could look but never touch. “She’s leaving even though Lyra is pregnant?”
“We didn’t tell her. And I didn’t want to dump this on her. This will be her last Christmas as an only child.” Finn sighed and Gabriel could practically see the male rubbing the back of his neck in agitation.
“You can’t actually think she’ll care about that?” Vega was a giving and sweet female and would be excited at the prospect of a sibling. She’d probably spoil her brother or sister to the point of obnoxiousness. Of that he had no doubt.
“I don’t know what to think,” Finn growled. “She came into my life as a teenager. What the hell do I know about having a baby or how this will change everything?” For the first time since Gabriel had met him, the Alpha sounded panicked.
It gave him a moment’s pause as he came to a four-way stop. He waited as a vintage truck pulled through the stop sign before crossing. “I can guarantee she’s going to be happy for you guys. You need to tell her before someone else in the pack does.” Not that many people knew, regardless, but something like this wouldn’t remain a secret long. Wolves loved to gossip.
“Yeah I know. Listen, I need a favor…”
Gabriel knew what that favor was even before his Alpha asked. “You want me to follow her?”
“Just tail her and see where she’s headed.” He cleared his throat. “Use her phone to track her. It was clear she didn’t want to tell us much about her plans, and I didn’t want to push. She’s a grown woman but she’s still my daughter—and she could still be a target because of her bloodline.”
That was unfortunately true. A powerful hybrid, Vega could be targeted by the wrong people because of her uniqueness. And there were those in the world who would destroy what she was because of it. A cold sweat broke out along his spine. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. “Where’s she going for Christmas?” He hadn’t heard that Vega had been dating anyone. If he had, he’d have lost his shit. She might not be his in the technical sense—or any sense—but his wolf didn’t know that. For all he knew she’d been seeing someone and had kept it on the down-low.
“No idea. Somewhere with a female we apparently don’t know.”
Gabriel ignored the surge of relief that slammed through him at the knowledge that she wasn’t going away with a male. That relief quickly died as Finn continued.
“Or I assume, because that’s who she met up with earlier. But I guess it could be one of her human friends we do know. She said she’d give us the details later. I’ll give them to you as soon as I have them.”
“All right. I’ll pack a bag and tail her tomorrow.” His wolf wanted to do fucking cartwheels that he’d get to be near Vega for a little while, but hell, it would just be more of the same. More torture because he couldn’t have her. At one point she’d wanted him. But he’d crushed her feelings by cutting her out of his life. It had been intentional and had sliced him just as deep to lose her friendship—but it had been necessary. The future as he’d seen it could not play out. He wouldn’t let it.
“I figure you’d have told me, but did you see anyone with her when she got back home?”
“No. You want me to follow her scent trail, see where she was?”
“No.”
Thank fuck. He followed her because he wanted to protect her and because his Alpha asked him to, but he didn’t like checking up on her, invading her privacy. Even if that was exactly what he’d be doing starting tomorrow. “Unless you need me tonight, I’m gonna grab a few hours of sleep.”
“Sounds good. I’ll text or call with the details I have in the morning.”
After disconnecting, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and resisted the very real urge to turn right back around and stake out Vega’s place. Not because of a job or because his Alpha wanted him to.
Because he couldn’t get her out of his system. But that was a line he never intended to cross.