King of Beasts

Chapter 16

Gabe watched her from a distance, debating with himself quietly.  She was running her hands through a soft fabric Sabrina had woven and was selling in the market.  She was too far for him to make out her laugh, but he it memorized and could imagine it clearly.

What monster could ever try to kill anything as perfect as her?

His chest tightened, beast snarling, at the thought of her gone.  Dead.  He never would have met her, never had a mate, never been complete.  And now he still may very well not be.  If they didn't figure out how to keep her alive, and unwind her would, then the two of them would go mad.

"What's got you silent and brooding?" the sound of his old friend asked, coming to stand by his side.  Odin walked up the street and stood next to Gabe, who leaned against the side of a house, ankles crossed, blue eyes hard.

He shook his head and remained silent.

He'd given Charlotte money to spend, and as queen, people had been offering her free things the entire afternoon but she hadn't accepted a single item.  It was frustrating, still not knowing so much about her.  How could he possibly know what her favorite color was if she looked at each colored cloth with equal admiration?  How could he ever discover if she even liked flowers when she passed them with jus a small look, a small smile?  She was utterly fascinating, but she gave nothing away.  It was like every little thing the world had to offer she enjoyed.

"You only brood like this when you're about to do something stupid." Odin continued, despite the fact Gabe clearly didn't want to discuss anything.  "As your friend, and your second, I take it as my responsibility to ensure you don't do anything stupid."

Finally, Gabe glanced over at his friend.  Charlotte already craved Gabe, he knew this.  Just the slight changes in her behavior, how she stood a step closer to him, how she "accidentally" kept brushing his hand.  She wanted him, despite her conscious rebelling, and oh how Gabe wanted Charlotte just as much.

To save her, to save himself, he had no choice but to do something stupid.

"Tonight, can you watch her?"

Odin lifted an eyebrow.  "You are leaving her?  You haven't been away from her side since she got here."

Gabe grunted.  He knew that perfectly well, Odin certainly didn't need to point it out.  It would be brutally painful to leave her even for a second.  He had no choice though.  Charlotte knew nothing about who he really was, what she could really do.

Gabe needed to go to the people who knew.

"Tell her I went on a patrol or something."

"You don't go on patrol."

"I know, Odin, but thank you for reminding me.  Just tell her."

They were quiet, and Gabe felt an off thrill in his gut when Charlotte handed over money in exchange for a small bag of sweets.  Did his mate have a sweet tooth?  He wouldn't have expected it, but it was enough to figure out about her--

He watched her turn and bend down to the small blonde haired girl standing beside her, and handed the bag over.  Charlotte said something completely not age appropriate to the girl, if Gabe could read her lips right, but the blonde, Kate he remembered, laughed anyways.  She looked up then, still smiling, to catch Gabe's eye.

She gave him a dazzling smile, one that did odd things to his head, made him feel like could die a happy man knowing she was smiling like that for him.

She began walked through the thick crowd, nodding and greeting people she passed who addressed her.  "I won't be gone for longer than an hour." Gabe said suddenly.