Chapter 88: Threats & Issues

Esme wiped her chest with a towel handed to her by Gabriel as he still hovered over her, glaring through the window at Luther on the other side. 

"Could this situation not be contained by my right hand?" He snapped. 

Gabriel, four families have been killed, their throats ripped and drained of blood, and the same incident has happened near Silver Thorn. "I sent men to contain it, but they haven't responded or returned. It is almost identical to last month's attacks," Luther replied gravely. 

Gabriel sighed, "I will be up in a bit."

Esme heard Luther's footsteps as he walked away before the sound disappeared, and she knew he used his vampiric speed to leave the area. She sighed and started to sit up, instantly fetching her clothes and putting them on, as did Gabriel. It was quiet again, but each was lost to their own thoughts. "So these attacks are a repeating occurrence?" Esme finally asked as she threw her hoody on. 

Gabriel raked his hand through his hair and glanced at her. "It has only been recent." He glanced out the windows, and Esme did the same, but the vampire continued. "Luther reported it to me after my.. time off. But a vampire seems to be going blood-crazed over the last few months, and the bodies are starting to pile up. Now it seems another might be copying this one."

"Could it not be the same person?" Esme asked, her curiosity now piqued. 

"Hmmm, they are in opposite locations. I will find out further information from Luther; it could be the same person, but why would they hop from one place to another, making it seem like there is more than one vampire?" Gabriel asked and shrugged on his leather jacket before exiting the vehicle and opening the car door for her.

Esme stepped out and took his hand, blinking in confusion by this almost old school gentleman-like manners. If she stepped out of a carriage, then it would make more sense to her, but then she was reminded even with Gabriel's youthful looks, he was like a living and breathing history book. They walked side by side casually, and Esme pulled her hood over her head, avoiding the camera she noted in the corner of the garage. 

"The only reason I can think of is if this vampire knows you and is trying to send you on a wild goose chase. Your men seem to be M.I.A at the moment. If it was a newborn, I doubt they could take on more than what five vampires? I take it your men are skilled or at least old enough to take on most vamps," Esme suggested with a shrug as she felt like she was playing detective right now as Gabriel chuckled and pushed open the door to the stairs. 

"If this was the case, then the vampire is either young and arrogant or is an idiot for trying to gain my attention. I have many enemies, but they can never overpower me," He remarked confidently. Esme stared at him in awe, wishing she was like this man who seemed to rule the whole world. Nobody could touch him, he had an army of vampires, and he was strong enough to take on any by himself. 

"I take it you will be leaving once you have all of the info?" She asked but already knew the answer. He nodded his head in response. Luther already sent men to try and sort the issue out but have yet to return. They needed their King for guidance, and like Gabriel said, if it was some form of a threat, then he would extinguish it quickly.

"I'd tell you to be safe, but I have a feeling you will be fine," She smiled to herself. 

They made it to the ground floor just before the doors that led to the parking lot and the high street in the distance. Gabriel started to continue up the stairs, but Esme had stopped just before the doors, she was going to return to her new apartment to figure a few things out, but Gabriel held her wrist, preventing her from leaving. 

"Where are you going?" He asked quietly as he closed the distance between them and tilted her chin up to meet his eyes.

"Back to my apartment.." She trailed off after seeing his eyes darken and narrow as though her words were insulting.

"You have an apartment here," He drawled and tilted his head to the side.

"That's my emergency apartment.." Again she trailed off as the red specks in his eyes started to glow.

"But things are different now, Es," He replied, his eyes flicked between hers, searching her dark orbs for an answer. 

Esme swallowed and looked to the side. "How.. How are things different?"

"I can protect you. And I think things have certainly changed over the last 24 hours, considering my scent is only mixed with yours now.." He replied with a slight growl in his voice. 

"Gabriel.. I don't know what.." She trailed off as she stared back at his devilishly handsome yet angelic face and shook her head. "I will stay there tonight, but I will return to my new place tomorrow," She said sternly.

"Sure, sure," Gabriel shrugged it off like her words meant nothing and picked her up and raced up the stairs. Within seconds and feeling a little dizzy, Esme's feet met the floor again, and she stood in front of her emergency apartment. She turned her head to look at Gabriel, who smirked and kissed her briefly on the temple before turning around. "I will see you soon."

And just like magic, he was gone again. 

Esme sighed and turned to her apartment doors; they slid open after putting the fob to the electrical key and stepping inside. It was then she realised her bag was still in Gabriel's room, but she didn't want to face Luther; he would add things up and realise she was the one his King spent the night with. She walked through the apartment, sliding her trainers off as she headed towards the bathroom. It had been a crazy turn of events. To think she was casually sipping champagne with the mafia boss to sleeping with a Vampire King and spilling out her life story to him. 

It was mad now that she was thinking about it, but something about them just felt right. Whenever she even thought about lying to Gabriel, it made her feel sick. It was as though she physically couldn't lie to him, and anything she didn't wish to tell him, she just didn't bring it up. She still felt bad, but there was only so much she should really tell the man after revealing such a past. Plus, she'd only known him three to four weeks. 

Esme turned the taps on to what appeared to be a standard size bath but was still of the highest quality with golden feet. She waited patiently and stared out the windows, the view was only a few floors lower than the one she saw that morning, but it was still amazing to see. The sun was setting, and the sky was darkening with the street lights turning on. If she didn't have regular nightmares and lack of sleep, then she knew her body would have collapsed by now from fatigue. Not only had they 'done the deed' for a very long time, but she also only had about two hours of sleep.

Shaking her head, she slipped out of her clothes and climbed into the tub and closed her eyes. There were so many thoughts swirling in her head about Gabriel. She didn't know him that well, yet he treated her almost like a princess, something she was certainly not used to. He could only sometimes read her mind and only if she let her guard down. A small part of her made her wonder if his interest in her was only because of his power. But she shook her head and put that thought to sleep.

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If it was mere interest, then she couldn't see him sleeping with her for hours and sleeping with her again after she unloaded her dramatic baggage on him. He also kept losing it while she showed him quite graphic violent scenes between her and Ethan. She knew he had to care about her because he also wouldn't suggest providing refuge for her friends Anastasia and Rian if he didn't. They were not only werewolves but rogues, and one of them was also a Hellhound like her. 

"Let's face it. Gabriel is kinda smitten with us," Isana winked and almost squealed in happiness. Why was her wolf so happy now with a vampire? 

Esme giggled at her wolf's choice of words, but she sobered up, interested in what Isana would say. "What do you think, Is? I've slept with a vampire and let him drink from me," Esme replied, trying to gauge how she would react, even though she was right there with her. Esme stroked the two small dots on her breast from where Gabriel bit into her and smiled from the hot memory. Her core even clenched, and she bit her lip just thinking about their moment in the car. That was one scar she didn't mind keeping on her body, though she knew it would heal soon. 

"I have no issues with it. Gabriel is.." Isana trailed off, trying to find the right words. "He is almost like our safe haven. I feel comforted in his presence like he is a much-needed heater on a snowy day or something, I dunno. I can't help but be drawn to him. It is.. odd. I don't understand why, though. He is a vampire, a leech, our natural enemy, but I'm not repulsed when he touches our skin."

Esme hummed in response, not really understanding either why her wolf was okay with him. But what she was finding increasingly strange was how her mate mark did not burn or cause her pain in any way when Gabriel touched her. And boy, did he do more than touch her. 

"What do you think?" She asked aloud as she started to wash.

"Ethan isn't dead, so it can't be that. The mark would disappear if that was the case. But what I am thinking.. is impossible," Isana replied and ended with a whisper barely audible even in Esme's mind.

"What's impossible?" Esme asked, pausing the lathered soap on her arm as she waited for her wolf's response. But instead of replying, the damn bitch blocked her!

"IS!? Dammit!" Esme sighed and aggressively washed the rest of herself. She waited and waited while drying herself and climbed into her bed naked. But Isana was adamant about not responding. She tossed and turned even though she was past fatigued now, what with being physically tired and mentally from going through her tragic past. 

But as she lay awake on her side, blinking slowly as she stared out at the window, she wondered again just what this was between her and Gabriel. It was far too early between them to have some crazy relationship talk, but whenever she was with Gabriel, it was almost like she'd known him for much longer, and everything seemed to fit into place. 

Just as she felt her eyes now drooping and her fatigue finally took over her mind and body, her phone rung from the bathroom where she left all her clothes. Esme groaned and covered her head with the covers waiting for the tune to cut off. But when it did, the ringtone sounded again, and she jumped out of bed. No one rang her; it was a given. It was only since moving to Chester that she had become increasingly popular. 

But Gabriel was still outdoing Goddess knows what to a vampire or vampires, so a tiny part of her worried and wondered if it was he who phoned her. Esme picked up the phone and flipped it open after reading the time. It was only 7:15pm, but after her active evening the night before and her wander through the woods, it was no wonder that she was already in bed. The only part she might just grumble about was not eating, but sleep was a priority. 

"Hello?"

"Finally, she picks up!" Leo's voice filled her ears, and her mind slowly spun, and she realised she never told him she was not turning up to work.

"Oh shit," She mumbled away from the speaker. Her mind blanked as she climbed back into the silk covers of her bed and almost started to doze off with her friend on the phone.

"Are you okay, Es? I never heard back from you," Leo spoke down the phone and almost jolted her awake again. 

"Oh, yeah? I'm sorry I haven't been on my phone. I was working with the boss today and completely forgot to check it," She replied nonchalantly. Her wolf took this moment to snicker at Esme's comment of 'working with the boss'.

"Oh yeah, he's really pleased with your effort!" Isana roared in laughter before blocking herself again. Esme rolled her eyes and smirked at her wolf. 

"Oh right. Niko never mentioned you were working with the boss today.. You sound tired. Did he work you hard?"

"Oh yeah, REAL HARD!" Isana piped in again and laughed. Esme clenched her teeth together and rubbed her temples from the sound. 

Clearing her throat, she replied, "Yeah, I'm actually in bed right now. Is it okay if we speak tomorrow? I'm shattered."

"Of course! I can't let sleeping beauty have no beauty sleep now! What sort of prince am I?" Leo joked. "Seriously though, be careful with Gabriel. Anyway, sleep tight!"

And with those words, without Esme having a moment to question, Leo hung up. What did he mean by 'be careful'? That was another problem she would have to hold off until her mind had an adequate amount of sleep. She glanced at the missed calls and frowned when she read:

Missed Calls: 

Leo missed 2 calls.

Niko missed 4 calls.

Unknown missed 1 call.

Esme scrolled through and hit call on the unknown number, but it didn't go through. Yet another issue she would have to deal with when she woke up.. At least she was in her safe house for tonight.

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