Chapter 849

Gabriel pulls me through the halls behind him, heading for my rooms. A myriad of emotions fly through me as we go - fear, of course, at this man's unpredictability and cruelness. But quickly chasing that comes anger, and rage, and the sheer determination not to follow the Prince's fate.

This jackass – he thinks he has everything figured out. And he might be in control of me for now, but I've got my own weapons up my sleeve.

As we approach my room, I begin to pull back on my wrist, determined to be free. "Let go of me, you idiot," I snarl, putting my weight back into my heels.

"Come on, mate," Gabriel bites out, glaring at me over his shoulder and tightening his grip on me. "I'm done with you now and putting you back in your cage.'

"Great man indeed," I say, my voice deep with doubt, "that needs to cage his mate."

"Only when she's a wild bitch," Gabriel snarls, hauling me forward. "Who needs to be schooled in the ways of proper femininity."

I snarl in turn and twist my wrist in the way that Blaze taught me, breaking Gabriel's grip and stepping back in the hall. When Gabriel roars and turns, reaching for me, I'm ready for him – my fingernails extended into claws that I rake first over his extended hand and then stepping close so that my second blow scrapes across the soft skin of his neck.

Not deep enough to kill - no, I'm not ready for that yet. But deep enough to let him know that I can.

"Properly feminine enough for you?" I coo, my eyes narrowed as I step back, watching his body language for sighs of how he'll strike next. "After all, cutting a man's throat does seem more of a woman's method of killing than an Alpha's."

"You damned bitch," my mate snarls, stepping forward towards me, his eyes watching my claws as blood blooms in dots across his neck.noveldrama

"Gabriel!"

Elias's voice booms out in the hallway as Elias and Pippa come racing down the hall. Their sudden arrival breaks our tension and I skitter quickly out of the way, pressing myself against the wall as Elias storms past me and shoves Gabriel, hard, so that he stumbles back.

"Don't you dare -" Gabriel growls, catching his feet.

"Did you do it!?" Elias cries out, advancing again on the taller Alpha, not an ounce

of fear in his voice. "Did you - did you fucking kill our cousin!?"

Gabriel snarls, looking around the hall, aware that others could be listening. And though it's quite obvious to me that Gabriel did indeed plan the assassination that advanced him one step along the line to the throne, he does not want to make a public admission that will put him in jail. I mean, it's pretty obvious to me that he wants everyone to know that he did it - but not to the point where he can be prosecuted. No, my mate will not have left any trail behind except for rumor.

"What happened," Gabriel snarls, advancing one step towards Elias now, threat in

his voice. "Was the God of Darkness's plan. It is his decided fate."

"He's our fucking cousin, Gabe!" Elias shouts, his voice cracking. Pippa bursts into tears, ducking her face into her hands. I slip my arms around her shoulders, tugging her close.

"You fool," Gabriel grumbles, grabbing Elias by the arm and hauling him to my room, shoving the door open and forcing him inside. "To speak of such things in public -"

Anger roils at me as I consider what Gabriel just did in public, but I keep my mouth shut, instead guiding the sobbing Pippa towards the bedroom and bringing

us inside as well. As soon as we get in, Elias shuts the door behind us.

"I don't even know you anymore, Gabe," Elias says, taking Pippa from my arms

and gathering her to his chest. "A murderer? I knew Darkness had his grip on you, but to cold bloodedly murder our family -"

"I am meant to be King, Elias," Gabriel snarls, leaning aggressively forward towards his brother. "It is my fate. It is the will of Darkness."

"Oh, you're nothing but his pawn," Elias snarls, leaning forward towards him in turn. "The King still has some vestige of morals, and the Crown Prince did too, even if his wolf is as ruined as yours. Darkness is only choosing you because you're the

most desperate for his approval -

“Shut up,” Gabriel snarls, advancing now. "You shut your filthy mouth."

A fist pounds on the door.

"The inquest, I'm sure?" Elias says, gesturing towards it. "Though I'm sure you've

got that sewn up already, don't you, Gabe?"

"I am no fool," Gabriel snaps,

storming for the door. "I will be on a throne within days, not in a cell." Gabriel spins to me, his hand on the door handle. "Consider your place Princess,” he snarls, gesturing ` towards his neck, where blood lightly drips. "For you will either be docile by my side or death I will not accept any further trials of my patience."

Gabriel yanks the doors open and begins to speak quickly to the guards standing there, informing them that the Princess – me – is now safe and he can turn his mind to the investigation. When the door slams shut I just stare at it, as do Elias and Pippa.