Nicole's POV:
Another few days passed by with Gabriel in his cavern and I had a lot of fun but I was ready to go home. I knew that, with the blizzard finally stopping, it was only a matter of time before my father and his men would come looking for me.
Gabriel was packing some clothes and other supplies into a duffle bag. He was getting ready to take me home. He asked me if I wanted him to use his power of projection to get us there of if I wanted to walk home?
He can astral project? I wondered. "You can astral project?" I asked him. "Yes, but this would not be astral. This would be physical projection," he said. "Oh, okay, that sounds cool! Let's do that!" I said excitedly.
He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and put his arms around my waist before pulling me into his chest tightly. Ok, take a deep breath and hold on tight. Don't let go of me," he instructed.
I followed his instructions and whoosh; we were there in an instant. We arrived at the front gates of my pack. He said he didn't want to appear like he was invading our pack. He didn't want to hurt anyone. I respected that. He was showing signs of wanting to protect my pack and that was a good sign.
The men that guarded the gates were hesitant to let Gabriel in. I guess I didn't blame them. Gabriel was in his human form but even his human form was frightening. He stood at over eight feet tall. The muscles of his chest, arms, and legs were massive. He had snow white hair, ice blue eyes, and snow-white hair in other places as well. He was rough shaven with a white scruffy beard. His eyebrows, chest hair, and the hair on his arms and legs were also as white as the snow. He was a giant god-like man, and it was clear that my pack was very intimidated.
I instructed the guards to let him in. I told them that he is a shifter and means us no harm. After hearing my reassurances, they reluctantly allowed him in. Guards and warrior wolves gathered all around him and followed us to the pack house. My father ran outside to greet me but stopped short when he saw Gabriel.
" It's alright," I told my father. "He is a shifter too. He saved my life from a bear," I told him. My father shook Gabriel's hand and thanked him for keeping me safe. He also had to add a little dig at my expense. If I had only listened to him and not ran off, I wouldn't have needed saving... and blah, blah, blah. I tuned him out after that.
Gabriel asked my father if there was someplace that they could talk. My father nodded and pointed to the pack house. Once inside, he pointed again down the long hallway that led to his office. Gabriel put his arm around my waist and led me down the hallway to my father's office. All three of us sat down in the Alpha's office.
Gabriel began to tell my father about what he was and what he is to me. My father listened intently but he remained stone faced and emotionless. I could see skepticism in his eyes. My father asked if my wolf, Isabel, confirmed that he is my mate and I told him that yes, she did. "It's just so wild to think about," my father said. He told us that he had heard stories from other Alphas that wolves have been occasionally mated to other kinds of shifters, but he never imagined that his own daughter would be one. Then he pondered as to the reason why. He also said that most people believe that Yetis are just a myth.
Gabriel volunteered to tell my father the same story he had told me about how he was born and not created. Also, how his mother was a gifted werewolf. His story made my father wonder if I, too, was a gifted wolf.
Gabriel told my father about witnessing how fast I can run in my wolf form. He wondered if speed might be part of my gift. He said he had heard of a gifted wolf who could run so fast she could travel in both location and time. He said that if I had the same ability, it would make sense because he can also travel in what he called "physical projection." "In fact, that is how we got here today," I added.
My father was amazed. He clearly had no idea. He said he always knew I could run very fast and that no other wolf, himself included, could keep up with me or catch me. He didn't realize it was a Goddess given gift, though. We decided that we would test it out one day when the weather was nicer.
I told my father that Gabriel had an idea about the bear attacks we have been getting this year. My father was surprised even further when Gabriel finally shared his theory about our bear problems. He told us that he suspected the bears that attacked our pack and tried to attack me were not bears at all. They were rogue were bear shifters trying to take over our land and resources for themselves.
My father became very angry at the thought of my brother being killed by fellow shifters in a land grab attempt. I knew that rogues of any breed are crazy and dangerous. Typically driven mad by loss. Loss of a mate, a pup, a pack, or a family. It didn't make sense for rogues to come together like that and plan an organized attack.
If this was true, then that meant there must be a leader putting things into place. That would mean my father had an enemy hiding in the shadows. That meant it could happen again.
Gabriel offered to help with both the investigation and the protection of the pack. He only asked that in return he be allowed to stay, have a home here in the pack, and be my mate. He also said that he would need to have a spot to keep his cavern that was close by to where he was.
My father decided to agree to his terms. He was happy for someone so strong and powerful be willing to help in the protection of his pack. He was also glad for Gabriel's help in tracking down who was doing this, and why.