Beta’s Challenge (11 page)

“It will be okay, Tomas. She is safe now and
we
will take care of her,” Tara said trying to alleviate Tomas’ distress. “Go back down stairs and finish making plans with the guys. I will tend to Sasha.”

Tomas got up, hugged Tara, said his thanks, and then headed back downstairs. Tara watched him leave the room then looked back to Sasha. She was awake and staring at Tara. Tara took a deep breath and leaned down to help Sasha sit up, placing pillows at her back before sitting on the side of the bed and reached for the tray on the table.

Tara picked up the bowl of leftover homemade chicken soup she’d warmed for Sasha then turned back to see the shame in Sasha’s beautiful eyes. Sasha began to cry. Tara placed the bowl back on the tray then turned back to Sasha. She wrapped her arms around Sasha and held her close. Silently, Tara rubbed Sasha’s back and let her cry until there were no more tears. Once Sasha regained some semblance of composure, she leaned back against the pillows.

Looking Tara in the eyes, Sasha said, “I’m so sorry. I had no right coming into your home. I’m so scared and tired. All I want is to do was speak to Gabriel, see my brother, and know I was someplace safe.  I won’t stay lon—”

Tara cut her off. “Stop it. You need us and we are here for you. Let me help you.” With that, Sasha gave a curt nod and Tara began feeding her.

Tara fed Sasha until all the soup was gone. Sasha drank the glass of ice tea Tara had brought then completely full, curled in the fetal position and slipped off into a peaceful sleep. Tara gathered the remains of the meal and headed back downstairs, closing the door behind her.

Chapter Eight

Once Tara had put the tray in the kitchen, she rejoined everyone in the living room. Gabriel was pacing, running his fingers through his hair agitatedly.

Tara walked up behind Gabriel and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Come sit down. Worrying yourself sick is not going to help Sasha. She’s here now and she’s safe. What we need to do now is figure out this mess with the pack and take care of the remaining females.”

Gabriel turned and kissed the top of Tara’s head but could not sit down. He continued to pace for what seemed like hours.

“Gabriel, sit down, honey. You’re wearing a path in my carpet,” Tara said from the couch.

He turned abruptly on Tara and growled.

Tara narrowed her eyes, raised her eyebrows, stood, and put her hands on her hips. “Look. I know you are upset, but you better remember who you are growling at and where you are. Now, sit your ass down so we can figure this out.”

That was all it took to bring Gabriel out of the rage-induced stupor he was in. He fell to his knees in front of Tara, wrapping his arms around her waist. The pain of what was happening to the family he left behind, what had happened to Sasha and what had become of his friend was more than any man should have to endure.

Tara ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. “It’s okay,” she cooed. “I know you’re hurting. I can see it in your eyes. We
will
figure this out.”

 “I’m so sorry, Tara. I was so far gone, I fear if you had touched me…” Gabriel trailed off, not wanting to voice what his mind knew to be true.

“You wouldn’t have hurt me, Gabriel,” Tara said. “As mad as you are, you would never hurt me. I know that.”

“Thank you for having such trust and faith in me, my beautiful, beautiful Tara,” Gabriel said clinging to her like she was the only piece of sanity left in his twisted world.

Tara managed to get everyone settled long enough to fix lunch. Everyone was eating in companionable silence when Sasha came down the stairs. Tara jumped to her feet and ran to Sasha, forgetting what was left of her lunch.

“Sweetie, you shouldn’t be up.” Tara led Sasha to the couch, shooing everyone off of it the process, helped Sasha stretch out, and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Sasha barely managed to whisper to Tara.

“Because you’re in pain, you’re scared, and you need someone to be there for you,” Tara told her.

They looked at each other, then Sasha glanced over Tara’s shoulder at Gabriel. “I think I like her, Gabriel. You made a good choice. She will keep you in line,” Sasha said with a wan smile.

Everyone got comfortable again in the living room, introductions were made all around, and then Sasha filled everyone in with more details on what happened since the men left the pack.

“Where the fuck is she?” Mikal roared. “She can’t have gotten that far.
FIND HER NOW
,” Mikal shouted as he paced his office.

He was livid. He had sent Vonn to get Sasha only to find out she was nowhere to be found.  He knew she thought she hated him for forcing her to carry his young but he never dreamt she would actually go as far as to run away.  Gabriel! The only person Sasha trusted enough to go to would be Gabriel. Now that he knew where to find him, he knew where to find Sasha.

“Vonn, wait!” Mikal said, coming to a halt in front of his desk. “I know where she is. Get a few of the men together. We are going on another trip. If Sasha thinks she can run to Gabriel and get away from me, she has another think coming,” Mikal spoke to Vonn, but his mind was on the hurt Sasha caused by running from him.

He loved Sasha more than was humanly possible but he could never tell her. He knew she wouldn’t return that love anymore and that hurt more than anything else. Regardless of how she felt about him, he would not let her endanger their young.

“Does Mikal know you’re gone?” Gabriel asked Sasha after she finished relaying the story.

“By now, I’m sure he’s discovered I am missing,” Sasha replied.

“Okay, if he knows, the show down will take place here because I know if it were me, I would come after my Prima, especially since I know you are pregnant,” Gabriel said to Sasha. “We need to get ready. There are too many human eyes here so we’ll need to go somewhere where two wolves can fight and not draw too much attention.” Gabriel said to everyone in the room as he once again began pacing.

“I have a cabin about an hours’ drive from here. We could all go there,” Tara said to the crowd.

“You never told us anything about a cabin,” Toya said to Tara.

“There was never a need to mention it before,” Tara responded. “It was left to me by my grandparents. Since you know my ties with my family aren’t that strong, I don’t dwell on anything family related,” Tara continued.

“Where’s the cabin located, Tara?” Gabriel asked.

“About an hour from here,” Tara said. “It’s in the middle of nowhere. That’s why I never go there. I’m not sure what condition it’s in,” Tara continued, “but it should serve our purpose.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind, Tara. This could get very ugly,” Gabriel said, wrapping his arms around Tara.

Gabriel stared into Tara’s eyes, realizing he loved this woman so much his life would be null and void if she was ever not in his life. He tightened his arms around her and relished in the feel of her warm body wrapped in his arms.

Tara squeezed Gabriel back. She could feel the tension in his body and see the worry in his eyes. She knew what was coming and it scared the hell out of her. What if he didn’t win the fight? Could she go on without him? In such a short time, Tara had grown to love this man more than life itself. He had become her life. Gabriel, Adrian, Tomas and Sasha had become her family along with Tia and Toya. Tara couldn’t imagine any of them not being in her life.

Squeezing Gabriel one last time, Tara said, “I would give you everything I have to help you defeat Mikal and protect your pack.”

Tara looked every person in the room eye-to-eye. A nod of agreement met her from each person until she once again reached Gabriel’s eyes. He kissed her as if this may be his last chance. Again he squeezed her tight.

Tara leaned into Gabriel, tiptoed up to his ear and whispered, “I love you, Gabriel. Do what you must, but come back to me.” She kissed his neck, unwrapped herself from him, turned to everyone else in the room and said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Packed with everything they thought they would need for at least a week, they headed for the cabin, knowing this trip would change their lives.

Tara, sitting in the passenger seat, stared out the window the entire drive. Gabriel knew Tara was scheming something but he could not allow her interfere.

He glanced at Tara and said, “Promise me you’ll stay inside and out of the fight.”

He released the steering wheel with his right hand and slid it over the seat to grab Tara’s left hand. Entwining their fingers, he continued. “I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on Mikal if I thought you could get harmed.” He squeezed Tara’s hand when he didn’t get a response.

“I can’t make you that promise, Gabriel. I can’t just stand by and watch you get hurt or worse, killed, and do nothing,” Tara stated trying to pull her hand out of his.

 “You must. Promise me,” Gabriel implored Tara.

“But, I…” Tara began.

“Promise,” Gabriel said in a commanding, yet gentle voice.

“Okay, dayum. You make it hard for a girl to say no. But if you get yourself killed, I will find a voodoo priestess to bring you back so I can kill you again myself,” Tara giggled, with no amusement in it, as she leaned up to kiss Gabriel softly on the lips.

Finally reaching the cabin, Gabriel realized it was not far from pack land. He knew it wouldn’t take long for Mikal to scent them close by and that the fight would go down right here. He looked to Tomas and Adrian and saw the knowing readiness on their faces. He did his best to hide that fact from Tara but knew she could feel something was wrong.

Tara, Toya, Tia, and Sasha, were readying the cabin for incoming when loud growls were heard coming from outside.

Gabriel and Adrian, alerted to the packs presence before the growls began, came into the kitchen. Gabriel went to Tara and wrapped her in his arms and Adrian went to Toya to do the same.

Gabriel stared into Tara’s eyes while holding her close to him. “Remember your promise. Do
not
come outside,” Gabriel squeezed Tara to within an inch of her life, kissed her hard and possessively, then turned to the living room and walked out the front door; Adrian and Tomas, quick on his heels.

Sasha waited a few moments after the men walked out the door then turned to Tara. “You must keep your promise. We have no idea what Mikal is planning but we know he won’t play fair. Gabriel must be able to concentrate and the only way he can do that is to know you are safe. Do you understand?”

Tara’s shoulders dropped but she said in a whisper so low, only Sasha and the wolves outside could hear, “Yes, I understand.” 

Sasha’s heart broke at the defeated look on Tara’s face. She walked over to Tara, and much to her and Tara’s surprise, wrapped her arms around Tara in a sisterly hug that the two knew was the start of something that would never, ever die.

“I hate to break up this happy moment, but what are
you
going to be doing while all hell breaks loose outside?” Tia asked Sasha with her hands on her hips.