The Sealed Luna Novel – Gabriel’s POV: My whole life, I’ve been called scary, grumpy, and broody. I had been that way my entire life, so I never saw the problem. It wasn’t my fault that others were lazy or slow. The former gamma’s mate thinks that a big part of my problem was that I had my heart broken twice already, which made me cynical. My first love was when I was about twelve years old. Her name was Taylor, and she was pretty as could be. She was loved by all and had the sweetest personality. What broke me was when I overheard her talking about me one day, how she would never want to be with me because I was too small and scrawny as the Alpha’s son.
The jokes on her as I bulked up in time. I went from barely four feet to just over six and gained the muscle to match. My second love was Christy, a fiery redhead from my high school days. She was bold and daring. It felt like I could conquer the world with her. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. She found her true mate during senior year, and I was left with a shattered heart. As each year passed that I was without a mate, my temper only got worse. My beta, David, had tried multiple times to get me laid with random females. I was initially interested, but my face and attitude kept scaring them away, so I eventually stopped trying. After I became Alpha of Evercrest Pack, the fear I created in others spread to the whole pack. I didn’t care.
They needed to know what was expected of them and that I didn’t tolerate excuses. The only ones that weren’t afraid of me were my parents, David, Harvey my gamma, and the former gamma and beta. They acted like I was a child and not a pissed-off adult who could rip them to shreds if I was so inclined. I had been in charge for a few years, and things were going smoothly when I noticed that one of the warriors was late for training and leaving his patrol shift early multiple days. It happened the most when I had his parents in meetings. I told David to punish Timothy again the next time he was caught, but it didn’t work. After learning that Timothy took off early again, I decided to take things into my own hands. I watched him get into his car and take off towards town. Hoping into my Jeep, I followed him down the road. My sense of smell was more potent than most wolves, so with no doors on my vehicle, I could easily sniff Timothy out. I could trail him without needing to see his car. Don’t get me wrong, the road to and from the human town is gorgeous any time of the year.
There was a time when I dreamed of taking my mate down that road. We would pull off somewhere and just relax under the trees. With spring the following month, it would be the perfect time too. I just didn’t like having to deal with people and crowds. Once in town, I tracked Timothy to an outdoor mall, where I parked and had to travel the rest of the way on foot. I found him sitting inside a cafe, drinking something. The former gamma’s son was a slacker! Marching into the store, Timothy’s face grew pale as he saw me approach him. “Hello, sir,” he stammered. “What are you doing here, Timothy? You are supposed to be on duty,” I growled. My deep voice was low and threatening as I gripped the chair I was standing behind.
“I cleared things with Jacob! He was supposed to cover for me, and I pick up his shift later.” “We made the shift the way it is because Jacob is needed then. You are needed at present.” “And I would go back, however-” “No excuses,” I barked at him. Defiant little st to the end, I’ll show him. “You will head back to the territory and run twenty laps. That’ll give me enough time to think of what to do with you.” “I’ll serve out my punishment, sir. But I need to-” “What you need to do is leave. Now.” Timothy looked heartbroken and looked back towards the kitchen. Was he waiting on an order? Tough luck. He wasn’t getting the food now. “Now, Timothy,” I ordered. “Yes, sir.” He finally got up and went out the door. I gave a deep, low growl as I was still unhappy that he told me no until the end. What was so great about the cafe anyway? I didn’t think he was much of a dessert guy either. The sickeningly sweet scents from the desserts and hot drinks were a bit much for me. As I was about to turn to leave, a woman walked out from the kitchen and instantly took my breath away. Her dark brown hair was done in a braided bun, and her blue eyes sparkled. She was dusted with powdered sugar that she was trying to dust off herself. “Look at you! You look like one of your bengets,” laughed an older woman.
“Here I thought a dusting of powdered snow was bad. This is worse, I think,” replied the angel. My wolf was stirring, telling me to go. But I didn’t want to leave. “Anything else before I clock out?” “Remove the trash bag by the back door and clean that last pot. You’ll be done after that.” The dark-haired beauty agreed and walked back into the kitchen. “Leia, you know that trash bag is too big for her. She could fall over trying to toss it into the dumpster,” stated Olivia. She was an omega from the pack. “She’ll be fine. Besides, you haven’t rounded me in any strong, young men to help lift heavy things.” That was when I walked out of the cafe and rushed to the back of the building. I had to hurry before something happened. I got to the end of the alley just as the back door opened up. The beautiful woman was carrying a bag that was as big as her and clearly heavy. She struggled to walk with it before getting to the dumpster. I rushed in just as she swung the bag over her shoulder to toss it into the top of the dumpster, only to have the force pull her backward.
I was able to grab her in time so that she stayed upright. One arm wrapped around her waist as the other hand grabbed the trash bag. Tossing it quickly into the dumpster, that arm moved to wrap around her shoulders to hold her close to my body. That was when I got a whiff of her scent, the subtle smell of apple blossoms and warm honey. My mate’s smell was as sweet as she looked, and her frame was as petite and dainty as her scent was subtle. My muscular arms covered her torso nearly entirely, and I could rest my head on top of hers if I wished. “Mine,” I whispered into her ear before I buried my face into her neck. Her body went stiff within my hold. “Are you a wolf?” “My mate is clever, but how did you know?” “The man who adopted me is a wolf too.” So that’s how a human learned about mates and my kind. “What pack do you live with then?” She wasn’t from Evercrest, or I would have bumped into her long ago. And she didn’t have the scent of the woods and flowers surrounding my pack territory. “I’m… I don’t live with a pack anymore.”
My fragile mate was left out into the world without protection? Who would do such a thing? “Princess, I wish to bring you to my lands with me.” Her body started to shiver. “Are you going to have me banished?” I growled with annoyance. Was that what happened to her? Was she kicked out of her home pack? I had to nuzzle my face into her neck in order to calm down. “No, my sweet princess. You are mine, and I just wish to protect you. I want you by my side.” “I still have a few things to take care of before I clock out,” my mate stated, yet she did not attempt to break away from me. “Then my cousin is supposed to walk me back to my place.” “Can I talk to your cousin about joining you two? I don’t wish to part from you so soon now that I’ve found you.” I could see her mulling over my request before she nodded her head. “He should have gotten here by now. His name is Timothy.”
It was my turn to go stiff at her words. “As in Timothy Howard?” “Yes, that’s him. Do you know him?” “Yeah, I know him,” I replied with a grimace. I dug out my phone and called up David. “Hey, Gabriel. Did you find Timothy?” “Yes, I found him, and he is returning to the territory. Listen, when you see him, tell him that he doesn’t need to run any laps and that I won’t punish him. Also, tell him that I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry, what? Is that my alpha apologizing? Hey, Harvey! Get things ready for a blizzard! Gabriel just apologized!” I growled into the phone, which scared my mate. So I snuggled into her to let her know that I wasn’t angry at her. “Yes, I apologized. Now shut it. I’ll talk to you later.” I hung up the phone before putting it in my pocket. My arm was sealed around the woman before me once again. “I have to apologize to you as well.
You see, your cousin has been leaving his shift early without talking to anyone about it. So I followed him here and chewed him out and sent him back.” “Oh no, I told them not to come if it was going to cause issues. I’m sorry my family caused the pack trouble.” “You’re Willow, aren’t you? Luka and Cassandra’s niece?” After learning that Timothy was her cousin, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. “Yes, I’m Willow Hawkwood. I came here from Waning Moon Pack. Can I get your name?” “Oh, yes,” I said after realizing I failed to introduce myself. “I’m Gabriel Hemming, my princess.” “Alpha Gabriel,” she asked with panic in her voice. Willow pulled away from me and bowed her head as low as possible. “I’m so sorry for the disrespect I have shown you! Don’t take your anger out on my family. Punish me instead.”
“Hey, easy now. Everything is okay. I was mad at Timothy, but not anymore. I won’t do anything to you or your family. Please lift your head and look at me.” My voice was soft, and I did my best to speak gently. When Willow raised her head finally, I saw tears in her eyes, and it looked like she was trying not to cry. I wanted to grab her and hold her tight until she calmed down, but she looked scared of me. “You promise not to punish them?” “I promise, Willow. You have my word as an alpha. Can I hold you again?” She nodded her head, and I gently pulled her in for a gentle hug. I pecked the top of her head before wiping the tears away with my thumb. “I guess that makes you my responsibility now. Is it okay if I drive you home?” “I don’t live far from here.” I was worried she would reject my offer as she fiddled with a button on her chef jacket. “Would walking be okay?” “Whatever you’re comfortable with, I’ll agree to do, princess. I’m going at your pace.”
She nodded her head before looking at me with those gorgeous baby blues. “I still have a few things to take care of in the kitchen. Mind waiting about ten minutes?” “I’ll wait as long as it takes, don’t rush.” I rested my head against hers for a moment before letting Willow go. “I’ll be waiting inside for you.” I watched her go back through the back door before going to the front myself. Heading to the front counter, I ordered a black coffee and a croissant. The table I made Timothy leave was cleared and cleaned, so I sat down. I sat in the chair that allowed me to watch the kitchen. It took her a little more than ten minutes, but she walked out of the kitchen wearing a jacket and a scarf. She said goodbye to her coworkers before stepping up to me. I could feel my heart pounding within my ribcage, and my wolf Nero kept pacing within my mind. He wanted to hold onto our mate again, yet I had to tell him that it would have to be with her permission. I wasn’t sure. I had a feeling she was wary of wolves after what happened to her. “Sorry I took so long. I’m ready to go now.”
“No need to apologize. I told you not to rush your work.” I offered her my hand to see if she would take it or not. She hesitated and only took it as I started to drop my hand. Feeling her small hand within mine made me smile and confirmed that I needed to protect her with my life. “I think the news said it’s supposed to snow again here soon, so let’s go before we get caught in the storm.” I nodded in agreement before letting her tug me along out the door and down the sidewalk. Willow wasn’t joking when she said that she didn’t live far from the mall. We walked maybe four blocks altogether before getting to her apartment building. Once inside, we got onto the elevator to go up to her floor. Now, when I say that the elevator was small, that isn’t an understatement. Four people could fit snuggly into that elevator if they were Willow’s size. So, my large frame took up much of the space. The only way I could have been closer to my mate was if I decided to pin her to one of the walls. I could feel that she was intimidated by me, so I did my best to give her space.
That earned me a squeeze of my hand, and I wasn’t sure how to make of that. We got to her apartment door, where she finally released my hand so she could get her keys out of her bag. “Can I offer you a hot drink before you go? I have coffee,” she asked meekly. It almost seemed like she was doing it out of obligation rather than pure interest. “Only if it won’t be too much trouble. I don’t wish to put you out.” She shook her head no before opening the door so we could walk inside. When I heard Willow finishing up, I moved away from the bookcase and went into the kitchen just as the kettle was whistling. I removed the kettle from the heat and started to look for mugs when my mate caught me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take too long.” I looked at her, and I was caught off guard. If I thought she was a vision of beauty before, seeing her with her hair down and damp only solidified my thoughts. Reaching out slowly, I cupped her face with my hand and rubbed my thumb against her cheek. “I just want to smooch you so badly right now. You are stunning.” Her cheeks went pink once more as her eyes darted away from mine. “I just got out of the shower, though. I can’t be much to look at.” I leaned in to press my forehead to hers. “You are a goddess, my dear mate. And I can’t get enough of you.”
“I’ve never pecked anyone before,” she admitted quietly. A growl rumbled in my throat as my desire to possess all of her grew. I desired to be both her first and her last in every aspect. “Then may I have the honor of being your first?” She thought long and hard before finally agreeing, my heart jumping up into my throat. I moved in slowly to press my lips against hers, still holding her face as my other arm wrapped around her waist. Her small hands rested on my chest as she pecked me in return. I didn’t want her first smooch to be a simple peck or anything like that. No, I wanted to take Willow’s breath away with her first smooch. So I pecked her a little deeper as I pulled her closer to my body. The softest little moan escaped from her, and it encouraged me to continue. The hand cupping her cheek moved to tangle my fingers into her hair as I deepened the smooch further. I felt my mate growing weak, so I held onto her tighter so that she wouldn’t fall.
When our lips finally parted, she immediately dived back in for another. Her hands moved to wrap around my neck, and I think she even moved to stand on her tiptoes. She was as hungry for my touch as I was for hers. The only thing that stopped us was the sound of the coffee maker beeping. So, our lips finally parted once more. Willow softly panted my name, which made me sigh with desire. “Careful, princess. I don’t think you can handle all of me yet.” She replied with a soft whimper before moving to grab two mugs from the cabinet. I poured myself a cup of coffee, and she made herself a cup of tea that smelled like roses. I took as small of sips as I could without it seeming obvious that I was prolonging my stay. At one point, I caught Willow touching a finger to her lips as it looked like she was deep in thought. I gently took her mug away and set both of ours down on the coffee table before leaning in close to her. “If you wanted another smooch, all you had to do was ask.” “Please, Gabriel,” she asked softly with a voice that was as sweet as honey.
I immediately grabbed her hip and pulled her in for a smooch that was as deep as the last one. Her arms snaked around my neck while letting out the cutest little moan. The things I wanted to do to that woman. I wanted her to moan and scream for me as I marked every inch of her body to claim her as my own. Nero wholeheartedly approved. However, I knew that I had to go slow with my mate. Not only was she human, but part of her still seemed scared of me. So that meant I had to wait before claiming my mate completely. However, I loved the feel of her soft lips against mine. The way she just seemed to hunger for more every time our lips parted, even in the slightest. Suddenly, Willow decided to move while we were still smooching. Willow tried to keep grinding into me, so I held her firmly in place without hurting her. Though every time she came up for air and moaned my name, I lost focus for a moment and let her move as she wanted.
I could feel a growing heat from her core as her desire grew. “Stop wasting your time and mate with her already,” Nero pushed. My wolf was as worked up as I was. He wanted us to mark Willow that day. I had to remind him that doing so with a human was dangerous if not properly prepared. When a wolf marks another wolf, the bite mark quickly heals. Humans don’t heal that quickly, and the area where wolves mark their mates is dangerous for humans. She could easily die of blood loss because I didn’t have what I needed within reach. So I had to tell Nero that we would mark Willow in due time. She just had to be ready for it first. Just as the smooching was getting all the more intense. A decision needed to be made quickly about continuing or stopping for the time being. Well, that choice was taken away from us when the door was kicked open…