HUNTED

Gabriel tilted his head to the side again as though he was intrigued by her. Maybe the years imprisoned made him lose his mind, or the many years alive made him lose his mind..

He took a step towards her, and Aila instinctively took one back. His eyes narrowed at her action before locking his gaze with hers, "Do not move from me, little wolf. I have only come to play."

Aila suddenly felt unable to move, she tried to move her arms and legs, but they were stuck as though there was an invisible rope around them. She couldn't understand why he was using his mind control on her, or was it another vampire power she was unaware of? The last time he used 'compulsion' on her, it didn't feel like this.

Gabriel also tried to keep a lot about himself and the affairs of vampires quite a secret. Was this the real Gabriel? In the short time she spent with him, she didn't really get to know him; he was quite aloof even then. But she still felt a sense of loyalty and friendship to him; they did, after all, go through the same thing. If not, he went through a lot more than her.

"Gabriel.."

In a flash, he was standing in front of her, making her gasp at his speed. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up, so she looked directly into his eyes. Those eyes that were a sea of blue hues with speckles of red in them, making him look even more otherworldly. 

She watched in a daze as his eyes flickered across her face, "It is extraordinary, really. Seeing you up close.. You look almost symmetrical, mirror images.." He murmured, "except for your eyes. They give you away.."

Aila's brows creased together, "M-my eyes? They're the same-"

"Oh no, sweet Aila. They are not…" His hand stroked her hair as though he was comforting her, "You are nothing like her." His voice became hard, and her mouth fell open, which she shut immediately. His words hurt her, cutting her like a blade to her heart. She blinked away the tears filling her eyes as her wounded heart became heavy.

He released her from his control, and her head flopped down, her hair falling forward.

"It is a good thing."

Aila looked up, confused by his words, and watched his retreating figure.

"It appears our time is up, sweet wolf. It was a pleasure. If you need anything, anything at all, princess.. feel free to reach out." Gabriel turned around and looked at her longingly, "Until next time Aila Cross." He bowed at her before stepping back and merging into the darkness of the trees. 

The moment he was gone, three wolves leapt in front of her, snarling; she didn't flinch nor look at them; her eyes were fixed on the area Gabriel left from. Damon's majestic wolf sniffed her and growled before barking back at the other two, who ran off in the same direction she was staring at. 

Aila felt so confused by what happened. Gabriel.. her friend.. He acted so strangely. The words he spoke were hurtful. Wasn't he talking about her mother? But then, he said it was a good thing she was nothing like her. From what she remembered, her mother was kind-hearted, and no one has said a bad thing about her. Damon even stood up for her parents when she reiterated what the hunters spoke about them. 

So, am I the opposite of my mother? Was that what he meant? Aila frowned at her thoughts. Like the last time she was with the vampire, he left her reeling with more questions than answers. Gabriel must have known her mother, but the first time they met, he mistakenly called her Amelia.. 

"AILA" 

Aila's eyes snapped away from the trees, and she became aware of the two black wolves in front of her. One of them considerably larger than the other. Aila looked at Damon and then at Chiara, her eyes still wide. But before she said anything, a howl was ringing through her mind. She clutched her head in pain.

"Malia?" She gasped.

"Yes.. remember me bitch!? You completely ditched me." Malia growled.

"What? I thought you were asleep?" Aila asked, flabbergasted.

"No. Your leech of a FRIEND blocked our link!" Malia yelled, causing Aila to wince.

"I'm so sor-"

"What happened? WHY are you here? In the woods?" Damon's growl came through the mind-link while a growl left his wolf's lips, interrupting her apology to Malia. 

Aila parted her lips then closed them again with a crease forming on her forehead.

"Things were really strange.. So I went looking for Chiara.. And then she.. I found her asleep?" Aila sounded confused by her own statement and looked at Chiara.

"That's right. I don't know what happened. I caught sight of a vampire, and then it went black. I woke up a few minutes ago," Chiara responded.

Nairi suddenly burst through the trees and skidded to a stop by Chiara's side, her tongue out, panting from sprinting, arriving as though she could hear what had happened. Nairi gasped. "I was also put to sleep."

"Can a vampire do that?" Damon muttered through the mind-link, but he knew the others didn't know. He wanted to follow Kane and Finn to hunt it down, but after seeing Aila's pale face and the look of shock on her features, he decided to stay by her side. If the vampire was as good as staying undetected while they were in the same area searching for it, then he didn't believe Kane or Finn would find him anyway.

Either way, he sent a pack mind-link, telling families to stay inside and any wolves on patrol to stay wary. Damon looked back up at Aila in concern, she had blood in her hair, but after sniffing her initially, he knew it wasn't hers. However, he smelt another man on her, something sweet, like strawberries. The stench made him growl again.

  "Aila, what happened? Did you see the vampire?" He asked, trying to keep his voice soft, but Darius was growling and itching to take the reins. This time, so he could hunt. He, too, didn't like to see his mate acting as though she had seen a ghost.

Aila gasped as her memory caught up with her, "Damon.. I don't know what Gabriel has done.. But he was covered in blood."

"Gabriel?" His voice boomed at the mention of another man's name. His enormous paws stepped forwards, closing the tiny gap between them, and he towered over his mate.

"Gabriel is the vampire.." She said in a small voice, looking away from the imposing wolf in front of her. 

Damon's head came down, so his face was in front of hers. Aila felt his warm breath on her neck, so she turned her head and looked up, eyes widening when she saw how close they were. She tilted her head slightly to see his large snout and baring teeth in front of her. Reminding her, once again, of the first night, she technically met him.

"How do you know his name, Aila?" Damon snarled through her mind; the thought of her interacting with a vampire made his blood boil.

"Because he is my friend.."