T H I R T Y - T H R E E

"My King," Zak started, "she did exceptional. Do you think she's… the prophecy Queen?" The other Alpha's in the room looked at me intensely.

"If she is, my brother has already found her." I rubbed my forehead, "he always finds her." Clayton Rivers snarled his disapproval, and I glared at him, "I'm not fond of the thought either. The best thing we can do is train her hard, and educate her, but no one is to tell her of the prophecy until I do. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my King," they all spoke in unison.

"Now, I need to go check on her, she took quite a beating today, and still managed to make it to me."

I turned and left the throne room. Kai was the Queen in the Prophecy, I knew it. She survived Aura not too long ago, and today managed to take on the best fighters I could find throughout my packs. All at one time. I didn't know Aura, but a call to a family friend quickly made me aware of how dangerous she really is.

I got into my car and flew out of the parking lot towards home. She was probably asleep, but I needed to make sure. She was diagnosed with a bad concussion, received stitches above and below her eye, and her lip was split. I hit the steering wheel, sure there was time to heal before the Ritual, but she didn't need this right now.

Walking in the front door, I thought I could hear the shower. I let the door shut behind me, and walked up the stairs to our bedroom. The smell of shampoo didn't come so I walked into the bathroom. She was sitting on the wooden floor with her knees pulled up, her head resting on them. Clearly asleep.

I turned the water off quietly, and grabbed a towel, resting it across her back.

"My love," I spoke, before gently pulling her soaking wet hair out of the towel.

"Hm.." was all she managed, barely picking up her head.

"Can you stand up for me," I questioned and she nodded, "come here," I helped her up, and wrapped the towel fully around her.

"I-I'm okay.." she stumbled into my grasp a little.

I scooped her into my arms instinctually, yeah our bed was only fifteen feet away, but she had no strength left. I set her down, and turned to her closet, "boarder patrol reported no signs of Pryor and Paisley," I grabbed her a t-shirt and comfy bikini styled underwear.

"Burning Embers reported nothing over there either, and their patrols ran fine even though 3 of their wolves were here." I turned around to her watching me intently and squeezing her hair with the towel. She stopped moving so I could pull the t-shirt over her head, before continuing.

"I feel like there's a 'but' coming.." she whispered.

"No, love," I gently lifted her face toward my gaze. My eyes wandered over every inch, from her stitches, to split lip, her sunken eyes, "you pupils are dilated, you need to sleep."

"I know there's something you're leaving out," she pressed, so instead of telling her about the prophecy I pressed my lips gently against hers. Warmth filled me every time I touched her. I pulled away from her, "no, that's all," I pulled her to standing and she pulled her underwear on the rest of the way.

Eros was pushing his way forward and I growled, taking a step away from her, "Kai, you're," Eros won. My face turned into a sly grin and my fingers twisted into her t-shirt. I pulled her close to me, realization yet to hit her. My body involuntarily bent down and I put my face slightly against the base of her neck. I inhaled deep, her scent was stronger, changing, the pheromones in her body emitting different kinds of signals.

I stood again, my eyes nearly rolling to the back of my head. I was looking up at the ceiling, but seeing through Eros. I tried to stop him, but he wasn't budging. When I turned to Kai again, she looked terrified.

She took a step back, "Gabriel…" she nearly whimpered my name. She pushed her arms against me, as I pulled her to me, and picked her up, right on to the bed behind her. She pushed a knee in between us. Eros was gentle with her, but not backing down.

"My King.." and then her hands clenched my dress shirt, and her jaw clenched like she was trying not to cry out in pain. She started breathing harder but didn't make a sound. Our lips pressed together, without hesitation she slid her tongue into my mouth and pulled me closer. She removed her leg between us and instead wrapped it around my waist. I slowly moved to a less weight bearing position, making myself less heavy on her.

I tried again to slip back into control but Eros' guard was still up. My mouth moved to her neck, and she whined, but not in pleasure. It was pain, instinct took over and I was kissing the spot where she'd bare my mark. She stopped whining, the pain from her haze turning to pleasure. She let my hands trail wherever Eros pleased, but pulled my face back to hers. Goddess she was smart. I can't mark her if I'm kissing her, and Eros won't fight against her if she's interested.

We'd been sitting here, making out, for twenty minutes when our bedroom door opened. Thank Goddess she alerted someone. Bex's scent was first to hit my nose, and rage filled me. I let out a warning snarl, Kai's eyes frantically searching mine. The wolves behind me let out a challenging growl in unison and that was enough to get Eros' full attention.

I stood up, still dressed, shirt half unbuttoned, and turned towards them. A menacing look on my face, "you are all, so rude, to be interrupting me right now." There was barely any trace of my own voice in that sentence. I cocked my head at Bex, "but now that you're here, I guess I could fulfill my promise of marking her in front of you." A wicked laugh escaped me. Kai tried to hold in a cry, but it came out through a heavy breath and clenched jaw. I turned to her, Eros in pain that he couldn't help her, but that was all they needed. Theo and Clayton each grabbed my arms, pulling me back, and Zak and Bayne stepped in to help when they struggled with holding me.

Someone kicked the back of my knees and I fell to the ground, my arms held out to my sides. Fern was over to Kai, holding her hand and helping her through the first wave. I managed to plant a foot and tried to stand but they held me there. I snarled and Bex walked around the group, standing in front of me.

He threw a punch at my abdomen, and then another. Instead of them getting Eros back in place, they managed to just make him angry, claws started extending from my fingers and my canines elongated. More snarling, more punching. Kai screamed out, but got off of the bed and closed the gap between her and I. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face into me.

"Get out of the way, Kai," Bex's voice was harsh, and she gave him a snarl. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away, but instead of latching to me, she turned around into him, letting her right knee fly into his ribs and left fist into his face.

"If you ever," she stumbled slightly from the pain she was in, "touch your King again," she was getting wobbly, "I will make sure it's the last day you have hands." Reia's voice accompanied the threat, and Kai sunk to the ground in front of me. Eros receded and the first wave of her haze was over. I let my arms go weak and everyone relaxed.

Crawling over to her I spoke, "my love, I'm so sorry.." I sat on the ground and wrapped a hand around the base of her head, pulling her into me, "this wasn't supposed to happen until next week.." I pressed my forehead against hers.

"Shhh, it's okay." She pressed her lips against mine, "I'll go with my dad, and you can stay here."

"No, I'll go." I moved to stand us both up, "I built myself something, for this purpose. Here you have the tub, our bed, my scent is everywhere.." she nodded reluctantly. I turned to everyone, "thank you," I looked at Bex, his nose was bleeding, "Eros isn't fond of you, so maybe have someone else punch me next time." I turned back to Kai, her face looked terrified and that's when I noticed Eros pushing in again. I snarled, refusing to let him take over, and stumbled back slightly.

"Shit.. Kai," I shook my head with a heavier snarl but Eros won again, my face twisted into another grin, "mm, the things I want to do to you."

Bex walked between us and harshly spoke, "alright, that's enough, get out of here."

Eros didn't like that, I grabbed him and got him in a choke hold immediately. He pulled on my forearms but it only made me tighten my grip. A little longer and I'd be able break his neck with ease. I leaned down near his head, "he told you I didn't like you, the only reason I won't break your neck right now is because she," I looked right at Kai with a pause, "she does." I released Bex and threw him on the ground. Theo, came in between Kai and myself now, "Eros, it's time to go.." Kai cried out again, and fell to the ground, curled in to a ball. I reached for her but Theo pushed me back, "no, go, I've got it." Bex was getting up now, and moved to her, I growled at him but he ignored it, and scooped Kai into his arms.

"Get out of here Gabriel, you're poor for her safety." He glared at me, Kai's hand tangled into his shirt, her knuckles almost white. He grunted as her claws started to become more prominent and dug into his chest. Theo was pushing me backwards with the help of Zak and Bayne before I could retaliate.

"I'm locking the place down, nobody in, nobody out. Get Xander here now, but do not let Mara in, she'll hate it and be more stubborn than anything." Zak spoke the truth, and finally the three of them pushed me out the front door. Eros immediately shifted, and I ran. I ran towards the dungeon I'd built for myself, it was miles away, but I needed to get my head clear. Kai's distressed screams echoed throughout the forest and there were multiple times that Eros turned back towards her. The wave of her haze was over by the time I made it to my location. I was the only one that knew where it was, and I'd have to rely on Zak to find me after this was over.

Immediately in the door there was a staircase that lead one hundred feet underground. It was dark, but there was a few small lights along the path. Downstairs I'd constructed it to be a bunker, a place for elders and children in times of war to keep them safe. I stumbled down the last few steps, Kai's haze starting again, but managed to hit the button to close the vault door at the very bottom.

Now I was shut in completely, with only a couple lights to illuminate the room. Eros took over again, but this time I didn't fight it, I knew we couldn't get out and I knew Kai was safe. Well, as safe as she could be.

The hours ahead of me, were filled with rage, constant digging my claws into the ground, constant slamming myself against every wall, constant punching at the door to get out of here. Kai's haze would come and go, I'd feel them in a different way than she did, until I didn't. I was pacing back and forth when I heard the vault begin to open. I shifted, and stood there, starring. It would be harder for Zak to see all the blood all over myself. I gave him a wolfish glare once he came in to view.

"My King," he dipped his head, "you can come back." I didn't wait, Kai's feelings were no longer there and I needed to see for myself if she was okay. There was no way she would have died. She's stronger than that, and she's the Queen in the prophecy, she had to be. I sprinted the entire way home, the panels were raised again and I only slowed to grab the one pair of boxer's that were on the couch. I slipped into them and ran upstairs, blood and sweat, along with mud dripped off of me but I didn't care.

When I walked in they were all surrounding the bed, Bex was near her head, stroking her hair. Nobody was crying, and then I heard the beeping sound of the machine next to her. The sound of it filling her lungs with air.

"Get out," I said, in a bit of a harsh tone, "everyone except Xander, get the hell out." They all took a step away from our bed, and I placed a hand on the black wooden headboard, leaning in just enough to be over her. She was alive, her lips were slightly purple, her eyes were sunken, her stitches were still in tact. She was on a ventilator.

"What happened," I wanted to reach down and touch her face, but I was so dirty.

"I've given her our heaviest sedative. She can't breathe on her own right now, so the machine is doing it for her, she's in a medically induced coma, my King."

I turned to Xander, "so you won't know when the haze is over?" I snarled, but he shook his head, "No, my King," he showed me a graph, "these humps are her haze," he pointed to the graph, "she's only had fourteen now, they were…" he paused, trying to find the correct words, "gruesome. To say the least. I'm not sure she would have mad-"

"SHE, is strong and would have made it just fine," I growled in rage again, "do not disrespect your queen like that again."

"You can lay with her, if you'd like. The sedative prevents you from also being effected by her haze."

I looked at her, she was covered in tubes, from IVs to the intubation. I nodded, "I need to shower first." Xander nodded and I walked into the bathroom, removing the boxers and walking into the cold water. The smell of mud and blood filled my nose and I scrubbed my hair and skin, I didn't want to stink when Kai woke up. I shut the water off and padded out to my closet, I grabbed Kai's favorite shirt, she always said it was soft on her face. I then put on her favorite boxers too.

I walked back over to the bedside and moved around Xander. He helped move any tubes that might be in my way and I crawled under the blankets, laying on my side. I tucked one arm under her neck, my chin resting on the top her head, but laying on the pillow. I shut my eyes, trying to ignore Bex's scent all over her. I kissed the top of her head and inhaled, the sugared amber scent was amazing and I wanted it to be all over me.

"Everyone but Xander, get the hell out." I snarled, harder this time, since none of them had listened the first time I said it. I didn't want them all to see me in one of my weakest moments. I wanted to be here for her, and just for her.

"I have Eros reined back in, so you'll need to let her haze out the last three to four waves."

"No you don't," Bex's annoying voice retaliated.

"If I wasn't already tucked under her body, I'd come over there and give you the beating you deserve," I snarled at him.

"You knew what you were doing to her the moment you claimed her," he snarled now and I heard someone grab him.

"Hey man, chill out," it was Theo, "she wanted this too," he reminded.

"I bet he hasn't even told her that he picked the Ritual task this year," I heard him push Theo away, before turning to leave.

His statement pained me, he was right. Kai had no idea. Just like she had no idea that she was part of a prophecy. I let it slide, emotions were elevated right now. It was hard to watch someone you love and care for, go through the grueling stages of a haze. It could happen to all werewolf mates, depending on how long you withheld your mark, but it was rare. For a King and Queen, it was harder to handle. The last Queen who had hazed for five months, died. Not Kai. This was her fifth haze, whether it was because of Xander, or her strength, she was going to survive, and I was making sure of it.

"Get him out of here, before I do something that makes her hate me forever," I snarled over her head, my back to everyone.