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Chapter Three: Salt

***Gabriel's POV***

Exhaustion was my constant companion, and it had been two weeks since I found her. To think that I would find my mate in the human's woods was a miracle beyond what I could have ever imagined; I had searched through both our realms for years without so much as a hint of success. With no end to the searching in sight, my emotions had begun to spiral out of control - despair threatened to consume me, and at times I thought I might be driven to madness.

I was on the brink of my own suicide mission as the darkness engulfed me and my wolf until I caught a whiff of salt in the air—like the ocean. With haste, I followed it through the downpour to find a small woman sobbing in the woods. My wolf whimpered at the sight of her immense suffering. Something or someone had broken her heart, No, shattered it. Destroyed her. I didn't want to frighten her, but when I saw she had a gun against her lips, I leaped forward and grabbed it. The gun discharged and shot me in the shoulder, though that was preferable to what could have happened.

Without a moment's hesitation, I scooped her up in my arms and brought her to the safety of my realm to receive medical attention. The nurses found that she had overdosed on sleeping pills; they immediately pumped her stomach, administered activated charcoal, provided her with IV fluids, and gave her various herbs, as instructed by my mother's book of remedies. When she was alive she taught us all the ways of witchcraft. Being a hybrid had some serious bonus points.

I held her tightly during those long hours, hoping our mate bond would save her life. Even though we were not yet mated or marked, I felt an unbreakable bond between us. Initially, there was no guarantee she would make it and I was worried about how to cope if I lost her after such a long search. I don't think I could go on living.

Nonetheless, I maintained my calm demeanor as best I could, although it was almost impossible not to snap at anyone who got too close. Thankfully no one took it personally.

Once her vitals had stabilized, I let her go and just held her hand. I didn't want her to wake up feeling alarmed that some man was cradling her desperately in his arms. She had gone through something so traumatizing that she thought ending her life was the only solution. I felt a pang of guilt as I realized I had been in the same situation—driven by loneliness and madness—but nobody else knew except me and my wolf.

"Gabriel you fell asleep." The sound of my wolf's deep voice echoed in my mind.

My eyes snapped open, fear coursing through my veins. I frantically looked around the hospital bed, only to find it empty. I leaped up, a sound of distress escaping me, and ripped back the curtain that had been set up for her privacy while she was there. If something were to happen to her, I wouldn't be able to live with myself--or without her.

"Relax," my wolf said calmly, though he was just as anxious as me. "Take a deep breath."

I balled my hands into tight fists and shut my eyes, taking a long, slow breath inward through my nose. I was delighted when the smell of the ocean rushed in to calm me down. She had such a unique scent. When I opened them again, I didn't have to look far before I spotted her in front of a window, holding scissors in her hand. Fear crept over me: she wasn't supposed to be left alone since she could hurt herself.

I stealthily strode towards her. Being Alpha meant I had to stay hidden as I tracked my target or foe. She was gazing at the scissors and back to the window again. In a sudden motion, she pulled her medium brown hair up into a fisted ponytail and started snipping it off. I began to detect the smell of salt and knew at that moment that she was weeping quietly.

My instincts were screaming at me to go over and embrace her, to promise that she'd never have to be afraid of being hurt again. Yet, I knew it wouldn't be that simple. I watched as she let the clump of hair slip from her hands along with the scissors. The loud clacking of the scissors hitting the ground reverberated through the vacant clinic. a wave of serenity seemed to wash over her. Her eyelids shut, concealing her dull hazel eyes that I so desperately wanted to see sparkle with joy. Had they ever shone with joy?

Without meaning to, I asked, "Do you feel better?"

She jumped and let out a shriek. "I'm sorry!" I exclaimed too loudly, my outburst making her cower in fear. I uttered my apology once more, this time at a much lower volume.

Oh, how embarrassed I felt.

"What do I do Inarius?" I asked my wolf, feeling disheartened before I even had the chance to make friends with her.

"Beats me," Inarius sighed. "I usually sort out my troubles by eating it, peeing on it, or smelling its backside."

I couldn’t help but groan inwardly: “That’s not helpful!”

I had to be cautious how I spoke to her - most humans had no knowledge of our species or the world we inhabited unless they were lucky enough to be mated to one of us. We passed back and forth into their realm all the time and a large amount of us lived in their realm.

Wait, I knew what to say! He was a genius!

"Good boy," I praised him, causing his tail to wag excitedly.

"I am a good boy," he replied with a cheesy grin. Well, whatever the facial expression dogs do when they are embarrassed or happy.

"Umm," I began cautiously, not wanting to startle her. "Do you want something to eat? You must be really hungry by now."

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, She looked like a lost basset hound, with pale skin and a dejected expression. I desperately wanted to embrace her and stroke her hair, but I had to resist the urge. She was still beautiful in her current state. Like a tiny, delicate seashell on the beach.

"I don't feel hungry," she commented in a frosty voice, holding her back straight and looking away.

Typically, I wouldn't be upset or hurt, but her change in attitude stung like a blade, cutting deep into my heart. Just as I was about to go back to the drawing board on how to approach her, a loud growling sound could be heard. I had to suppress my laughter as her face turned bright red.

"I think she's hungry," Inarius said, his voice full of excitement. Inarius loved a good meal just as much as I did.

"Ok. Maybe something small," she mumbled, rubbing her hungry stomach.

"Great! Would you like me to get some food here or go down to the kitchen and grab something?" I asked eagerly.

This small exchange meant a lot to me, even if she didn't realize it... yet. The hardest part was hiding my excitement and longing for her.

"It doesn't matter," she said.

I didn't want to leave her unsupervised, but I also didn't want to leave her alone.

"Let's go to the kitchen," I suggested, gesturing for her to follow me.

She hugged herself tightly as I noticed the goosebumps that had formed on her light and freckled skin. The scrubs she wore were too thin for warmth.

"Here take this," I offered without thinking.

I removed my hoodie and passed it over to her. It was much too large for her, but the idea of wrapping her up in my scent, letting everyone know she belonged to me, made both my heart flutter and Inarius paw at the ground excitedly.