As Alexandria knelt there holding the wolf, she fought to control her pounding heart. There were so many questions she didn’t have the answers to and no one here to give them to her.  It’s not like the wolf can tell me what in the world is going on, she thought to herself.  No sooner had the thought formed in her mind, the wolf moved so that he could look eye to eye with her.

“What are you thinking?” Alexandria asked more to herself than the wolf.  “And of course you aren’t going to answer me because you’re a wolf.” Alexandria couldn’t help but laugh as she watched the wolf who watched her in return.

After several seconds, Alexandria got up and headed towards the kitchen while the wolf stayed where he was, all the while following her with his eyes.  She rummaged through the cabinets until she came across a bowl and then reached into the fridge and retrieved two bottles of water.

The wolf watched as she came back in front of the fireplace and set the bowl on the floor and emptied one of the bottles of water into it.  She then sat back down on the rug, opened the other bottle and raised it to her lips.  After she began drinking the wolf lowered his head and gently lapped up some of the water Alexandria had poured for him. 

Once the water in the bowl had been emptied the wolf laid down on the floor facing Alexandria so that he could watch her while she took a final sip of water, capped the bottle and reach for the blanket.

She laid down and pulled the blanket up over herself as she turned and faced the wolf.  Her eyes grew heavy and she sleep was quickly overtaking her.  She murmured, “Thank you for staying.  I just wish you could tell me what I’m doing here and just what am I suppose to become.”

Alexandria drifted off to sleep with her protector watching over her, unaware that the blue eyes that watched her sleep were just as troubled as she was.  And when the wolf knew she was finally sleeping deeply, it was only then that he allowed himself to change.

In the clearing beyond the woods, a woman slept on a rug by the fireplace.  The wolf she thought of as her protector, got up from his place by the fire and as he moved to stand, he changed.  It was quick and for the most part painless, after having made the change so many times before.  Wolf became man and as the man turned to walk back towards his bedroom, he paused to glance again at the woman sleeping by his fire.

She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and he’d been around long enough to see plenty.  Her hair reached to the middle of her back, was thick and wavy and had a reddish golden color.  Alexandria was fair skinned but had a body a man or wolf would kill for, with curves and satiny skin he had the pleasure of seeing firsthand when she knelt in front of him in nothing more than his shirt, barely buttoned. 

He looked one last time at her before continuing on to his room.  He still couldn’t believe how strongly he had to fight against the urge to attack Jonas when he had come through the cabin door earlier and saw him so close to her.  No doubt Jonas was enjoying being a watcher and observing his Alexandria while she had been sleeping.

“She is mine, there is no mistaking that.” He growled as he stepped into the bathroom to turn on the shower.  As he waited for the water to heat up, he turned to look at himself in the mirror.  He didn’t often look at his reflection, after all it hadn’t changed in the last two hundred years, why would it now?  Still, after having met his mate and feeling the bond begin to form, he knew he was different, even if his reflection didn't show it.

Gabriel had known about the foretelling and even though he was considered one of the main characters in that story, he never fully believed it until he had first laid eyes on Alexandria.  It had been almost a year ago today when he had first passed through this way and something compelled him to buy the cabin and surrounding land.  He had purchased the land in passing and didn’t give it another thought as he carried on with his travels until Jonas’s visit.

As Gabriel stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over his body, he found himself thinking back to the previous week.  He had been in the northern part of Canada visiting some old friends when the watcher had come to see him.

“Gabriel, it’s good to see you, how long has it been?” Jonas had said from behind him.

“Apparently not that long if you haven’t forgotten my name yet.” Gabe had replied before turning to face Jonas.  The two men stared at one another for a few minutes before breaking out into grins and clasping one another on the shoulder.

“As if a watcher ever forgets a name, shame on you for even thinking it Gabe.” Jonas smirked.  “A man can hope can’t he?” came the reply.

Jonas glanced at Gabriel as they walked down the street.  He genuinely sounded disappointed, but Jonas knew that there was more to it than that.  Gabriel had to know that Jonas wouldn’t be seeking him out now of all times if it didn’t have something to do with the foretelling.

Just as Gabriel was born to be a leader, Jonas was born to be a watcher.  Each knew it from the moment of their birth and although it might have driven lesser men to resentment and jealously, Gabe never let it come between the brothers.  He let Jonas know early on how much he valued his opinions and that he respected who and what Jonas was.  As a result, Jonas never resented that Gabriel was meant to be a leader, if anything, he was relieved that he didn’t have to have all that responsibility on his shoulders.

“How have you been brother?” Jonas asked.  “Good.” Gabe replied, but then added, “I imagine that won’t be for long if you are seeking me out?”

Jonas laughed, “I am not always the bearer of bad news you know.”

Gabriel laughed at that. “I am inclined to agree with you, if you are brining news to anyone but me.” Jonas might have been offended if Gabe hadn’t been grinning while he said it.

“Unfortunately, that is very true,” Jonas began. “As you know, since I am the watcher for our people, I record and observe events, as well as monitor everything having to do with the foretelling.”

“Don’t tell me you still believe in all those stories they fed you and me as kids?” Gabriel said good-naturedly.  “As a matter of fact I do and I think after you hear what I have to say, you will too.” Jonas answered.

“Okay, just give it to me straight then.” Gabe had said, but nothing could have prepared him for what Jonas said next. 

“She’s been found.  The one that will lead with you, the one that is destined to be your mate.  And ironically she lives not far from where you purchased that cabin and land last year.” Jonas told Gabriel in all seriousness.  “And there’s something else you should know.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Gabriel had thought to himself, but no, there had to be more.  Jonas started talking again, all the while not knowing that he had just sent his brother’s usually calm reserve into chaos.

“Drake knows who and where she is as well.  He hasn’t reached her yet, but he is trying like hell to get to her before you even have a chance to set eyes on her.” Jonas told Gabriel. “If I were you, I would get my **** moving, even if you don’t yet believe, at the very least, you can save her from the likes of Drake.”

Gabriel knew that what Jonas was saying was the truth.  At least the part about Drake, even if he didn’t yet believe the other part of his story.  How is it that his own brother knew who his mate was before he did, Gabriel wondered.  Either way, it looked as if he would be making another trip.  “Wait a second,” Gabriel began. “Should you even being telling me this?  You know the repercussions of interfering.”

As they continued to stroll ahead, Jonas mentioned casually, “Of course I know them.  But it’s like this.  Drake has pretty much gone rogue at this point and taken his pack with him.  When his pack’s watcher, Matthew didn’t want to tell him things he shouldn’t know, Drake tortured him until he did.”

“Is Matt ok?” Gabriel asked with heavy concern.  Matthew belong to Drake’s pack, but he had been friends with Gabriel and Jonas for years.  Gabriel had offered him the protection of his pack, but Matt declined because he knew his mother and sisters wouldn’t leave and wanted to be there to protect them should they needed it.

“He’s doing much better now, almost fully healed.  Drake left him for dead and since he moved on, Matt doesn’t know where to find them.  His mother and sisters won’t answer his calls.” Jonas said sourly.

Gabriel nodded before asking again. “So how is it that you can tell me these things? About the woman I mean.”

Jonas stopped Gabriel’s forward motion by putting a hand on his shoulder.  “I petitioned the elders for the right to tell you.  After all, it wasn’t something that Drake didn’t already know.  So it only seemed fair to you and to the woman that I should be able to warn you.  They gave their consent, so here I am.”

Both brothers stood still for a moment, each lost in their thoughts of what the future might hold and how to prevent whatever Drake was trying to do.  Gabriel wondered if he was after the woman simply because she was supposed to be Gabe’s.  Drake always resented that Gabriel was made leader of his pack long before he and unlike Gabriel who had earned the respect of his fellow pack members to get there, Drake connived and schemed to get to the top.  Drake’s pack followed him out of fear or because they were of a darker, more violent nature like their leader and for no other reason than that.

  “Gabe, there is just one more thing you should know.”  And this time, Jonas did hesitate before telling Gabriel the last piece of need-to-know information. He had been dreading this part since he sought his brother out knowing it would not go over well.

“Are you kidding me? What else can there be, really?” Gabriel asked sarcastically.  Jonas cleared his throat before telling him the worst of it, at least that would be how Gabriel viewed it for now. “Alexandria, that’s the woman’s name.  Anyway, Alexandria is…… She’s human Gabe, well, technically, she’s more than human, but she’s not one of us.”

Gabriel rinsed the last bit of soap from his frame and turned off the shower.  He could still remember distinctly the words he had used to describe the fact that his “destined” mate was a human.  Jonas had said that Alexandria was more than human.  He had been too shocked at the time to wonder just what he meant, but as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the towels off the rack, he thought of his sleeping mate in the other room and knew he needed to find out.