Fated for Forever(32)

“There he is! Thank God he’s OK!” Roman yelled from the doorway. He was holding his left arm which

dangled at a wrong angle and his chest was covered in deep bloody furrows.

“Ashby, Gabriel needs you upstairs now!” Roman yelled. Ashby stood and took off down the hallway

and up the stairs to the VIP level. He saw coven members standing outside the conference-room door

visibly shaken. Ashby approached the doorway and stopped when Montana was thrown through the air

from the conference room to slam into the wall in the hallway. He fell to the floor covered in plaster and

dust and didn’t move. Another roar was heard, and Ashby clapped his hands over his ears.

“Is this him? Is this his mate?” a shrill voice demanded.

“Yes, this is our Prince Ashby,” Baptista said from behind Ashby, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Good, send him in there. He can calm him down,” the stranger said.

“I am not sending Ashby in there with some unknown assailant, where is Prince Gabriel?” Baptista

demanded. A low guttural snarl was heard.

“That is Coven Leader Dorian to you, roughneck. That creature you hear is your Prince Gabriel. We

were in the middle of our meeting when he started snarling and growling before he lost his mind. If this

man is his mate, he may be the only one who can approach the prince in this state,” he explained.

“Let me go! I have to get to him, he sounds like he’s in pain!” Ashby twisted out from under Baptista’s

steadying hand and ran into the conference room only to stop dead in his tracks. The room was trashed. A

man he had never met before lay on the floor unconscious as Lauri, Rhys and two other men stood in a

semicircle around a creature.

“Easy Ashby, Prince Gabriel has shifted to his most primal state, he may not recognize even you,”

Baptista said as he eased into the conference room and stood behind Ashby.

“Lauri, report,” Baptista called out.

“Mid-meeting Gabriel started to growl. First his eyes shifted to red, then his hands grew claws. He stood

and his body lengthened and his fangs dropped further than I have seen any vampire’s fangs go before.

Then he gave that ungodly roar and started trashing the place going after everyone,” Lauri said as the four

men maintained a loose circle around Gabriel.

“Gabriel?” Ashby asked softly. The creature’s head swung around to stare at Ashby. Its head dropped

back and he began to sniff the air. It bobbed on its feet staring down the four men.

“Gabriel it’s me, Ashby,” he said. Stepping forward, the creature started a low purr sound.

“OK that’s encouraging. Go slow, Ashby.” Baptista took small steps behind Ashby.

“We need to keep him busy for a few moments longer. Roman, David and Daniel headed to the

infirmary to get the tranq gun we keep on hand for shifter crowd control,” Baptista explained.

“Keep talking to him.”

“Gabriel, remember me? It’s your mate, Ashby.” Ashby felt the tears drip down his cheeks.

At the word mate, Gabriel stood his full height and roared in anger, going wild and taking swipes at the

men in front of him.

“We’re here,” Daniel said.

“Clear the way, get us a clear shot,” David yelled.

Ashby turned to see both twins down on one knee taking aim with what looked like elephant guns.

“No! You’ll hurt him! No!” Ashby kicked and fought as Baptista wrapped an arm around his waist and

swung him out of the way covering his body. That was when Gabriel went crazy. Ashby could hear the

roars and the men’s screams followed by the sound of four shots being fired. Then there was silence.

“Let me up! Let me up!” Ashby demanded, pushing against Baptista’s heavy frame. When they both

stood Roman was ordering Lauri and Kurt to secure a set of chains around Gabriel’s hands and feet.

“Why are you doing this? He is your prince!” Ashby demanded, getting in Roman’s face. He stepped

back when Roman looked at him with tears coming down his face.

“I know he is my prince. I know,” he said brokenly. All around him Ashby could see the devastated

expressions of the coven members.

“What happened? Why is he like this?” Ashby asked as Lauri and Kurt started to carry Gabriel out of

the room.

“Where are they taking him!” Ashby tried to follow but Baptista and Roman blocked the door. David

and Daniel ushered the visiting coven leaders out of the conference room and gave orders to Rhys to make

sure they were seen to in the VIP lounge before shutting the door and turning to face Ashby.

“What is happening?” Ashby asked, his voice breaking.