HUNTED

Damon tackled Gabriel to the ground and raised his fist, but the vampire sighed and pushed his chest, causing Damon to fly backwards, crash landing on the top of the car bonnet. Gabriel stood again, patting his suit down and readjusting his tie before strolling towards the raging Alpha King. Damon gripped the bonnet, his claws growing and scratching the metal as he growled loudly.

"Now, now. Let us talk like gentlemen here." Gabriel held his hands out in mock surrender. Or so it looked like to Damon. He couldn't help but see red when he looked at the white-haired vampire, both because of his annoying face that he'd seen nightly in his nightmares and because he'd gone M.I.A and not providing his help. This made him wonder if he cared about Aila at all. 

"Where were you!?" Damon shouted before leaping forwards again, landing a punch to Gabriel's face. 

The vampire's head flipped to the side, his white locks flicking across his forehead. He rubbed his jaw and slowly turned his head back to look at Damon. "There is only so much I will take, Damon," He threatened quietly. 

"And not that I need to explain myself, but Esme needed me. That is all I will say." He shrugged nonchalantly with his hands in his trouser pockets.

Damon grabbed him by the shirt. "Esme needed you.." He scoffed as his fists started to shake, and his eyes began to glow. 

"Aila needs us, and he was doing what?!" Darius roared into Damon's mind, leaping against the barrier of his mind and trying to take the reins so he could do worse than Damon had done to the vampire. 

Gabriel glared back at Damon and wrapped his hands around Damon's wrists, his iron grip pressuring his bones. He grimaced from the slight cracking sound of a fracture, but he continued to clutch onto Gabriel's shirt furiously. Damon's claws grew again, piercing into Gabriel's chest. Small blobs of blood spread on his shirt, but Gabriel did not so much as flinch and looked more annoyed than anything.

"Damon, buddy, you need to calm down! Gabriel is here to help now," Ajax raced to his side, looking between the pair frantically. Finn and Darren started to go towards Gabriel as the gates opened with more pack members arriving and circling the pair in the road. 

"I see this is a bad time." A feminine voice called from the side, resulting in not only the Alpha King and Vampire King to look in the she-wolf's direction but all the pack members there. Esme was sitting on the wall, swinging her legs, her dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, a black mask covering half her face and matching the rest of her black attire. 

Her nonchalance seemed to piss Darius off even more, and he growled in return. Gabriel's grip tightened on Damon's wrists before he let go and punched his chest, sending the Alpha flying again. He landed against the bonnet again but dropped to his knees, clutching his chest, trying to breathe in the air from where he was suddenly winded. The pack members stepped towards Gabriel, both looking uncertain and furious that he'd touched their Alpha. 

Damon stood and glared at the vampire. But then two others appeared by his side, baring their fangs. Luther and Vinnie did not touch him nor say any words; they were obviously guarding their King.

"Enough!" Esme hopped down, landing in a crouched position on the ground before sauntering towards them. 

Damon growled at the she-wolf's command causing his pack members to turn and look at her with disgust. 

"Rogue." Was whispered among them aloud and in the pack mind-link. 

"Where is she!?" Chiara's voice shouted into the mind-link. Others who were stood among them now responding swiftly to their Gamma's question, still staring at the approaching rogue. 

Damon looked at the petite she-wolf, who had now stopped in front of Gabriel almost protectively. He raised a singular brow at the bizarre scene before him, making his temper begin to diffuse. "Why were you not waiting with Gabriel?" He questioned, eying her attire suspiciously. 

Although Esme's circumstances were dire, and he wanted to look out for her, leaving the she-wolf in Gabriel's care was the best he could do. But he couldn't deny that she had been a rogue most of her life. He still needed to be cautious.

Esme hummed and pulled her mask down. "I was testing the security of your place. I can give you a few pointers if you want?" She replied playfully but lowered her gaze as soon as his chest started to rumble, reminding her of who exactly he was. 

Chiara then arrived, pushing two giant warriors aside and glaring at Esme. She took a step forwards, her face full of fury, but Ajax walked to her side, his face bright and wrapped his arm over her shoulder. "Did you miss me?" He asked, beaming down at her. Chiara shook him off, still glaring at Esme.

"What did you do to my Gamma?" Damon asked, ignoring Ajax and stepping forwards, making the crowd part for him. He watched in interest as Gabriel stepped slightly in front of the rogue. Had Gabriel been looking out for Esme this whole time? He looked between them and paused as Gabriel's gaze softened as he looked down at the she-wolf. But he did it so quickly; Damon thought he imagined it. 

Esme shrugged. "I was showing her the weakest parts of your patrols. That was all. But compared to others, it is by far the strongest. As expected of the Silver Crescent pack." She bowed her head respectfully. 

"You made us wait outside here. The least you can do now is invite us in so we can talk," Gabriel added, waiting expectantly for Damon to give the order to his pack to officially stand down. He would never go against Gabriel unless it was necessary; he was the King of vampires and kept most of them in check.

Damon gave the nod to the pack members, and they all stepped back. "I am just alerting the pack to the guests visiting. They are vampires but will not be causing any trouble, and I expect you to treat them respectfully," He mind-linked the whole pack. Although he was a little disgruntled by it, he also didn't want any more issues between the werewolves and vampires. 

Plus, landing a punch on Gabriel's annoying face made him feel miles better. 

"Head back inside," He commanded his men nearby, then turned to Darren, who had been staying by the car. "Return the car to the garage, and get a mechanic to fix it in the morning. Other than that, your duties are done today. I'll call for you if I need you."

Darren bared his neck to the Alpha and opened the driver's door again, climbing inside and waiting for everyone to clear the road. The pack members walked in pairs and in a line back through the gates avoiding the moving vehicle. Gabriel and Esme climbed into a sleek black sports car that was parked off to the side of the wall. He drove slowly behind Darren's SUV.

Damon felt a little uncomfortable watching Gabriel enter his estate; the last time he was there, he killed the Alpha King.. Though times had certainly changed, and after venting some of his anger out on Gabriel, he would be having a chat with the vampire, and maybe the arrogant sod might be helpful. 

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