Chapter 18: Virgins and Wives

Megan woke the next morning feeling a little confused but not sure why. Then she began to remember the night before. Megan groaned; she had basically thrown herself at Gabriel. Her cheeks blushed with color as she remembered something else. She looked down at herself realizing she was naked. After a quick check she amended that to close to naked. She still had her underwear on, thank the heavens for that miracle.

A noise from behind Megan startled her and she gave a small shriek. There was a huff and then a chuckle as she rolled to her back clutching the blankets to her chest. Gabriel was on his side and propped up on an elbow. He was playing with her hair and looking amused.

"I have been waiting for you to stop freaking out over there, but it became too amusing for me to ignore." Gabriel said smirking at her discomfort.

"Glad I could amuse you." Megan told him sourly

"Don't be like that. I have been waiting to tell you something forever." Gabriel chided her gently.

"I wanted you to know that I have thought about what you would look like naked in my bed with your hair fanned across my pillows a dozen times and yet, somehow the reality is better than anything I imagined. How did you do that?" Gabriel asked Megan with a teasing smile.

"I wouldn't know, I've never been naked in a man's bed before." Megan answered looking uncomfortable.

The amusement left Gabriel's face. "Your father said you had suitors, that you have been with men before."

"My father didn't know what he was talking about." Megan snapped looking away.

Gabriel blew out a long breath and slid closer to Megan. "Baby, I didn't know. I wouldn't have acted so cavalier if I had known. Nothing happened last night, everything is okay. Sweetheart, look at me." When Megan finally turned her head Gabriel leaned in kissing her sweetly.

After a moment Gabriel grinned at her before wrapping his arms around Megan blankets and all and rolling until she was on top of him. He held her there with one arm and pulled her lips to his with the other hand. Megan kissed him until she ran out of breath, she squirmed to get loose. He released her mouth wrapping both arms around her waist refusing to let go.

"Nope, you're mine and I'm keeping you." Gabriel chuckled, tightening his arms.

"Can't breathe," Megan fake wheezed.

Gabriel rolled them their sides and pulled her in close to him. He couldn't believe that she really was his. No one had ever been like this with her, no one had touched like he had, no one had made love to her like he was going to, and no one ever would. Gabriel wasn't giving Megan up and he would never share her. She was his.

The claim need flared to life at the thought of her being his alone and he struggled to quiet it back down. He had been careless with her feelings thinking that Megan had experience with these things. Now he needed to make that right for her, and make sure she was cared for properly. No wonder she was so shy. He had thought it cute, not telling.

Leaning back, Gabriel looked Megan in the eye. She was smiling slightly but worrying her bottom lip. He leaned in kissing her with hunger but restraint. After a minute Megan wound her arms around his neck forgetting about holding the blanket. Gabriel slid his onto her bare back pulling her against him. Gabriel wanted to pull away the blankets between them but just managed to stop himself.

Megan was losing her mind. Now she remembered why she had thrown herself at Gabriel last night. It was that damn pulsing heat coursing through her and that throbbing ache down low. She just knew that he could make it stop and she wanted him to. His mouth went to her jaw leaving small wet kisses. Then suddenly his mouth was gone, and he was three feet away taking deep gasping breaths with his arms crossed over his chest. Gabriel's eyes were tightly closed, and he looked like he was concentrating hard.

"Gabriel..." Megan started feeling concerned.

Gabriel's voice was raspy. "Baby, I just need a minute. I got a little worked up."

"Okay, did I..." Megan stopped not sure what she was asking.

Gabriel's eyes opened and Megan noticed that they were very dark. "Sweetheart, you are amazing. A little too amazing in fact, I am struggling to control myself with you."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Megan offered.

Gabriel smirked, "You better be. How dare you drive me crazy with want until I lose control." He said trying to sound stern. Megan shook her head at his antics.

Gabriel finally slid closer to Megan. He took her in his arms and kissed her gently, "I think I should cool it for a little while. I don't want to rush you and if we continue right now, that is what will happen." They lay there like that for a little while.

Megan was starting to think that Gabriel had fallen asleep, but she asked her question anyway. "Was it like this with all your wives?"

Gabriel leaned back looking at Megan. "You mean like it is between me and you?"

"Yes, I'm sure it must have been, but I was curious." Megan said quietly.

Gabriel's smile was sad. "I have never been like this with anyone, sweetheart. The other wives were all business arrangements."

"I don't understand." Megan told him her voice full of questions.

"I have never paid for a bride beyond a marriage price, I have never forced a woman to marry me, and I have never wanted any of my wives in this way. What you and I have is special Megan. People go their whole lives never finding what we have found between us in just a few days. I have been trying to find my other half, my soulmate." Gabriel explained to her.

"I'm not sure I believe in soulmates." Megan said cynically.

Gabriel frowned at Megan. "You are awfully young for that much cynicism." Megan shrugged at him with a frown.

"Can you tell me what happened to your wives, or why your eyes turn black, and you have to get away from me?" Megan asked the hard questions without even meaning to.

Gabriel sighed trying to think of what to say. "My eyes get darker because my baser instincts are coming to the front of my mind. It is hard to think rationally. Meaning I have a hard time telling myself to slow down with you. I just want to be one with you and I start losing control over my will to go at your pace" He hoped that would suffice.

"And the wives...?" Megan asked him.

"They are living out their lives far from here." Gabriel breathed heavily, not wanting to go down this road with her yet.

Megan nodded silently accepting the explanation for now, knowing that this was all the information he was going to give her right now. She knew there was a lot more to the story but was also sure that if she pushed too hard Gabriel would clam up and maybe never answer her questions.

Right now, she could live with the answers she had been given. Gabriel had claimed that he didn't feel this way with the other women which was what she had needed to hear. She needed to feel like what they were sharing was special to him the way it was to her.

Gabriel leaned in kissing her again but with a slow heat that didn't consume her but promised that more would come. Megan couldn't help but hope that they would be together soon. The ache in her core demanded relief and she didn't know how to do that without him.

Gabriel pulled back feeling tortured. He wanted her so badly it felt like fracturing himself to stop. Not to mention the pain he was currently in. He wouldn't be able to continue to go up and down without relief soon. He just needed to get a hold of himself first.

Knowing that Megan was pure meant two things. First, he needed to make sure things went right for her and second, he wanted her even more desperately because of it. To tie her to him in a way only he would know. Thirty days wasn't an option. Thirty lifetimes wouldn't be enough if the way he felt now was anything to go by.

He needed to help Afton find information on the claim. He needed to speak with Brother Shelton and ask about the blood issue. Gabriel needed to figure out what and how much he was going to tell Megan about who he was, and he needed to figure it out in the next twenty-three days. That was how long they had left.

It was generally not advisable to tell humans anything about the realms or the creatures that existed. They generally couldn't handle the information and lost themselves in their fear. There were many humans sitting in the psych hospitals because of a brush too close with another realm. People were not built to process this information. Gabriel wondered if Megan was different. She had accepted the house, the garden, and his strangeness. He wished he knew what she could take.

Gabriel sighed and brushed hair away from Megan's cheek. Even from this distance he could smell her sweet scent, and it made him want her with a fierce desire. Gabriel climbed out of bed telling Megan to do the same. He told her to get dressed since they were late to start their day.