บท 10: The Garden

Megan stepped into the breakfast room spotting Gabriel and Afton seated at the table. There was a vase of fresh white roses and white hydrangeas serving as the centerpiece of the table. The arrangement was lovely, and it made Megan wonder where the staff was hiding. They had come in late last night maybe she just hadn't seen any of them yet.

Megan walked cautiously over to the table and sat in an empty seat. Gabriel set his paper down for a moment and reached behind him on the serving board for the silver lidded plate on a tray that was waiting there for her. Gabriel set the tray in front of her.

"Good morning, Megan. How did you sleep?" Gabriel asked.

"Morning, Morning Afton. I slept better than I expected. You weren't kidding about the stuff that you put on my feet. They are completely healed, even the deep cut is gone. Like it never happened." Megan stammered still unsure what to think.

Gabriel smiled slightly. "Yes, the salve is made from a rare plant that I can't remember the name of. It's effective, though." Megan nodded to his statement.

"Good morning, Mrs. North, I love what you have done with the place." Afton said sounding sincere.

"Just Megan or Meg, please and what do you mean about the house?" Megan spoke looking at the older man.

Megan pulled the lid off her breakfast revealing a huge round waffle with butter, syrup, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and a large spoonful of thick custard cream. There was a side plate with a slice of ham. There was also an extra-large vanilla caramel latte, and it was excellent.

Gabriel shook his head at Afton and the older man sat back having finished his breakfast.

"I have matters to see to." Afton said quickly rising and walking out of the room.

"What did he mean." Megan asked Gabriel.

Gabriel shrugged, frowning slightly. "I have no idea." Megan didn't believe him but understood that he wouldn't explain. Megan was forced to drop the issue.

"Can you explain what I saw in the bedroom last night?" Megan asked as she started eating her breakfast. It was very good.

"I don't know what you saw Megan." Gabriel responded in a tone that implied the topic was unimportant.

"Your eyes were black, and your teeth were sharp somehow." Megan said feeling the terror return. She shivered unconsciously.

Gabriel watched her and caught the shiver. "It must have been a trick of the light and your overwrought emotions playing tricks on your mind. What you're describing sounds impossible."

Megan huffed, glaring at Gabriel. "Your explanation sounds like nonsense."

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I don't know what to tell you." Gabriel said his tone bland. Megan eyed him critically before dismissing his explanation for what happened. His explanation was a cover story to hide his monstrous nature and true intentions. It didn't matter though, she was stuck here with him for thirty days or however long it took him to carry out his monstrous plan.

Megan managed to finish half her breakfast before feeling too full continue. She sat back and sipped at her latte wondering who had made this wonderful meal. Megan looked around the room enjoying the decor of cream-colored furniture against the same cream and white walls of the hallway. There was intricate crown molding and white carved molding tiles on the ceiling.

Gabriel cleared his throat causing Megan to turn her head and look at him. His eyes glinted ice blue in the light. "Would you take a walk around the garden with me?"

"What garden? I saw the grounds last night and the whole place was dead." Megan frowned at the memory. She had been astonished by the interior because of how uninviting the exterior had been.

"You might be surprised." Gabriel said with a small smile.

Megan grew a little curious at his words. "Sure, why not?"

Gabriel grinned at her answer and stood setting his napkin on the table. Megan stood less enthusiastically and put her napkin on the table before it could fall. After a moment Gabriel stepped toward Megan and led her toward the wall of windows.

In the center was a set of double doors that led out onto a balcony with stairs to the ground floor. They were on the side of the house and the morning light had Megan blind for several moments. As she placed a hand in front her eyes, she halted waiting for her eyes to adjust.

When Megan could see again, she looked out expecting to see the barren and dried remnants of a once flourishing garden like she had seen last night. Instead, she was met with green rolling lawns with perfectly manicured shrubs. To one side was a flourishing rose garden and the other held an intricate shrubbery maze with wooden arches covered in climbing roses. A hydrangeas garden guarded the entrance and surrounded a beautiful pool built with natural rock.

Megan gasped taking off down the stairs and around the front of the estate until she could see the front entrance and the looping car park. The fountain in the center that just last night had been crumbling, empty, and dark now spouted water from the hands of an angel on top and cascaded in waterfalls from each basin below.

The front of the house had great swaths of ivy and climbing white roses. The dark gray gothic design had been replaced with white stone and tall gabled windows with greenery literally dripping from beneath the eaves.

Megan's hand went to her mouth. This was impossible. Last night she had been struck by the gothic nightmare and decaying grounds of this house and today it was entirely changed. How could this be? Gabriel stood fifteen feet away watching his new wife pensively. He hadn't realized she had paid so much attention the night before and now he was stuck.

Gabriel slowly approached Megan. "Is everything okay?"

"How could the house have changed so much? Last night it was barren of life but now... Look at it... This is more fairy tale than gothic nightmare. Tell me what is going on?" Megan turned to look at him questioningly. Her face looked truly desperate for answers.

"Perhaps you saw what you expected to see." Gabriel hedged.

Megan scoffed, turning on Gabriel. "Don't tell me then but I will figure out what's going on here eventually." With another angry huff she walked away from him and entered the house through the front door that once again opened on its own. Gabriel sighed following his wife into the house.

Megan stopped glancing at the open door and empty foyer. It wasn't Afton after all. The door just seemed to know when to open. Movement caught her eye toward where Afton had said the kitchen and dining room were. Megan glanced in that direction but didn't see anything but a shadowy room. Megan walked forward slightly trying to see into the room when a hand landed on her shoulder causing her to let out a small shriek.

"Megan, it's me. Don't you want to explore the gardens?" Gabriel said as he attempted to turn her attention from the shadowling trying to escape Megan's roaming gaze.

Megan couldn't see it, but she could clearly see something. He would need to talk to Mim and make sure they were especially careful around Megan. Gabriel hoped Afton was having some luck tracking down a reason for her apparent ability to see through the veil.

Megan stared at Gabriel not really seeing him. Her mind was still on the mysteries surrounding Gabriel and this house. After a moment she finally registered the question, he had asked her. Did she want to go out into the gardens with him? Would he murder her out there?

Megan realized that it didn't really matter. If that was his intention no one was going to stop him. Megan had been so busy storming off she had forgotten what they had been doing.

Megan turned to Gabriel after a moment. "Okay, maybe just out back."

Gabriel took Megan's hand and before she could resist, he pulled her after him down a long hallway. He stopped twice to point out his office so she could find it in the future. Gabriel warned her that his office was locked when he wasn't in it.

He opened the door, and she could see Afton sitting at a conference table working on a computer. He looked up and waived. Megan noticed the ancient arched wooden door with an iron handle set in an iron frame against the stone wall. Megan wondered where that door went? Was there a dungeon behind it?

A few doors down the hall Gabriel opened another door walking inside this time. This was clearly a library with tall shelves taking up every wall except one where tall pane arched windows were hung with heavy drapes. There were several comfortable seating areas, but the focal point was the large stone fireplace surrounded by a long leather couch and two leather armchairs. A fur rug lay on the floor between the glass and wood coffee table and fireplace. Megan really liked this room. Gabriel was looking around with a strange smile on his face.

They continued after a moment, finally making it out a back door into the garden. They strolled around the pool area. Megan thought that a lot of thought must have gone into its design. It was beautiful and she could see herself relaxing out here on a sunny day. Megan stopped repeatedly in the rose garden as she would come across one perfect rose then another. Megan thought Gabriel was spending more time gawking at her than the roses.

When they got to the maze Megan balked. She didn't like the idea of being trapped in the maze with Gabriel. He must have seen her hesitation because he told her everything would be fine and then pulled her into the maze. Megan was so busy keeping up she didn't have time to freak out. After several minutes of darting in and out of shrub lanes they suddenly were in a circle in the center.

There was an iron dome in the center of the circle. Strange vibrant flowers grew on vines all over the dome. Megan had never seen anything like these flowers. They were in shades of green, blue, and orange with large green heart shaped leaves. Megan walked forward to look at them and was shocked into stillness as Gabriel's arms slid around her waist holding her close to him.

Megan wasn't sure how to react. Part of her wanted to flee in terror but another wondered why he was doing this and was curious. Sure, he had forced her to marry him, but she didn't think it was personal for him. Why would he seek her attention?

Megan could feel Gabriel's breaths pick up slightly as they stood there. After a moment she turned in his arms wanting to see his expression. His face was tight, but his eyes were closed.

"Gabriel, what..." Megan started to ask what he was doing but her words were cut off when his lips met hers. Megan was startled, causing her to hiss out a breath and her lips parted. Gabriel quickly took advantage, sliding his tongue along her bottom lip and taking control of the kiss.

Heat began to rise between them as Megan responded to the kiss without thinking. It was as if something deep inside her wanted this and compelled her to respond. For a long minute Gabriel kissed her, his lips and tongue demanding. Megan's arms had moved around his neck and his hands held her tightly to him. Gabriel groaned low in his throat, and he pulled away quickly, turning his back to Megan.

Gabriel knew better than to look at Megan now as his eyes had to be pitch black. He had to pull away because his control was slipping. His need to claim her was intense. This feeling was completely overwhelming. His inner beast wanted its soulmate now but what if she wasn't? Gabriel wasn't sure he could handle that happening to Megan. Before she could ask him anything or try to see his face Gabriel pulled Megan through the secret exit and out of the maze