The Real Italian Alphas (4 page)

“Sleep is a part of the plan—much later,” he told her with a grin. His lips came down on hers, and Betsy was more than willing to let him put his words into action.

*

“I have told these men that they must respect you just as they would the lady of the house.” Gabriel explained as he stood at the head of the table with Betsy standing by his side. “You must be sure to tell me if any of them show you disrespect, for such cannot be tolerated here.”

Blushing slightly, Betsy simply nodded her head along with the ten men standing near their chairs. By some unspoken mutual understanding, everyone sat in their chairs and the staff began to serve the meal. Betsy became quite full as the many courses continued to arrive. Not by any word or deed did a single man hint at knowing what she and Gabriel had been doing for the greater part of the afternoon.

“Don Gabriel,” said a man to his left with a slight bow of his head.

“What is it, Grigorio?” he asked.

“How long will Miss Betsy be among us, if I may be so bold as to ask?”

“Until tomorrow at least,” he informed him. “But I will, of course, send her back before the next ceremony. I have no desire for her to be involved in such things.”

“I see, Signore,” he said, bowing his head again. “That is—telling.”

“Is it?” he inquired with one brow raised.

“It is, Signore,” he said, blushing slightly this time. “I will trouble you no further.”

“What’s so telling about that?” Betsy wanted to know.

“It is nothing,
mi amore
.” he reassured her, patting her hand and kissing her temple. “When this meal is over, I would very much like to return to what we were doing before.” This last he said softly in her ear, so the others would not hear it.

“No doubt.” she chuckled.

His hand slid up her thigh under the cover of the table, and he touched her briefly over the area of her clothes where he knew her clit hid beneath. Her eyes rounded slightly, but she did her best to look as though he hadn’t done it. She didn’t want these men to imagine what it would be like if she reacted to their touch instead, as she knew men tended to do.

After the meal, which was pretty uneventful beyond that point, Gabriel and Betsy decided to sit in the living room for a time and watch television. Three of Gabriel’s top men were allowed to sit with them, and one of their wives also joined the small group. Although there were still clearly boundaries these men were expected not to cross, they at least were able to behave in a friendlier manner in this more intimate setting.

A while later, a rather self-important looking man entered the living room, much to Gabriel’s disgust, and fell to his knee in front of him, kissing the ring he wore on his pinky.

“Forgive my intrusion, Capo Russo,” the man said deferentially. “I would not bother you at such a time if the need was not so dire. May I beg an audience with you for a brief discussion?”

“How dare you bring business to the eyes of this lady?” Gabriel asked him sternly. “Have I not told you that she should not be bothered with such things?”

“Indeed, I am sorry, Signore, but it could not be helped,” he insisted. “Will you come and discuss the matter with me?”

“Forgive me, Betsy,” he said as he chucked her under the chin. “I won’t be long.”

“It’s all right,” she said. “I don’t mean to interrupt your business. Please continue as usual—well, unless there’s anything gory involved, of course.”

“Of course.” said Gabriel as he kissed the tip of her nose. He stood and left the room, and he was gone for a while before he finally returned.

“I fear your departure may have to be sooner than I had hoped,” he announced somewhat gravely. “Rico will be taking you home tonight. Can I send for you again next week?”

“Sure,” she said. “Only next time I hope I can stay a bit longer.”

“I am sorry
, ma bella
.” he said as he kissed her. “But this interruption could not be helped. Perhaps after it is resolved, it will not happen again.”

Betsy and Gabriel continued on in the same manner for several weeks. While she was home, her mother continued to tell her what a bad idea it was to involve herself in the affairs of a mob boss, and how every day she feared for her more and more. Sometimes Betsy remained with Gabriel the greater part of a week, but always he sent her home whenever the moon was due to turn full, stating that he had no wish to involve her in the monthly ceremony held on those days.

It was the eve of just such a ceremony, and Betsy was still at the vineyard, for Gabriel had not wanted to send her away despite the need to do so. “I miss you so much whenever you go, Betsy,” he told her. “I know that it is very selfish of me to keep you here tonight, but I cannot bear it when you are away from me. But, as you are here, and some moons are stronger than others, I must warn you that there will be dangers tonight from which you may need to protect yourself while I am gone. I will try to be absent only a few hours if I possibly can, but still you must be warned.”

“What do you mean, Gabriel?” Betsy wanted to know.

“If I return early, I may not—I may not be myself,” he said. “But you must know that I would never hurt you no matter what my form. We must discover a way for you to know me, even if I am—changed.”

Betsy stared at him uncertainly. “Changed? No matter how much you change, I will always know your eyes,” she answered, giving him a kiss. “I will always know the smile on these lips.”

“That is the answer, then,” said Gabriel with a grin. “You will know me by a smile. And Betsy, if you do not see one, do not hesitate to use this.”

He opened the top drawer of the dresser, and inside Betsy saw a pistol. She grimaced and stared at him for a moment, but his look remained inscrutable, so she picked it up.

“Is it loaded?” she wanted to know.

“It’s loaded with silver bullets,” he admitted then, making her glance at him again.

“Silver?” she repeated, remembering how he’d claimed an allergy to that metal. “Why silver?”

“Let’s just say that all made men, at least those members who descend from a mobster called Lupo the Wolf, have that allergy,” he said as he stared into her eyes.

“Are you saying that—“

“Yes, Betsy, when you’re made into the Los Angeles family or the Gambino family in particular, you receive Lupo’s bite.” he whispered.

“Maybe I should have gone home,” she said as she shrank against the headboard. “I don’t want to be here tonight. I’m not even sure I want to be here at all, Gabriel. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me something like this.”

“I hoped that if I made you love me first, that it would be easier to understand.” he admitted. “I am sorry.”

“I need to think about all of this,” she sobbed. “I’m just not sure this is something I can deal with.”

“I cannot send you home before daylight,” he apologized. “You are much safer to stay in here.”

“If you thought I was safe in here, why would you show me that gun?” Betsy pointed out. She shook her head and hid her face in her hands.

“
Ma bella
, I am sorry I was so selfish.” he whispered, and restrained himself from attempting to take her into his arms by sheer force of will. “I should go soon, or you will have to watch the transformation. I do not wish to frighten you with it.”

“Gee, thanks.” she commented wryly. Gabriel sighed deeply, and left her sitting stiffly in his bed, staring at her hands.

CHAPTER FIVE

Several hours later, Betsy found herself curled up in Gabriel’s bed with the pistol under her pillow. She held it firmly, but the safety was on. Her thumb had memorized its exact position. As the night progressed, the howls she’d heard growing louder and closer, prompted her to put it near her.

She had been avoiding sleep, and her heart was still pounding with terror as she lay there in the fetal position, thinking about Gabriel and what he now was to her. Over the months they’d shared, she had come to value their relationship like a prized possession, defying anyone who spoke out against it with a fierce bravado uncharacteristic to her usual, more soft-spoken demeanor.

The relationship between herself and her mother had already been somewhat strained thanks to that woman’s dictatorial ways, but now the two women practically had nothing to say to one another. And that rift was due to Gabriel—the man she knew was wrong but who had always felt so right. Could she love him now, knowing he wasn’t a man at all?

Tears welled up in Betsy’s eyes as she thought about the alternative. Gabriel had changed her life so much in such a little amount of time. Of course she’d never delude herself that a man like him would be likely to marry her and have kids, but now she didn’t even know if he could have them. And if he got her pregnant, would she be having a baby, or a litter of pups?

Ironically, it was the litter of pups thought that broke her free of her melancholy mood. It sounded too much like something Gabriel would have commented. She could even hear it ringing in her ears, using his voice, accent and all – whispering into her ear as he prepared to insert said litter into her person in the most pleasurable way he could come up with.

Pleasure, at least, was one thing he offered that she didn’t think she would find in anyone else’s arms. He was the sexiest man alive, and she didn’t know how she would be able to leave that behind if she decided not to stay. Her gut clenched, and she felt nauseated at the very notion that she’d contemplate such an action. Leave Gabriel? Could she bear to do that?

Still, she had to face facts. This night was the worst she’d ever spent, fearful that at any moment one of those werewolves out there would forget that she was off limits and come crashing through the window to devour her. Her fingers clenched tighter around the trigger of the gun, just thinking about it.

She must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew she felt the bed dip beside her. Thinking it was Gabriel, she smiled as her eyes began to open. She was alarmed when she realized she had a werewolf sitting there gazing down at her instead. But which werewolf? Was it Gabriel, or some hungry fiend ready to devour her?

Her thumb slid toward the safety button on the pistol, flipping it off as she took careful aim. Her hand began to tremble as her finger hovered over the trigger, but stopped when the beast bared its teeth in a big grin. “How’s this for a smile, Betsy?”

“Gabriel, you jerk, you scared the hell out of me.” she grumbled. “I could have killed you. Why are you in here like—
that
—anyway? I thought you didn’t want me to see you like this.”

“I’m sorry,” he said in a growling voice. “I know that you’re still mad at me, Betsy, but I just couldn’t stay away. Not when I don’t even know if you want me anymore. You feel things so much more strongly in this form,
ma bella
. The thought of losing your love is tearing at my soul.”

“I don’t even know if you have a soul anymore, Gabriel.” she said, and he pulled her into his arms and laid her on his hairy, barrel-shaped chest. She buried her face against the fur and began to cry again.

“I’m still—me,” he tried to explain. “I haven’t lost any of myself, just gained a few powers. I’m still a man, and I still have feelings. I can still love.”

“But can you still—“she began, about to ask about his ability to procreate but becoming embarrassed. They hadn’t ever discussed having children. Then again, they had never discussed preventing them, either. Was the lack of concern due to knowing they would not conceive, or simply that he didn’t mind if they did? Either way, that decision should have been mutual, and Betsy was stupid for never having thought on it before this.

“Can I still—what?” Gabriel chuckled, knowing fully well what she was thinking about.

“I’ve always wanted to have kids someday.” she whispered. She glanced up and saw that he’d transformed back to his human form, and saw the sun beginning to rise outside the window.

“We can have them.” he told her softly. “And they won’t be deformed or hideous or anything. They might gain some of my powers, but those traits would not appear until they were mature. So, are you telling me that’s what you want, Betsy?”

“I—“ she began, blushing again. “I don’t know. I just want to know if it’s possible.”

“Anything is possible,
mi amore
,” he told her then. “We could marry, have a family, live our whole life together, all of it.”

“And then what?” she wanted to know. “I would have to die, or let you bite me too, so we could be together forever. How very romantic, except that I hate rare meat.”

Gabriel chuckled, and pinned her underneath him as he explored her mouth with his. “You get used to it.” he said with a grin.

“So if you get me pregnant, I won’t have a litter of puppies?” she clarified as she wrapped her legs around his, having come to the realization that he must have been unclothed while he was out running with the wolves.

“I’m not sure,” he told her with a grin. “You seem to make me horny an awful lot. You might very well get them two or three at a time if you don’t stop enticing me so much.”

“Oh, ha ha,” Betsy grumbled as she smacked him on the ass. “Is that supposed to be an invitation to have your children, or were you actually planning on the rest of what you said along with it?”

Gabriel chuckled. “Are you proposing a merger?” he asked, thrusting his now rock-hard cock against her for added emphasis.

“Do I look insane to you?” she asked, trying to appear stern in spite of the sudden bubble of joy welling up inside.

“Actually, you look pretty tasty.” he said. “But if you wanted that romantic part  where I bite you and we live forever together, it can only happen when I’m wolfed out. Just so you know.”

Betsy sighed. “What’s it like, Gabriel?”

“Until the moon is full, much as it ever has been.” he said. “Well, I suppose your senses are keener, you have more strength, and people gravitate to you somewhat, but other than that, mostly the same. Power can be wielded for good or ill, Betsy, and I’ve always tried to use mine justly.”

“You joined the mob to make a difference for people you care about, I know.” she said, smiling up at him. “It’s a little weird, but I understand. But Gabriel, can we be married in a church? My mother would have a fit if I wasn’t married in a church.”

“The whole Holy ground thing is a myth,” he told her. “We could get married in front of the Pope himself, if we wanted to.”

“Doubtful,” she told him. “He’d find out we’ve been fornicating and we’d be repenting so much that by the time he’d do it, our kids would be ten or something.”

“Betsy?”

“Hmm?”

“This cock gets pretty hungry under a full moon,” he told her, thrusting again. “Maybe we should fornicate before it wears off.”

Betsy giggled when his fingers slid beneath the elastic of her underwear and found her clit. “Mmm, we wouldn’t want to waste a perfectly good, full-on, just turned back to human after wolfing out hard-on, would we?”

“Perish the thought.” he said, and slid her underwear aside before putting action to their words.

*

“What are we going to tell my mother?” asked Betsy as the pair of them got into Gabriel’s limousine a few days later. They’d cuddled and talked the whole way through, excluding a few hours the next night when Gabriel was still slightly affected by the moon that hadn’t waned enough by moonrise to leave him and his men in their natural states.

“The same thing you would have told her if you had not discovered my little secret.” he said with a kiss to the top of her head. “She doesn’t need to know everything
, ma bella
.”

“You’ve got that right.” she agreed. “The woman would likely have a conniption fit if she knew I’ve agreed to marry a mobster werewolf.”

Gabriel chuckled. “When you put it like that, it sounds like a worthy reason for concern. It would be amusing to see her face if I turned in front of her.” he admitted, and Betsy quirked a quelling brow at him.

“Please, she’s bad enough as it is.”

“I would not do it, Betsy,” he reassured her. “It is—it is just a fantasy, nothing more.”

“Did I ever tell you that some of your fantasies are pretty weird?” she asked as she curled her body into the crook of his arm and laid her head on his chest.

“You may have.“ he said, then kissed her forehead and joined her in leaning back for a nice, long nap during the drive. Neither of them woke again until the car had pulled up into the driveway at Betsy’s mother’s house.

“Do you think she will be surprised to find me with you?” Gabriel chuckled.

“Very,” Betsy smirked. “Let’s go have some fun.”

The two entered the house holding hands, making it obvious as they entered just who Betsy was with. Her mother glanced up and hid her scowl, painting on a smile of welcome that did not reach her eyes. “Well, I see you have finally brought your Gabriel to meet your poor Mama. It is very cruel, Signore, to occupy my daughter so fully without even a shake of my hand.”

“Then I shall shake it now, Mama.” said Gabriel as he let go of Betsy’s hand to take hers. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it, then cast her his most winning smile.

“Daughter, I can see why you’re so smitten.” said the flustered woman as she reclaimed her hand and tried to cast him a stern look. “This man is quite the charmer.”

“Yes, Mama, he is quite the catch.” she agreed, casting Gabriel an amused glance as he reclaimed her hand and kissed it as well.

“Andare, andare
,” he said to them then, indicating the living room. “Now that we have met, perhaps we might sit together and talk for a time. Your daughter has brought me to see the sights of your lovely little town, Mama. If it is all right, we will be here for a few days. The driver, Rico, will also need somewhere to rest if you are willing.”

“Yes, of course,” she agreed. “He can sleep in one of the guest rooms. And where will you be sleeping, Signore? This is a good, Christian home.”

“I will be sleeping with my fiancée, Mama, either here or at a hotel,” he said with a smirk at Betsy. “We cannot bear to be apart, you see.”

“Fiancée?” the woman repeated, the smile on her face frozen in place. “So you’ve decided to ask her that without meeting me as well? Signore, were you not raised in a proper Italian home as your accent and occupation would suggest?”

“I assure you, Mama, my upbringing was everything that it should be,” he said. “I suppose I have simply grown accustomed to having everything handed to me, you understand.”

“I understand very well,” she answered as she got back to her feet. “I understand that you think you can just take whatever you want with no consequences for your actions. And what happens to my daughter on the day that you have to face them? Are you hoping to get her arrested or killed right along with you?”

Gabriel was being extremely patient with her, but at the suggestion that he would cause harm to befall his Betsy, his face went up into flames. “I would never allow it,” he informed her, and the sincerity of his words was not lost on her even in her heightened state.

“Ah, you think that you can protect her with your love, do you?” she scoffed. “But love does not withstand guns, Signore. How do you intend to save her from them?”

“I will not pretend ignorance in this.” he said. “But neither should you. Surely you know that Betsy would not be near any place where the gunfire would happen. I do not tell her about my job, and she does not ask. That is how I will keep her safe.”

“And so neither of you has a care for me.” she complained. “You’re taking away my daughter, who usually has provided money to this home, and give no thought to how I’ll repair the roof or the bathroom without her.”

“If you need the roof repaired, I will of course help,” he said. “Remember, you are not losing a daughter, you are gaining a son. One with plenty of money to buy you a different home altogether if you wish.”

“I would not presume to ask.” she said, blushing now.

“You do not need to ask, Mama.” he told her. “Now, where shall your children be laying their heads tonight, eh?”

“Well, I suppose you can stay here.” she agreed then. “After all, you have promised to make an honest woman of her. And that means that we’ve got a wedding to plan. We certainly can’t get anything figured out if we aren’t in the same room, can we?”

Gabriel chuckled, and Betsy gave a little cry of delight as she surged forward and gave her mother the biggest hug ever. The woman tutted and tentatively gave one back. Then, with a shake of her head she also grabbed Gabriel and brought him into the hug as well.

“I never thought I could be so happy.” he said as the group broke apart. He wrapped his arm around Betsy’s waist and brought her to his side, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Let’s go online now, and we shall look for the perfect dress.”