Gabriel pulled Alex through the Lobby, avoiding the curious gazes of both staff and guests. She hadn't said a word the entire drive back to the hotel and hadn't protested when he took her hand to lead her. This pensive mood and the faraway look on her face; it just wasn't her. He wished he could tell what Alex was thinking, but she was keeping a firm block on her thoughts.

Alexandra Blake. During the silent car ride, Theo sent him the information he had managed to gather in the few minutes they stood watching the sibling as thoughts. Sister of James Blake, heiress of the Blake cooperation, she had graduated at sixteen with an early acceptance to Harvard Pre-Med. That same year she was in a car accident with her parents who died instantly. Alexandra was reported to have been in a coma for several months before she too passed away.

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder at the still silent Alex. She was looking straight ahead, her chin high as if in defiance, but he could tell her eyes weren't focusing on anything in the room. What exactly happened in Hong Kong? The werewolf bite would have put her in a coma, it should have killed her, but how did she end up surviving after being proclaimed dead? There was so much he wanted to ask, but now was not the time. First he had to figure out how to make his woman smile again.

When they entered her suite, Gabriel pushed her onto one of the barstools at the slim kitchen counter and started opening cupboards. At one point last night, Alex had complained about being hungry, so he had ordered Delores to have the kitchenette stocked with ingredients early this morning. Who knew they'd come in handy so soon? Popping flour, vanilla and baking powder on the worktop, he turned to open the fridge.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked when he turned back with milk, butter and eggs.

Gabriel gave her a smile, "Making breakfast." He leaned down, fishing out a bowl and whisk, "You didn't have breakfast, did you?"

Alex shook her head no, then her eyes narrowed as he began to tip flour into the bowl. He was making a mess, but she held back from commenting. She was always holding back. He wanted her to open up, so perhaps he had to lead by example.

"I'm not a very good cook," he began, adding a pinch of salt into the flour. "Maybe because I went to boarding school at a young age, there was never much opportunity to learn. Then at Oxford, I'm not sure why I never cooked, probably because I was too busy with classes and rowing."

"And a strew of girlfriends." Alex mumbled, making him laugh.

"I have no idea where you get that impression."

Alex raised her brows, "I looked you up, before agreeing to work for you. The British tabloids ran many photos of you and your numerous college girlfriends."

Gabriel was pleased with the hint of jealousy in her voice. "Anyway, like I said, I'm no good at cooking, but I'm definitely better than my sister, Angelica." He mixed a random amount of baking power through the flour and hid a smile when Alex cringed. "Once, as an apology for ruining my signed Prince t-shirt, she made me a grilled cheese sandwich. The bread was burnt and the cheese was cold and lumpy. It was more like a declaration of war than a peace offering."

A small smile played at the corner of Alex's mouth, "You liked Prince?"

Gabriel stopped mixing the flour, "I like Prince."

She got up then, motioning him to step aside, "Go sit, Skipper."

Hah," Gabriel laughed, moving out of her way. "Not many people would know his childhood nickname. You're a fan?"

Alex moved his flour mix aside and grabbed a new bowl. "Not particularly, but James was." Her voice went quiet when speaking her brother's name. Gabriel wanted to reach out to console her, but he waited instead. She needed to get things off her chest to feel better, but this was Alex. Talking was not her forte, but from what he knew about her, cooking would help.

He watched as she whisked eggs, vanilla and sugar, her movements precise and unhurried. Silence settled between them as she concentrated on the batter. Her fingers were nimble, her arms strong. Alex didn't measure anything, but drew in deep breaths from time to time as she sifted through the drawers for spices. It was the first time he was seeing her work her magic; the feel of effortless control was mesmerizing.

When the first piece of batter began to sizzle on the small grey pan, the scent of sweet cinnamon filled the air. Alex flipped the golden pancake to cook the other side then spoke: "I was in a coma for a few months after the accident. When I woke up, all I could do was vomit and cry in agony while my brother's fiancé, Lauren, watched in horror."

She took out two plates, never looking his way as she continued in a detached tone: "The doctors couldn't find a reason for my suffering. I didn't know then that they were the problem, that I was absorbing the pain of every nurse, doctor or patient that touched me. I also didn't know that I was vomiting from the constant smell of sickness and death. I didn't know anything, so when they said I'd gone crazy, I believed them."

Gabriel's body tensed as he imagined a sixteen-year-old Alex, curled up in a hospital room in Hong Kong, convinced she had gone mad. He was going to make the bastard who did this to her suffer.

Putting the finished pancake on one of the dishes, Alex mixed the batter once more: "After a few days went by, Lauren convinced me that I was going to be a liability for my brother. She said the moment he found out I had woken up, he would insist on taking care of his crazed sister and end up losing Blake Industries. I hated her, but she was right. Distant cousins were already clamouring for pieces of the company, trying to push James out of the management and using the fact that he had spent months by my side while I was in a coma as their reasoning. I couldn't stand the idea of becoming his burden."

Gabriel filed away Lauren's name as another person who would pay for hurting his mate. "What happened next?" He asked gently.

Alex sighed as she put more pancake batter on the pan. "Lauren planned my death. I didn't think I'd survive long anyway so it wasn't going to be a big lie. She provided me with fake documents and bribed the staff at the hospital to make it look like I had died and been accidentally placed on the cremation list. By the time James flew back from the States I would be dust." She flipped the second pancake. "Not long after I left the Hospital, I passed out from pain. I probably would have died if Shaolin monks didn't find me and take me back to the monastery."

She wiped her hands, then put the plates of pancakes onto the bar in front of him. "I did it so James wouldn't suffer. But why does he look so sad?"

Alex looked up at him then for the first time since she had begun her story and Gabriel could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears. His heart ached at her lost look. "Don't," he walked to her, cupping her face in his hands, "Don't cry Alex. I can't bare it." He kissed her gently, tucking her hair behind her ear, "It's all in the past. I'm here now. I'll fix everything. I won't let anything hurt you."

Alex looked at him for a long moment, her jade eyes seeming to peer into his soul, then she was pulling him down for a kiss. She kissed him slowly at first, her soft lips moving over his gently, her mouth parting to invite him in, but soon she was asking for more. She changed the angle of her head, her tongue pushing against his as her hands reached out and pulled at the hem of his shirt.

Mate, his wolf reared its head at the scent of her excitement, but Gabriel held back. For all her current aggression, she was inexperienced and he didn't want to overwhelm her with his need. He kept his hands by his sides, letting her take the lead. Alex made quick work of his shirt buttons then ran her hands along his chest. His muscles jumped under her gentle touch, tensing when she moved lower.

"Gabriel," she whispered his name, trailing kisses down his neck. He groaned, his fingers curling by his sides when they so desperately wanted to delve into her hair. Her tongue dipped into his navel sending a jolt of pleasure up his spine, then she was undoing his trousers. As she started to lower herself to the ground, he pictured what she might do next and it was his undoing.

With a low growl, Gabriel pulled her back up, pushed her jeans onto the floor then lifted her onto the kitchen counter. Alex moaned when he shoved her sweater up to suck her nipple through the lace of her bra. Her head thrown back, one hand tangled in his hair, she looked so damn hot that his intention to take things slow flew out the window. Kissing his way to the next breast, he reached between her legs to feel the heat of her. She was soaking behind the lacy thong, as ready for him as he was for her. Moving the underwear to the side, he positioned himself and kissed her hard before pushing in.

"Ah!" Alex held onto his shoulders as he wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her hips towards him. She was unbearably tight around him, squeezing him with each stroke. Gabriel could feel himself moving faster, losing control. What if it was too much for her? "Open your mind to me, baby. Tell me what you want."

.

Her thoughts were all the encouragement he needed. Lifting one of her legs over his shoulder, Gabriel took her with abandon until they both exploded with pleasure.