"This is better than I imagined!" Gabriel exclaimed, his face twisted into a wide, manic grin. His eyes, once warm and inviting, now held a wild, crazed look that sent shivers down my spine. "Now you're truly worthy of being my wife."

"Wh-what?" I mumbled, disoriented and hurting. This was not the Gabriel I knew, the man I had once felt safe with. What the fuck was happening? So he clearly stole the box from my grandmother, but why? Did he... did he have anything to do with her death? The thought chilled me to the bone.

Before I could say anything, Gabriel sat down on the floor next to me and gently placed my head onto his lap. He started caressing my hair, his touch both soothing and disturbing at the same time. His gentle strokes were laced with a hidden, sinister intent.

"Red," he said softly, "you should behave, and if you do, nothing will happen to you. I will protect you. The others won't understand, but I see the beauty of what you are." His words sent a wave of fear and bewilderment crashing over me. Why was he saying these things? What did he want from me?

His gesture was both soothing and sinister, like a snake lulling its prey into unsuspecting submission. I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to unfold, but I was too weak to protest or resist him. All I could do was lie there helplessly, with his fingers threading through my hair.

"Red, I have to confess something," Gabriel's voice suddenly turned serious, but the madness in his eyes remained. "I've always found werewolves fascinating, ever since I was a kid, you know? No matter how hard I trained or how strong I became, a werewolf could always outmatch me."

His fingers continued to stroke my hair, sending shivers down my spine. Was he seriously telling me that he admired werewolves? What kind of sick person would say such a thing? My mind raced with confusion and disbelief as he continued.

"It was so unfair, you know?" His tone was casual, as if discussing the weather instead of his obsession with werewolves. "I always dreamed of becoming one myself, so when Beatrice let it slip that it was possible... I had to find out how." He paused, looking down at me with a twisted grin. "I knew you were the key, Red, but I never imagined you were a werewolf."

Gabriel burst into laughter, a maniacal, crazy, dark laugh that chilled me to my very core. It was at that moment I knew, without a doubt, that he was completely mad. My heart pounded in my chest, fear clawing at my insides like a ravenous beast.

"Isn't it perfect, though?" he asked through his laughter, his eyes wild and unhinged. "Together, we can be unstoppable."

Terror gripped me, tightening its hold around my throat. I needed to escape, to get away from this monster who wore the face of the man I once loved. But how could I? There was no way I could overpower him in my current state, and even if I managed to get free, where would I go?

As his laughter subsided, a sinister glint sparkled in his eyes. The weight of his insanity bore down on me, threatening to crush my spirit and smother any hope I had left.

And all the while, his fingers continued to stroke my hair.

As Gabriel's maniacal laughter from before still echoed in my ears, panic surged through me. I had to find a way out of this nightmare. My eyes darted around the room, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. That's when I spotted it—the silver box that started all of this. It was within arm's reach, sitting precariously on the edge of a table.

"Red," Gabriel suddenly said, his voice low and menacing. He grabbed me, forcing me to sit in front of him on the floor. His hands gripped my shoulders tightly, his fingers digging into my flesh. "You can help me now."

I tried to keep my fear at bay as I looked into his wild, crazy eyes. He continued, "We only need to find some wolfsbane flowers and wait for the next full moon. Then you can bite me, and I'll transform into a werewolf. Imagine it, Red! Together, we won't just rule over these pathetic Hoods. We can rule the entire world!" His face twisted with enthusiasm, his breaths coming in short pants. "What do you say?"

His crazed expression sent shivers down my spine. As I stared into those deranged eyes, a memory bubbled to the surface—Adriano mentioning he had delivered a letter to Gabriel from Grandma Beatrice while she was in her hideout. My heart raced, and I forced the words out of my trembling lips, "You... you knew where my Grandma's hideout was, didn't you?"

Gabriel's face contorted with fury. He jumped to his feet, releasing my shoulders, and began violently punching a table, kicking the bed, and trashing some boxes. The force of his rage shook the room as he screamed, "You're not listening to me!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, I covertly snatched the silver box and hid it behind my back. My fingers curled around its cold, hard surface, ready to use it as a weapon if I had to. I couldn't let him control me any longer.

"Gabriel!" I shouted, trying to catch his attention through the madness. "Answer me! Did you know where my Grandma was hiding?"

My heart pounded in my chest, my hands trembling with fear and determination as I stood up to confront him.

Gabriel's rage subsided, and he slowly turned to face me. His eyes narrowed as he began speaking in a deep, measured tone. "Beatrice asked me to go see her in a letter. She wanted me to kill some werewolf," he said, the contempt dripping from his words. "Yet she still thought I wasn't good enough to lead the Hoods."

My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of fear and revulsion coursing through my veins. He continued, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "That's why I asked you to marry me. I needed Beatrice to trust me, and I needed you to ask her about how to turn someone into a werewolf... and well, you were a good fuck, so that was a nice perk."

I felt bile rising in my throat, disgust washing over me. How could I have ever slept with this monster? A cold chill ran down my spine, and my head spun.

"Did you kill her?" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling with fear and anger.

Gabriel strode towards me menacingly, and I flinched when his hand reached for my face. As his fingers caressed my cheek, I fought back the urge to shrink away from him. The horror I felt at his touch was nearly unbearable.

In a soft, sinister voice, he replied, "No, I didn't kill her." He roughly grabbed my face, forcing me to look into his eyes. "But that's not what's important right now. You must obey me and help me reach my potential. Otherwise, I will tell everyone you are a werewolf, and you will be tried and sentenced to death by your own people. I promise you that."

My heart beat fast with fear. I clenched my jaw and grit my teeth, determined to fight back. Only one thing was clear: Gabriel had transformed into something far more dangerous and terrifying than any werewolf I'd ever encountered.

I took a deep breath and slowly stepped back, trying not to show my fear. I removed his hand from my face and looked him straight in the eye. I knew he was right—if anyone were to find out that I was a werewolf, I would be in serious trouble. But no matter how terrifying Gabriel's threat was, there was no way I would obey him.

"You sick fuck," I whispered, my voice shaking with rage and terror. "You were the only one who knew where my Grandma was hiding. You must have had something to do with her death!"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed to thin slits of blue. He grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him. His voice dropped out of his chest and whispered into my ear, "How dare you accuse me of such a thing!"

Desperate to break free from his grasp, I used all my strength to shove him away. The silver box hidden behind my back felt like my only hope for survival. As Gabriel lunged for me once more, I swung the box at his head with as much force as I could muster.

The sound of metal connecting with flesh echoed in the room, accompanied by a sickening crunch. Gabriel stumbled backward, his face twisted in pain and shock. Blood began to stream down his forehead from a gash the box had left. For a moment, everything was still.

"Is that how you want to play this?" Gabriel asked, his voice low and dangerous. He wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand, his gaze never leaving mine. A wicked smile spread across his lips as the madness in his eyes intensified.

Before I even had time to react, he leaped towards me, driven by fury and pain. Our bodies collided, and we struggled against each other, exchanging frantic blows. But Gabriel was relentless. His arms were like steel bands, pinning me down, refusing to let me go. Despite my best efforts, he soon overpowered me, knocking me to the ground with brute force. He loomed over me, victorious and terrifying, his wicked grin sending chills down my spine.

In that moment, I realized just how far gone Gabriel truly was, and the danger I was in. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to come up with a plan, any plan, that could save me from the monster he had become.