“I mean every goddamn word,” I snapped, harsher than I intended, but I didn’t care. The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but they were true,
He tilted his head, regarding me with a strange glint in his eyes, almost like he was trying to peel me open and read every raw, bleeding page inside. I hated it. I hated how it reminded me of them-how they always saw too much.
“Must be hard,” he said finally, voice dropping an octave, “being tied to men who don’t want you.”
My throat tightened.
Don’t you dare cry, Olivia,
I forced a smile and looked away.
My eyes roamed around the luxurious room before I moved them back to him, noticing his eyes had been on me.
“What is your name?” I asked, wanting to know his name at least.
“Gabriel,” he responded without hesitation. I nodded, noting his sister’s name was Abigail.
“Where is she? Your sister?” I asked, needing something-anything-to shift the heavy direction. this conversation was heading toward.
Gabriel’s lips curled into a small, almost fond smile. “Abigail’s not here. She traveled outside the pack a few days ago for some training. She’ll be back in a few more days, give or take:
I nodded, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my car just to have something to do hands. The silence between us was still tense. with my
“And your parents? I asked, feigning casual curiosity, even though I wasn’t sure why I cared. Maybe I just needed more noise, more anything to drown out the mess inside my chest.
“They’re away too,” he said, leaning back casually against the seat, crossing his arms. “They went on some kind of extended trip. Four months now, actually
“Four months?” My eyebrows shot up, genuinely surprised. “That’s… a long trip.”
Gabriel shrugged, his muscles flexing beneath the thin fabric of his shirt far too distractingly. “They needed a break. “Vacation, or whatever excuse rich, bored people use to abandon their children. laughed at his sarcasm, and Alpha Gabriel smiled. “You should laugh more often… it suits you,” he said, staring directly into my eyes.
I looked away and frowned. If only he knew that I had forgotten how to laugh, I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed genuinely.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at the floor, forcing my heart to slow down.
“So….” I said after a moment, twisting my fingers together, “what about you? Your wife?”
Gabriel let out a short, unexpected laugh that made me glance up at him.
“Wife?” he repeated, like the very idea was absurd. “There’s no one, Olivia.”
He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his thighs, his gaze never leaving mine. His voice dropped lower, silkier, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
“The space is vacant,” he said, a slow smirk curling the corner of his mouth. “Unless…” He tilted his head, studying me like he could breathe through me. “You want it?”
I blinked, my mouth parting slightly in shock.
A laugh-small, bitter, and humorless-escaped me before I could stop it.
“You must be joking. That is not possible,” I said with another laugh.
Gabriel shrugged lazily, like my words were just another challenge to him. “Maybe I like impossible things.”
I stared at Gabriel, stunned, a weird knot forming in my chest. Was he serious? Was he actually flirting with me? Offering me a place at his side like it was some casual thing?
Something about it felt wrong. Twisted. Like I was betraying something deep inside me, even though the ones I would be betraying had already betrayed me. i shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling uncomfortable.
“I should go,” I said stiffly, pushing myself up to my feet so fast my chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Olivia’s ne
Gabriel stood too, his hands raised in a small, apologetic gesture. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly, his voice full of regret. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Olivia. Really!”
I hesitated, swallowing down the surge of conflicting emotions churning inside me. His voice sounded… sincere.
“If you want,” he said cautiously, like testing the waters, “I could show you around? This place can feel like a prison if you stay locked up in one room”
I chewed the inside of my check, considering. Part of me wanted to crawl back to the Full Moon Pack, but another part of me wanted to stay here a little longer.
“Fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms again. “I’ll leave after that.”
Gabriel chuckled lowly, “As your lordship wishes,” he said with a wink, and I shyly looked away.
He led the way, walking beside me but keeping a respectful distance.
First, he took me outside, down a wide path that opened into a sprawling, open field. The grass was trimmed low, and sturdy wooden dummies lined one side like silent sentinels.
“The combat grounds, Gabriel said, waving a hand. “Where all the future warriors train.”
I nodded, impressed by the size.
He then showed me the gardens, the training rooms, even a small armory tucked away in a stone building. Gabriel talked casily, filling the silence with light stories and funny facts about the place. I found myself listening despite myself, the heavy knot in my chest loosening just a little.
If only one of them spoke this way to me, I thought suddenly, the image of three pairs of familiar eyes flashing through my mind-Lennox’s angry intensity, Louis teasing smirks, Levi’s guarded tenderness.
My wolf, silent until now, stirred suddenly inside me, her voice urgent and low.
“They’re getting worried,” she said. “The triplets… they’re searching for you. I can feel it, Olivia.”
I stiffened mid-step. Gabriel noticed but said nothing.
“You should at least unblock them, my wolf urged. “Let them know you’re safe.”
My throat tightened painfully.
No.
Looking for you
I wasn’t ready.
Not after everything.
“I won’t,” I whispered to myself harshly, earning a concerned glance from Gabriel.
“Just tell them you’re fine, my wolf pleaded. “They are so worried!” T
What about my pain? I thought bitterly. Did anyone ever care about that?
I gritted my teeth and shoved the feelings down.
Gabriel, sensing my shift in mood, slowed his pace, giving me space.
“Want to see the lake next?” he asked, his voice careful, like he didn’t want to spook me again.
I nodded stiffly, forcing my legs to move forward, trying to push any thought of them away.
The walk to the lake was silent. At first, I thought it was a comfortable kind of silence-the kind that settled when two people had said all they needed to say. But after a few steps, I realized something was… off.
Gabriel’s expression had shifted. His shoulders were tense now, his jaw tight. He wasn’t relaxed like before. His eyes, usually sharp and focused on me, were glazed, distant.
He’s mind-linking someone, I realized instantly.
I stopped walking. My heart kicked painfully against my ribs. Something was wrong. I could feel it.
Gabriel finally blinked and shook himself like he was shaking off water. He turned toward me, his expression serious now-so serious it made my stomach twist.
He took a slow step closer, lowering his voice like he didn’t want anyone else to hear, even though we were alone.
“They know you’re here, Olivia,” he said grimly. “The triplets.
My blood ran cold.
“They’re at the border right now,” Gabriel continued, his mouth a tight line. “My men are trying to hold them back, but…” He let out a breath, dragging a hand through his messy hair. “It’s not looking good.”
I swallowed hard, my legs suddenly feeling like they were made of lead.
“What do you mean… not looking good?” I managed to whisper.
Gabriel gave me a look that said he hated what he was about to say next..
“They’re threatening to come back with hundreds of warriors if you the next ten minutes.” don’t show yourself within
The words slammed into me like a punch to the gut. Hundreds. Of warriors.
For me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.