I had read enough about werewolf lore and myths that I understood how the aspect of mates worked. It was just surprising to hear that I had one. Humans don't get to just know who their soulmate is. They normally have to date dozens of people, and then pray that the one they marry is the right one.
Not only was I sane, but I had a soulmate. The thought made me want to giggle like a schoolgirl, but the seriousness of the situation caught me off guard."No, we are not going to kill you, Elena. You are in a similar situation as your sister. When you are ready, there is someone out front who wants to meet you." Gabriel gently guided me back to the couch, and I took my previous seat.Elena sat across from me, staring as if she were in shock."Olivia, I know you have questions. I promise I will answer all of them. Would you stay tonight?" Gabriel looked intense as if he had to harden his expression to keep his true feelings from me. I had to wonder if he was as nervous as I was.My head moved up and down, no words coming from my lips as I continued to stare wide-eyed at the man next to me. He interlaced our fingers once more, sending me a dazzling smile.Elena cut in as she pulled out her phone and typed out a quick message, saving me from having to untie my tongue to answer. "I'll tell mom and dad that we are staying at Stacy's house tonight."It frustrated me that we still had to answer to them. We were both over eighteen and school was over, but we were stuck living with them. They were controlling and didn't want us to leave. Well, they didn't want Elena to leave, but she had been accepted to a university in town and would be commuting from home.For me, they didn't trust me to leave. I tried to apply to several universities across the country. Unfortunately, I didn't turn 18 until after the admission deadline, and my parents refused to sign anything. Now, if I wanted to go to college, I would have to wait until the next semester.I know they didn't trust me to move into dorms or live on my own. They barely trusted me enough to let me out of the house. The only time they would is if I was with Elena. Hence, why I dragged her hiking through the forest once a weekend for the past few years. She was a good sister and put up with it because she believed me, or at least she said she did. Now she had no choice. She was sitting in front of their Alpha with a mate waiting just outside the house."Alright then. I will have someone bring food from the packhouse. Elena, will you be eating with us?" As Gabriel asked, a growl could be heard from outside. He smirked and glanced toward the window with a smug look as if taunting whoever was there. "Ignore her. She is just impatient to meet you. Please, feel free to stay as long as you would like. She can wait."Another growl echoed through the room, but this time Gabriel's eyes went black, and a threatening look came over his face. My mind was telling me to back away from him slowly, but my body wanted me to stay and comfort him."If you will excuse me, ladies. It appears my cousin has forgotten her place." Gabriel turned but the look on his face was unchanged and intimidating. He pressed the softest of kisses to the back of my hand before setting it on my lap and walking out of the room. The front door shut loudly behind him, seemingly waking us from our shocked state."All this time, you were right! I mean, I never thought you were crazy, but I wasn't entirely sold on werewolves! Magic, maybe! But humans that can transform into animals and talk to you telepathically? Oh my god! This is unbelievable!" Elena jumped up to her feet and began to bounce around excitedly. "And I have a soulmate! A soulmate that can turn into a wolf! How cool is that?"I watched stunned from where I sat, as she walked over to the window to peek out into the rapidly descending darkness. There was no sound from the outside, and I could only assume that Elena could not see anything as she abandoned her post to return to my side.When she saw I wasn't reacting the same way as her, she placed her hand on my shoulder. "You're mate seems nice. What's wrong?"I glanced around the room, noting the lack of decorations on the walls, and the fire that had started to dwindle down before glancing at her. "It just feels like a dream. I knew I was attached to him from the first time I met him as a wolf, but that was ten years ago. Now, he is here. I'm waiting for someone to wake me up and shove another handful of pills down my throat as they tell me that none of this is real."She wrapped her arm around my shoulders, squeezing me to her side comfortingly. "This is all real. Look, you've told me enough about wolves and mates. Even I know that this is one of the best things that could happen to anyone. He already adores you. Embrace it. Don't let any fears or doubts stop you from being happy."The sound of the front door silenced us, and we both waited patiently for Gabriel to enter. Instead, an older woman pushed a covered cart down the hallway, sending us a brief smile as she passed. "Come along, dears. The Alpha will be along shortly."Elena and I glanced at each other before moving to follow. The hallway walls were as bare as the living room. The house was beautiful and modern, but it was still a blank canvas as if it were ready to be abandoned at a moment's notice with no evidence that anyone had ever been here.The hallway opened into a wide dining area. The woman began to set the covered trays on the table, her silver hair glistening under the light of the chandelier. Her eyes crinkled in the corners, and her smile made me feel at ease."I'm Betsy. I work in the dining hall, so you'll see me almost every day. We are so excited that you are both here! It was a pleasure to meet you, Luna, Elena." I watched in stunned silence as she dipped her head in our direction before leaving the house.The smell coming from the food had my stomach growling and my mouth-watering. I debated digging in but knew I should wait for Gabriel since he was our host.It wasn't more than a few seconds after we took seats across from each other that he returned. The door opened quietly, and two pairs of feet could be heard as they made their way down the hallway.He came around the corner first, his shirt gone, showing his defined chest and bulging arms. It was unreal how sexy he was, and I grabbed onto the seat of my chair to stop myself from jumping up to greet him. He sent a smile my way as his eyes met mine. My lower lip curled up in between my teeth, and I bit down onto the soft flesh to prevent myself from saying anything foolish.As the second person came around the corner, a wave of nausea crashed in my stomach. A strong warrior-looking woman with black hair, loose down her back in nothing more than a tank top and shorts, followed behind him. Her sharp cheekbones and plump, red lips rivaled several supermodels that I had seen on the cover of magazines.She was the most beautiful woman I had ever met.Her unwavering stare on Gabriel's back as he moved to take the seat to my right, at the head of the table, made me uncomfortable. She had a look of longing as if she were waiting for him to acknowledge her or give her permission for something. I only prayed it was not for the intimidatingly stunning woman to join us for dinner.A warm touch against the back of my hand triggered sparks to erupt under my skin. My head snapped over to meet the knowing gaze of my mate, and I released my hold on the chair."My love, I would like you to meet Athena, my cousin. Athena, this is Olivia, your Luna." The pride in his voice made me feel giddy.It took a moment before I realized who he said she was. I glanced over at Elena, who was staring wide-eyed at the tall woman. Athena remained standing at the opposite end of the table, her strong arms were rigid at her side, and her head was held high.Athena dipped her head once in my direction. "Luna, it is a pleasure to meet you."I watched confused as she refused to look at Elena, and instead went back to staring at Gabriel with rapidly forming anger evident on her face."Elena, this is my cousin, Athena." Gabriel's voice held humor, and I watched as Athena let out a deep breath of relief before setting her eyes on Elena.My sister slid her chair back and jumped to her feet to greet the woman. "It's nice to meet you. You're my mate?"Athena wasted no time and moved around the table fluidly, her footsteps barely audible as she rushed to Elena. My mouth dropped open in surprise when Elena was immediately wrapped in Athena's arms and pulled in for a deep kiss."And she said that we were friendly," I said.Dinner was a quiet affair. I was more nervous than anything to be alone with Gabriel that night and ended up picking at my food like a child. I caught him sending me worried glances throughout most of the meal. As soon as he finished eating, he slid his chair closer and placed his hand on my thigh. The heat radiating from his palm made me press my thighs together as a jolt of excitement ran through me."Are you alright?" His voice managed to deepen as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. I had no doubt that at least Athena could still hear us across the table if she wanted to. By the love-struck look on her face, as she watched my sister nervously jabber on, I knew she wasn't listening to us."Yes, I guess I'm just a bit shocked is all." Lying to him tasted like poison was being poured on my tongue. I wasn't shocked at all. I had known his kind existed for the past decade. Every night, I had dreamed of the man before me. We had a connection, and I had been aware of it fo
We stood side by side as we brushed our teeth. Gabriel had given me a spare toothbrush that he said he had purchased a long time ago. He said he wanted to be prepared for when I was finally able to meet him again. It was a sweet gesture, but the knowing smirk he kept sending me was frustrating. "What?" I asked, my hand with my toothbrush dropped from my mouth as I spat out a mouthful of foam from the toothpaste. "Nothing." He glanced at me in the mirror again, his eyes darkening as he looked me up and down. I did the same to him, smirking back when I noticed he was still hard. "It doesn't seem like nothing." Gabriel let out a deep chuckle before spitting his toothpaste out and rinsing his mouth. He leaned his hip against the counter when he finished, staring at me as I continued to brush. I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. He leaned in, his lips barely touching my ear as he spoke. "I can still smell your desire for me. It is so sweet."
Waking up wrapped in Gabriel's arms was magnificent.Waking up to him flipping me off of his chest to be underneath him while he growled furiously toward the doorway, was terrifying. His eyes were black, and his canines were extended. He held himself over me with ease as if to shield me from the intruder. I pressed myself into the mattress to stay as small as possible."Oh, calm down, you big baby." A male voice chimed from the doorway. "I heard our Luna had finally made her way to us, and I wanted to be one of the first to meet her."I didn't dare move, as Gabriel still held himself protectively over me. If it weren't for the third party in the bedroom, I would have been a very happy woman having him on top of me like that. I bit back my smile as I felt him press down against me as he relaxed his stance. He glanced at me quickly before turning back to glare at the man. I watched fascinated as his teeth and eyes went back to normal."Get out," Gabriel gro
Breakfast was a somber event, not for a lack of trying on Kate and Jack's end to lighten the mood. They were very friendly and sarcastic, always cracking jokes and telling stories to make us laugh. It was hard to be positive knowing that we had to go back home, even if it was just for a short while. Gabriel drove us back to our car on the edge of town. Much to my surprise, there was a well-hidden dirt road that led right to their community we could have taken instead of trekking through the forest. After exchanging phone numbers, a heartfelt goodbye, and several kisses, he pulled himself away and returned to his car, Athena reluctantly following after him. They waited until we were pulling away before he turned his car around and left. I didn't want him to see me looking over my shoulder like a lovesick puppy, but I did watch through the side mirror as he got further away until I could no longer see him. Our ride was short and silent as we made our wa
My toes brushed my carpet as I swung my feet back and forth. My desk chair creaked in protest from my constant movement, but I ignored it and continued to stare across the room at the open window. My pajama shorts and tank top left little to the imagination, and I had picked them out just for that reason. Unfortunately, I was beginning to regret that decision as it got colder as the night went on. Gabriel had not messaged me since I had returned home, and I had assumed he was busy. I knew my mind was my enemy, but the longer I waited, the more I began to second guess whether he was real in the first place. I had read our messages over two dozen times. I needed to ensure that they existed, and so did Gabriel. Alpha Gabriel. A werewolf. Oh, God. I dropped my head into my hands and let out a sigh of frustration. Crazy. I am absolutely crazy! After all this time, I finally lost it. The orange bottle sat atop my dresser, laughing at me as if it knew just how insane I was. It was one
Elena ran around my room, trying to clean up the mess that I had made while I clutched the phone to my ear. I could hear her ruffling around in my closet as I listened to the steady breathing coming in through the device in my hand. He was real, and he was on his way. All of the loudness in my mind steadily began to quiet. "Liv?" He asked, and I let out a deep breath at the sound of my name coming from his lips. "You're real," I whispered. My back pressed against the side of my bed as I pulled my head from between my knees. The light thud of something hitting the floor sounded out from behind me, and I turned my head to see what Elena was moving. She didn't need to clean up my mess. It was bad enough she had to deal with my deranged mind. Instead, I watched as Gabriel stood up from his crouched position. Despite the chilled night air, he was barefoot in a pair of basketball shorts with no shirt. I could only assume that he had run here
I didn't need Elena to tell me for me to know that Athena had been over the night before. When I walked into her room, Elena was passed out face down on her mattress completely naked. Thankfully the blanket was covering most of her butt. "Oh, god," I muttered in disgust before reaching over to grab a half-empty water bottle from her dresser. The plastic crinkled when it hit her leg. Elena cracked one eye open and glared at me. "That's not a nice way to wake someone who was up late helping you last night." She groaned before reaching down to grab her comforter and pulling it up and over her shoulders. "Oh, please. You may have helped me, but from the look of it, you were up late on your own. How's Athena doing?" I smirked before plopping down on the edge of the bed, hoping it would keep her awake. My nose wrinkled as I pulled my hands off of the blanket and settled them in my lap. No telling how clean her bedding set was. "Shush, we both had visitors l
"Until then, you are with me," Kate exclaimed as she rounded the corner. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Just by seeing how excited she was, I was ready to take on whatever was thrown my way over the next few hours. Gabriel pressed his lips to the top of my head before gently pushing me toward Kate. I reluctantly moved away from him, surprised when I saw the smile drop from Kate's face. "Everything will be fine, Alpha. I won't let anything happen to her. They will both be in great hands!" Kate saddled up next to me and Elena. I turned to look over my shoulder to thank Parker for getting us here, but he was nowhere to be found. "Where did Parker go?" I asked, but Gabriel just shook his head at me. That seemed to be my cue not to talk about it, but I made a mental note to ask him later when we would get to be alone together. "We have a lot of ground to cover. I'll say we should start this way." She said as she nudged her head to her right. I glanced over