PRISCILLA
I was floating.At least… that’s what it felt like.Not standing. Not lying. Just suspended somewhere in between — weightless, drifting through a place that wasn’t darkness, but not light either. A vast emptiness, humming with a low vibration that crawled under my skin.It should have terrified me.But somehow, it didn’t.The air smelled different here. Like wild rain. Like old woods. Like something ancient brushing against me with invisible hands.I blinked, or at least I thought I did, and when I did—a figure stood in front of me.I squinted at it.No—him.A man.Not fully formed. His edges blurred, smoky, like he wasn’t built from flesh and blood but from something rawer. Older. His hair was all grey, yet he stood tall and young, strength rippling off of him like a second skin.The same man I had seen once…in the bathroom mirror.My heartPRISCILLA Gabriel turned and started walking, I followed, every step weighted with a thousand unspoken questions. The hallway stretched ahead, quiet and dim. I didn’t ask where we were going. I already knew. The moment he took the left turn towards the elevator instead of the right, my heart jumped. His room. No… our room, I corrected internally, though the thought still felt foreign in my mouth. The idea that this place was now partially mine too hadn’t fully settled. The silence between us wasn’t comfortable. It wasn’t gentle. It was stretched thin and taut like a cord about to snap. Each step echoed a little too loudly in my ears. I couldn’t help but think back to the car. The way he drove without a word. His eyes fixed on the road like it held every answer he refused to say out loud. The grip on the steering wheel. He opened the door to our room and stepped aside, letting me in first. I hesitated only a second before walking in, the air inside feeling heavier than it h
PRISCILLA The moment Davina tugged me deeper into the boutique, weaving between racks of tailored coats and shelves stacked with boots I’d probably never wear, I realized I hadn’t said a word to Gabriel in over twenty minutes. I wasn’t avoiding him. Not exactly. Okay, maybe I was. But it wasn’t just him—it was the look he gave me every time his eyes met mine. It was too much. Too intense. Like he was peeling me open layer by layer, trying to see past skin and bone to whatever truth was hiding underneath. I didn’t want to see that look. Not when I didn’t know how to explain what even I didn’t understand. And I definitely didn’t want to feel the pull that kept tightening in my chest. “Pris, did you hear what I said?” Davina’s voice broke through the fog in my head as she halted in front of a display. I blinked. “Sorry… what?” She rolled her eyes, then grinned as she held up a cropped leather jacket. “I said, I found a few things you’d actually love. Without waiting for my repl
GABRIEL By the time I reached the main entrance, my truck was already rumbling out front, thanks to Austin’s efficiency. The man didn’t need orders anymore—he just read my face and filled in the blanks. I leaned against the side of the truck, arms crossed over my chest. A moment later, Priscilla stepped through the doors. Behind her, Davina strolled out like she was walking a damn red carpet, hands on her hips and an arched brow aimed directly at me. “Well, look who remembered he owns a truck,” she drawled, striding straight toward the passenger side. “Let me guess—thinking about her only? Or did you just conveniently forget that I was also abducted without so much as a toothbrush?” I narrowed my eyes at her. Priscilla blinked beside her, trying—and failing—not to smile. Davina tugged the passenger door open like she owned it. “I’ll need clothes, shoes, maybe a decent shampoo, and—hell—some respect while we’re at it.” I rolled my eyes hard enough to see my brain. “Get in, Davi
GABRIEL I stalked down the hallway, barefoot and already regretting every goddamn step I was taking. I had come here for something. A question. A simple clarification, really. But now, standing just a breath away from the room I had left Priscilla, my hand hovering inches from the wood, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, rubbing the back of my neck. This bond. This damn mate bond was worse than any leash I'd ever been on. It tugged at me constantly, drawing me back to her like a hook buried deep under skin. I could be halfway across the goddamn compound, and I’d feel her—like a whisper at the base of my skull, like gravity had rearranged itself and she was the centre of it. I exhaled sharply and took one step back, ready to turn around. But then I heard her voice. Low. Soft. The way she only spoke when she wasn’t trying to keep her walls up. “I know you don’t like him. I, too, don't trust him yet… but he seems like a good g
PRISCILLA My heart was still pounding when his forehead rested against mine — but before I could even think twice, before I could breathe — I surged forward and kissed him again. This time it was me who claimed him. My fingers fisted in his hair, pulling him closer as I pressed my whole body to his bare chest. He was hard and burning under my touch, the muscles of his chest flexing instinctively as a low growl vibrated deep inside him. The mate bond roared between us, sparking so hot and wild. I couldn't get enough. I didn’t even think as my hands dropped to the hem of my shirt — yanking it up over my head, desperate to feel more, to give him more. But just as the fabric cleared my face, strong fingers snatched my wrists. In a heartbeat, Gabriel pinned both my hands above my head — trapping them easily in one of his massive hands — leaving me exposed to him in nothing but my bra. I gasped, freezing, heat flooding every inch of my body as his hungry eyes raked over my
PRISCILLA I was floating.At least… that’s what it felt like.Not standing. Not lying. Just suspended somewhere in between — weightless, drifting through a place that wasn’t darkness, but not light either. A vast emptiness, humming with a low vibration that crawled under my skin.It should have terrified me.But somehow, it didn’t.The air smelled different here. Like wild rain. Like old woods. Like something ancient brushing against me with invisible hands.I blinked, or at least I thought I did, and when I did— a figure stood in front of me.I squinted at it. No—him.A man.Not fully formed. His edges blurred, smoky, like he wasn’t built from flesh and blood but from something rawer. Older. His hair was all grey, yet he stood tall and young, strength rippling off of him like a second skin.The same man I had seen once… in the bathroom mirror.My heart
GABRIELI found Aurora exactly where I expected—seated cross-legged on the floor of her dim room, her concentration absolute. Herbs, vials, dried roots, and thick old books were scattered before her in a careful pattern. Smoke curled from a copper bowl, and glowing sigils hovered faintly in the air above her head.“Aurora,” I said, stepping into the room.She didn’t look up. “We need to talk,” I added, firmer.She finally glanced at me, expression unreadable. “I’m all ears.”“I found a bitten rogue in the woods,” I said, getting right to the point. “But he was still in his right mind.”Aurora paused, blinked, and turned fully toward me. “So, what do you want me to do with that information?” she said, dryly. “Gabriel, I have no control over those creatures. They’ve never responded to my spells. Not even a flinch. So unless you want me to throw sage and prayers at them—”“I know,” I cut in, raking a hand through my hair. “I’m not asking you to contain them. I was thinking… the first tim
GABRIEL I ran. Fast and hard, my paws tearing through the damp earth, claws gripping the soil as I pushed deeper into the woods. The trees blurred past me, their trunks familiar sentinels in a world that had always felt more like home than any room built of stone and brick. The wind rushed against my fur, sharp and cold, clearing the fog that had built in my head after too many tense days and sleepless nights. The forest was silent, save for the sounds of my breathing and the rhythm of my movement—the thud of paws against soil, the swish of leaves brushing against my flanks. But to me, it wasn’t quiet. It was alive. The scents, the subtle shifts in temperature, the way the ground dipped and rose with each stride—I felt it all. Every breath of moss, bark, and damp leaves grounded me. Every crack of a branch or distant rustle pulled me deeper into that raw, wild place I hadn’t been able to reach in days. This was where I shed everything—the pressure of being Alpha, the weight of
PRISCILLA Aurora held my gaze for a moment longer, her eyes strangely calm, like she could see more than what was in front of her. Then she nodded once, as if satisfied.“You may feel tired,” she said. “The spell taps into your aura—shifts it, masks it. Give your body time to adjust.”I gave a slight nod, rubbing my arms as if trying to ease the weight that still clung to me. “I’ll be fine.”Gabriel stepped closer. “If anything feels off, you tell me. Immediately.”His voice was firm—commanding—but it didn’t irritate me like before. Maybe because, for once, I could sense it wasn’t about control. It was protection. And I didn’t have the energy to fight that.Aurora stood, brushing ash from her palms. “You should rest. The spell’s strongest within the first few hours. I’ll reinforce it tomorrow if needed.”Gabriel gave her a nod of thanks before placing a hand lightly on my back, guiding me toward the door. I let him. Just this once. But then I stopped at the door and turned back towar