Chapter 12: Someone Super-Duper Important

Gabriel POV

Gabriel sat at the communal bonfire area drinking beers with Samson, already feeling a buzz. Samson had been trying to cheer him up, but Gabriel was still ridden with worry and anxiety. Would Lucy come around to the mate idea? His heart would burst if she rejected him.

That was not a dramatic overstatement. He had heard of other shifters being rejected by their mates but did not know of anyone personally. He looked over at Samson who was sipping his beer and staring at the fire. Samson had never even met his mate, and seemed content with his own ambiguous relationship with Lucy's aunt.

"She'll come around Gabriel. She's got Gertrude's spunk and stock. Give her more time. You just shocked her whole world," Samson said, breaking the silence. "Besides, seeing the way Vance and Sara reacted to each other probably helped pique her curiosity."

Gabriel stretched, enjoying the comfort of the cushioned porch furniture, and propped his legs up on the bonfire's rock wall. The bo