-Katherine- “The poison will still be in your system. Please try not to strain yourself,” I manage to get out, then I rush back into what I now consider my safe space. I close the door and stand with my back against it before sinking to the floor with my heart pounding frantically in my chest. I hate that this is happening to me. Everything Gabriel does triggers me in some way or another, and there’s nothing I can really do about it. This gravitational pull toward the man I’m supposed to hate is so strong that it feels like I’m losing a little more of myself every time. With a hand to my chest, I close my eyes and take deep breaths when I hear the roar of a bike speeding away from the mansion. When I run to the large windows, I immediately recognize Gabriel on his Harley and feel a pang in my chest, knowing that he’s gone. I sigh and place a hand on the window, then my soul leaves my body when I feel something press against my head and hear the unmistakable sound of a hammer being

-Gabriel-I’m standing outside one of the many hotels Fenriz owns, with Valentine at my side as we wait for Andreas. He has news for us concerning Katherine’s father, Alexander, and thought we should know since the fucker is a common enemy.It’s been almost a month since they attacked us and things have been deadly quiet on their front. It can’t be a good thing that they’re being so silent, but after tonight, things should be better since our estate in DC is ready for us. Everything, right down to the tomb, has been moved to that mansion… everything but Katherine. I’ve kept my distance from her as I promised, but on the occasional evening, I find myself at the foot of her bed, staring down at her as she sleeps. As much as I know this will hurt, it will be better for both of us. Valentine says that he’ll help her move across the country and has a few guards stationed to look out for her. He still feels like he needs to do this because of who her mother was, so I won’t stop him.Who w

-Gabriel-My heart belongs to you. You are a part of me; I adore you.What in the fuck made me say those words to Katherine? And in my mother tongue!I’m still on top of her, looking deep into those eyes I’ve grown attached to, and seeing the same confusion and apprehension mirrored there. What was supposed to be a quick fuck to let off some steam turned into something too intense for either of us to handle.By the dried tears on her cheeks and the tremble of her bottom lip, I can tell that Katherine is close to breaking point.I tilt my head and kiss the sides of her face where her tears have dried. “Was it so good that I made you cry, little lamb?”She chuckles loudly and slaps my biceps. “God, you’re so arrogant,” she says, eliciting the reaction I had hoped for. The last thing I want to remember in my last moments with Katherine is her crying face, so here I am, making her laugh.Her eyes widen when I sit up and pull her with me, my cock still rock hard and buried deep inside of

-Gabriel-I rush into her bedroom and see Valentine standing there looking dejected. “She left; she fucking left,” he murmurs, sounding hurt.Left without so much as a goodbye; I guess last night didn’t mean as much to her as it did to me. Oh, well; I suppose it was simply a ‘spur of the moment’ thing for the both of us to douse whatever we were feeling and move on.“It’s better this way,” I say and walk back to my bedroom to wash her desire from my skin, but it doesn’t help. Even six hours later in my new home, I can still smell her scent; as if it’s permeated right into my very bones.I have Valentine with me and watch as he walks the halls of what would be my new base of operations and nest. As per a new agreement with the council, I have to distance myself from the MC because not only will I be King, but I’ll be stepping into Westcott’s shoes completely.A fucking District Attorney.I know now this is the reason my father had me amass all my qualifications over the years and now I

-Katherine-Clearview Point - a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere. A perfect place to raise your kids, a perfect place to settle down, and a perfect place to hide your true identity.I stumbled onto this place after buying a car in Vegas and just driving; so I settled down here and made it my temporary home. Xenia is somewhere close to Texas right now, but I told her not to let me know where exactly, just so she can be safe.So here I am, hiding out in a small town and living in a small apartment working a barista/night manager job, and feeling terrible. I’ve lost so much weight from letting my frustrations out at the gym that I’m nearly unrecognizable. I have to take my hurt out on something… before I crawl back to Gabriel Priest.Parking my car next to the little cafe close to the university campus (yes, this small town has one), I walk inside to start my afternoon shift. Noah, the freshman student who works here part-time, looks up when I enter and gives me a smile.“Hey,