Mountain Coast pack, California
“The upcoming summit will be at Sacramento. You and your mate will need to be present alongside other Alpha couples and they have begun the preparations on that end to receive…”
Gabrielle nodded along while keeping her eyes on Adrian. He didn’t seem hungover at least. His recovery time was very fast. His gaze was sharp and calculating as he listened to what the elders had to say. Analyzing and giving pointers so rapidly that she wondered if another person was wearing his skin.
It was in moments like this that she could see a glimpse of the former Adrian. He had grown his black hair long. Mostly due to negligence but you wouldn’t notice it because he looked even more handsome now.
His jaw was strong, his cheekbones high enough to make his green eyes even more hypnotic and demanding. His hair reached a little past shoulder length and was currently held back in a ponytail.
Adrian had grown even larger in the past years and looked like a man now, not the somewhat lean but still in shape youth he’d been before. He was still in shape now just more ripped. The shirt he wore strained across his broad chest and biceps.
“Gabrielle, do you think you will be able to come through with that?” Adrian asked.
“I will do my best.” She hadn’t heard a lick of what he said but she could ask about it later. The look on Adrian’s face said he knew. He knew he still drove her to distraction but he couldn’t care less.
In less than a week they would be marked and mated and she would become the Luna of the pack. It would be enough. She had desired the position since she was a child after all. But maybe after Adrian was left alone with no other woman to touch, he would finally touch her again. Just her. He would begin to like her again.
The meeting wrapped up and the elders and Calvin left the conference room. Gabrielle stood to leave.
“If you want to become the Luna of this pack, you should pay more attention to the proceedings of our meetings not me, Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle turned to see a mocking smile on Adrian’s face.
“What exactly do you want me to say? Yes, I was staring at you. It’s not a secret that I am attracted to you. That I love you. You did once too. You loved me so much that you told me that it didn’t matter if I never found my mate because you would be there for me. That it was his loss. So what changed?”
Adrian rolled his eyes and stood up moving away from the table and heading towards the door. On the way, he passed by her and looked at her.
“Nothing has changed Gabrielle. You are still getting me and the Luna position you desire. In a matter of days, all your efforts would have paid off. Now if you will excuse me, there is a delightful redhead on my bed that requires urgent fucking.”
Adrian continued on towards the door.
“It’s because of her, isn’t it? Ava.”
Adrian stopped.
Mountain Coast Pack, California
Adrian turned to look at Gabrielle.
Her blond hair was twisted back into a bun and her eyes were teary, her face twisted in anger and pain.
“It is true.” She closed her eyes and rocked backwards as though hit by something.
“Cynthia. She was right and you… you banished her. I thought you were just showing your affection for me by protecting my sister but you were just protecting her and your dirty secret.”
“What are you talking about, Gabrielle?” Adrian deflected.
He couldn’t allow Gabrielle to know about Ava. He knew about her vengeful streak. Sister or not. She would not spare her. Adrian could take her disdain, no, he wanted it. Ava on the other hand would be broken. She loved her family.
“You must think I’m stupid. Ever since I listened to Cynthia, I became wary. Then during the bonfire, I saw how you looked at her when you were on top of her during the tiebreaker. I couldn’t believe it, surely you wouldn’t betray me in that manner, so I asked around. Turns out the slut who you were dancing with that was the genesis of our problems was my little sister. When you sent her away I thought you were finally trying to be loyal to me again but I was wrong, wasn’t I?”
Fuck. She knew everything? Adrian couldn’t believe it. How long had she known?
“Shocked? It’s good to know you can still be shocked. You don’t know how much it hurt me. How much you hurt me. After she left, you changed. Became this person that I don’t know. You had to choose Ava of all people to cheat on me with. To fall in love with. When you said you would make my life a living hell because I cheated on you, was that the plan? To fuck my sister behind my back?!”
“Shut the fuck up, Gabrielle. If you thought I would do something like that to you, why would you agree to our mating?”
Gabrielle stepped towards him unafraid and gazed up at him, her dark brown eyes were aflame. “Because you owe me, Adrian Gavin, you owe me big time and I plan to collect. You made a mockery of my feelings for you, you destroyed the trust between us, you destroyed the relationship between me and my sister and you have made me a laughing stock in this pack.”
“I will become the Luna of this pack and your mate because I have earned it. As for Ava, the woman you have feelings for, I won’t spare her–” Her voice choked off as her air supply was cut off. Adrian’s fingers closed around her throat.
His voice was cool and disengaged when he spoke to her. She could have been anyone, anything. “You want to be Luna? Fine, you will have it. You want to be my mate? Have at it. But Ava’s name should never cross your lips. If you try anything at all against her, if you harm a single hair in her head, I will end you.”
Adrian let go of her and walked out of the room while Gabrielle collapsed on the floor trying to breathe, her hands clutching her throat.