JASMINE’S P. O. V.
“He agreed to the meeting.” I am shocked. I figured as reclusive as he was that he would never agree.
“Yep, he will be here Monday afternoon. I didn’t relent until he agreed. He was being nice about it though. Said his pack just had some problems right now and some wolves were injured. That is why he wants to wait until Monday. We will have a meeting with him and whoever he brings. Christian will be there with Eli, we will have Hunter, Tyler, Jace and Jay and your father. I was thinking about Carlos too, but I think it might be time for him to start retiring. It is a friendly meeting too. Only if we smell Lila do we do anything.”
Jace comes running into the office. “He agreed. We might have Lila back soon.” He seemed excited.
“That’s if he has her.” I point out. I am still not convinced that he has her.
“He has her mom.” Jace ever the optimist.
“Well, Monday midday we will find out. I want you to help make sure the pack is ready for it. I also want you to compose yourself. If you scent her on him you are to hold your tongue and let me and your father handle it.” I use my mom voice so he knows. I do not want a bigger incident here.
“Yes mom.” He hung his head a little. Yeah, just as I figured, he was planning on jumping the Alpha.
“Your mother and I know exactly how we are going to handle this. Now go make sure the pack is ready for it. I know the fact that it is Moonridge is going to be stressful enough for them.”
“Yes, dad.” Jace heads out.
Gabe looks at me. “How exactly are we handling this? Because I am going to be honest here, if I smell her on him I might lose it a little.”
I put my hand on his arm to make a point. “Hun, just calm down. I will talk to him if we scent her on him. I have a plan. If you need me to relax you then link me and I will make sure to help you. We don’t want to go to war over this. Especially if he is her mate. It could kill Lila.”
“I know you’re right, but the male in me wants to rip his head off for taking my daughter.”
“I know hun, I want to do far worse. But we have to see if it is even true or not.”
Hunter busts into the office. “We have a lead on Lila?” He looks flushed like he ran all the way here.
“We do, Monday afternoon we are going to see if it pans out. We are still looking in the meantime. We have one more day to make it through.”
“So we haven’t actually heard from her?”
“No, Hunter we haven’t.” I know he wants her back but this is frustrating. Like I don’t want my daughter back.
He starts, “Baby, I know you want her back.” Gabe growls. “But she is all I have. You have to understand my urgency.”
“Don’t call me baby, I understand, but you need to back off a little. If she is where we think she is then she is safe.”
“What do you mean?”
I look at Gabe and he nods. “We think her mate took her. We think he was desperate because he wasn’t invited to the birthday party and he had to find a way to get her to recognize the bond.”
Hunter nods. He remembers he felt ours before my birthday too. I felt it too. “But then why is he doing this before her birthday?”
Gabe answers. “I pushed his hand a little. He has to give us something or we are sending a group into his compound to find out.”
Hunter freezes. “Are you saying that you think the Alpha of Moonridge is her mate?”
Gabe nods. “That is exactly what we are saying.”
“How exactly is this a good thing?” He looks even more panicked.
“Hunter, we have looked into this very deeply. If he has her she is safe.”
“I don’t fucking thinks so.” Shit he’s losing it.
Gabe stands and grabs him by the collar of his neck and lifts him up. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that!”
I put my hand on Gabe to settle him down, but then Hunter has to open his stupid mouth. “Still mad I had her first, big bad Alpha.”
Is Hunter trying to die? “Both of you calm down. This isn’t helping Lila. Gabe put him down. Hunter shut your mouth.”
Of course neither of them shut their mouths. “Just remember you may have had her first, but I have her every night.” Gabe growls in Hunter’s face.
“Believe me I know. You don’t have to remind me every fucking chance you get. I fucked up, I know it.” Hunter growls back at Gabe.
“Will you two stop talking about my sex life please. We are talking about our daughter here.” I scream at both of them.
Jay steps into the room. “Boy, this sounds like a fun room. You should sell tickets.”
I have had enough. “To hell with all of you.” I stormed out of the room. I hear a slight crash and then someone following me. I won’t stop. I head straight to my room and slam the door in his face.
Gabe knocks on the door. “Darlin’, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. He riles me sometimes. I didn’t mean to do it. He is the only one that drives me to it. He fucking knows it. Darlin’, please open the door.”
I didn’t even notice the tears streaming down my face. I open the door. Gabe scoops me up in his massive arms. “I’m sorry. I can’t say I won’t do it again, but I will try harder.” He sets us on the bed so I am sitting on his lap. “I love you. Please forgive me.”
“Gabe, I know what Hunter being here means to you. I put up with it for Lila. I know you do too, but it is far harder for me than you. Every time he calls me baby I remember that pain. I have far more reason to kill him than you and I refrain. I think you can.” I take a deep breath. “Do you know what I was going to do that night? The first thought in my mind?”
“No, Darlin’.”
“I was going to go right back to your lands and sleep with you to make him feel the same pain I felt. To put him through the same thing.”
He chuckles. “You couldn’t have done it. You care too much.”
“I was going to. I wasn’t thinking straight. Christian and Jay stopped me. I would have regretted it. I am glad that I don’t regret our first time.” He wipes away my tears.
“I wouldn’t have let you. I wouldn’t have let you ruin our first time like that. No matter how much I wanted you. Every time I looked at you I wanted to take you. But I wouldn’t have done it with you angry and still bonded to him. I wanted you fully.” He kisses my head. Then he angles my chin up towards him. “I still want all of you. You still drive me crazy.” His lips meet mine and I feel the tingles instantly. After eighteen years it still feels amazing.
“I love you Gabe.”
“I love you too Darlin’.”
“I think we better go see what Jay wanted.”
“Yeah, because right now is definitely not the time to try to make another baby with you.” He smirks.
“Yeah, like I have another baby in me.” I scoff.
“Oh, I can guarantee you do.” He purrs.
“I don’t think I can handle another boy. I might pull my hair out.” I laugh. “I am overrun with testosterone as it is.”
“Maybe ninth times the charm.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that.” I laugh. Climbing off his lap. “We have work to do Alpha.”
“I love it when you call me that.” He purrs as I pull him off the bed.
“I know.” I smiled up at him.
“Later. Let’s find our daughter now.” He smacks my ass as we leave the bedroom. How can we still be like this after so long and so many kids? I don’t know but it works.