by Ovidia Pike
“But not Sophie?” I asked.
“Not Sophie. I won’t hurt Sophie if you mate with her.”
“Why would I trust you?”
“You have no choice,” she said. “Trust me when I say, I want it to be an even match between us. You’re nothing but a shifter, even with your extra strength. But with a natural mate—you’ll be nearly indestructible.”
“Harley, this is stupid. Just kill me if you want to.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t deserve anything quick,” she said angrily. “And I want you to feel something before you die. I want you to have something to live for. Sophie is the only option. Mate with her.”
“And play right into your hands?”
“Yes,” she said. “Because it’s also the only way you have of possibly defeating me, and you know it.”
“Okay, Harley,” I said, taking a deep breath. “If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” she said sharply. “And stop sending people out here to kill my fucking zombies, or I’ll start eating them.”
PREVIEW: Chapter 2: Sophie
In my dream, I was underneath Gabriel, his face buried in my neck, hips pumping into mine as he filled me with his cock. I was aware I was dreaming, yet didn’t try to end it, didn’t try to pull awake, but instead basked in the feeling until I couldn’t sleep anymore. I woke up feeling grouchy—annoyed at the dream, annoyed at myself for letting it happen. The last thing I wanted was to desire Gabriel, even though it seemed like I couldn’t control my body in response to his, no matter how angry I was.
I got out of bed and hopped into the shower, washing myself clean of the thoughts, trying to clear my mind. All I could think about was Alicia and Jackson—how they were natural mates, how everything Alicia described about him was something I had felt for Gabriel since the beginning.
I finished the shower and got ready, then left the hut. It was still morning, but close to noon, and there were people milling around outside speaking in hurried, hushed tones, some of them casting fearful glances at me as I walked to Lily’s. I saw a woman usher her children through the streets as if something was chasing them, and I felt alarm as I went to Lily’s hut and knocked on the door. She opened it and threw her arms around me.
“Sophie!” she said in an excited voice. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”
“I didn’t think I was, but...I think you guys probably need my help.”
“We do,” Lily insisted, pulling me into the hut. I heard voices—children—and turned around the corner to see the twins sitting at the table drawing on construction paper.
“Hi, girls,” I said to them when they turned to me.
“Oooh, it’s Gabriel’s girlfriend,” one of them said, nudging her sister.
“I’m not his girlfriend,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Because...I don’t like him.”
“But he’s nice,” she said, frowning at me.
“I know he is. But I’m not interested. Sometimes, that’s how it goes.”
“He looooves you, though.”
“He doesn’t,” I said, looking desperately at Lily for some help.
“Girls, go outside for a little bit. I want to talk to Sophie.”
“Can we go see him?” one of them asked. Lily nodded and they hurried off without another word. I watched them go over my shoulder, then turned to Lily again.
“They really love him, don’t they?”
“They really do,” Lily said. “He’s their favorite person here.”
“Is he not an asshole to them?”
“No, he’s not. He’s a little quiet, a little confused, but he goes along with what they want most of the time. He took them to the woods a couple of days ago because they wanted to go back for a little bit.”
“That’s so strange,” I said. “Gabriel with kids.”
“He has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. It’s pretty cute,” Lily said.
“Cute,” I muttered.
“Sorry,” Lily said, putting her hand on my arm. “What happened, anyway? When he sent you away?”
“He told me he didn’t love me and told me to go,” I said. “That was about it.”
“He was lying,” Lily said. “Everybody knows that.”
“He wasn’t lying. He made himself perfectly clear.”
“I’m sorry, Sophie,” she repeated. I shrugged.
“No big deal,” I lied. She stared at my face for a moment, then nodded.
“Everyone outside was acting really weird,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“Uh, Gabriel hasn’t really—the girls make him soft. But otherwise...”
She trailed off, not finishing her sentence.
“Otherwise what?” I prompted.
“He’s acting like a tyrant,” she said. “People are terrified of him. Even more now that you’ve been gone. Everyone’s afraid he’s going to snap and hurt somebody or have them killed.”
“He wouldn’t,” I said. She gave me a serious look.
“You’ve been gone,” she said. “He’s meaner than ever. Having people punished by the guards for nothing. Snapping in the streets when anyone crosses his path.”
“That’s horrible,” I said, feeling irritation rise within me.
“It is. And it’s not getting better.”
“I’m going to talk to him.”
“I was hoping you would,” Lily said.
“I’ll go now. He’ll—I hope he’ll listen to me.”
“I hope so, too,” Lily said, giving me one last hug and wishing me goodbye before I started walking to Gabriel’s hut with determination in my footsteps. He answered it even as I lifted my hand to knock.
“Hi,” he breathed.
“Hello,” I said coldly.
“Do you want to come in?”
“No,” I said. “I just wanted to tell you that you need to stop being a dick to the people in this village. You’re scaring them.”
“I don’t care,” he said dryly.
“I do,” I said.
“Sophie, you can’t tell me what to do. And I’m sick of you trying.”
I stared at him for a long moment, searching his face, eyes tracing the scars that spread from his forehead to his cheekbone. The stubble on his cheeks and the scar made him look rugged and dangerous, but I held his gaze anyway, not backing down.
“Why are you so hateful?”
“Why not?” he asked with a shrug.
“Because it’s wrong, Gabriel.”
“I don’t care.”
I shook my head and turned to go, but he put his hand on my shoulder.
“Let me go,” I snarled at him, yanking my arm away. I started to walk away again, and he let out a deep sigh.
“I saw Harley. I talked to her,” he said. I stopped walking and turned to him.
“What did she say?” I asked.
“I don’t—I need you to come inside.”
“Fine,” I said, my curiosity getting the best of me. I went past him inside and he shut the door behind me.
“So what?”
“So, she said that she wants us to mate.”
“Nope,” Sophie said.
“Listen,” he said softly. “I know things aren’t good between us. But I think we have no choice. Otherwise, she’ll hurt you to make me stronger.”
“She won’t hurt me. And even if she does, I don’t care,” I said.
“Sophie,” he said, approaching me from across the room, cupping my face in his hands.
“I love you,” he whispered, staring into my eyes. I felt captivated by him and his touch, and so I didn’t pull away. “You love me, too. Would it be so bad if we mated?”
“I don’t love you anymore, Gabriel,” I stated, feeling sadness wash over me. “I just don’t.”
“No?” he asked, heartbreak in his voice. There was a pained look on his face that softened me for a moment before I remembered how broken I’d felt when he sent me away.
“She didn’t want to give a choice.”
“I’ll risk myself to stay away from you,” I told him. “If that’s what I have to do.”
A look came across his face like he’d been slapped, and he pulled away from me with a stricken look on his features.
“I’m...sorry,” was all he said.
“I came here to tell you to stop being a tyrant. Those people don’t deserve it.”
“You have zero say over how I run this village,” he said, a sharpness coming into his voice. “Please go.”
“No, I—”
“Go, Sophie,” he growled, closing his eyes as if he couldn’t stand to look at me anymore. I left then without further word, walking away from his hut as quickly as I could. I made my way through the village and out to the forest, pulling my handgun out of the holster and taking the safety off. I carried it in my hand as I started to walk through the trees, and I didn’t hear anything behind me before someone wrapped his arm around my neck from behind, clamping his hand over my mouth as I tried to scream. I kicked at him, accidentally dropping my gun as he pulled me backward, using his free hand to grab my arms and hold them behind my back. Someone in a blank face mask came toward me, and the next thing I knew, the man had let go of my mouth and a burlap sack was thrown over my head. I opened my mouth to scream but he jabbed my neck with his finger through the bag.
“Scream and I’ll kill every last person in that village. I want the witch girls, anyway.”
“What do you want?” I asked, looking around blindly as if somehow I’d eventually be able to see through the bag.
“We want to let you know that we’re watching. We’re all over the village. We have our eyes out, and we’ll know if you don’t mate with Alarick.”
“I am not mating with Gabriel,” I spat. “No.”
I felt someone kick me in the side and I fell over, the man behind me still pinning my hands back. I tried to jerk them away but they were held fast now that he was holding them with both of his, my arms twisted behind me.
“You will,” said the man. “That’s what the real Alpha wants.”
“Yes. She wanted us to tell you that we’re watching, and that she doesn’t like that you’re refusing her request.”
“You won’t actually hurt me,” I said. There was another kick to my side and I gasped but didn’t cry out the way I wanted to.
“We can rough you up a little,” the man said in a nonchalant voice.
“You want me to mate with Gabriel?”
“Yes. It’s your only option. We’ll be watching to make sure that you’re...not avoiding each other anymore. That is unacceptable.”
I swallowed hard.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll do it.”
“You will mate with him?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll do it tonight. Don’t hurt anyone.”
“We won’t if we don’t have to. If we catch you splitting up again...”
“You’ll kill everyone. I get it,” I said. “Will you please take this bag off of my head?”
I heard a grunt and then the bag was yanked over my head, my arms released. I looked around and quickly noticed I was surrounded by wolves who just as quickly darted through the forest and away from me; I was unable to recognize any of them.
PREVIEW: Chapter 3: Gabriel
I woke up and glanced at the clock to see that it was midnight, and for a moment I thought I had dreamt the knock. Then it sounded again, urgent raps on the door. I got out of bed and glanced through the window to see Sophie standing nervously on the front step.
“What’s wrong?” I asked when I opened the door. She stared at my face, eyes traveling over it before glancing down at my lips.
“Sophie?” I asked as she leaned into me, brushing her mouth over mine.
“What are you doing?” I asked her softly, not kissing her the way I wanted to. Her body trembled, breath coming out in rasps against my mouth. Then she kissed me feverishly, tasting my mouth, and I immediately fell into her, my arms wrapping around her waist. She pushed me inside and to the bed, still shaking, her hands rubbing over my bare chest. She kissed me there, lips tracing my muscles, occasionally pressing kisses to the skin. I had never felt anything so good in my life as she dropped to her knees, looking up at me. I noticed something was wrong immediately. She met my eye again, lower lip quivering.
“Do you want me to be your mate?” she asked in a barely-there voice.
“I’ve never wanted anything more than that,” I told her. “Nothing.”
“Okay. Let’s do it,” she said resolutely, reaching into my sweatpants to wrap her hand around my cock. I inhaled sharply and pulled away from her, grabbing her hands, kneeling down in front of her.
“Why are you here?” I asked her.
“Because I want...to be your mate,” she said, tears falling from her eyes. She tried to kiss me again, but I pulled back and let go of her.
“Come on, Gabriel,” she snapped, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Let’s get this over with. You just...have to fuck me, right? I can deal with that.”
“No, Sophie,” I said. “That’s not how it works.”
“So what do we do? I want to get this over with,” she said.
“We won’t be mated if we’re not in love. The bond just won’t form.”
“Oh,” she said, sniffling.
“You aren’t in love with me.”
“No, I’m not,” she said, and I could hear the truth in her voice. “I don’t want you like that.”
“Why did you try to change your mind, then?” I asked her in confusion. She sighed and sat down on the bed, and I grabbed a tissue and handed it to her.
“Thanks,” she said. “A few of the wolves—the ones who are loyal to Harley—they picked me up. They said they’d hurt people in the village if we didn’t mate. I knew they were telling the truth, that Harley would hurt everyone. So I came here. We have to do it. They’re...watching us. They say that if we stay separated, it’ll happen.”
“I’m not going to touch you or mate with you if you don’t want it,” I promised her. “I would never just...get something like that over with. When we bond, I want things to be perfect. I want to take our time and learn every part of your body.”
“Don’t we have to?” she asked.
“We don’t have to actually do it. We can pretend,” I said. “If they’re watching us. Nobody will be able to tell if we’re technically mated or not.”
“So we just have to pretend? How would that work?” she asked, looking more relieved as I spoke.
“Uh,” I said. “You should probably stay here from now on. Move in with me.”
“Move in with you,” she said slowly. “Seriously?”
“Yes, if we’re mated, we’re not going to sleep apart. I’m not going to touch you or make you uncomfortable—I have an extra room for you. No sleeping together.”
“Do you think we’ll have to... like... kiss in public?”
“Maybe,” I said with a frown. “I think if we do things like hold hands, smile, we could get by alright.”
She let out a deep breath.
“So we don’t have to actually mate?”
“No, but you’ll have to pretend you like me.”
Her face screwed up in distaste.
“Fine,” she said, though she didn’t sound happy about it.
“I’ll try to make it easy for you.”
“You won’t. Not if you keep acting like a complete dick. I’m not going to pretend to be in love with someone who is cruel and mean. I can’t.”
“You want me to be nicer,” I said.
“I want you to act like you’re human,” she amended. “Like you actually have a heart.”
“I do have a heart,” I said. She shook her head.
“I know better,” she said in a wry voice, then sighed again.
“I guess I’d be
tter go get my things.”
“You can do it tomorrow. You look tired.”
“Thanks.”
“The other bedroom is right over there, the door on the right. Go to sleep. I’ll help you get your things in the morning.”
She agreed begrudgingly and disappeared from the room, going into the spare room and sinking down onto the bed. I went and stood in the doorway to look over her, marveling at the fact that she was there in the first place.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
“Yeah, I—I am sorry,” she said in a near-whisper. “I just didn’t know what else to do. And I didn’t think...that you would turn me down.”
“I’m never going to touch you if you’re not enthusiastic about it. Ever.”
“But why not? You’re obviously attracted to me,” she said. “You say you love me, but you won’t touch me?”
“Because it’s not right. Not unless it’s perfect. Not unless it’s exactly what you want, as much as I do. You’re not there yet.”
“Yet?” she asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“You will be,” I said. The corners of her lips twitched upward, the movement barely perceptible.
“Probably not,” she said, but her eyes sparkled at me, then she looked away.
“Goodnight, Gabriel,” she said.
“Goodnight, Sophie,” I replied, shutting the door behind me.
I climbed into bed, a smile spreading over my face as I stared at the ceiling of the hut. I had seen it there—a flicker of hope, of amusement, of love in her eyes. It made my heart race as I tried to fall asleep, setting my alarm, hoping to be up before her in the morning.
I was glad when I did wake up, brushing my teeth and shaving quickly before going into the kitchen to start breakfast. I felt slightly nervous waiting for her to wake up, wondering what her mood would be, if it would be back to a stony silence.
“What are you doing?” came her voice from behind me. I turned to look at her, grinning at her appearance. I had never seen anything half as adorable as her messy hair and puffy eyes, her hands on her hips as she stared at me standing over the stove.
