Chapter 105: Chapter 105
Katie POV
“Go, Braden,” Gabriela says. “I better not see your face again.”
“Thank you,” Braden nods at Gabriela before looking at me.
“Again,” he smiles. “Thank you.”
I pull him into a hug, placing my mouth to his ear out of Gabriela’s vision.
“We’d better see each other again,” I whisper. I understand that he must get out of here as quickly as possible, but I am not giving up on our friendship.
“I’ll be right outside,” He whispers, pulling away, and leaves. I do not even have time to be sad before Gabriela advances on me.
“So,” Gabriela sighs. “All our hard work is undone.”
“I’m glad it is,” I cross my arms. “I made a mistake, I shouldn’t have done it, and you shouldn’t have encouraged me.”
“You didn’t have another choice,” Gabriela says through gritted teeth.
“You could’ve convinced your sons to accept me and protect me,” I argue. “You could’ve protected me, too! But instead, you shipped me off to rogue territory, pregnant and alone.”
“You were supposed to move on and start a new life,” Gabriela reasons. “You were supposed to be happy.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” I sigh, wiping over my eyes. The truth is, I was happy in Stillwood. “I’m not angry at you, I’m just ... angry.”
“I wish you had told me when I showed up at Constantine,” I say. “How was keeping this secret any safer than the truth?”
“I suppose it wasn’t any safer in the end,” Gabriela admits through shaking lips. “But I did this because I care. Not just about my son, but about you, too.”
“Yeah, well,” I rub my forehead. “It’s not like any of us could foresee the outcome.”
I always trusted Gabriela, even when I did not understand her methods. She was confident, badass, and she put her family first. And I was the one insisting on taking the potion. I should not blame her for my choices.
“Were Kane and Axel under the same spell I was?” I ask.
“A similar one,” Gabriela exhales deeply. “I didn’t want to, but they wouldn’t let it go. They were adamant about finding you. Their spell was only to make them forget you, not everything. But we won’t know if their spell is broken until they wake up.”
“Oh, Goddess, I tried so hard to prevent this spell from coming undone,” she groans.
And then it hits me.
“You’re the one who fucked with Rhiannon’s supplies,” I shout, pointing a finger at her.
“To avoid exactly this,” she laughs humorlessly. “We went through all this to protect everyone, and in one bite, it’s all undone.”
“Interesting how no good deed goes unpunished,” I smile sadly, sitting in the chair Braden was tied to moments ago.
“It’s sad, really,” I clear my throat. “All this time we wasted. Kane and Axel missing Stella’s birth, me not seeing my friends and family, and ...”
“You hooking up with Mason.” Gabriela grunts, cutting me off.
“We never hooked up,” I blurt out without thinking
and Gabriela gapes at me.
“Well, the cat’s out of the bag,” I sigh long and hard. “I called things off with Mason before we got to ... that part.”
“Why didn’t you tell anybody?” Gabriela asks, confused.
“Things kept happening,” I shrug. “I met Braden right after it, and well, you know the rest. Also, it was just easier not to explain it to everyone.”
“Explain what?” She frowns.
“My feelings,” I reply brusquely. I do not mean to be rude, but I have no desire to discuss this with her.
“I want to see my family,” I change the subject.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Gabriela nods enthusiastically. “With the Elders sniffing around the mansion and your vampire side exposed again, it’s better for you to spend some time away until things go back to normal.”
Normal? What did that even mean anymore? Back to the world where the Council lied to us about our history and where she-wolves were treated like disposable sex dolls?
“In the meantime, you should see family only and stay hidden otherwise,” she continues. “If people see a supposedly dead she-wolf walking around Constantine, they’ll start asking questions none of us want to answer.”
“I understand,” I reply. It would be good to have time when I do not have to wonder and worry.
“I’m assuming you’ll want to find a way to live at the mansion again, though,” Gabriela says. “I can’t imagine you want to be apart from your mates forever.”
My pulse quickens. Did any part of me want to live with Kane and Axel again after what happened with Alice?
“I ... uhm, I don’t know,” I stand up. “Like I said, I have conflicted feelings. Excuse me, I’m going to find something to eat.”
I leave the room as fast as I can, entering the kitchen. I have no idea what I am going to do about my mates, and I do not want to think about it right now. I stare through the window at the sunset, but I am too preoccupied to admire it.
“Elara,” Kane whispers hoarsely, and I spin around to face him. He looks at me with shock and wonder.
“Hi,” I smile weakly, unsure of what to do. Clearly, their spell has worked out as well.
We stand there silently, staring at each other before I slowly move towards him, as if I am dreaming, and being pulled closer by an invisible string.
Seconds later, I was standing only inches apart from him. The last time I saw him was before the spell, and I thought I was in love with him. Am I still?
“I’ve missed you so much,” he says, gently brushing a stray hair away from my face.
And then he kisses me. Something inside me erupts. Something exhilarating, something that makes me feel alive.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Mason roars, making me jump.
I look into Mason’s blazing eyes, and I lose it, just as the wind starts howling around the cabin.
