Page 4

Summer POV

“You found a ring in the pocket of his jeans?” Scarlett asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

She stepped away from the mirror and turned toward me. Only her top lip had a smear of red lipstick on it. The application tube was lying on my messy vanity where she had put it down when I shocked her with my news.

“Yep,” I confirmed. “Last night I was over at Axel’s house helping him study for his history final. When he was getting us some water I, um, looked around a little.” My cheeks reddened.

“Nothing to be ashamed of.” Scarlett shrugged. “We all do it. I call it casually snooping. Sometimes I’ll look through Troy’s phone. Not because I don’t trust him, but I’m just curious. I found a really cute picture he took of me sleeping the other day.”

My friend had the same faraway look in her eyes that she always got when talking about her boyfriend, Troy.

I nodded in agreement and turned back to the other mirror in my room to continue straightening my hair. Guilt seeped into my stomach. When I had looked through Axel's pockets yesterday, it hadn't been just to casually snoop. For a couple of weeks, there had been a small voice in my mind telling me that Axel was hiding something from me. I'd tried my best to ignore the voice, but when it got too loud last night, I decided to look through Axel's room when the opportunity presented itself. When I found the engagement ring, a flood of emotions hit me. I didn't have any time to process them before Axel came back into the room.

Then, I met Gabriel on the stairs as I was leaving. He had a white towel wrapped around his waist, and his light brown hair was dripping from a shower, causing droplets of water to slide down his muscled chest. Of their own accord, my eyes had followed the water's descent as it ran down his toned stomach.

Gabriel apologized profusely, saying that he thought I had left already, or he would never have been walking around in a towel. Before I could assure him that it was all right, he rushed past me into the safety of his room.

The rest of the night, I wondered why Gabriel had avoided me ever since Axel and I started going out. Did he think I wasn't good enough for his brother? Or was it because of a different, far more embarrassing reason? Could he tell that I harbored secret feelings for him? Did he catch when my gaze lingered too long on his olive green eyes? Was it obvious I laughed a little too loudly when he made a joke? Or did he know about the fact that I was sometimes late for class because I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him walking down the school hallway?

The truth was, I've had feelings for Gabriel Boone for as long as I can remember. After he saved me from that Rogue wolf, I was going to ask him if he felt the same. But then Axel asked me out, and I said yes because I was confused and still had strong pain medication pumping through my system. And Gabriel started to avoid me after that.

For the past two years, I'd focused on my relationship with Axel. I tried to be the best girlfriend possible and be fully present in our relationship. But it was Gabriel who I thought about late at night when I couldn't sleep. Which was horrible of me. He was my boyfriend's best friend.

My stomach swooped when I realized that Axel could be my fiancé. Was that what I wanted? Finding that ring had shocked me to my very core. Was Axel ready to commit to me for the rest of his life? Sometimes it seemed like we were just going through the motions of a relationship. We never talked about the important things in life, like our deepest fears and our wildest dreams. Honestly, we didn’t really discuss the small things either. I couldn’t say what his favorite color was.

Over the past two months, we’d been getting into fights about how much time he spent betting at the casino in our town. The same small voice in the back of my mind that urged me to snoop around his room was warning me that if Axel proposed, it would be like him placing a bet on our relationship. He didn’t care if I said yes or no. All he wanted was the thrill from doing something impulsive.

And I was eighteen. Was I ready to be engaged to anyone right now?

An image of Gabriel in a black tux standing at the altar burst into my mind.

No.

I was dating his brother, who might propose to me soon.

“So, you’re surprising Axel tonight?” Scarlett asked.

“Yes.” I finished my hair and walked to my closet to pick out my outfit. “You know that I’m not the biggest fan of parties, and when Axel asked me to go, I said no. But after finding the engagement ring, I want to surprise him.”

“That’s so romantic,” Scarlett said and sighed wistfully.

My face grew red as I went to the bathroom to change into a long black skirt and white tank top. Would Scarlett still think that it was so romantic of me to surprise Axel at the party if she knew I was only doing it to get another guy off my mind?

***

“My parents want me to be home by midnight,” I reminded Scarlett as she opened the door to Joshua Collin's house.

As soon as I stepped over the threshold, I was overwhelmed. Loud pop music was blaring from the black speakers in the living room. The only lighting was neon purple strip lights on the walls. And it seemed like my entire graduating class was crammed into this tiny space.

“Why are they so overbearing?” Scarlett asked as we sidestepped a couple making out aggressively against the wall. “You're eighteen. Can't you stay out however long you want?”

“Well, um, they’re protective because of the attack on me.”

She blushed.

“Oh, right. Sorry. Well, Troy isn't going to drink either, so I'll just catch a ride home with him. I'm going to go find him, actually. Catch you later. Good luck with Axel!” Scarlett said, already turning to leave.

“Thanks...”

Before I could get another word out, she was lost in the crowd.

Axel was nowhere to be found in the living room or kitchen, so I slowly made my way up the stairs, stepping over discarded red plastic cups, another couple making out, and Samantha Matters screaming at her on-again, off-again boyfriend. When I got to the top, a strange prickling feeling started in the back of my neck, then spread to the rest of my body. All of the noise of the party faded into the background as I walked down the hallway.

Instinct told me to pass by the closed doors and go to the one at the end of the hall that was hanging slightly open. I knocked once and held my breath.

“Find another room! This one's occupied.”

Axel.

Without hesitating, I burst through the door and turned on the light. My boyfriend and Makala Hanson were naked in bed, blinking up at me with annoyed expressions. Makala and I had never been close friends, but it wasn't a secret that Axel and I were going out. When their eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, their faces drained of color. Axel scrambled off the bed and called my name. As he stood, his foot caught on the sheets and he fell onto the ground.

A strangled laugh came out of me.

Makala sprang out of the bed and started to pull her red dress over her head.

“Um, well, I guess you two have a lot to talk about,” she said once she was dressed. “Sorry, uh, for this,” Makala said to me and gestured wildly around the room, and then left.

Axel avoided my eye as he clumsily pulled on his jeans. His blonde hair was disheveled, and from his red, watery eyes, I could tell that he was drunk.

“Summer, this isn't—”

“Don't say this isn't what it looks like because I'm not an idiot,” I snapped and crossed my arms.

“I'm sorry,” he slurred. “I know sleeping with Makala wasn't cool of me, but since you're saving yourself for marriage, I just wanted to lose my virginity before I graduated high school. Can't you understand that?” He swayed where he stood.

“No, I can't understand that, you asshole! I found an engagement ring in your pocket yesterday! How the hell could you go to bed with someone else when you were going to ask me to marry you?” I demanded.

“Oh, shit. You found that?” He ran a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. “Right, well, I had a talk with Gabriel this morning about the idea of you and I getting married, and he said that I should make sure this is something I want to do. Gabriel told me to explore my other options before I committed to one girl for the rest of my life.”

My heart dropped to the floor.

“Gabriel said that?” I asked.

Axel nodded, which caused him to sway again.

I knew where I was going next.

But first, I stepped toward Axel, who was still swaying, and lightly pushed him, causing him to fall back onto the bed.

“Hey, what the hell!” he protested.

“We're done, Axel.” I spun on my heel and walked to the door. When I turned my head back toward him, he was still sprawled on his back. “Oh, and I hated the ring you picked out for me. I'm glad I'll never have to wear it.”

Then, I slammed the door shut.

***

“Summer? Are you all right? Why didn't you use the front door?” Gabriel asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

I was standing in front of his bedroom window. Anger had fueled me on my drive over here. Obviously, I was mad at Axel for cheating on me, but the fact that Gabriel told him to explore his other options felt like someone shooting me with an arrow after they lit me on fire. It was the final death blow. Did Gabriel really think that little of me?

“I didn't want your parents to wake up,” I explained. “That's why I didn't use the front door. I need to talk to you. It's important.”

“Come in,” Gabriel said, and offered me his hand to help me through the window.

But I ignored his hand and hitched my skirt up, exposing my leg, and ducked my head as I climbed through the window.

Gabriel’s eyes went to my leg, and then he cleared his throat.

He shut the window when I was safely inside. Now that I was in his presence, the knot in my chest loosened slightly.

I glanced around Gabriel's neat room, greedily taking in every detail. I hadn't been in here since Axel and I started dating. There was a fancy new computer setup with two monitors. His large bed with a white, fluffy comforter was the same. A painting right above his bed caught my eye. It was a simple gold sun, depicted the way it looked right before it set. Even though it wasn't anything special, the painting made my heart lurch, like it wanted to be closer to the art.

“Summer, are you okay?”

I turned away from the sun and let out an involuntary gasp when I saw that Gabriel was much closer to me than he was a second ago. His tawny hair was tousled from sleep, and there was a red mark from his pillow on his cheek. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only loose black sweatpants that showcased the V cut into his hips. My mouth went dry.

Woah.

I had to remind myself that I was mad at him. I rolled my shoulders back and put my hands on my hips.

“Did you tell Axel that he should explore his other options before he commits to me for the rest of his life? “ I asked bluntly.

Gabriel's eyes widened.

“What? No, of course not. I told him that he needed to think about proposing to you for at least a month to make sure that it's what he truly wants. Why are you asking me this? What happened? You guys aren't…engaged, are you?” A guarded expression crossed his face, closing off his vibrant green eyes.

I snorted and took a seat on his bed. He sat beside me.

“No. We broke up.”

I told him about finding Axel in bed with Makala.

“What the hell?” Gabriel growled and started to his feet. “That asshole! I'm going to kill him.”

I grabbed his hand and pulled him back down on the bed.

“It's fine, Gabriel. Really. I'm…okay.”

He gave me a look that made it clear he didn't believe me.

“Honestly, I've been having some doubts about Axel and I's relationship for a while, and this just confirms that he isn't the one for me,” I said.

Gabriel moved an inch closer to me, and I had to suppress a shiver. What would it feel like to press the side of my thigh against his? Was I brave enough to do that?

“And Axel cheated on me for the dumbest reason,” I continued.

“I don't think there's a good reason to cheat on someone,” he pointed out.

Gabriel’s gaze shot down to my lips, and he stared at them for a moment before his eyes were back on mine.

Was I imagining things, or did that really just happen?

“You're right. But Axel basically blamed it on the fact that I wouldn't have sex with him. I, um, wanted to wait,” I said.

I was waiting for you.

“Are you serious?” Gabriel asked and stood up. “Are you sure you don't want me to knock some sense into him?” He cracked his knuckles.

I giggled, feeling lighter than I had for a long time.

“No, I want you to stay here with me,” I admitted, tonight's circumstances making me braver than I'd ever been.

A small smile bloomed across his face, and his eyes looked down at my lips again.

“That, I can do.”

One time could be an accident, but that's the second time in two minutes he's looked at my mouth…

Did he want to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him?

When his pupils dilated, my heart stopped beating.

He sank down onto his bed, closer to me this time, his warm thigh touching mine. Gabriel took my hand and began rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on the back of my hand.

Even though his touch was innocent, an undeniable desire zinged through me from just the sensation of his hand in mine. I’d never felt this kind of lust for anyone before. Where was this intensity coming from? It seemed like the emotion was coming from deep within my soul.

“That feels good,” I muttered, my voice breathless.

We were silent for a few moments.

“You know that you deserve to be treated better than what happened tonight, right?” Gabriel said. “Axel is my brother, but what he did to you wasn't right, and he doesn't deserve an incredible girl like you. I just don't want to see you forgiving him and getting back together. What he did…that's unforgivable. At least in my eyes.”

“In mine, too,” I agreed.

“Good.”

We turned toward each other at the same time. His mouth was only an inch away from mine. When his gaze dropped to my lips, my heart skipped a beat.

Gabriel lifted his hands and cradled my cheeks, cupping my face like I was the most important thing in the world to him.

His warm hands on my skin made my head swim with anticipation.

Against my better judgment, I leaned forward slowly, allowing my eyes to close. When Gabriel's mouth pressed against mine, my entire world exploded.

The moment our lips touched, an electric shock of understanding shot through me.

Oh!

It was only one kiss, but it shifted my perspective on everything.

We pulled away, and I gasped, having a sudden epiphany.

Of course.

There was an actual reason I had been drawn to Gabriel my entire life. Everything clicked into place, like the right key fitting into a lock.

Gabriel was my Fated Mate. For shifters, if we kissed our Mate, a supernatural bond was formed tethering our souls together. Since this was our first kiss—even though we had known each other our whole lives—we had had no way of knowing we were destined for each other.

For the first time, I could sense my soul as a physical thing in my body. It was like a second heart, and it belonged to Gabriel. At that moment, as I stared into his eyes, I could truly understand the word soulmate. Although I'd known Gabriel most of my life, he seemed like an entirely new person to me.

Because, as of a few seconds ago, he was my person.