Prologue
760 Words
Gabriel stood in the crowd—the party around him in full swing. Music boomed through the speakers as people danced all around him. But he wasn’t looking at anyone around him. Not the women throwing him seductive gazes, not his friends laughing and drinking near him.
No—Gabriel’s eyes were locked on his mate from across the room. Maya Lopez.
She was talking to a group of her friends—or the people she hung out with anyway. In reality, they were his friends.
Her boyfriend—Adrian Kingsley. He seemed to have it all. Looks, charm, wealth. He seemed like the perfect boyfriend, but Gabriel knew better.
Maya’s head turned, as if she could feel his gaze on her. Their eyes connected and Gabriel smirked, shifting his weight casually as if he belonged there. Confidence oozed out of him as his predatory gaze swept over her. He knew she felt it too. They belonged together.
She could deny it all she wanted, pretend she wanted a chosen mate. But they were fated. Meant to be together.
Maya quickly looked away, leaning in to Adrian, who put an arm around her. Gabriel’s eyes zoomed in on where he was touching her. His jaw tightened and he clenched his hands into fists. His wolf stirred inside of him—eager to get to their mate—and Gabriel could feel his dark magic swirling inside of him, itching to be released, but he held back.
Violence wasn’t going to impress a girl like Maya. He needed to be careful. He would sweep her off her feet some other way. She might not be ready to accept the bond. But he was. From the moment his wolf coerced the words mate from his lips, he knew he’d wanted her.
A smile crept up his lips when Maya turned to look at him again. He could see the distinct flicker of her wolf on the surface.
Adrian laughed along with one of his friends, but when his eyes shifted to Maya, his smile faltered. His fingers clenched around her elbow, leading her out of Gabriel’s line of sight.
“Hey, do you want to dance?” A cute blonde girl asked him.
“Maybe later. I’m going for a drink first,” he answered.
“Oh, cool. I’ll come along. I want one myself.”
Gabriel shrugged. He didn’t mind. The girl was one of his pack members anyway—making him her future Alpha. It was a title that came with a lot of responsibility—and a lot of temptation. But his father, Christian, had warned him that she-wolves loved power, and that he should tread lightly.
It was never a good look when you found your mate and she discovered that you’d been with half the female population in the pack. It would only cause unnecessary drama.
He was about to order a drink when—
“What the hell are you doing here?” Maya’s voice snapped from behind.
“Hello, Maya,” he let the name roll off his tongue. He felt a deep satisfaction when he noticed the goosebumps trailing over her arm—she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted him to believe.
“I asked what you were doing here?” she repeated, but her eyes moved to the girl behind him before they reconnected with his.
Gabriel tilted his head, letting his intense gaze linger on Maya. "What’s wrong? Didn’t expect to see me?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but he saw the flicker of something deeper in her eyes—confusion, longing, maybe even recognition. Before she could respond, Adrian’s voice called out smoothly from behind her.
“There you are, sweetheart! Everyone’s been asking about you.”
Adrian’s gaze met Gabriel’s for a brief moment—a deliberate, knowing smirk tugging at his lips—before he wrapped a casual arm around her waist, guiding her back toward the party like he owned her.
Dark magic flickered at Gabriel’s fingertips before he clenched his fists, forcing it back. His wolf howled in frustration.
With a sharp inhale, Gabriel turned on his heel and strode toward his motorcycle parked outside. His leather jacket creaked as he shrugged it on, the familiar weight grounding him against the storm inside his chest.
The engine roared to life as he sped into the night, jaw clenched, eyes burning with determination.
He didn’t know how much trouble it would be to claim her—but he wouldn’t stop until she was his.
- Writer
