Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“What is it about me, though? Why?”
“That’s a good question,” Emmy answered. “We thought it might be a territory thing, but it does seem like there’s some sort of special interest in you.”
Dyl put a finger up, then retracted it.
“What?” Yuni asked. “What were you going to say?”
“It’s kinda stupid, but with fated mates, what if… has there ever been more than one?”
That made me arch a brow. Gabe stiffened like an ironing board had just possessed his body. Yuni looked like she was about to answer with a flat out no but paused. Her lips scrunched. “Hmm, actually.”
“There’s no way,” Gabe immediately said. There was a sharpness to his tone. “That’s not it. Has to be something else.”
I erred on the side of believing Gabe. I couldn’t imagine this being because I was destined to be with either Gabe or Viktor. Or both? No. Even the idea of it made my stomach roll. “I’ve been around Viktor, though, and I’ve never felt what I feel for Gabe.”
“Which is also interesting because it shows that even humans can feel the tug of a fated mate,” Chris noted.
“Yes, that’s something that wasn’t quite known yet.” Yuni took another sip of her wine.
“So if it’s not me, then what is it?” Another thought struck me. “Or maybe it’s not even Viktor? Maybe it’s someone else?”
Emmy nodded at that. “That’s another possibility we need to consider. But who?”
Gabe was about to say something when his phone started to ring. “What’s Ashley want now—fuck. This is from the nursing home. I think my sister needs me.”
Without a second thought and before Gabe had even answered the call, I was grabbing my phone and getting ready to leave with him.
The nursing home was lit by sterile white lights balanced by a soft yellow paint on the walls. The nursing station was wide, curving around a hallway in the center of the small facility. There were photos of the residents on various outings and celebrating different birthdays pinned up on a large corkboard.
I was looking through them when Gabe came down the hall, wheeling a frail-looking woman who I instantly recognized as his sister. They had the same bright blue eyes, albeit his sister’s were red from crying and weren’t as sharp as Gabe’s.
When we arrived, the nurses had said she was really distraught. We could hear her crying out for Gabe from down the hall. It was a heart-wrenching cry. Like she was deathly scared of something and just needed her brother around. My chest clenched tight. I didn’t want to already get emotional, but I hadn’t been prepared for how tortured she sounded.
Gabe went ahead to her room, telling me to hang back. The shouting pretty much stopped immediately. Five minutes later, I could hear some laughter. It was a bubbly and light sound. Such a contrast to the panicked yelling.
“Hey, Eli, meet my sister, Lily, or Lils as she’s known on the streets,” Gabe said as he stopped in front of me. I crouched down and offered her a wide smile, grabbing her bony hand in mine. She wore a rosy pink shirt, blue and purple flowers stitched around the sleeves and collar.
“It’s great to meet you, Lils. I’m Eli.”
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. She looked down at her lap, hiding a smile. “Let’s go to the courtyard. She loves it out there.”
I got back to my feet and followed them down the hallway. We passed through a common area, where a lot of the residents were hanging out, some eating their cups of Jell-O, others staring at the television playing The Little Mermaid at a barely perceptible volume, a few napping in their wheelchairs.
I hurried ahead of Gabe and Lily so I could hold the door open for them. He thanked me—and it sounded like it was for more than just holding the door. I hoped he didn’t think this was any kind of burden for me or something. I enjoyed being here, meeting Gabe’s sister, seeing this brotherly side of him.
He wheeled her over to an empty table underneath an outdoor heater radiating rays of warmth. I grabbed one of the white picnic chairs and pulled it closer to her. Gabe sat on the other side. He gently reached up and brushed a strand of thin gray hair off her forehead. “Lils here had a bad nightmare. But she’s doing better now, right, Lils? Because the bad guys aren’t real?”
“No,” she said in a soft, meek voice. “Not real.”
“You know, Lils, Eli here is known for his dancing. You love to dance too, don’t you, Lils? Don’t you love salsa?”
She lifted her gaze and met mine for a split second, the smile wide on her face. She clapped a couple of times and nodded. She answered, but her words were mumbled and low.