'Why is he lying about being mates?' Amelie's thoughts raced as her body stiffened in his arms. 'Did he get a mate scent from me? But I would've felt the same... wouldn't I?'
She barely had time to process the implications when the same warrior wolf stepped forward.
"Then let me see her face," he demanded with a suspicious tone.
Amelie's fingers curled tightly on the fabric of Gabriel's coat and she buried her face in his chest once again.
At the same time, Gabriel's hold on her tightened.
"Didn't you hear me?" he growled. His wolf, Volko, was ready to shard the petty warrior wolf in pieces. "I'm holding my mate in my arms," Gabriel declared again.
His violet eyes locked onto the warrior, glowing faintly. The effect was instant. The wolf's pupils dilated, lips parting slightly as if he was under a spell. Without another word, he turned and backed away.
Amelie peeked slightly only to find the warrior wolf had left her sight.
'How did this man do this?'
However, it wasn't the moment to ask about it. All she wanted to be inside the hotel and be hidden from Alex's wolves. And when Gabriel walking in, only then her thundering heartbeat slowly came to its steady beats.
Amelie's mind was overwhelmed with the incident that happened so far with her that she didn't realize when they arrived in the grand suite.
Only when Gabriel gently set her down that she realized they were inside the suite. Her hands remained on his arms as she whispered, "Thank you."
There were a lot of things that started moving in her head. What if those warrior wolves come here? 'Why did Alex have to go to such lengths to get rid of me?' Her eyes glistened with tears.
"Shall we begin, miss?" Gabriel's deep, velvety voice once again sent a shiver down her spine, reminding her why she was here.
Before she could react, his thumb brushed against her rain-kissed lips, making her breath hitch. Slowly, she lifted her gaze, meeting his striking violet eyes.
"Do you want to take a bath first?" he inquired, "or should we do it right away?"
Amelie's heart pounded violently against her ribs.
"I'll shower first," she replied quickly, her fingers fidgeting against the fabric of her damp dress.
Gabriel didn't press further, simply watching her with amusement.
As she turned away, she clenched her hands to steady herself. She couldn't tell him she was pregnant. Not yet. If he knew, he might throw her out.
For tonight, this man, this stranger, was her only hope. But how the hell was she supposed to sleep with him?
As soon as Amelie stepped into the washroom, she locked the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment as she caught her breath.
Her reflection in the mirror made her stomach twist, she looked terrible. The makeup she had carefully applied earlier was now a complete mess. Her eyeliner had smudged, dark streaks running down her cheeks, and the once-perfect lipstick was smeared unevenly around her lips. She barely recognized herself.
With a tired sigh, she stripped off her soaked dress and heels, her bare feet pressing against the cold floor as she stepped toward the transparent shower room.
"They all want me dead," she murmured under her breath as warm water cascaded down her body. "Even my own family didn't come to save me. My own sister laughed at my pathetic state. She didn't feel even an ounce of guilt for sleeping with Alex."
The water washed away the dirt, the rain, and the traces of her ruined makeup. But it couldn't wash away the betrayal that she received from Alex and her own younger sister.
How couldn't she ever notice this? Was the sweet smile that Alex carried all the time around her was fake? But why? Why did it happen to her?
Wiping away her tears under the warm stream of water, Amelie steadied herself with a deep breath. "I will leave this place at all costs tomorrow," she whispered while making up her mind.
Shutting off the shower tap, Amelie reached for a bathrobe, slipping it over her damp skin. Her hair remained loose, dripping slightly against the fabric as she stared at her reflection one last time. The woman in the mirror looked fragile, haunted, but beneath the exhaustion, there was determination and resilience.
She hovered near the door, her fingers gripping the handle tightly, but she was hesitant to open it.
"Just sleep with him and get over it," she murmured under her breath. "It's only for a night. You need to do this. To save your pup's life."
However, her body refused to move until Gabriel's deep voice came from outside.
"Don't make me wait too long. I have thin patience."
Amelie finally opened the door and stepped out. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on Gabriel, who stood half-naked with his back facing her. But it wasn't just his bare skin that caught her attention. It was the massive tattoo carved into his back.
A wolf's face, fangs bared in a menacing snarl, stretched across his entire back. She had never seen anything like it before.
This man exuded a dark aura, an unshakable dominance that couldn't go unnoticed. And yet, there was an unexplainable pull toward him, something magnetic that unsettled her.
"Why did you call me your mate?" Amelie asked, hoping a conversation would delay what Gabriel was waiting for.
Gabriel turned around with his phone pressed against his ear. His piercing gaze locked onto hers as he uttered a simple response.
"I'll talk to you later."
With that, he ended the call and lowered his hand.
Amelie swallowed hard, her eyes flickering over his sculpted chest and toned arms before she quickly looked away. She tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear, attempting to steady herself.
"Why did you offer your body to me in our first encounter?" Gabriel asked.