Gabrielle’s Destiny

MAX

I found myself drawn to Bonnie, time and time again.

But let’s be honest, it wasn’t just out of habit.

I’ve mentioned before that I have a soft spot for Bonnie, and I’m the only one who knows her whole story.

I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want just anyone knowing about her past, even if she didn’t say it outright.

I also had a hunch that Estella had filled her in on everything that had happened between us, but thankfully, Bonnie never brought it up or gave me a hard time about it.

So, stopping by to see her every now and then was still a comfort to me.

“Estella and Laurent broke up,” she blurted out one day.

I tried to ignore the way my heart jumped at the news, and I gave her a puzzled look.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to spill Estella’s secrets?” I asked her.

She had defended herself when I accused her of not warning me about Estella getting a boyfriend, saying she had no intention of spying for me.

She was fine with sharing harmless tidbits about Estella, but she wouldn’t outright betray her trust.

Their friendship meant a lot to her, she had said.

“True,” she agreed, nodding and smiling. “I still feel that way, but I think you need a little push to finally go after her.”

“Bonnie…” I started, but she cut me off.

“Max, you know I hate to lecture you, so I won’t. But don’t you think you’re dragging this out a bit?”

“She’s still too young,” I argued.

“You’re not exactly acting mature yourself,” she countered. “You love her, right?”

“You know I do.”

“And I bet you’d love her even if you two weren’t mates.”

“Why does this feel like déjà vu?” I asked.

“Because we’ve probably had this conversation before.” She laughed. “We tend to go in circles. The point is, I think little Luz might be onto something.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in her abilities.”

“I don’t. I don’t think anyone can ‘see’ the future, and I’ve told you that before. But the fact remains that you’re running out of chances.

“That’s why I’m telling you that Estella and Laurent broke up.”

“If you think I’m going to fly to France and get down on one knee, you’re mistaken,” I said, dead serious.

“Are you that scared of being rejected?” Bonnie teased.

“Yes, and she’d be right to reject me,” I admitted. “Besides, how would it look if I swooped in right after her relationship ended?”

“Honestly? It would look like you’ve finally come to your senses and decided to fight for her.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Fight for her?” she asked.

“Go to Paris.”

“And fight for her,” she pressed.

“Yes. That too. After all the times I pushed her away, I don’t feel like I deserve her.”

“Maybe you don’t, Doctor. But you’ll never know unless you try. And I’m not trying to be a know-it-all, but you’re running out of time and excuses.”

“You’re right.” I sighed.

“So, what are you going to do?”

ESTELLA

I finally got what people meant when they said time flies when you’re busy.

Another year was coming to a close. Hell, university was coming to a close. But before I could even start to feel down about it, the most unexpected news came.

No, it wasn’t about me directly. My personal life had been pretty quiet since my breakup with Laurent.

I wasn’t looking for someone new, and I was focusing more on finishing my studies.

Not that it was hard. I still loved what I was studying, and not to brag, but I was one of the top students in my year. Gaby was right up there with me.

Our friendship was stronger than ever, our project was moving along, and she was the best roommate I could ask for. We often talked about what we would do after graduation.

I had no doubt that I would stay here in Paris with her.

I mean, I already had the apartment.

I had Gabrielle, who said she’d be over the moon to live with me forever (one of her usual exaggerations, but it was sweet), and I could get a job to support myself.

I hadn’t told my aunt and uncle yet. Aunt Lydia wouldn’t mind. Uncle Julian was another story. Yes, he was still overprotective.

But in my mind, my future was already set.

That was until one night (or rather, early morning) when Gabrielle came in, turned on the lights in my room, and woke me up from a deep sleep.

She didn’t exactly do it gently. She shook me until she was sure I was wide awake at four in the morning.

“I have news!” she announced.

“Can’t it wait until morning?” I yawned, trying to go back to sleep.

“If you were a werewolf who found her mate, would you wait until morning?” She smirked.

“No, knowing the werewolves I know, I wouldn’t bother telling you. I’d just be too busy screwing my mate,” I mumbled, and then it hit me.

“You found your mate?” I gasped.

That was enough to snap me out of my sleepiness for good.

“Mates!” she squealed. “I have two of them!”

“Two guys?” I asked, shocked. “How are you going to handle two guys?”

“One guy, Estelle.” Gaby smirked.

“You don’t mean…”

“Oh yes, I do! And she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Gabrielle was practically floating on air, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her. I’d never seen her so starry-eyed before. But I had to ask.

“So, are you accepting them or…”

“Are you out of your mind?” Gabrielle laughed, her eyes wide with disbelief. “There’s no way I’m turning them down, Estelle! They’re like a dream come true!”

“Okay…” I drew out the word, a little unsure. “I just thought having two mates might be a bit much to handle.”

“Yeah, I bet they will be! But when have I ever backed down from a good challenge?” She shot me a playful wink.

“Never. You’re the most fearless person I know,” I confirmed, and she beamed at me.

“You said the girl is pretty. What about the guy? Is he good-looking enough?” I asked.

“He’s like sex on legs,” she said flatly, and then, as if remembering something, she bit her lip, sighing dreamily.

“Did you sleep with him already?” I asked, smirking because, honestly, I wouldn’t put it past her to jump the guy right after saying “hello.”

“No, and don’t ask me how I’ve managed to resist because I don’t even know. It was so intense having him touch me…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I laughed. “You don’t have to give me all the details.”

“It’s not like anything really happened.” She rolled her eyes. “We got interrupted.”

“By who?”

“Their dates,” she said, her eyes flashing with a hint of copper.

“Already jealous?” I teased.

“Absolutely,” she scoffed. “It’s only natural, right?”

“I’d say so.” I smiled. “Tell me more about them.”

She sighed dreamily and lay down next to me, snuggling close.

We did that sometimes when she was home, and we were both in a strange mood (and yes, this happened even when I was with Laurent).

We’d cuddle, and then everything would be okay. We’d feel better and loved.

“I don’t know much about them,” she admitted softly. “His name is Tristan, and he’s a gamma in his pack. He’s totally my type, blonde and blue-eyed, and like I said, sex on legs.”

“What about her? What’s her rank?”

“Sabrine? She’s an alpha, or she will be in a month or so. She’s my type too. She is…”

She turned to look at me, her brow furrowed and her lips pouting adorably.

“Well, she looks a bit like you. Only she’s taller, of course,” she finally said, and I burst out laughing.

“Don’t laugh at me!” She nudged me and continued. “Like you don’t know you’re my type. I hit on you the day we met!”

“That was a joke!” I pointed out.

“Not entirely. But then we became friends, and you told me all about Max, and then Laurent took your virginity, as you guys say, and you always brushed me off and…”

Suddenly, she sat up, a look of sheer terror on her face.

“Oh, my God!” she exclaimed. “I’m screwed!”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed.

“I’ve never kissed a girl before,” she said, her eyes wide.

“You haven’t?”

“No, I haven’t. And don’t give me that look. I don’t feel the urge to do that with just any girl.”

My laughter was cut short when I noticed her staring at me rather intently. Knowing what was going through her mind made me feel more awkward than if I had no clue.

“You’re going to help me!” she declared.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“That you don’t swing that way, yeah, yeah.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“But I don’t want us to be lovers. I just want to get my first girl kiss out of the way, so I won’t be nervous when I do it with Sabrine.”

“Gaby, I don’t think she’ll care.”

“No, but I can’t stand the thought of not being good enough.”

“Look, I don’t think kissing a girl is all that different from kissing a guy. Making love to a girl is different, though. How will you handle that?”

“Oh, shit, you’re right,” she muttered softly. “But honestly, with the amount of sexual tension in the air, I doubt either of them will mind if I need a little guidance.

“A kiss is different. It’s the first step. I don’t want to be bad at it. No pun intended.”

“Are you saying you want to make out with me?” I joked.

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “You’re beautiful, you’re my best and only human friend, and after I’m fully mated, I won’t be able to kiss anyone else.”

Well, she did have a point. After being mated and marked, her days of experimenting with other people would be over.

“Alright then,” I nudged her softly.

You must think I’m crazy for agreeing to this, but it felt natural to me.

She lay back down next to me and cupped my face with one hand.

“Here goes,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

She closed her eyes, but I kept mine open.

We kissed. A real kiss. It was surprisingly nice.

Okay, maybe a bit more than just nice.

It wasn’t the kind of kiss that would lead to more, but there was a certain passion from both of us that made it last a little longer than we’d planned.

I wouldn’t mind doing it again, and I wouldn’t mind if we didn’t.

When it was over, we both giggled.

“Wow,” she said. “If it was that good with you, I can only imagine how it’ll be with Sabrine.”

“She’s your mate,” I reminded her. “It’s supposed to be perfect.”

“You’re right. I’m still a bit nervous, though. And I’m going to miss you,” she murmured.

“Yeah. It’s going to suck not having my wild roommate around,” I confessed. “But Tristan and Sabrine are your people now. We’re not going to turn into strangers, are we?”

She gave a nod, and we wrapped each other in a hug, drifting back to sleep. Well, I drifted back to sleep, feeling happy for my friend but also wondering what my next move would be now that my plans had taken a detour.