GABRIEL #10
Veyron spreads his arms wide.
"For the last year I’ve been kind of depressed. I hit a point where sex for fun just stopped doing anything for me."
I sink onto the couch because apparently I’m about to get a whole speech.
Veyron drops down beside me. I slide the bottle of mineral water from the coffee table toward him.
He unscrews it, takes a few gulps, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, then says,
"So picture this. One day I had to dock at one of those ridiculously luxurious private marinas because my engine started making weird noises… I’m looking out the window, and next to me there’s this massive yacht.
Not like mine, one of those insanely exclusive two-deck monsters with everything on it.
And standing there alone on one of the decks is the most beautiful omega I’ve ever seen in my life. "
"Of course," I sigh. "So. Who is he?"
"Uhhh… if I told you who this guy actually is, your brain would probably explode, so I’ll spare you that part for now…"
I scoff in irritation.
"Seriously?! After an intro like that you have to tell me something."
"I’ll just say this. He’s dangerous. Powerful. High up in the world. Which makes him exactly my type."
"Your type is dangerous people?" I make a face. "Trust me, I was into one guy who turned out to be dangerous. That game ends fast, Veyron. Usually ugly."
The cheerful look on Veyron’s face dims a little.
"I know… it’s impossible. More like a fantasy. You know, the whole taming-the-dragon thing."
"No, I don’t know. You’re treating this like some kind of quest, and that’s probably not a great start."
"I know it’s just a fun experiment! But listen before you judge me, because I’m about to give you an even bigger reason to do it."
I snort out a laugh.
"Veyron, you’re unbelievable."
"The best part is I got so obsessed with this guy to the point of… you know what I started doing? I started… okay, brace yourself… stalking him."
My mouth falls open.
"You are insane! You know that kind of thing can end in actual criminal charges, right?"
"But I seriously can’t help it. Fuck, whenever I look at him I lose my mind… And yes, yes, I know he’s someone I could never have because of who he is, but dear Fate, he’s just unreal…"
I hesitate for a second, debating whether I should burst his bubble, but I have to say it.
"Listen. If this really is someone dangerous, then please—" Then something suddenly clicks in my head. "I know you and Storm never got along, but the best cure for whatever this is would be finding your actual True Mate, and Storm could help."
Veyron practically jumps out of his seat.
"Hell to the no! You know Storm and I always had beef. The guy’s a complete asshole."
I dramatically cross my arms over my chest and jut my jaw forward.
"Asking him for help still sounds like a better option than chasing someone who’s supposedly dangerous and impossible to have. A True Mate is… magic, Vey. It’s a dream come true. Don’t throw that away because of some old beef."
Veyron goes quiet for a moment. He paces around the middle of the room before speaking softly.
"Who knows. Maybe I’ll think about it. Eventually… Because I know what I’m doing right now is completely insane, and it could end with me getting a bullet in the head."
I rub my temples and shake my head.
"For fuck’s sake, what the hell did you get yourself into, Veyron?!"
"Don’t even ask… it’s bad."
I walk over and place a hand on his shoulder.
"Please, I’m begging you. We’ve had enough problems in this family lately. Reach out to Storm. Wouldn’t you want to meet your fated mate?"
"Yeah," Veyron whispers with a sigh.
Then he frowns like something suddenly occurred to him.
Without warning he turns and heads for the door, leaving the package of sapphire pillows on the floor.
"Alright, I gotta go. I still need to fix one of the billboards downtown because the left side stopped displaying red," he says with a gloomy expression once he reaches the door.
"Yeah, go." I sigh. "And thanks for the pillows. I’ll come up with something clever to explain all this to Blue…"
"Good luck!"
When Veyron disappears into the elevator, I stand there for a moment watching after him, shaking my head without even realizing it.
I really hope Veyron’s story ends well. He’s such a good-hearted, positive guy. Maybe a little crazy, but his heart’s in the right place.
Then I turn and glare threateningly at the giant plastic-wrapped box of pillows.
I grab a knife from the kitchen and cut it open.
The pillows spill across the floor.
They’re actually really nice, and high quality too. The fabric looks like sapphire-colored silk. I pick one up and press it against my face, even breathing it in, enjoying that fresh scent.
Then, on some strange impulse, I gather an armful of pillows and head toward the bedroom where Blue is sleeping.
I stand in the doorway looking at his small figure curled up against a plain white pillow. The whole bed looks so clean and aesthetic, all white and boring. Maybe we could use a little sapphire in there.
Walking on tiptoe, I approach the bed and carefully place the pillows next to him, arranging them into a circle around his body.
I know this is stupid. Blue could get angry about it, or feel hurt that I’m weirdly suggesting, maybe even pressuring him into nesting when he hasn’t shown any signs of wanting that for months…
But some kind of madness keeps pushing me forward.
Soon Blue is lying inside an almost perfect circle made of sapphire pillows.
He looks really beautiful in it. So cozy.
I smile to myself, then quietly leave the room.