33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
I didn’t know how long i stood in a daze trying to work on these flower arrangements, when the door opened but I didn't turn around. I kept my focus on the ribbon I was cutting, though my fingers trembled slightly, betraying my agitation.
"Vivian." Gabriel's voice. Deep, controlled, but with an undercurrent I couldn't quite identify. I closed my eyes briefly, steadying myself before I turned to face him.
He stood just inside the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the late afternoon light streaming through the glass. His blue eyes were intense, studying me with that penetrating gaze that always made me feel like he could see straight through to my core.
"Dakota talked to you," I said. It wasn't a question.
Gabriel nodded once, taking a measured step into the greenhouse. "He did."
I set down my scissors, suddenly finding it hard to meet his eyes. "I suppose you're here to tell me how inappropriate that was. How it complicates everything.”
Gabriel took another step forward, his movements measured, controlled. His scent—apricot and sandalwood—reached me even from across the room, familiar now in a way that made my heart race.
"Is that what you think I'm here for?" he asked, his voice steady but with an edge I couldn't quite place. "To reprimand you?"
I shrugged, trying for nonchalance despite the tension coiling in my stomach. "Isn't that what the responsible Alpha would do? Maintain boundaries, keep things professional?"
Gabriel's expression softened slightly, a flicker of something like understanding crossing his features. "Dakota blames himself. Thinks he took advantage of the situation—of you."
"He didn't," I said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "I was a willing participant."
Gabriel watched me for a long moment, his gaze so intense I had to fight the urge to look away. "And what if it had been me instead of Dakota?" he asked, his voice dropping to that low, resonant tone that seemed to vibrate through my very bones. "If I had been the one to touch you, to kiss you—would you have been just as willing?"
The question hung in the air between us, charged with unspoken possibilities. I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.
"I don't know," I whispered, though the rapid beating of my heart suggested otherwise. "Maybe."
Gabriel took another step closer, close enough now that I could feel the heat radiating from his body, “I can smell when you are lying, Vivian.”
Heat crawled up my neck to my cheeks as I stood frozen, unable to look away from his piercing blue gaze. The greenhouse suddenly felt too small, the air too thick with tension and the mingling of our scents.
"Fine," I admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "Yes. I would have been willing. Is that what you want to hear?"
Gabriel moved closer still, his proximity making my pulse quicken. He didn't touch me, but I could feel the weight of his presence, the careful restraint in his posture.
"What I want," he said slowly, deliberately, "is the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."
I exhaled shakily, my fingers gripping the edge of the workbench behind me. "The truth is complicated. I didn't come here looking for... this. Any of this. I was supposed to be focused on staying alive and finishing these arrangements, as you all catch whoever is after me and the other Omegas out there.”
Something flashed in Gabriel's eyes—satisfaction, perhaps, or desire—before his expression settled back into that careful control. He moved closer still, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact.
"And now?" His voice was a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. "What are you looking for now, Vivian?"
I inhaled sharply, his scent overwhelming my senses—rich and complex, distinctly Alpha yet uniquely Gabriel. "I don't know," I admitted, the honesty painful in my throat. "Everything's changed so quickly. I barely know which way is up anymore."
Gabriel's hand lifted slowly, giving me plenty of time to move away if I wanted. When I remained still, his fingers brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, the simple touch sending electricity coursing through me.
"You're safe here," he said, his blue eyes never leaving mine. "Whatever happens or doesn't happen between us—between you and any of us—that doesn't change. Your safety comes first."
"And…what is this to you all?" I asked, surprised by steady by voice was, “A Fling? An easy Omega…” I was cut off by a low angry growl.
"You are not just some 'easy Omega,'" Gabriel's voice was rough with barely controlled emotion, his eyes flashing with something primal. "None of us see you that way."
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore how his intensity made something twist deep in my core. "Then what am I to you? To all of you?"
Gabriel seemed to struggle with his words, a rare moment of uncertainty crossing his usually composed features. "You're..." he started, then paused, as if weighing his next words carefully. "You're someone who fits, Vivian. In ways none of us expected or were looking for."
"Fits?" I echoed, the word hanging between us.
"With us. With the pack." His gaze held mine, unwavering. "All four of us have felt it, in different ways. There's something about you that... resonates. Completes something in our pack.”
I took a step back, needing space to process his words. "That's... that's not possible. You barely know me."
"And yet," Gabriel said, not moving closer but not backing away either, "here we are. Four Alphas, who've never been drawn to anyone outside our pack, all feeling the same pull toward you."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "Is that why Dakota kissed me? Because of some... pack instinct?"
Gabriel's expression softened. "No. Dakota kissed you because he wanted to. Because he couldn't resist anymore." His eyes held mine, intense and unwavering. "Just as I'm finding it increasingly difficult to resist."
Heat flooded my body at his words, pooling low in my stomach. "This is insane," I whispered, more to myself than to him. "I've known you for days, not months or years."
Gabriel studied me, his expression thoughtful. "Sometimes time isn't the measure that matters. Some connections form instantly—like your flowers finding the right soil, the right conditions to bloom." He paused, taking a careful breath. "I'm not asking you for anything, Vivian. None of us are. We're just acknowledging what's happening."
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling vulnerable despite being fully clothed. "And what exactly is happening, Gabriel? Because I feel like I'm being pulled in four different directions at once."
"Maybe you are," he acknowledged, his voice gentle. "Maybe we all are. This isn't a situation any of us anticipated."
"That's not very reassuring," I muttered, turning back to my flowers, needing something tangible to ground me.
I heard Gabriel move closer, felt the warmth of him behind me though he didn't touch me. "We would never make you do anything you aren’t comfortable with…but we also are having a hard time staying away from you.”
I felt my breath catch at his words, torn between the irrational desire to lean back into him and the equally strong urge to flee. "So what happens now?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Gabriel remained motionless behind me, close enough that I could feel his warmth but carefully maintaining that sliver of space between us. "That depends on you," he said, his voice a low rumble that I felt more than heard. "We can take a step back, focus solely on your safety and the case. Or..."
I turned slowly to face him, needing to see his expression. "Or?"
His blue eyes were darker now, intense with barely restrained emotion. "Or we acknowledge this connection and see where it leads—at whatever pace you're comfortable with."
I searched his face, looking for any sign of deception or manipulation, but found only sincerity and that same careful restraint. I held my breath as I looked up at him and decided I would follow my instincts. It has never lead me wrong, so even in this situation, I hope it would lead me down the right path again.
“Okay.” Just as soon as those words left me I felt lips on my own , my arms instinctively wrapping around Gabriel's neck as he pulled me against him. Unlike Dakota's kiss—fierce and explosive—Gabriel's was controlled intensity, a slow burn that ignited every nerve ending in my body. His lips moved against mine with deliberate precision, as if he'd calculated exactly how to make me melt against him.
One of his hands cupped my face, thumb stroking my cheek, while the other settled at the small of my back, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. I gasped against his mouth, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine in a way that made my knees weaken. He tasted like coffee and something distinctly Gabriel—rich and complex and addictive.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, his forehead rested against mine, his blue eyes dark with desire. "I've wanted to do that since I first laid eyes on you.”
I laughed, feeling free for the first time in forever. I was doing this, and I didn’t regret it. Things definitely were going to get interesting around here.
“I guess a meeting with everyone is going to have to happen.” I told him, as he gently released me, his eyes still dark with hunger as he watched my every move.
"I think that would be best," Gabriel said, reluctantly creating more space between us, though his eyes never left mine. "All four of us need to talk with you together, so everyone understands where we stand." He brushed his thumb across my bottom lip, his touch feather-light. "No pressure, no expectations. Just honesty."
I nodded, trying to ignore how my body still hummed from his kiss. "When?"
"Tonight. After dinner." Gabriel's expression turned thoughtful. "These feelings... they're new for all of us, Vivian. We've been a pack for years, but we've never felt this kind of pull toward anyone else."
"Not even separately?" I asked, genuinely curious. "None of you have been in relationships?"
Gabriel's lips quirked in a half-smile. "Relationships, yes. But nothing that ever felt like this." He glanced at my work table, his expression shifting to something more practical. "How much more do you need to finish tonight?"
I followed his gaze to the half-completed arrangements, forcing my mind back to the task at hand. "A few more hours, at least. I want to get the centerpieces done before I call it a day."
"I'll leave you to it, then," Gabriel said, taking a deliberate step back. "We can talk more at dinner. All of us."
I nodded, suddenly feeling nervous about the prospect of facing all four Alphas after what had transpired with two of them. "I'll be there."
Gabriel's eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, his expression softening. "Take breaks," he reminded me, echoing Dakota's earlier concern. "And hydrate. The greenhouse gets deceptively warm this time of day."
"Yes, sir," I replied, the teasing response automatic. His eyes darkened at my words, much like Dakota's had earlier.
"Careful," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "Or I might not leave."
Heat flooded my cheeks as I turned back to my workbench, trying to focus on the flowers rather than the Alpha still watching me from the doorway. "Go," I said, not looking up. "I have work to do." "
I'll see you at dinner," he said, his voice slightly rougher than before. he ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that seemed almost self-soothing. He gave me one last look before leaving me alone. As the greenhouse door closed behind him, I exhaled slowly, pressing my fingers to my lips. They still tingled from his kiss, just as my skin still burned from Dakota's touch earlier.
What was I getting myself into?
I turned back to my flowers, hoping the familiar work would ground me and distract me from wondering how the talk later will go.