24. Gabriella
Gabriella
Every adult at the table freezes.
Oh, shit.
Wreck's hand stops on Gia's shoulder. Justin slowly lowers his coffee. Rowan goes completely still beside me.
Three Alpha males can face a wildfire without blinking, and apparently, a six-year-old asking about mating is what finally takes them down.
Men.
I think about letting them stew, but I cave before one of them can say something that might scar my child.
“You know what mates are, honey. They’re couples. Like married people.”
Matteo considers that.
“So Gia is Wreck's wife?”
“Basically.”
“We're engaged,” Gia explains.
“So you're almost his wife.”
“Exactly.”
He nods.
Problem solved.
Except Justin is staring at me. Shrewd Dragon.
“And you two aren't just normals.”
Shit.
The table quiets again. I put down my tea.
Before I can answer, Matteo does it for me.
“Mommy says we can't talk about our other.”
My heart stops.
Matteo.
Rowan's entire body changes beside me. Not threatening.
Alert.
“Gabby?”
I look at him. Those golden eyes hold mine.
No accusation.
No anger.
Just a question.
And concern.
That somehow makes this harder.
“It's a long story,” I whisper. “Best not suited for little ears.”
I glance around the table, hoping the adults understand what I'm really asking.
Please.
Not here.
Not yet.
Gia gets it first.
“No worries. We can discuss that later.”
Wreck nods.
Justin studies me for another second, then inclines his head. Rowan doesn't say anything. His hand simply finds mine beneath the table.
Warm.
Steady.
The matebond answers immediately.
Firelight.
Trust.
My chest squeezes.
“But none of you have to hide what you are from us,” I add, wanting to make at least that much clear. “We know about supernaturals. And about keeping it secret.”
“Yes! I know! Mommy taught me!”
Matteo practically bounces out of his chair.
“I know about Shifters!” He looks at me eagerly. “Mommy, can I talk about it here?”
I smile.
“Yes, baby. You can talk about it here. Just mind your manners.”
That is apparently the greatest news my child has received all evening.
Possibly better than cake.
His eyes immediately swing toward the three men.
Oh, boy. Here we go.
“What are you, Gabriella Santos?”
Justin looks at me rather than Matteo.
His voice is quieter now. Almost too quiet.
And just like that, the entire atmosphere around the table changes.
Dominance rolls off all three men.
I feel it immediately. It’s impossible not to.
Three powerful Alphas sitting within a few feet of me, and yet each one feels completely different.
Wreck’s dominance is heavy but restrained, threaded through with concern. His mismatched eyes move from me to Gia and back again, like he’s already wondering whether whatever I’m hiding could somehow put his pregnant mate or the strange little family they’ve built here at risk.
I understand that.
Rowan’s is different, though.
His power wraps around me instead of pushing against me.
Protective. Possessive.
A warning to everyone at this table that whatever my answer is, they’ll be dealing with him before they deal with me.
My Wolf.
My Alpha.
My mate.
The realization sends a warm pulse through the matebond.
But Justin? Justin’s dominance makes the tiny hairs on my arms rise.
For the first time since meeting him, I understand exactly why a Dragon without a Clan could own an entire mountain and hire a crew of feral Shifters to protect it—something I’ve pieced together over the past year of living in Ember Hollow.
There’s something ancient in his stare.
Something dangerous.
The Dragon isn’t threatening me exactly, but I feel him there beneath Justin’s skin.
Powerful. Watchful. Assessing.
And suddenly I’m very aware of every childhood story I ever read about dragons.
See, this mountain is his treasure. These lands are his beast’s. And somehow, whether any of them planned it or not, I think the people sitting around this table might be his too.
My mouth goes dry. Justin’s eyes never leave mine. The question is clearly meant for me.
I shake my head slowly.
“I think I need to tell Rowan first, don’t you?”
Silence.
The words feel significant coming out of my mouth. More significant than I expected.
Because I’m not simply refusing to answer. I’m choosing Rowan. Choosing to trust my mate with the truth before anyone else gets to have it.
Rowan’s fingers tighten around mine.
His thumb moves once across my knuckles, and another warm pulse travels through the matebond.
I’m here.
He doesn’t have to say it.
I feel him.
Justin’s gaze drops to our joined hands before moving to Rowan’s face.
Something passes between the two Alphas.
Not quite a challenge. More like an understanding. Justin looks back at me. Then the Dragon slowly nods.
“Yes.”
The crushing weight of his dominance recedes.
So does Wreck’s.
But Rowan’s doesn’t.
His remains wrapped around me, warm and protective, while his hand stays firmly over mine.
Relief rushes through me.
“Thank you.”
Justin lifts his coffee and takes an unhurried sip. And just like that, he lets it go.
For now.
Matteo, however, has absolutely no interest in secrets when there are Shifters available for interrogation.
He points across the table.
“Wreck is a Bear.”
“Yep.”
“Rowan is a Wolf.”
Rowan nods solemnly.
“Last time I checked.”
Matteo points to Justin.
“And you're a Dragon.”
Justin nods.
“Correct.”
Then my son turns to Gia.
“What are you?”
Gia smiles.
“I'm a Dryad.”
Matteo's eyes get huge.
“What’s that?”
“I’m like a nature spirit with magic. I can communicate with nature.”
“Like trees?”
“Sort of.”
“Can you turn into a tree?”
“No.”
“Okay, but can you talk to trees?”
“Sometimes.”
“Do trees talk back?”
“Sometimes.”
His mouth drops open. He whips toward me.
“Mommy! Did you know trees can talk?”
I take a sip of tea.
“I do now.”
He turns immediately to Justin.
“Can you breathe fire?”
“Yes.”
“Can I see?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because we're sitting at a wooden table in the middle of a forest.”
I bite my lip.
Okay. Fair answer.
“After?”
“No.”
“Tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Uncle Sparky—”
Justin closes his eyes. Rowan chokes on his beer. Wreck starts laughing. Gia covers her mouth.
I lose it right along with them.
“You told him to call me that,” Justin accuses Rowan.
“I absolutely fucking did.”
“Dollar!” Matteo shouts.
Rowan groans and reaches for his wallet. I laugh harder.
God, my cheeks hurt.
My stomach hurts.
I can't remember the last time I've laughed this much. Then Matteo turns toward me.
“What are you, Mommy?”
And just like that, the laughter catches in my throat.
My fingers freeze around my teacup. The matebond tightens instantly.
Rowan feels it.
Of course he does.
His thigh presses more firmly against mine. His hand covers mine beneath the table. He doesn't answer for me.
Doesn't push.
Doesn't even look at me expectantly. He just holds on.
I look at my son.
“I'm your mommy.”
Matteo sighs dramatically.
“I know that.”
Rowan reaches across and steals a piece of chocolate cake right off Matteo's plate.
“Best answer you're getting tonight, Champ.”
“Hey!”
“Alpha tax.”
Matteo's outrage is immediate.
“What's Alpha tax?”
“Means I get cake.”
“That doesn't sound real.”
“It's extremely real.”
“No, it's not,” Wreck says.
Rowan glares at him.
“Whose side are you on?”
“The kid's. That's Matteo's cake.”
Justin nods. “Exactly. Respect the cake.”
Matteo points his fork at Rowan.
“Give it back.”
“I already ate it.”
My son gasps like Rowan just committed a felony.
Then Rowan cuts a piece from his own slice and puts it on Matteo's plate.
A bigger piece than the one he stole.
“There.”
Matteo studies it.
Then Rowan.
“We're even.”
“Good.”
My heart squeezes. Because that's Rowan.
All growling and teasing and Alpha bullshit on the surface.
But underneath?
He notices.
He gives back more than he takes.
And the way he looks at my son?
Oh, Lord, I am in trouble.
Serious trouble.
I slide my hand onto Rowan's thigh beneath the table.
His head turns. Golden eyes find mine.
Thank you.
I don't say it. I don't need to. His hand covers mine. The matebond warms between us like firelight spilling through an open doorway.
Not the Fates demanding anything from us.
Not instinct deciding our lives.
Us.
Choosing.
Trusting.
Moving one careful step closer.
And when Rowan's thumb strokes across my knuckles, something inside me settles.
Tonight.
I'll tell him tonight.
I’m gonna tell him everything.
What I am.
Who I ran from.
Who Matteo's father is.
Why I've been hiding.
And why Lindsey's black eye scared the absolute shit out of me.
I don't know what Rowan will do with the truth. That's the terrifying part.
Because somewhere between last night and watching this giant Wolf give my six-year-old extra chocolate cake, my fear has changed.
I'm not afraid Rowan will hurt me. I'm afraid he'll decide he doesn't want me.
Because despite every warning I've given myself...
I've fallen in love with him, and there’s no magic on this planet that can save me from that.