The apartment where Gabriel was staying was just a few blocks away from the alley where we had been attacked. We climbed the back stairs of the building, avoiding being seen. He leaned most of his weight on me, his body hot and wounded, still dripping fresh blood despite the partial regeneration already beginning. The attack had been brutal, even for an alpha.
Once inside, I helped him lie down on the couch while I rushed to find a first-aid kit. The place was surprisingly tidy, almost impersonal, as if he had barely been living there.
"I told you I was fine," he murmured with a weak smile when I returned with alcohol and bandages.
"Shut up, Gabriel," I replied, kneeling beside him. His shirt was torn, stuck to his skin with fresh blood. "Don't argue with me, or I'll let you bleed out."
He let out a low, hoarse laugh. But said nothing more.
I began cleaning the wound on his side. Even though wolves heal quickly, he hadn't marked me, we hadn't completed the bond... and he had rejected it. That weakened him more than he admitted. I saw him clench his jaw as the alcohol touched his skin.
"You shouldn't have faced them alone," I murmured, focused on cleaning the wound. "That was reckless."
"And you shouldn't have been so close to danger," he replied in a deeper tone. "I'm sorry," he added immediately. "I know it's not your fault."
I paused for a moment but said nothing. I continued cleaning his torso, every firm line of his muscles tensing under my fingers. The heat between us grew—unseen but vibrant. My hands trembled slightly as I lifted one to clean the scratch on his forehead. I leaned closer to do it properly, and that's when I felt it.
His gaze locked on mine.
It wasn't just desire. It was pain, regret, need, and something more. It was the bond, whispering through my veins. Screaming in my wolf. Begging me to feel him.
Gabriel moved closer, slowly, as if afraid any sudden movement might break whatever was happening. His breath mingled with mine.
"Sofía…" he whispered.
I didn't stop him. Maybe I should have. But in that moment, I gave in. His mouth found mine in a soft kiss, full of pent-up tension. At first, it was gentle, a shy caress, but it soon deepened, becoming more demanding. My lips parted instinctively, inviting his tongue to explore more freely. My body responded before my mind: I clung to him, craving more of that heat that burned inside me. I felt his hand slide from my waist to the curve of my back, pressing me against his firm, warm chest. His other hand trailed slowly up my side, grazing the exposed skin beneath my blouse, sending a pleasurable shiver through me.
Our bodies sought each other with restrained hunger, as if trying to merge and erase all the pain between us. His mouth left mine to kiss along my jaw, then my neck, where the bond should be sealed with a bite—it pulsed, begging to be completed. A part of me wanted to scream for him not to stop. To take me.
But then… I saw Aiden's golden eyes in my mind, heard his voice, felt his touch, the way he looked at me as if I were his whole world. I remembered the pain. The betrayal. And the unspoken promise of something more.
With a shaky breath, I pushed him away.
"I'm sorry… I can't," I said, my voice trembling, avoiding his gaze.
Without giving him time to respond, I stood abruptly and ran for the door. My heart pounded in my chest as I rushed down the stairs, each step taking me farther from the kiss, from Gabriel, and from the chaos of my emotions.
But even as I fled, the bond wouldn't let me escape completely.
Nor the memory of the taste of his mouth on mine.
I ran into the street without thinking, completely forgetting that minutes earlier we'd been attacked and that danger might still be lurking in any shadow. The cold air hit my face, but it couldn't cool the whirlwind of emotions inside me. I felt Laisa, my wolf, as overwhelmed as I was. Sad. Confused. Restless.
How could my heart beat so fiercely for two people?
Gabriel tied me with that ancient, powerful, and deep bond. But with Aiden… it was different. Intense and warm at the same time. A flame that consumed me from within. It wasn't just desire. It was belonging and something I still couldn't define or fully understand.
My steps carried me almost automatically toward the area near my apartment. That's when I felt it.
That firm, wild, and comforting energy.
Aiden.
He was close.