Chapter 4

The moment I removed my bangle, Gabriel’s eyes turned a primal yellow and he lunged at me. Before I could even activate my magic, his body was on mine, pinning me against the wall with inhuman strength. Panic flooded through me as I struggled to break free, but his feral gaze held me in place like a predator cornering its prey.

“Mate,” he growled low into my ear, tingles erupting across my entire body from his touch.

Stunned, it took a moment for the realization to sink in that he moved faster than any other werewolf I’d ever seen. And I’d seen many. He bent his head, lips mere inches from mine and in that singular beat, I hated myself. I hated myself because for one small milli-second, I felt attracted to him. Stupid mate bond. This twisted sense of attraction was going to be the death of me.

“I know that cheap bit of jewelry your witchy tia gave you is what blocks our bond Muneca.” His breath was hot against my lips as he spoke, those eyes, dark as death, boring into mine. “It’s what kept me from being able to track you using my witch—”

I looked away and tried to ignore the flare of ire over his words ‘my witch’. More like ' dumb bi.t.ch' , if you asked me. Whoever she was, I wished she'd choke and di.e on the next man's d.i.ck she sucked.

“—but I don’t need magic to know where you are. I will always find you.”

His rough, calloused left-hand reached up to grab my chin in an ironclad grip, fingers applying gentle yet firm pressure to tilt my head upwards so that our gazes locked once again.

Dark eyes bored into mine, conveying a silent warning or perhaps a promise of what was to come.

Shivers shot down my spine and I defiantly glared up at him. His touch was both possessive and rippling with barely concealed power, a reminder of the physical advantage he held. In that moment, I couldn’t help but also feel completely captivated by him. The knowledge that this pull between us was practically undeniable made my stomach churn in resentment. He killed my fiance’! What was wrong with me?

“We’ve denied this bond long enough, it’s time to accept that we are destined to be together.”

The pit of my stomach dropped. Something…warm began to unfurl slowly in my belly. Fluttering butterflies flapped wildly, spurring a completely unwarranted blossoming of preposterous hope in my chest. He didn’t want to kill me?

“You want to make me your mate?” I queried in an oddly strained voice.

“Vos sos mia Evelina (You are mine Evelina).” Gabriel’s voice was rough and deep, the words escaping past his lips in a breathy rasp.

His voice dripped with a possessive venom, seeping into my skin like hot metal chains constricting me with an unyielding grip.

We were breathing the same air, lips mere inches apart.

His breath landed on my lips,scorching them and reminding me that this man could light me on fire and burn me down to my bare bones. I could feel the heat radiating from him, like a miniature sun against my skin.

“It is time for me to become stronger. Only my mate can do that for me.”

Those words burned away at the butterflies, leaving nothing but ash and smoke. Bile rose in my throat. Of course. He only wanted me so he could become stronger. Many people wanted me for that exact same reason. Tia Mel….the coven…

My eyes hardened. I stared at him, anger coursing through me. I’d sooner drive a knife through my own heart rather than make him stronger!

A man like him, if he ever got wind of what I really was, would use me. He would use me for his advantage , forcing me to do horrendous illegal acts to strengthen his mafia and then he’d spit me out like a used tissue paper. Probably kill me for good measure to keep his dark secrets forever buried away. Bitterness filled my mouth, the taste of betrayal and manipulation lingering on my tongue. No. This was why I could never ever consider Gabriel. He was evil and he would attempt to strong-arm me into partaking in his nasty mafia business. How many people would he make me kill...just like he'd killed poor Robert?

“Destined to be together? You killed my fiancé, you ….hijo de puta! There’s no destiny between us, only revenge!” I struggled against his hold, feeling the raw power emanating from him.

But I refused to let fear overtake me.

Gabriel’s grip on my chin tightened, his eyes blazing with a mix of something darkly possessive. He looked at me as if he owned me. He did not!

“You think you can resist this bond? Muneca, you’re mine. Your body calls to mine, and there’s no escaping fate. ”

Watch me do just that pendejo, I think to myself, gulping down my fear.

Locking eyes with him in a daring challenge, I refused to back down. He did now know who he was dealing with. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was trying to hide who I really was, he would already be on the floor writhing in agony.

Like a lover’s caress, his fingers let go of my chin and gently trailed over my jaw before lifting to my cheekbone. The sparks between us intensified, urging us both to give in to this damn bond that I wish had never existed.

My breathing came out in ragged gasps. His fingers dug harshly into my scalp whilst his thumb continued to rub sensually across the expanse of my cheek. With each stroke of his thumb, I felt waves of a completely foreign sensation spreading through me, as if his touch had the power to awaken every nerve ending in my body.

It was an intimate gesture, in direct contradiction to what should have been happening right now. I should've been fighting him. But the dark desire in his gaze leaves me breathless and yearning for more. I am powerless to fight the attraction sparking between us. In that moment, the world faded away, and all that existed was the electrifying connection embodied in the simple yet profound act of his possessive grip on me. Giving myself an internal shake, I knew I had to snap out of it. Now was not the time to give into the mate bond.

“I have come to take you—”

My dark laughter cut him off.

“Take me? You must be delusional if you think I’m going anywhere with you,” I sneered, trying to push him off me.

My hands met the proverbial wall of steel that was Gabriel’s chest. The man didn’t even budge despite me pushing with all my might. Fuck!

In one swift movement, he gripped my wrists firmly. Not with enough force to hurt me, but enough to show who was in control. Enough to force my arms above my head and then he pressed his muscular body more firmly against mine, trapping me against the wall. My wrists were pinned above my head with his one hand. My chest was pressed against his. I could feel the exhale of his breath on my neck as he leaned in, a slight smirk on his face. Heart racing, I struggled against his hold, my body only rubbing more forcibly against his. The hardness digging into my stomach only became more pronounced. I stilled. That was most definitely not a second gun. This was no use. Gabriel was physically stronger. He had me exactly where he wanted me. Completely at his mercy. Or so he thought.

The strength in his grip was unmistakable, and I could feel every muscle in his arm tense as he restrained me. My chest rose and fell rapidly, heart pounding against my ribs. I glared up at him, preparing to summon my magic and make him pay.I had no choice. Magic was the only way to overpower this man before me. I braced myself to let it loose, already thinking up a plan. I’d have to—

In the next moment, I felt a swift prick at the side of my neck which completely derailed my thought process.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Gabriel murmured, his deep rough voice like smooth whiskey. “It’s why I came prepared.”

My vision swam. Instead of one Gabriel, I saw four. That’s what it took to realise that he’d injected me with something using his free hand.

“B…bastard,” I managed to gasp out as sleep crowded my brain.

“This is odd…human sedatives work on you..but witch potions don’t,” Gabriel mused, his lips so close that if I moved, I could press mine against his. I could drink him, see if he tasted like he sounded. “Sleep tight Muneca’.”

Mo.t.h.er.fucker, was my last thought before the final vestiges of consciousness left me.

A/N: M****** is right. Please join Ruby's Reading Room if you have not yet.