Prologue

When staring down the barrel of a gun, my faith in god reminds me that love conquers all fear.

Bullsh.i.t.

I was 15, dressed in a beautiful ballgown for my quinceañera and staring down the barrel of a gun when I realized how utterly fucked up my life truly was. Because as I stood there, I looked into the eyes of my killer, a hundred percent sure I was going to die. But then…Gabriel Rossi…a man with more kills under his belt than he had years on him, called me his ‘mate’. The one word I had yearned to hear from someone. The one thing I had always wanted. Spoken from the lips of a man who definitely would sooner throw my body in the ocean for the sharks than ever treasure me like mates should. Like Kyle,my stepfather, treasured my mother.

Some said I should find solace in the fact that he did not kill me. That he left just as quickly as he’d arrived, letting me finally run to my uncle Xavier who Gabrielle shot through the leg with a silver bullet without even batting an eye.

For years, I’ve been fleeing from two inescapable truths: my legacy as a formidable witch, destined to lead my coven, and the chilling memory of my mate, who held a gun to my head at my quinceañera.

Gabriel Rossi, my mate, was a whopping 6’5" living embodiment of unfathomable darkness. His voice, dripping with sinister intent, sent a chill down my spine. Yet I couldn’t help but feel a dangerous allure to his malevolence—a magnetic force that gripped me relentlessly. It terrified me to my core. I knew deep down that if he ever caught me, I would be consumed by his intensity, like a moth drawn inexorably to a flame, only to be reduced to mere ashes scattered by the wind.

Which is why, at 22, I found myself engaged to my childhood best friend, Robert. We were to be married within the year. But deep down, I knew that Robert could never be the one to set my soul on fire or make my heart race with excitement. He was the steady flame that burned with predictably, but he could never compare to the wild inferno of love that I yearned for, a flame that could only be ignited by someone who held the key to my heart.

However, it was a fervent hope that, through marrying Robert, Gabriel Rossi would become nothing but a bitter memory. My destined mate was everything that I knew I had to stay away from.

Unfortunately, on the day he showed up at the apartment that I shared with my fiance’, I realized that you can run from Gabriel Rossi....but you can’t hide.

A/N: Helo welcome to MAD! Please consider joining Ruby's Reading Room for more visuals of Gabe and Evie. I will also be commissioning character art for our two favorite characters. Get ready for a wild ride. it's going to be fun.