Chapter 15

MILA

The rest of the school year passed by in a blur, and before I knew it, summer was here. Gabe was the best thing in my life, and though we continued to act as friends at school, I was still too nervous to display our relationship openly. What truly mattered was the time we spent at the orphanage, having picnics on the rooftop or playing games in the packhouse game room, places where we were never disturbed.

Gabe had always made my life brighter, but now it seemed even brighter. Every time he looked at me with that soft, affectionate smile, warmth bloomed in my chest, a feeling I couldn’t quite describe. And when he kissed me, I felt like I was in another world where my parents were still alive, no one bullied me, Gabe and I could date in the open, and most importantly, I was happy.

“Well, would you look at that? Two pigs in a sty,” Amber sneered, her voice dragging me out of my daydream. I was cleaning out my locker for the summer, and while it was open, pictures of Gabe and me were all over the door. Before I could close it, Amber snatched a photo and studied it with a cruel smile before passing it around. “How tragic.”

“It’s like watching a bad rom-com, but without a happy ending,” Julie giggled.

Ari laughed, her eyes gleaming with malice. She leaned against Tyler, who mirrored Amber’s disgust.

“Seriously, what does Gruggs even see in you besides your appetite?” Ari mocked.

“And her breasts,” Randall chimed in, leering at me. Instinctively, I covered my chest with the books in my arms.

“Cool it, Randy,” Tyler warned.

“What?” Randy continued. “They’re huge and–” He stopped as soon as he saw Tyler’s glare. “And I’ll stop.”

“We’re just playing around, babe,” Ari said, giving Tyler a playful slap on the chest. “Milan doesn’t mind, right?”

I felt like a prisoner in the courtyard, waiting to be pelted with rotten veggies. I closed my locker and tried to move past them, but no one budged. Ari blocked my way, trapping me against the lockers with her hands.

“I asked a question, Milan,” she said, flicking her perfectly straightened hair over her shoulder. “You should answer when your Luna is talking to you.”

“Please, I just want to get to my last class,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ari leaned in closer, her gaze piercing. “You know, they do look bigger up close. Maybe that’s why our little Gruggs got so caught up. You have enough to supply the whole girls swim team with boob jobs.”

Their laughter echoed around me as I shrunk back into the lockers. Don’t engage. I repeated over in my head. It will only get worse. They would eventually get bored and move on, a routine I was used to. I silently prayed for Gabe's presence, but he had left to get me something to drink.

“Why can’t you guys mind your business?” 

We all looked down the hall to see Gabe standing there with a drink in his hands. Relief washed over me. Thank you Goddess. He glared at the group while walking towards me.

“We’re just looking out for you, Gruggs. You do realize you could do so much better, like your brother,” Ari said.

“Must be pretty bored of my brother just to worry about me,” Gabe shot back.

“Watch it, Gruggs,” Tyler growled, stepping forward. Gabe stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body. “You don’t want to challenge me right now. I’m in the mood to hit something.”

I touched Gabe’s arm, and he briefly looked at me, sensing my nervousness. I didn’t want any trouble, especially after Tyler’s threat. If he wanted to, Tyler could easily overpower Gabe, and I would be the cause.

“Let’s just go,” I suggested softly.

“Yes, please do,” Amber added. “And Gruggs, we’ll chalk this up as a phase. You’ll get bored soon enough. You have to remember you’re going to be the Beta soon and will need someone of equal status.”

“And you think that’s you Amber?” Gabe retorted with a laugh. “I’d rather not take the title if that was the case.”

Everyone laughed, including me. Despite my fear of them, everytime Gabe defended me, I felt a little courage.

“What’s so funny?” Amber snapped, glaring at everyone. 

“Cool it, Amber,” Ari smiled. “Guys like him always will always end up with women like us. He’ll come to those terms eventually. Let him have his…fun.”

They walked away from us, their laughter carrying in the halls. I felt a small pang of their words, but tried to brush them away and focused on Gabe’s hand holding mine. Unfortunately, all day I kept thinking about Ari’s words, seeing the truth in them. If Gabe’s parents found out about our relationship, they would probably break us up. Or worse, make me leave the pack and live as a rogue.

Just the thought made me avoid Gabe the rest of the day. After school, I rushed over to the packhouse to get there before Gabe was dropped off. I traded tasks with some of the girls to avoid both brothers. The only task I had problems with was dinner, but I was sure nothing was going to happen with the Alpha and Luna present. 

On the way to the dining room, I was pulled into a supply closet and Gabe placed a hand over my mouth to quiet me. We listened as a few servants walked by, laughing, and Gabe waited until they passed to speak. His sympathetic expression told me he knew why I was avoiding him. Ari’s words flashed in my mind and I felt tears pricking at the edge of my eyes. I bit my lip to keep from crying.

“I hate that you want to avoid me, Mila. Please don’t because of them,” Gabe pleaded.

“I’m sorry,” I said, wiping a stray tear away. “They just…”

Gabe pulled me into a hug, and I leaned into him. “Don’t let them get to you.”

“Maybe they are right, Gabe, and we’re fooling ourselves if we think this relationship has a future.”

Gabe pulled back a little, looking into my eyes. “It does if we want it. The rest of them are just jealous of what we have.”

“I know,” I sighed. “It’s just hard to hear sometimes and there is truth in their words. I mean, look at how many people stare and whisper about us. What if this gets to your parents? What if–”

“You know I’m ready to tell them, Mila,” Gabe said with determination. “I’m not afraid.”

“It’s easy for you,” I said. “You’re their son. I’m just a lowly pack member.”

Gabe tilted my chin up, his gaze unwavering. “You are so much more to me, Mila. They don’t matter. What we have does. We can get through this together. Okay?”

A small smile tugged at my lips. Gabe always knew how to make me feel better. “Okay.”

“Good,” Gabe said, smiling. “Now I know your birthday is a few months away, so I brought you an early present.”

He pulled out a small box and opened it. Inside was a genuine Swarvorksi crystal bracelet.

“Gabe, this is beautiful and way too expensive for me.”

“No, it’s perfect for you,” Gabe said, placing it around my wrist. I wasn’t a girl who liked material things, mostly because I never received something this extravagant, but there was something about the way Gabe’s face lit up when he placed it on my wrist that was priceless.

“It’s two infinites linked together,” Gabe explained. “Describing how much I like you. Infinity times infinity, and nothing is going to change that.”

I couldn’t express how happy I was at this moment. So despite being in the packhouse, I took a chance and leaned in for a kiss. His hand cupped the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. I moaned softly as his tongue explored my mouth, and I felt heat building between my legs. His hands moved down my back, tracing the curves of my hips before cupping my ass and pulling me closer. This was going further than I expected, but I didn’t want to stop.

“Mila!” Someone calling my name made me jump and Gabe placed a finger over my mouth.

“Where the heck did that girl go?”

We listened as the Head Housekeeper walked and disappeared down the hallway. We laughed while fixing our appearance.

“I have to get ready for dinner,” I said, massaging the burning feeling in my cheeks.

“Fine,” Gabe smiled. “I’ll let you escape this time around, but hopefully after dinner we won’t have to hide.” He placed a kiss on my hand before exiting the closet. 

I leaned against the door, trying to calm my speeding heart. What was he going to do?