Page 54 of Wolf.e

When I reach the main room, Gabriel is at my table. He’s clean now. No remnants of last night linger. He wears black jeans and a white t-shirt under his cut with his standard motorcycle boots on his feet. His still wet and wavy hair is tucked behind his ears.

I look around and wonder if he's been with every single woman in this room.

Everyone but me. The voice in my head reminds me.

I make my way to the table and notice he’s right beside my spot, eating from a heaping plate. Another plate is in my setting with steaming eggs, bacon, fruit and toast. His clean scent consumes me before I even sit.

“Eat,” he says as I take my place.

I can feel the eyes of the table on me as I sit and push away his offering.

“I’m good,” I say in response.

Kai and Chantel’s mouths actually fall open.

How dare I?

I look over at Gabriel just as he pops a thick piece of bacon between his perfect straight white teeth, biting into it, his eyes meet mine.

“Don’t make me tell you twice,” he says so low that no one else can hear as he pushes my plate back in front of me.

I decide to pick my battles, reminding myself that the only power I have here is the power of my choice, and the fruit does look good. I pick up a melon ball with my fork and look right at him, bringing it to my lips, I part them and place the ball halfway in, wrapping my lips around it slowly.

“Mmm.” I make a moaning sound. “So good,” I say.

Someone—Kai, I think—drops a fork, and I see that storm start to churn in Gabriel’s slate eyes.

I chew and keep my eyes on him as I slide the fork out of my mouth, way more slowly than warranted.

“There you are.” The husky voice from the bathroom sounds.

I get a better look at her. She’s no older than thirty. Her hair is thick and she smells like fruity perfume. She wears a cropped white t-shirt and a high-waisted skirt. A short one, but you can still see the sliver of skin at her navel. An inked snake that peeks out of her sleeve must travel her whole body because it’s visible at her waist and pokes out from beneath her skirt. The table is back to full chatter now.

“Got a few minutes to sneak away?” she asks Gabriel.

I don’t look up. I look anywhere else. If he’s going to go off with her like she’s so sure he will, I don’t want him to know I care in the slightest. I take another bite of melon and wait with bated breath for his answer. Layla sits down beside me with her own plate, having been removed from her previous spot by Gabriel.

“Why don’t you ask Brinley how she feels about that?” Gabriel says smugly to the woman.

She angles her head over her shoulder and looks at me. Humiliation and anger bubbles up in me. I might snap.

“Sure, Sandra.” She winks. I want to smack her. “You can come too. Don’t bore me to tears,” she says with a grin.

Wow. These women.

Fuck him and fuck her. I’ve had enough of people thinking they can walk all over me. I scoff with a bit of a laugh. “He can’t be that good,” I say to her.

“Excuse me?” she says, turning to face me fully like she might hit me.

I just pop another piece of melon in and smile and chew. I’ve never felt so free. Some small compartment of my brain tells me Gabriel won’t let this woman hurt me, so right now I just feel strong enough to mess with them both.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I speak to her like she’s a child. “Did I stutter? Let me speak more slowly for you. His dick”—I nod to Gabriel—“is it magic?” I cock my head to the side and someone snickers. I should probably stop but I don’t. “Because you were just calling me a bitch not five minutes ago in the ladies’ room but now you want to make out with me?” I ask.

The table goes dead silent.

“Brin,” Lay says, squeezing my thigh beside me.

“Cassidy, is it?” Gabriel says to her, keeping his eyes firmly planted on me.

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