Samantha

The admission hung between us, filled with implications that I wasn't sure I was ready to take note of.

"Your turn," I said, my voice slightly unsteady. "Tell me about Elena. Tell me about who you were when you were just Gabriel, not the Alpha King."

His expression changed, as he became more guarded.

For a moment I thought he might deflect, maybe pull back into that commanding persona he used so easily. But then he took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll say Elena was fierce," he began, ...