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His cold words stabbed through her psyche.
That was what life felt like without a mate? Even during the darkest of days, when she’d rather perish in sunlight than suffer her yearning for Felix, she had never experienced such intense, soul-destroying desperation.
No, she would not have a soul once the mating bond was gone.
As much as she wished to say yes, the word wouldn’t come. Her brain, her very essence, shied away from the emptiness she’d experienced.
“I thought not.” He held up a hand when Gabby made a protesting whimper. “Take the next few days to consider it. Do not feed from him or let him feed from you. It will make the experience worse for both of you. If you still wish to break the bond when the Gathering is over, I will do so.”
Then he was gone.
Another few minutes passed before Gabby composed herself. She sensed Nikolas waiting for her in the hallway, appreciating he’d given her some space to be alone.
I’m fine. You didn’t have to come.
You shouldn’t be alone.
If it’d been Felix, she’d have kicked him out, or left, as she did before. But Nikolas understood her need for independence. In their time together, he’d watched her fall repeatedly. He’d always been there to pick her up at the end, but he had never tried to stop her from being who she was.
Too bad Nikolas wasn’t her mate.
“What did Alistair say?” Nikolas asked when she joined him. The red tinge of her skin disappeared the second she stepped indoors.
“He can do it, and he showed me what it is like without a mate.” Her throat closed at the faint remembrance of the feeling. “Is it truly so horrible?”
“I don’t know if horrible is the correct description. It is the only thing the rest of us know.” There was an undercurrent of grief from him unfamiliar to her.
“Have you ever looked for your mate?”
“No, there’s no point.”
“Right, the curse.” Nikolas had told her a long time ago a gypsy had cursed him to never know happiness, which he’d taken to mean he’d never find his mate. She’d been too wrapped up in her own emotions, her own baggage, to do anything for him. “Have you looked for a way to break the curse?”
His smile was sad and indulgent. “No, maybe one day. So, will you wait until the end of the Gathering?”
“I do not have any other choice.” She didn’t miss how he’d changed the subject. One day, when everything with Felix was over, she’d help him end the curse.
“Fair enough. What do you want to do now? We still have some time before the first Gathering meeting.”
Right, she’d forgotten. Today was the start of the Gathering. They had meetings with the humans to discuss the topics on the agenda, which she had yet to read, the meetings being the last thing on her mind.
Avoiding and resisting Felix took top priority.
“Do you know how to change rooms?” she asked.
“No, but I’m sure we can find out.”
They did.
A few minutes later, Gabby met with Leah, the same woman she’d seen at the Gala, Julian’s mate. The poor woman didn’t know she was Julian’s mate, a state that Gabby remedied. Nikolas warned her it was none of her business, but she didn’t care.
Having suffered through the same fate herself, Gabby couldn’t stand by and leave Leah in the dark. Leah probably didn’t know why she craved Julian more than her next breath, even though she clearly didn’t like vampires. She had a right to know the one thing that could change the rest of her life.
Adrenaline pounded in her veins after she concluded her meeting with Leah. She marched to the first meeting of the Gathering with Nikolas behind her, ready to battle.
The conference room included a long, oval table surrounded by high-backed leather chairs. Soft, yellow light illuminated the room, making the space seem less confrontational. Against the right wall, a rectangular table held refreshments for both humans and vampires alike. A few people chatted together while waiting for the meeting to begin, while others, mostly vampires, stayed seated alone.
Gabby made a beeline for Julian.
