Chapter Eight
“I don’t know…” Gabriel glanced over at Dom and then back to Chay. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
Chay smiled at the uncertainty in Gabriel’s voice. He felt bad for him. So much was being thrown at the man in such a short amount of time. He hated to throw one more thing at him, but he refused to give up his mate.
“There is nothing to say,” Chay said. “We are mates. Nothing will ever change that.”
“So, I have no say in this mating thing?”
Chay schooled his features so his anguish wouldn’t show. The thought that Gabriel might deny his claim had never entered his mind. Mates just didn’t do that.
But they could.
“You always have a choice, Gabriel.” No matter how much he ached to claim Gabriel, he would never force his mate. “For shifters, finding the other half of their soul does not mean they have to claim their mate. It is merely a way to bring two people together. The rest is up to them.”
Chay would be devastated if Gabriel rejected his claim. He had known his entire life that a part of his soul was out there somewhere, just waiting for Chay to find him. He had searched since the moment he was old enough to understand he didn’t have to be alone in the world.
The bond between mates was sacred.
“I don’t even know you,” Gabriel insisted.
Chay smiled because that wasn’t a no. He reached down and grabbed Gabriel’s hand, entwining their fingers together. “Then take the time to get to know me. I can promise you, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay.”
Jumping up and shouting in triumph probably wasn’t the right response. Neither was grabbing Gabriel and dragging him off to his bedroom to claim. He just smiled and squeezed Gabriel’s hand instead.
“We’re really soul mates?”
“Yes.”
Hell yes.
“My people believe that when our soul was born, the fates tore it in two, putting half in you and half in me. When we claim each other, if we claim each other, our soul will be whole once again. After that, the bond between us will be unbreakable, even into death.”
Gabriel gulped. “Death?”
“It merely means that once our soul is made whole and the bond is formed, we will spend every turn of the wheel together again for the rest of eternity.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Turn of the wheel…is that like reincarnation?”
“It is.”
Gabriel’s smile lit up his entire face. “That actually sounds kind of nice.”
Yes!
“Hey.”
Chay almost jumped at the sound of Dom’s voice. He had been so intent on Gabriel, he had forgotten his best friend was even there.
“I’m going to go check on the shop and then head home,” Dom said as he stood. “I have some things to think about. You two going to be okay here without me?”
“Oh.” Gabriel turned toward his brother. “There’s so much to tell you. Don’t you want to know—”
“Gabe.” Chay grabbed him and pulled him back around. “Let Dom go think for a little while. He needs to work this out in his head. Once he has, he’ll be back.”
He knew his friend. If Dom wasn’t given some time to work this over in his mind and come to terms with it, he’d go ballistic on the first person who got in his face. Chay didn’t want that to be Gabriel.
