"Arianna?"
Gabriel finally appeared, and the beautiful vampire called Arianna turned her head smiling a bit smugly at him.
"Gabriel," she said.
"What are you doing here?" Gabriel asked, slowly coming closer to me.
I wondered if he truly believed she might hurt me, or if he was just being overly cautious because the king wasn't here right now. He had promised to keep me safe and keep an eye on me. It wouldn't look too good if the king came back and I had a scratch or two on me.
"Just checking," she said.
"Checking?" I asked.
"Well, when some strange rumor suddenly spread like wildfire, talking about a half-blood who had been seen with the king and the other two hybrids, we all knew what that meant."
"Did you now?" Gabriel asked. "Enlighten us."
"Don't play stupid," she said. "She is obviously the king's mate. Why else would the little one be here?"
"She could have been my mate. Or Ace's," he said and crossed his arms.
"You won't find your mate. You have already fucked half the planet's women, if you haven't found her by now, you won't find her," Arianna said.
I looked up at Gabriel. He was good at masking it, but I knew when something hurt, and this clearly did. He might be someone who fooled around with a lot of people, but that slight twitch to his face told me that he dreamt of more. He dreamt of a real connection. A deep one.
"And the day Ace finds his mate is the day pigs fly," she continued.
I didn't know Ace very well. I didn't know any of them very well, but I believed I had seen a side of him that most hadn't. A relaxed side. Why couldn't he find a mate? Yes, he was quiet, but I couldn't believe he was unlovable.
"And the day the king wants to fuck you and make you his queen, is the day I find my mate," Gabriel mocked her.
Arianna didn't look very happy about this, and she crossed her arms as well, mimicking the way Gabriel was standing.
"Funny," she said.
"Yes, we are all laughing now," he said.
I just stood there, looking between them, not sure what to do other than just staying quiet. I had no idea really who Arianna was.
"Well, let us hope my father makes the king see reason because this ..." Arianna made a gesture towards me. "Is a complete joke."
"I don't think you should speak to your future queen that way," Gabriel said.
"Future queen?" she asked, almost as if she found it funny.
In a way, I didn't blame her. I found it almost funny too because it was so ridiculous. Me, queen? What on earth was the universe or Goddess or whatever thinking?!
"I am supposed to be the next queen!" Arianna said and pointed to herself. "I was the one chosen by the council."
"Which your father is, funnily enough, head of," Gabriel pointed out.
Arianna didn't look very happy about what Gabriel was saying.
"The king was supposed to agree to this at the ball when he met me, but he barely even spoke two words to me. Then he disappeared and suddenly he was chasing around some half-blood, I hear! At the very party even! And then he brings her back with him to the ball. I didn't see her then, but I know others did, and now I wanted to come and see my competition myself."
"It is not a competition," Gabriel said.
"No?"