Free Gabe's Destiny (Alien Mates Book Three) by Serena Simpson Page B

taking lessons from Aviana and Kayla. Then he shook his head because his brother was standing with his arms across his chest. The male wasn’t going anywhere.
    He didn’t want to explain all of this in the foyer. It was a little too much to handle.
    “Taya, do you remember when I told you I had a dual heritage? I was both Arbrin and Matra?”
    She nodded her head looking at Rylan before giving him her full attention.
    “You asked me if the Matra wanted to hurt you. I told you no, he wanted to protect you as much as the Arbrin did.”
    Again she nodded her head.
    “I’d like you to meet the Matra.”
    She backed up several stops before making herself stop. Meet the other side of him. The Matra wasn’t human, she remembered that conversation vividly. So far anyone she met that wasn’t human had been out to get her. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea.
    “You don’t have to meet him if you don’t want to.” His voice came out low and defeated. It sounded like he was giving up the fight.
    The sound of his voice ripped at Taya’s heart. She never wanted to be the reason Gabe sounded like that. Actually she wanted to be the one who held him when life got him down. For a minute she saw herself as his personal superhero making things right. Darn it, she always was a dreamer.
    No, no Taya. Love is not real. It’s something others get but not you. How many disappointments do you need to know it’s not for you? But it was for Gabe. She could look at him and know he was worthy of love. He wanted her to meet his other side, his Matra. She would have to just woman up because she refused to hurt him by denying him.
    “All right.”
    His head lifted in surprise and he looked at her. “Are you sure?”
    She nodded she was sure. Gabe wouldn’t hurt her or let her be hurt if he could do anything about it. She trusted him and he had earned every bit of that trust with his actions.
    “Where will we do it?”
    “Your room? Will that make you more comfortable?”
    Yeah, it would make her more comfortable.
    “Sounds good.” She moved over to the stairs and stopped when she realized Rylan was walking up after Gabe.
    “I’m just going to be on the other side of the door. Not because Gabe will hurt you. Simply to give both of you support.”
    She nodded and continued up the stairs. Once again she felt like she was being accepted into the family. Too bad she wasn’t sure she deserved that kind of acceptance.
    She stepped into the room waiting until after Gabe walked in before she shut the door. Knowing she was a bona fide wimp, she excused herself, went into the bathroom, and practiced breathing slowly. The last thing she wanted was to hyperventilate in front of him. Pictures of her passing out and hitting the floor weren’t making her happy.
    This was life changing and she knew it. There was no way she was ever coming back from what she would see today. As if she was coming back from what Zuhun did to her. Somehow this moment seemed more. This she would remember all her life; when Zuhun’s torture became a fairytale to tell her children, this moment would still be vivid. Whatever this was had weight and meaning from which she would never escape.
    She splashed her face with cold water and decided she was finally ready to get on with the rest of her life, no matter what it may have in store for her.
    Her lips tilted in a smile and she went out to face Gabe.

Chapter Eleven
     
     
    She pulled her feet up after kicking off her shoes and sat in a lounging position on the couch. Comfort was what she needed to face this revelation. There was a throw on the couch. Picking it up, she placed it over her body and snuggled down into it. For a moment she liked the picture of her and Gabe together. She was so cozy on the couch smiling at him while he looked at her like she was the only person in the world who mattered. With a sharp pinch to her arm under the throw she came back to reality.
    “My Matra, as well as the others, has a tendency