Chapter 36: Chapter 36
Freya
The room was filled with an awkward silence. Mom was looking at me with guilt in her eyes and I was not understanding what I could say to her.
"I just can't believe this," I exclaimed.
My father had finalized my engagement without even bothering to ask me? How could he do such a thing? Dad had always been so loving and considerate, then what had happened that he didn't even ask for my opinion, in this regard.
"Freya, it's for your good," Mom said to me.
"How can it be good for me, if I don't have any say in this matter. Titus is just not anyone Mom, he is my mate, and I would never betray him like this," I announced and turned to leave.
"Freya, listen to me. All your father wants for you is to be safe and protected," she called from behind.
I halted and turned towards her, "What does it have to do with me getting engaged to Gabriel?"
"Gabriel's father promised if you both got engaged to get married he will help us to fend off any threats on your life," Mom answered.
"Fucking great," I couldn't believe my mate's father could do something like that.
Wait a minute, does Gabriel knew about this? He just asked me to marry him a few minutes ago which meant he knew his father was planning something like this. How could Gabriel let something like this happen?
I had always made it clear in front of him that I won't choose him until things were sorted with Titus. I knew Titus hadn't been an ideal mate for me, but he at least deserved a chance to explain himself. I won't betray him, no matter if he left me hanging I still won't do something like this to my mate.
"Freya, we just want you to be safe and happy," she said in a gentle tone.
"Then please don't force this decision on me. I won't get engaged or married to Gabriel unless Titus rejects me," I made my intentions clear to Mom and watched as a shadow passed her face.
Mom should understand me better than anyone. How could she allow Dad to go forward with this decision without consulting me?
I was mad at Mom, Dad, and Gabriel. They all had betrayed me and the most anger I felt was at Gabriel. His father had blackmailed Dad for this engagement and now he was manipulating me into agreeing to marry him.
I stormed out of the living room and then upstairs towards Gabriel's room. I pushed open the door without knocking and the sight that met me knocked off the breath from my lungs. Gabriel was standing near the window just in his boxers speaking to someone on the phone.
The sound of water running in the bathroom caught my attention. It seemed he was going to take a bath. A blush crept up my neck looking at his almost naked state. Gabriel turned towards me after he might have heard the door opening. He gave me a grin and I glared back at him.
My eyes were acting like they had a mind of their own. Traveling on his naked torso drinking in every inch of his glorious body. He was all muscles and no fat, hard as a wall and carved to perfection. I swallowed a lump in my throat and looked away when he smirked noticing me checking him out.
"What brings you here, chèrie?" He sneered after disconnecting the call.
"How could you do this?" His questions snapped me out of my trance.
"What?" He looked surprised.
"You know very well, what I am talking about," I hissed.
"Pardon me Bella, but I am not all-knowing," another endearment added fuel to the fire burning inside me.
"Stop calling me with those names" I snapped.
"But chèrie, it's just an endearment," his eyes held a glint.
I wanted to throw him out of the window or worse scratch that awful smirk from his face, but I knew I won't be able to do anything. He was a manipulating bastard, and I had just served myself to him on a silver platter by kissing him.
"I am not in the mood of joking, I just want to know how could you agree to this?" I glared.
Gabriel shot me an assessing look trying to figure out what I was talking about. Didn't he know about our engagement?
"Don't act like you don't know your father blackmailed mine to get us engaged," I said through gritted teeth.
Gabriel's expression changed for a second, his mask slipped and I realized that he was in the dark like me.
"But, Bella, I was unaware about it until you just told me," he said.
I realized it before he told me that he was not aware of the deal between our fathers and I felt a boulder being lifted off my chest. I won't have ever forgiven Gabriel if he would have been involved in this.
"What did my father say?"
"He told my father he will help him protecting me from any possible threats if he agrees to our engagement, "I answer him.
Gabriel threw his cell on the wall and it broke in two, while I jumped on the spot looking at his furious state.
"I can't believe he would do something like this," he seethed.
I had never seen him furious before he always looked so calm and composed that looking at him now was filling me with dread. He was breathing heavily with his jaw clenched and his hand fisted while his vein throbbed on his forehead and his eyes turned red.
I took a step back from him in fear while he kept taking long breaths to calm himself down.
"I am sorry for accusing you before finding out the truth," I apologized as I realized that I had seen him in the wrong without even confirming it.
Gabriel gave me a sideways look, "Of course, you did Freya. I am not your beloved Titus, after all," he spat in fury.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone