บท 5: I Don't

Gabriel North stared at the woman who was about to become his eighth wife and wondered if she could be the one. The soul call was the strongest it had ever been. Usually, it called him to a place where his soulmate would be but right now it felt like she was the epicenter of the call. With each of the others he had tracked the call to the place it was strongest and picked the woman who he thought it must be.

Gabriel has a specific vision in his mind of what he thought the one that would complete him should look like. It wasn't even about personal preferences; it was about seeking one with a certain type of grace. This Megan looked like she was more fire than grace and that was not at all what he was looking for. Still when he had tried to turn away from the woman his call wouldn't allow him to look for another. This had never happened before.

Each year the soul call had gotten stronger and stronger until now it was focused on the young woman Megan with fierce intensity. Whether by grace or fire he was ready for the verdict. Six out of the seven wives before now had ended disastrously and he couldn't bear another result like those before. He hadn't murdered his wives though it might have been kinder if he had.

Except for sweet Alice, his third temporary wife who now lived in Paris and gave him a cover story when he needed a new bride. It had taken only three days to realize he felt more of a brotherly connection with Alice. He had set her up with a comfortable life in Paris and annulled the marriage.

Gabriel spoke with the officiant that had married him four times before now. He knew the drill. No matter what the girl said she was to leave here as his wife. Money was a versatile tool that Gabriel had learned to apply liberally to tricky situations many many years ago. On paper Gabriel North was thirty-two years old and heir to a massive shipping empire. People didn't generally care beyond name, age, and avenue of wealth.

Gabriel hadn't ever had to buy or force a bride to marry him before. A promise of wealth and freedom had always been sufficient. They had meekly joined him on a thirty-day trial to figure out if they could be the future Mrs. North or granted a quick annulment and a financial settlement. Megan was different though; Gabriel could sense that he would need to secure her by any means necessary.

Ryan Steele thought that Megan had had the ability to choose Caden but from the moment that the soul call had pointed to her, she had belonged to Gabriel. The soul call had been activated four years ago after Gabriel had waited for what felt like an eternity for it to do so. He was finally close to reaching his full potential and having the power to set things right at home. Gabriel wouldn't give that up or stop trying even if mistakes were disastrous.

Gabriel watched Megan as she slumped on the bench, her elbows on her knees and head in her hands. She was an incredibly beautiful woman with a gorgeous figure. He had seen her hair long in the shopping center earlier today and was suddenly struck by the image of her in his bed with her hair fanned across his pillows. He liked the thought of it. He was generally indifferent to the women he picked. He had neither wanted nor felt repelled by those other women.

Curious about Megan's state of mind he walked over to the woman and crouched down in front of her. They would begin in another moment.

"Megan, we are about to begin. Don't despair, things will work out." Gabriel attempted to coax the woman.

Megan looked up with a sneer. "You might be able to make me marry you, but you can't make me be your wife. I won't cooperate with you. Go to hell."

"I've been... I have family there." Gabriel said sardonically.

Megan glared at Gabriel. "Why do you want to marry me anyway?"

"I have to." He replied before standing and joining the officiant. The officiant signaled to Ryan.

Megan watched as her father came over and pulled her to her feet. "Are you really going to make me do this?"

"You have left me with no choice. You refused to marry Caden or give me a sufficient reason why you would not. I must salvage the situation the only way I can." Ryan Steele told his daughter. "Now walk like a lady."

Megan steeled herself standing tall and pulled her arm from her father's grasp and marched over to stand beside Gabriel who smirked at her show of bravery. The officiant began to speak, and Megan watched the swirling black eyes of her oppressor. Suddenly they turned a nearly white ice blue. Megan was startled. Eye color didn't change like that.

The bastard said I do, and then they asked her. Everything inside Megan screamed 'I don't, I don't, I don't.'

After a long moment she answered quietly. "I do."

Gabriel had the nerve to grin at her and Megan looked away. A minute later Gabriel slid a wide gold band with a diamond set in the top, covered in strange markings on her finger. Megan clenched her jaw and forced herself to slide a ring on his finger as well.

The officiant declared them husband and wife and prompted Gabriel to kiss his bride. Megan turned a death glare on him which did nothing but make him smirk and lift an eyebrow in her direction. Suddenly, he reached a hand out and wrapped it around the back of her neck pulling her against him. The other hand went to her waist.

Megan was about to protest when he silenced her by covering her lips with his. Megan felt a quick jolt of electricity and a tingle where Gabriel's skin touched hers. The kiss didn't last long but when he pulled back his eyes were black again. Gabriel's expression was animalistic, like he was holding something dark at bay. After a moment he released her, but it looked like it took concerted effort for him to do so. Megan didn't understand what was wrong with Gabriel North, but he was terrifying.