7

When I get to my room at the hotel, I throw myself on the bed and, tired by this eventful day, I fall asleep.

•••

The next day, I have free time again.

I wonder what I want to do and I feel like going to the park again, I want to be alone, I'll go to the lake and I think maybe I can go boating. I get dressed and slowly take the direction of the lake. It's 9 o'clock.

Arrived there, I head for the bench that we occupied, Gab and me. I sit down and touch the place he occupied.

"Hello," said a deep voice.

I raise my head. A very tall man stares at me, his face against the light allows me to identify him with a delay.

- "Uh ... hello.", I answer, intimidated.

My Alpha waves at his bodyguards, who leave us, we find ourselves alone. He sits down in Gab's place, very comfortable.

I stare at him for a few seconds before looking down at my hands.

"You are my soul mate," he said.

"I know.", I retort.

"So what's going on, why did you leave when I told you?" he asks, curious.

-"Well, you"

He interrupts me:

- "Tu me me.", he used his Alpha voice yet it has no effect on me, he realizes it because he looks surprised. Nevertheless, I obey.

- "You are too important, you are from another world, in a way, I don't deserve you.", I let go of all this very quickly, it needs to come out.

"Do you think you should deserve me?" he asks mockingly.

I don't answer anything and I turn scarlet. There is a barrier between us, with Gab there is none. I can't hold back a tear, which slowly rolls down my cheek. I can't take this anymore. He wipes away the tear with his finger and looks at me, his chocolate irises scanning me despite my downcast eyes.

- "You have someone else", he says without emotion.

I raise my head quickly at the understanding of this sentence. He half smiles but I have the distinct impression that he is trying to hide his feelings and his emotions. I'm sad.

- "No, I don't have anyone else", it came out on its own and I wonder if it wasn't the strict truth that came out of my mouth.

His iron mask disappears, yet he has a serious face. He frowned his black eyebrows. His jaw twitches.

- "Hi Lou!"

-"Gab!", I quickly turn around. Surprised and disappointed that he is there. I would have preferred to be alone with my soul mate. I turn to my Alpha, he stares at Gab meanly and Gab looks at him with a disgusted look.

-"Who are you?" Gab asks in a deep voice that I don't know.

My Alpha rises to tower over Gab to her full height. Gab doesn't seem very impressed yet he takes a step back.

-"Your Alpha", grumbles my soul mate.

Gab bursts out laughing.

-"Excuse me, but the Alpha of France is much older than you!"

- "Who told you that I am the Alpha of France?" asks my Alpha, amused.

On these words, the bodyguards appear, they are about twenty. Gab seems to understand, he made the connection with the Alpha of Europe that he sees in Reunion. He's scared, it shows in his wide eyes and his slightly open mouth. I'm getting up.

He backs up slowly, then faster and faster, until he turns around and leaves the park. Then he turns to me and says:

- "You will explain to me, huh!?"

I don't answer anything. He's already gone anyway.

I turn to my Alpha. His guards are gone again. His chocolate eyes look at me... tenderly? I look into her beautiful eyes and blink my eyes out. He smiles. Her smile is extraordinary, her eyes sparkle.

I sit down on the bench, he does the same. I'm getting up. Still sitting on the bench, the Alpha looks at me, his smile gone, his eyebrows furrowed again. I smile and he gets the message. He gets up and approaches me, then we go to the lake. A careful distance between us.

"What do you want to do?" he asks.

- "I want to go boating, it was my project before you arrived.", I explain.

- "Okay. I'm fine. I'll tell the guys.", he says smiling, then he leaves.

I look towards the lake, the wind ruffles my hair and the sun makes me squint. It's around 11 o'clock.

When he comes back, I ask him:

- "By the way, what's your name?"

- "Etienne."

I meditated on this name. We arrive in front of the stand that rents boats and the man looks at me then looks at Etienne. He stares at him with wide eyes then begins to stammer:

- "Uh... Sir, Miss... it's uh... for... to rent a boat?"

My Alpha, without further ado, puts the money on the counter and the man points us to a boat. He helps me up and watches Étienne leap onto the boat, which is rocking.

The man pushes the boat and I grab the oars before Etienne grabs them. He looks at me, sulky, then I start to row. The boat moves slowly among other boats and birds. I look at the edge of the lake and see Etienne's bodyguards. They are sitting on the chairs in the cafeteria where we were with Gab. I turn my head to Etienne, who stares at me with a smirk. I'm still holding the oars and I feel like I'm exhausted. My arms are sore but I don't want to give up. The wind blows my brown hair in my face, I curse and let go of the oars to remove my wild locks. Étienne grabs the oars and I try to take them back from him, unfortunately it's impossible so I just wait on the bench of the boat. I am thinking of Émilie, Elsa, my family, Étienne and especially Gab. When I think of him, there are always the weird feelings in my stomach and the memory of his lips on mine. I brush my lips and think. I feel Etienne's gaze on me so I look at him. He has his eyebrows furrowed again and his jaw tensed. He is really handsome with his tousled brown hair and chocolate eyes. His square jawline and broad shoulders give him a very masculine look. I look at Étienne's hands, they are clenched on the oars. I look up at his muscular arms. Her shirt is rolled up at the elbows and she molds her torso to stone. Then I meet his eyes. They are filled with anger. Instinctively, I back away. He asks in a deep voice:

- "You're thinking about the other one earlier, huh? He already kissed you."

- "Take me back to the edge.", my voice is cold, it's an order.

He complies and when the boat touches the shore, I jump on solid ground before leaving as quickly as possible towards the hotel, towards Gab.

•••

In my room, I cry. A void is in me. Only Étienne manages to make it disappear. When I'm with him, I'm fulfilled, happy. I feel something in my stomach, like when I think of Gab, on Gab's lips. I still feel this emptiness, I can't forget it.