AN: NOT EDITED. Really.

Chapter Sixteen- Gabriel POV (Being Set Straight)

I sat there in complete doubt; surely she didn't understand what I had said. "Mom she did cheat on me! With my brothers mate no less!" I said, explaining the situation once again.

"No she didn't cheat on you Gabriel...  Samuel was home all night, not once did we hear a thing from his room except maybe him and your brothers playing video games... If his mate cheated on him, so much as kissed your mate he would have been in pain, screeching," she trailed off watching me as I shook my head back and forth.

"Why would he have been in pain?" I asked confused. "If she cheated Gabe you wouldn't have slept perfectly fine last night, you would have been in pain, some experience it so bad they try to take their own lives, unsuccessfully of course but still..."

"Don't you remember your father explaining to all the young men in our pack about what happens when mates are unfaithful? All the talks when mates aren't ready to be mated down and want to play the field? Any of those ring a bell?" she asked me, although it came out as if she was speaking to a child.

Because you acted like a child...

"I never had to go, Maggie isn't my true mate and I never marked her, I heard rumors but thought it was an old wives tale or something, I mean no one rejects their mates." I defended, but she was looking at me oddly.

"Gabriel," she sighed, "you've been focused on one thing, our Pack since Katie went missing during that attack. Maggie wasn't your mate so you were able to run around treating these other little girls like shit, and Maggie would never know. I knew, but I hoped that one day either you would get serious about her or she would figure out that you weren't serious about her and let you go."

"Your mate, how you've treated her..." she said shaking her head, "that's not how you're meant to treat them. I don't even know where to begin to help you understand how you've fumbled around in just 24 hours."

"First you said she's nothing like Audrey? Why is Audrey even important here?" she questioned.

"Well they're twins, I know Maggie and Madeline aren't twins but they act so much alike, I figured that Audrey and Chelsea would be alike. I didn't want to have some type of spoiled brat as my mate. I thought tough love." I tried once again to defend my actions but even to myself it sounded pathetic.

"I don't know what I'm doing, mom." I grumbled. "With Maggie it would be so much easier I wouldn't have to give anything up, I wouldn't have to change what I did, or how I interacted with everyone. But with my Mate, I would. The thought of being around the Colts' it makes her sick, I could feel what she felt when she saw them, being around them," I explained truthfully.

"I- I ... I had all these plans, ways to help our pack, but..."

"What?" she prodded. I couldn't word my thoughts yet so I just looked down running my hands through my hair.

"You know why your father doesn't like her?" my mom asked surprisingly, my head flying right back up looking into her eyes in shock.

"I –I... yes, well... no not really I mean I know he wants me with Maggie but-" I answered clueless at the moment.

"Maggie is weak, she was not meant to be the mate of an Alpha but your father has deals made with her grandfather, deals that require you or your brothers ending up with her but I need you to understand how I see things Gabriel. Yesterday, sitting next to your mate you looked complete. You hung on her every movement, and I watched you gazing at her in a way I've never seen you look at anyone. I love your father, he's my mate but the situation he's in right now is not yours to deal with. I know you better than anyone right now, you got scared and you're doing everything in your power to push that girl away."

I wanted to disagree with her but honestly what was the point? I huffed.

"It's not that simple, she's so young, inexperienced and naïve do you really think she could even handle our world?"

"Are we talking about your mate the girl that is currently in your seniors level classes probably about to graduate at 18?" she asked sarcastically.

"Fine, she's intelligent but you know what dad has dragged this pack into, I mean he sold the land she is currently on because he needed fast money. Yet he hasn't told anyone but you and I... everyone knows what type of Pack we are and who we are involved with but I know she doesn't know..." I stated.

"Then what's going to happen when Maggie's grandfather realizes I'm not marrying her?" I said and thought of all the problems me finding my mate was causing.

"That's not your problem." Mom answered simply.

"You don't understand." I said but the arched eyebrow I was getting implied I needed to explain myself.

"My mate said that she didn't want anything to do with our pack, with the Colts-" I began but mom interrupted me.

"And I don't blame that girl for saying that! Neither of you are in each other's shoes right now, you jumped the gun here Gabriel, instead of getting to know your mate you ambushed her. You cheated on her okay, let us not even forget that because I'm sure she won't. You walked up to her floor and she had the door locked and you heard two heartbeats? Do you realize how feeble that sounds?" she tsked.

I was getting angry now, raising my voice "She was in the room with another man, with her doors locked!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, the person you're angry with is yourself," she said calmly.

"Gabriel why did you come here," she asked point blank.

"I was angry because I thought she cheated on me, then she shows up in my class angry with me and ignoring me." I answered rubbing my head but was shocked at my own mother's response.

She was laughing, not a subtle fake laugh either she was flat out laughing at me.

"So you thought she played you... had another man in her room, then ignored you like all the girls you ignore?" she asked still laughing.

"No," I answered moodily.

"So you give her a reason to push you away last night, her only friend that is mated to your brother comes to probably comfort her after your mistake. Then because you're already looking for the easy way out you think that two wrongs make a right, so you go and use Maggie to hurt her more. Then according to you, you were all over Maggie and she has to see it, so she acts like the bigger person and ignores you." She said knowingly.

"Wounded ego, son?" she asked teasingly.

"No!" I lied, I mean replied. Mom just continues laughing at my expense.

"You know all this talk means nothing, that girl is mad at you. She can't rejected you..." she trailed off... "But doesn't mean she won't make it hell for you though, I would." Wait hold up!

"She can not reject me?" I tried to ask indifferently, although I was anything but.

"No she can't you two already mark each other..." she started explaining but then her face morphed into disbelief.

"Goddess Gabriel how do you not know any of this?" skepticism written all over her face.

"Maggie wasn't my mate mom, I never had to know any of this. All I needed to know was how to prepare to be Alpha and how to handle the family business." I retorted.

"What was your wolf saying this morning when you woke up and went to her room?" she asked knowingly.

"He wanted to go see her, see if she was okay because when we left her room she was crying..." I drifted off.  Shaking my head I didn't need to repeat this again.

"She can't reject me?" I asked once again.

"Well she can, but it could kill you and quite possibly her." She answered while I was in complete shock how did I not know this?

 You never listen.

"Honestly, I'm a woman and I know that you hurt that girl but it's all a matter of what you want to do to get her back. It won't happen suddenly, the damage you've managed to create overnight will take a long while to fix up. I saw Chelsea when we just walked in right after marking her; she looked at you like you hung the moon son, now you're saying that she is ignoring you." She prattled off. Her attention was going far now as she spoke.

"Did you know she's CiCi?" she asked me moving onto something else.

"Wait do I know who is CiCi?" I asked.

"Chelsea, she is CiCi! She has so many CiCi paintings. Jay was shocked and actually proud that we have paintings she's sold in our house, that's why I asked if you would come over, I thought maybe if she saw that we really had her work in our home it would make it easier for her to accept us in the long run, but you've really messed that up," she continued. I was in awe, I knew art and her work was excellent. I had bought many for my mother for Mothers day, or just when a good piece was being shown but she was only 17 that, that means she was selling when she was only 13 years old or twelve considering she thought she was a year older than she really was.

"How do you know she's CiCi, just because she had CiCi paintings does not mean she is the-" I was saying exasperatingly.

"Do not be condescending Gabriel I spoke to her and she confirmed that she is CiCi!" my mom sharply answered.

I was pensive for a moment, "mom what if she doesn't forgive me? I mean sure she can't reject me but she can stay away from me, she can ignore me like she's doing now forever." I said dejectedly.

"And you would deserve that Gabriel." She said shaking her head.

"I know you're my son, but from what I know about her, from how I studied her yesterday that girl is lonely. Yeah she has people around her but that doesn't mean she isn't lonely, you were her chance at not being lonely. Her chance for more, whatever more may be to her but you crushed that last night, then again today. How much do you think she can really take? I wanted your father to let you work this out with her on your own. She would be good for you, I already like her!" she said enthusiastically. I thought I heard a bit of sarcasm as well. Mom probably saw the confusion on my face and put me out of my misery since she now was speaking in riddles.

"You cheated on her and she didn't make a big show, she didn't act like your some kind of demigod begging for you to accept her, she's tough and strong and will put you through much needed paces. She isn't going to let you treat her like a doormat and hang on your every word. You have someone you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with, and I for one am glad, very glad that you got one that will challenge you, make you a better man in a way I, your father or Maggie ever could." She said with confidence and finality.

"How do I get her to even give me a chance?" I asked knowing I was going to need all the help I can get I had never had to work to actually get a woman. Even when I had Maggie I could smile in another womans direction and panties dropped. I was brainstorming silently waiting for moms help when I noticed she was looking at me blankly.

"Aren't you helping me?" I asked.

"Did you ask anyone for help when you fucked up?" she cursed causing my eyes to get as big as saucers because Mom never swore, that left me dazed. I didn't know how to be 'romantic,' or how to be anyone other than my asshole self, if I appeared any other way people would think I was a complete pussy.

For OUR mate, you will be what you have too! I want her back; I marked her so even if you fuck up, all you have to do is figure how to get her human to forgive YOU for messing around with her half sister! Said Max. Although I have to admit it was getting annoying, he kept acting as if he was his own entity when in reality we were a packaged deal.

 "I'll tell you this Gabriel you don't have much to work with, you ambushed her, you don't have much information about her to convince her that you deserve what you're asking which is another chance. That being said... they say actions speak louder than words. If you're going to say something, chances are as an intelligent young woman she will careless about what you say and only pay attention to what you do. And, you have to do what it is you say. Simple as that." She finished, baffling me to no end.

"Okay since you wont help, answer this honestly because I'm not sure about this..." I started and she was waiting for me to continue.

"When should I tell her about our family business?" I asked unsure of how to proceed about this. Other women knew what we were into, but I had a nagging feeling that my little mate knew nothing.

"Goddess, Gabriel you are not an imbecile." she muttered, still I wasn't sure what she meant but I knew that I had to come up with something fast, make changes not for anyone else, just my mate. Little did I know of how hard things were going to be.

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