Forbidden

Roseline is careful not to bend the metal railing as she jumps and shouts like a mad woman. Rosewood Prep and Claremont High are neck and neck coming up to the final ten minutes of the game. She never dreamed football could be this intense but, then again, it isn’t exactly the game that has drawn her attention.

  Gabriel has been spectacular throughout the entire night. His throws are longer than she has ever noticed before. He dives in and out of his opponents, taking them out as if they were nothing more than limp practice dummies. His speed is unmatched, and his accuracy is off-the-charts amazing.

  The crowd is going wild. The deafening roar has not faded for over an hour.

  “Can you believe him?” Sadie cries. Her face is flushed with excitement. Obviously, her frustration with Gabriel disappeared as soon as he threw the first touchdown. “He’s a shoo-in for MVP.”

  Even William has to admit Gabriel is in top form. “It’s no secret I don’t like the guy but, man, does he have an arm. Who knew he could throw so well?”

  Their words slowly sink into Roseline’s mind and, when they do, she feels sick to her stomach. They are right. Claremont can barely keep up with Gabriel. He is practically a one-man team tonight. She turns and focuses on him as he dives over the end zone with the ball safely cradled in his arms.

  “Who does that?” William shouts right along with the rest of the crowd.

  “He’s not a man…he’s a machine!” Sadie stomps with all her might on the metal bleachers. “I don’t know what you’ve done to him, Rose, but keep it up.”

  Roseline’s face pales and her hands begin to tremble as icy apprehension creeps up her spine. Something is wrong. Gabriel has always been a skilled player but tonight he is spectacular.

  She narrows her gaze on his throwing arm as he leaps up to slam the ball into the ground. Dirt cakes his biceps but it does little to hide the evidence that she feared. He has grown.

  Not in the sense of gaining an extra pound of muscle or adding a little definition to his already toned body. No, now Gabriel is ripped. There is no way a seventeen-year-old boy can look like that.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Sadie asks, noticing Roseline for the first time. Beads of sweat have formed along her brow, despite the plummeting temperatures. She feels weak in the knees. If it were not for her death grip on the railing, she might have passed out completely.

  “I’m not sure,” Roseline says, shaking her head to clear her frantic thoughts. “I think I need to sit down for a minute.”

  William leaps over the seat to Roseline’s side, easing her down. With his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, Roseline begins to breathe easier. Maybe she is wrong. Oh god, she hopes she is!

  But there are too many odd things happening to Gabriel. First are the glowing eyes she hasn’t completely ruled out. Obviously not a human thing to do. Second, his blood calls to her in ways that should not be possible for mortal/immortal relationships. Third, his reflexes are spot on and his physique is definitely changing. It is almost like nature is working to perfect him in ways that defy human logic.

  And what about the bond? They have never shared blood or consummated their relationship. Definitely not the second bit! So then why have they entered into a life bond together?

  Roseline groans, leaning heavily on William. This is infuriating. Nothing about Gabriel makes sense. How can he be so appealing, so impossibly addicting for her, when he is a mortal? The only thing that even comes close to explaining Gabriel’s oddities is that he is an immortal too…but that can’t be true either. He should have transformed in one swift and very painful swoop.

  No, he can’t be immortal. He has human parents and just because they are rudely overbearing certainly does not make them evil immortals. But what else can he be? His human status is certainly up in the air right now. Something strange is going on with him and she needs to figure it out before someone else starts to question it.

  “Feeling any better?” William asks, his deep-set eyes filling with concern as they scan her pallid face.

  “Yeah, I think so. Thanks for taking care of me.” She offers him a weak smile as she eases out of his arms. Although she is touched by his concern, she fears turning to him for comfort. Especially if Gabriel looks up to see her in William’s embrace.

  She leaps to her feet as the crowd explodes around her. Her gaze locks onto a football Gabriel sent spiraling across the entire length of the field. Rosewood’s receiver runs for all he is worth to catch the ball. Claremont falls behind, unable to keep up with their adrenaline pumped opponent.

  She watches the ball arc toward the ground in slow motion. The receiver leaps with his hands outstretched. It falls into his hand, teetering precariously on his fingertips before they clamp around the ball. A swatch of grass carves from the ground as he slides to a halt in the end zone. The receiver rolls over and thrusts the ball high into the air, screaming in triumph.

  William cups his mouth and joins the roar. “That guy is definitely going pro. Gabriel just broke every record ever set for high school football.”

  Both sides of the stadium erupt. One side cheers wildly while the other roars with disbelief. The commentators scream over the loudspeaker as the entire Rosewood football team pile on top of Gabriel. College scouts race onto the field, cameras flash wildly, and news reporters fight through the crowd to interview the star quarterback that has just won the state championship almost single-handedly.

  Roseline is too numb to react as Sadie and William’s shouts mingle with the roar of the crowd. She does not smile, does not offer anyone a high five. All she can do is stand in horrified silence.

  Twenty-Two