Spectrum (Stone Society #14) - Faith Gibson Page 0,101

knees and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head in her stomach. Rarely in all their years together had Gabriel cried, but in that moment, he sobbed like a baby. They held each other, neither saying anything for a long time. When Gabe got his emotions under control, he picked Rebekah up and took her to their bedroom. He didn’t undress her or ask for sex. He removed her shoes, then held her in his arms.

“I have a request.” Rebekah lifted her head so she could gauge Gabriel’s reaction.

“Anything,” he vowed.

“Sabrina said I don’t have much time. How much, she couldn’t say for sure. A couple months at most. I can either spend my time taking treatments that will make me sicker and only prolong the inevitable, or I can spend my time with you. I would like what time is left to be spent here, together. I want you to stay here with me.”

Gabriel’s eyes filled with tears once again, and he nodded. Rebekah had already told Isabelle what was going on so she could inform the rest of the family. Rebekah had also cleared it with Aldredge for Gabe to remain with her. She had needed to get his approval before she requested that Gabriel stay with her. Rebekah wanted what little time they had left to be spent together in their home. She was already feeling drained driving back and forth, and soon, she wouldn’t be able to make the trips.

The next three weeks passed with Rebekah doing her best to hide her fears. She wasn’t afraid of dying but of leaving Gabriel behind. He had changed over the years, but she was his whole life, and she was afraid of what her death would do to his tortured soul. If it were her in his place, she wasn’t sure she would want to go on without him, but she wasn’t stuck in a prison cell with little contact with the outside world.

When her body began shutting down, Sabrina wanted Rebekah to go to the hospital. “What do you want me to do?” she asked Gabriel.

“I want you to live,” he whispered.

Rebekah weakly raised her hand to his stubbled cheek. What little hair grew in was white, but it was enough to prickle her palm. “I mean about going to the hospital.”

“I know what you mean.” Gabriel closed his eyes, and tears seeped from the corners. Rebekah wiped them as best she could until she was no longer able to hold her hand up. When he looked at her, she knew in her heart he would follow her in death. It might not be immediately, but the defeat was clear. It was on the tip of her tongue to make him promise not to give up living, but she wouldn’t do that to him. If he made the vow only to appease her, he would continue living a miserable existence for her own selfishness, or he would break the vow and be tormented further.

“I want you to be where you want to be. If you want to stay here in our home, I’m good with that.” Jonas had already brought equipment to Rebekah. She had pain medicine running through an IV to keep her comfortable. “No matter where it happens, it’s going to gut me. And it’s not like I’ll be coming back here after you’re…”

“This is your home, Gabriel. Everything I have is yours.”

“No. You are my home.” Gabriel kissed her on the forehead, his cool lips lingering against her heated skin.

“I want to stay here. I don’t want to go to the hospital where you have to disguise who you are. I want to look at the face of my mate until I no longer can.”

Gabriel nodded against her head. He kept his face pressed against her hair as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.

“I love you, Gabriel Montague. Thank you for giving me the best years of my life,” Rebekah whispered before closing her eyes.

Epilogue

December 2057

“Please just take me back to the Pen, Izzy.” Gabriel was drained. He was broken-hearted and had little drive left inside. Gabriel still took his monthly weekend passes at Isabelle’s insistence. Today they were gathered at Isabelle and Dante’s house for Christmas. Gabriel didn’t want to be around family. He didn’t want to be anywhere. For almost a year he had sat in his cell, recalling every moment he had with his mate. Her scent had faded from the pillow he took from their home. Her voice