Chapter 1 The Night Everything Changed

Chapter 1

Gabrielle’s POV

“Gabrielle! Stop the car! You can’t drive, you’re drunk!”

Maria, my best friend, shouted beside me as I sped away from the party.

I giggled and swerved slightly on the dark road, just enough to make her grab the dashboard in panic.

“Relax, Mar,” I slurred, tightening my grip on the wheel. “I’m fine. It’s my birthday. Live a little.”

Today was my eighteenth birthday, and for the first time in forever, I felt free.

In two weeks, on the next full moon, my wolf would finally awaken and maybe, just maybe, I would finally find my fated mate.

For an omega like me, life didn’t promise much but that one dream had kept me going.

Mom was overly strict, so Maria and I had sneaked out to celebrate at a dingy club in the neighboring pack.

If she ever found out I’d gone partying or, worse, gotten drunk, she’d probably lock me up until college started.

“You nearly drove us into a ditch five minutes ago,” she snapped.

“I told you I should drive, but no, little Miss Birthday Girl wanted to prove she could do everything. Gabrielle, slow down before you kill us both.”

“Gabrielle, this isn’t funny anymore!” Maria snapped again, her voice rising with panic.

“Slow down! You’re going too fast, we could die!”

I rolled my eyes, though the road was starting to blur more than I liked.

“You worry too much,” I teased. “Lighten up.”

Maria shot me a glare, but I barely noticed, my thoughts drifting back to the club.

“Oh…and did I tell you about that cute guy I kissed? His name was… something with a J. Jason… Jared… Anyway, we were this close to sneaking off and having sex when…”

“Gabrielle, watch out!”

I looked up sharply.

A cyclist was crossing the road.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs as panic sobered me in an instant.

I jerked the wheel hard, but my hands were sluggish, my reflexes dulled by the alcohol clouding my system.

The car struck him with a horrifying thud.

The impact threw us violently forward against our seatbelts before the car screeched several feet down the road and came to a stop.

My breathing became ragged as my shaking hands remained frozen on the steering wheel.

Maria slowly turned toward me, her face drained of all color.

Then her horror twisted into fury.

“I told you!” she screamed, slamming her palm against the dashboard.

“I kept telling you to stop, but you wouldn’t listen! You never listen! You think everything is a joke, and now look at what you’ve done!”

Tears immediately flooded my eyes.

“Maria—”

“No!” she shouted, her chest rising and falling violently.

“Don’t say my name like that! This is your fault, Gabrielle! Yours! You wanted to drive drunk. You wanted to show off. Now somebody could be dead because of your stupidity!”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I whispered brokenly.

“Well, it happened!” Maria shot back.

“Intentions don’t matter when somebody’s lying in the road dying!”

Her words hit harder than the crash itself.

I unbuckled so fast my fingers fumbled, and I stumbled out of the car..

Maria followed close behind.

The sight waiting for us made my stomach turn violently.

A young man lay motionless on the road, blood pooling beneath his head, his bicycle twisted several feet away like broken metal scraps.

For a moment, my lungs forgot how to breathe.

“Oh God,” I choked out, tears spilling freely now. “Please don’t be dead.”

Maria knelt beside him with trembling fingers pressed against his neck, searching desperately for a pulse.

“He’s barely breathing.”

Relief and terror crashed into me at once.

“We have to get him to a hospital,” I said immediately.

Maria stood so abruptly she nearly stumbled backward.

“Are you insane?” she demanded.

“Do you know what happens if people find out we did this? We’ll be arrested. Gabrielle, we’re omegas. Omegas don’t get second chances. The council will throw us in a cell before sunrise. Your mother will lose everything!”

“Maria, stop scaring me!” I cried, staring at her in disbelief. “He is barely breathing!”

“And whose fault is that?” she fired back bitterly. “For one stupid night of fun, you’ve ruined everything!”

Her words sliced deep, but I grabbed her wrist, crying openly.

“Yell at me later. Hate me later. Call me selfish, reckless, stupid…whatever you want. But if we stand here arguing while he dies, then we’re murderers. Help me save him.”

Maria stared at me, breathing hard, anger and fear clashing in her eyes.

Then she cursed under her breath.

Together, we struggled to lift him into the back seat, his blood staining our hands and smearing across the leather.

The moment we reached the hospital, we burst inside.

“Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice breaking.

“Please! Somebody help us!”

“He’s dying!” Maria shouted, panic tearing through her voice. “Please save him!”

Doctors and nurses rushed toward us immediately with a stretcher.

As they lifted him away, I grabbed a doctor’s coat, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Please save him,” I begged. “I’m begging you. Please don’t let him die.”

The doctor gently removed my hand.

“We’ll do everything we can.”

He disappeared through the emergency doors.

Hours later, a doctor finally walked out.

Maria and I shot to our feet and rushed toward him.

“Doctor?” I asked shakily. “Is he okay?”

The doctor removed his glasses and sighed.

“He survived. We managed to stop the bleeding and stabilize him.”

Relief hit me so hard my knees almost buckled.

“Thank you so much doctor, please can we see him now?”

The doctor removed his glasses slowly, his expression tight with concern.

“The accident caused severe trauma to his spine and lower body,” he said carefully. There are multiple fractures along his lower spine and significant nerve trauma.”

Cold dread swept through me.

“What does that mean?” I whispered.

He exhaled before answering.

“It means he has suffered a severe spinal injury. “With surgery, rehabilitation, and intensive therapy, there is a strong possibility he can regain full mobility, but recovery could take months… possibly longer.”