6 Chapter 6 Standing before me was my pack's healer , and my senior from school , Gabriel Stone . He was two years ahead of me and had been the most outstanding student in the healing arts . program . After graduation , he went to the Silver Moon pack for advanced studies , and we never saw each other again . Last year , after I was seriously injured saving Ethan , I was sent to the medical center . I never expected my attending healer would be him . " Sarah Carter ? Do you remember me ? " I was in bad shape back then and didn't recognize his voice . " Do we know each other ? " Gabriel chuckled softly . " It's okay . We can get to know each other again now ." During one follow - up , I casually mentioned , " The air conditioning in the medical center is so cold ." Gabriel handed me a soft cashmere shawl . " You were always afraid of the cold back in university . You haven't changed ." I was suddenly stunned . " … How do you remember that ? " Gabriel just smiled without answering . Memories from university slowly came back to me , and I started to recall him . I only remembered him as a nice upperclassman , polite and kind , who paid attention to the little things about the people around him . When Gabriel heard my assessment of him , he smiled slightly . " That was for you , not for everyone " My face instantly flushed . I had no idea someone had been quietly watching over me all this time . I remember one time , after a fight with Ethan , I cried until my eyes were red , which triggered my old injury . The pain was unbearable . Everything went dark around me , and I broke down , unable to accept it . " I'll never see the moonrise at Aurora Peak again … " Gabriel gently treated my wound . " No , you will . And the first time you saw the moonrise wasn't with Ethan . It was your sophomore year . You climbed the mountain alone and almost got lost ." 20:13 1/3 6 Chapter 6 I was shocked . " How did you know that ? " The tips of Gabriel's ears turned slightly red . " Because I was there that day , too . " It turned out he was worried about me getting lost , so he followed me the whole way , watching over me from a distance until I was safely down the mountain . It felt so good to be cherished and protected . I understood Gabriel's feelings , but the timing of our reunion was wrong . " I'm having my bonding ceremony soon ." When I gave him the invitation , he looked a little disappointed , but he still wished me well . " If you ever get tired , remember to look back . I'll always be here . " That day , when I stood outside the Alpha club and heard what Ethan and his friends said , I immediately called Gabriel . " The ceremony site is already booked . Do you … want to try an immediate bonding ? " Gabriel sounded surprised . He could hear the impulsiveness in my voice . After a few seconds of silence , I sighed to myself . " If you don't want to … then never mind ." I was about to hang up when Gabriel's cheerful laugh came through the phone . " I've liked you for eight years . How is that an ' immediate bonding " ? " " Wait for me . I'm on my way ? Gabriel helped me recreate the " ideal ceremony " I had described back in university . The aurora , the snowy peaks , and the person I love most . He even found the photo of the moonrise he took when I got lost all those years ago and made it into an album for me . When the elder asked if we were willing , Gabriel gripped my hands , his gaze burning with intensity . " You once risked your life for someone else . From now on , let me be the one to protect you , with my life , with my everything " I cried , tears of true happiness streaming down my face . 2/3