Mabel stared at Amelie for a long, silent moment before finally speaking again.
"Did you ever say these things to your own mother?" she asked. "I must admit, you've grown bolder since meeting Gabriel. Of course, he's the reason you speak up now. Back in your pack, you were always the quiet one, who would always listen to the others."
"Mabel, let's drop it," Raidan interjected gently, reaching for her hand in an attempt to calm the tension.
But Gabriel wasn't ready to let it go. "No, Dad, we shouldn't brush this under the rug," he said firmly. "We're not children anymore. Casaio, Dominick, and I, we're all over thirty. Yet Mom still treats us like we're five, incapable of making decisions. And if anyone dares to disagree with her, it becomes an offense."
Sensing that a new tension might create between Gabriel and his mother, Amelie decided to apologize.
