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Gabriel POV

I have a five-year-old son named Grayson.

I needed to keep repeating this information to myself until it fully sank in. As I strode through the halls of the compound's hospital, I tried to maintain a neutral expression, even saying hello to a few healers. One of them asked me if I was all right after the fight, and I assured them I was.

But on the inside, I was panicking.

When I woke up this morning, my biggest worry was how to confront Axel about whether or not he was working with the Rogues. This talk had been a long time coming. I'd made enough excuses for Axel over the years. Even though he was my brother, he could no longer have a position of power when I became Alpha. To clear my head when I woke up, I left my facility and went on an early morning run to the edge of Brindle Creek. I was hoping to speak with my father about how best to approach Axel. I’d told my father about Axel snooping in his office, and my dad wanted to be there when I confronted him, but I thought it would be better if Axel didn’t feel like this was an ambush.

As I was running this morning to Brindle Creek, I saw a few of the guards that I hired out on border patrol. My father had agreed to let me build a large fence around WaterLock’s territory so the pack would have the same kind of security protections my compound had. Right now, I split my time between my facility to run my cybersecurity company and Brindle Creek to help run the pack. I had a small residence in the WaterLock territory near my parents' house and my home at the facility. Since they were only thirty minutes apart, it was easy to travel back and forth. It was nice to have a separation between work and pack business.

But even with all the precautions I'd taken for my compound and around WaterLock, there had been some close calls over the past six years with Rogue wolf attacks. There just weren't enough warriors in our kingdom to defend against the Rogue's growing army. Every month, the army seemed to double in size. Some shifters had begun to join the Rogues, even if they hadn't been exiled from their pack. These traitors believed that the Rogues would soon rule over our kingdom—and surrounding kingdoms—and wanted to switch sides now to ensure they were on the most powerful side of the war.

I was terrified that the Rogues would have the advantage over us soon, both in numbers and in power.

That was why I'd hired warriors from other kingdoms to help defend us, but now their own kingdoms were being invaded by Rogues and they had to protect their own homes. That was why my father, Delta Theodore, and I had taken to patrolling around the territory. Axel was supposed to be helping as well, but he barely showed up for his shifts, and sometimes there was no one to cover for him.

Early this morning, when I was running through the forest and into our territory, I sensed something was wrong. There weren't any birds chirping or rabbits poking their noses out of their holes. The forest was never still in the early morning. The wildlife was hiding. That could only mean that there was a predator nearby.

Immediately, I was on high alert. I scanned the area, and in the distance, I saw two wolves, one tan and one white, weaving through the large oak trees. Digging my paws into the dirt, I gave chase, adrenaline pumping through my system. At first, I didn't think that these two wolves were members of our pack, but there was something familiar about the way the tan one was sprinting across the forest floor.

Then, I spotted Summer's dad.

Delta Theodore was lying on his back in his human form. There were large bites all over his body that were oozing blood. His eyes were closed, and his chest didn't seem to be moving. I stopped running, knowing that if I kept going after the two Rogues, Delta Theodore could die from his injuries. Even though WaterLock's hospital was closer than my compound, I couldn't take him there. For a long time, I'd been convinced that there was a mole in our pack — my own brother. I wanted to ensure that the Delta of our pack had higher security and wanted to keep Summer's father away from Axel.

For the rest of the day, I'd been monitoring Summer's dad's condition and wondering what it would be like to see Summer again after all these years. Her mother had told me she was coming, and I wondered if it was wise for her to travel, since her father had told me she was too sick these past six years to go anywhere.

I’d never thought to wonder if that was the truth.

Summer.

Seeing her after so long was like stepping into the sun for the first time after six years of darkness. Her black hair was shorter. Before, it had been waist-length, now it came to her mid-back. Summer’s cheeks were less round than the last time I saw her. They had become sharper and angular. When we were talking in her hospital room, I'd noticed that there was a new wary look in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Guilt tugged at my mind as I realized I was the reason for her new cautious approach to the world.

Six years ago, I'd spent the best night of my life with her. I'd been able to do all the things I'd been fantasizing about since that day I saved her in the woods. I could still perfectly recall the feel of her supple cheeks as I cradled her face and kissed her for the first time. Her addictive taste and citrus scent invaded my senses and marked me as hers as strongly as our Mating bond did.

Then, a month later, I broke that bond. I had caused the love of my life pain on purpose. It didn't matter that I'd only rejected her as my Mate to protect her. She still suffered because of me. When I did it, I knew that breaking our bond would hurt her, but until I saw her in person, it hadn't truly struck me how much pain I’d truly caused her.

And I had a son. A boy named Grayson. Did I have to keep reminding myself of his name because of my brain injury or because I was having a hard time accepting the fact that I actually had a child? Usually, people had nine months to comprehend that they were going to be a parent. But, more than anything, I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to be present in his life. I wanted him to get to know me.

My head spun and the hospital walls around me blurred.

There was a relentless pounding in my head from the injury and countless emotions flowing through me, and all I wanted to do was sit in a dark, quiet room and think.

But I had an attack to prepare for. I would bet everything I owned that Axel was planning an ambush on WaterLock with the Rogues.

With a tired sigh, I pushed open the hospital’s front doors and strode down the sidewalk until I was under one of the streetlights. The night was cool and quiet, and I began to pace, trying to get my thoughts in order.

When I was ready, I took out my phone and called my father. He answered on the second ring.

“Gabriel, how is Delta Theodore?” he asked.

I imagined my father in his home office, a clear glass filled with whiskey in front of him.

“No change from this afternoon,” I answered. “It’s not looking good, Dad.”

“His poor wife. First, her daughter and now her husband is in a coma.”

I opened my mouth to correct my dad. In my head, I’d already planned out revealing every shocking detail about tonight.

But unease spread through my body.

I trusted my father, but the Rogue wolf attacks seemed to have truly broken him. My dad would do anything to protect the pack, and wolf law was sacred to him. If I were to tell him about Summer or Grayson, would he tell the Elders? Would the Elders call for Summer to be exiled for breaking our law six years ago? Would they exile Grayson, too?

No matter what the chances were, I couldn’t risk it. I wasn't going to put Summer or our son in danger. I’d have to keep my father in the dark for now. I could tell him about Axel, though.

“I have to talk to you about my meeting with Axel,” I said and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Quickly, I explained our fight at the hospital, leaving out Summer's involvement. I made it seem that Axel attacked me because I accused him of being a traitor to WaterLock. I told him about my fear of Axel being involved with the Rogues and threatening our pack. Then, I explained that I was worried that Axel would gather an army of Rogues and attack WaterLock. After I was finished, my dad was silent for so long that I had to check my phone screen to make sure he hadn't hung up.

“Well, that's it then, isn't it?” he breathed out.

His voice made a jolt go down my spine. I'd never heard him sound so defeated.

“Dad, we can't give up. We have to protect the people in our pack. I’ve been working on something for a long—”

“I would never suggest giving up on WaterLock,” my dad said. “No, I meant, this is your time to shine, Son. The only way that WaterLock will be able to survive a planned Rogue wolf attack is for you to marry the Alpha King's daughter.”

My heart stopped beating.

I should have been expecting him to say that. But after everything that happened today, Olivia and her corrupt royal father were the furthest things from my mind.

The idea of marrying anyone besides Summer was implausible. I couldn't even picture it. It was her or nothing.

“King Ezekiel’s latest offer was ridiculous,” I said. “He wanted my company and an exorbitant amount of money, too. And he was only going to give us ten of his warriors. How would that protect our whole pack from the Rogues? Just listen, Dad. We don't need the Alpha King. I have another plan that—”

He cut me off for the second time.

“King Ezekiel contacted me a month ago. He knows that the Rogue wolf problem is only getting worse, and he wanted to offer me another deal,” my father revealed. “He is willing to give us one-third of his Royal Guard. So, if we pay him and you give him your company, then you can marry Olivia.”

Marrying someone else other than Summer would be like trying to speak a language I didn't know.

It would be impossible.

“I won't do it,” I said, and even though he couldn't see me, I shook my head. “I'm not marrying Olivia.”

“Why the hell not?” my dad demanded.

“You know why! I think the Alpha King is corrupt, and if we align with him, WaterLock will be aligning with a criminal. What if he’s working with the Rogues in some way? I don’t trust him.”

“That's preposterous. You don't know what you're talking about,” he said with a hint of superiority in his tone. “I've told you. I've investigated him myself, and there's no truth to those rumors.”

“Dad, I wish you would just listen to me for once in your life.”

“How dare you speak to me that way! You may be an adult, but I'm still your Alpha,” he said.

“Right, you're always my Alpha first and my father second.”

A silence settled over us like dense fog.

“Gabriel, you have to marry Olivia so WaterLock can be protected by the Royal Guard. If you don't do this, you will sentence everyone in our pack to death. You’re the one who just said that you think Axel is going to attack our pack with an army of Rogue wolves. WaterLock cannot survive a full-scale attack without the help of the king's warriors.”

“But—”

“No. End of discussion. If you don't do this, I'll tell the Elders you aren't fit to be Alpha,” my father threatened.

My mouth dropped open.

In my pack, the current Alpha had to approve of the future leader of the tribe in order for the Alpha Ceremony to take place. Since the title was passed down from father to son, this was more of a formality than anything.

“Are you threatening me, Dad?”

“There’s nothing I wouldn't do for WaterLock. Can you say the same, Gabriel?”

And without waiting for an answer to his question, my father hung up on me.

I wanted to throw my phone at the streetlight. Instead, I paced the sidewalk for the better part of an hour.

My father wouldn’t even listen to me. I had another plan to protect our pack that I’d been working on, but he wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise.

Eventually, the adrenaline in my body wore out, and my head injury took a toll on me. I went back into the hospital and rode the elevator up to the second floor. I’d already arranged to stay in an unoccupied room on this floor with the hospital staff. Even though I lived within three miles of my compound’s hospital, I wanted to spend the night in the same place as Summer and our son.

After a quick shower, I lay down in bed, wincing at the sharp pain at the back of my head. Just as I was closing my eyes, my phone vibrated on the wooden bedside table. I almost ignored it, but it could be Healer Nia with news about Summer. What if her injuries were worse than Healer Nia originally thought?

Anxiety coursed through me like a drug as I checked my phone. It was a message from my father.

I just got off the phone with King Ezekiel. You and Olivia will be married in two weeks at the king's castle. Please, Son. Do this to protect your pack. Do this for me.

My body burned with rage.

How could he make those kinds of arrangements without telling me? Didn't I have any choice in the matter? And how would Summer react if she found out about this? If the situation were reversed and I discovered that she was arranged to be married to someone else after everything we’d been through, my heart would shatter all over again, and I'd want to find the guy and kill him.

Was this how Summer felt when her parents wanted to spread the rumor of her illness? She'd mentioned that it was their idea, not hers. A fresh wave of guilt washed over me as I remembered Summer's panicked face from the night I broke the bond.

I stuffed my phone under my pillow and put it on silent, knowing that the message would still be there in the morning.