Page 22

Gabriel POV

“Here are the papers for you to sign,” my dad said, setting down a stapled contract on my home office desk. “I assume that’s why you’ve asked me to come. Please tell me that you've finally come to your senses?”

He rolled up the sleeves of his crumpled white button-down shirt and let out a tired sigh.

After Summer fell asleep in my arms last night, I checked my phone before going to bed, and my heart lifted with excitement.

The army was ready. My plan had worked.

Immediately, I sent my father a message asking him to come over to the compound as early as he could. Thankfully, he'd agreed, promising to bring the contract King Ezeikel had drawn up along with him.

Anticipation shot down my spine as my father sat down in one of the chairs behind my desk. I couldn’t wait to tell my father about the army. Not because I wanted to rub it in his face, but because I was proud. Proud of my kingdom—and the Kingdoms of Pyregate and Tideridge—for finding a way to fight against the Rogue wolves. And maybe a small part of me would always want to impress my father, too.

I took my seat behind the desk and swallowed thickly as an image of last night flashed into my mind.

Tasting Summer on this chair…

But she was gone when my alarm went off this morning. The side of the bed she had been sleeping on was still warm, and her pillow still held her citrus scent. After dressing quickly in jeans and a blue long-sleeved shirt, I went to the room she was staying in, but she wasn’t there.

I checked Grayson’s room next, only to find him fast asleep. I stayed in his doorway for a moment, gazing at my son. He was probably still exhausted from falling into the pool last night. I closed his door softly, wanting him to sleep in as much as he could.

With a growing sense of panic, I hurried down the stairs and into my kitchen, only to find Summer’s mom measuring sugar and pouring it into a big mixing bowl. When I asked where Summer was, she told me she went for a run in her wolf form. Her reply had been short and terse and she had given me a long, calculating look. It had felt like Summer's mom was assessing me and she didn't like what she saw.

But I was just relieved Summer was safe.

Now—an hour later—my leg was bouncing with anxiety since Summer wasn’t back yet. I knew she probably needed some time alone to think and process everything that had happened last night. And I wanted to give her the space to do so, but the threat of Axel and the Rogue army was still out there. The sooner I knew she was safe, the easier it would be for me to breathe.

“Son? Are you ready to make the right decision?” My dad’s voice startled me out of my anxiety-ridden thoughts.

I had to focus. If Summer wasn’t back when I was done telling my father about the army, then I’d go out and look for her.

“No, Dad. I actually have some news. Some good news,” I said.

“Gabriel…” He scrubbed a frustrated hand down his face.

“Just listen to me,” I said. “Remember when I told you that I had another plan to protect our pack from the Rogues?”

“Yes?”

“My plan is ready.”

“Gabriel, we don’t have time—“

“I have access to a shifter army that is full of hundreds of trained warriors. They are camped out only an hour away, and they are ready to fight. I was planning on visiting them today and I would like you to come with me.”

My dad’s mouth dropped open at my news. It took him an entire minute to get over his shock before he spoke again.

“But there aren't enough warriors in our kingdom. How could you…?” my dad trailed off in disbelief.

But I didn’t miss the tiny spark of hope in his eyes.

“Do you remember all the traveling I did when I first started my company? Do you remember how I went all around the kingdom and the Pryegate and Tideridge Kingdoms, too?”

He nodded, but he gave me a strange look, probably wondering where I was going with this.

“That’s when the idea for warrior training camps came to me,” I explained. “The Rogue wolf attacks were increasing everywhere and very few packs seemed to have enough warriors to protect themselves, so I proposed the idea of warrior training camps all throughout our three kingdoms to thirty different Alpha and Alpha interiors. Twenty-five of them accepted. Once Axel had threatened the pack, I began contacting all the Alpha and Alpha interiors with training camps to see if their warriors were ready. I’ve been developing homebases all throughout our three kingdoms for the army to stay in—all depending on where they are needed the most. This past week, we have been discussing battle strategies and the most effective fighting tactics against the Rogues.”

My dad’s mouth dropped open again.

“How have I never heard about this?” my father asked, clearly stunned. “About…any of this.”

“All of the packs that WaterLock is aligned with I’ve only been working with the Alpha inheritors—like Evan from the EchoLight Pack. I asked them not to tell their father’s so that they wouldn’t tell you,” I admitted.

He ran a hand through his graying hair.

“Why? Why did you keep this from me, Gabriel?”

I sighed.

“I tried to tell you many times about King Ezekiel being corrupt, Dad. I never thought aligning ourselves with the Alpha King was a good idea. But you wouldn’t listen to me. You kept brushing me off whenever I brought the subject up,” I said.

A look of guilt crossed my dad’s face, but I wasn’t done.

“When I had the idea for a shifter army, you were the first person I wanted to tell,” I said. “But I knew that if I did, you would just shoot my idea down. You were so set on the arranged marriage being the only way to protect our pack. You wouldn’t consider anything else.”

My father blew out a long breath and shook his head.

“This is a lot to take in all at once, Gabriel,” he said.

I shifted in my seat.

Wasn’t my father happy about the shifter army? Wasn’t this good news?

After another tense moment, the shock in my dad’s eyes was replaced with hope.

“There’s really an army of trained shifters only an hour away?” my dad asked.

“We can go meet them today,” I promised.

After I saw Summer was safe with my own eyes.

“Does Axel know about the shifter army?” my dad asked, his eyebrows drawn together.

My dad flinched when he said Axel’s name. No matter what, Axel would always be like a son to my parents. His betrayal had cut them deep.

“No, I never told him,” I assured my father.

“Good.” My dad paused and then met my eyes. “I’m proud of you. You found another way to protect WaterLock and your compound.”

My heart lifted at his compliment.

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” I said as a jolt of apprehension went down my spine.

But I knew I could trust my father now. I was certain he wouldn’t turn my Mate or son over to the Elders. It was the right time to tell him about Summer and Grayson.

Once the words came pouring out of my mouth, I couldn’t stop.

“Summer is here, Dad. She’s staying in this house. She isn’t sick. She never was. Grayson is here, too,” I said when I finished telling him the truth about Summer and our son.

My father’s eyes were shining with happiness.

“I have a grandson?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly. “Your mother is going to be so happy.”

“He’s the best kid in the world, Dad. I can’t wait for you and mom to meet him.”

“I’m proud of you, Son.”

We grinned at each other. This moment was one of the few times since I’d begun shifting that it seemed like he was seeing me as his son first and his Alpha inheritor second. I hoped there were many more instances like this to come.

My phone buzzed on my desk, interrupting our moment.

White-hot fear pulsed through me when I saw who was calling.

It was one of the security guards—Simon—who was in charge of protecting the compound.

Please let Summer be all right. Please let her be back in the safety of my home. Please don’t let this be about the love of my life.

Simon began speaking as soon as I answered the phone.

“Sir, the compound has had a security breach.”

My stomach dropped.

“How do you know?” I demanded and shot up from my seat, striding to the door.

“When Finn and Rachel failed to give their hourly report, I went to check on them,” Simon explained as I tore down the stairs. I could hear my father calling my name behind me. “They’re dead. Their throats had been ripped out.”

No!

Finn had a wife and a daughter. Rachel was so young, a star pupil from a training camp located in the Prygate Kingdom.

But I couldn’t let the weight of grief crush me. I needed to find Summer and make sure that she was alright. I needed to secure my compound. Axel had to be behind this. Instead of attacking WaterLock, he had attacked the compound.

I could have the army assembled here in an hour. I had transportation for hundreds on standby.

Axel might have an army of Rogues behind him, but I had an army, too.

“Did our cameras catch who killed them?” I asked my guard.

“No, they were lured to a blind spot by a loud noise, and that’s all our cameras caught,” Simon answered.

“Sweep the entire compound for intruders. We are on lockdown,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” Simon said and hung up.

I raced into the kitchen, my eyes wildly searching for Summer.

She wasn’t here.

In the back of my mind, I registered Grayson on one of the barstools with a worried expression on his face and Summer's mom wiping down the kitchen counter. But it was hard to focus on anything except for the fact that there were two dead guards and Summer wasn’t here.

I made eye contact with Summer’s mom.

“Is Summer back?” I demanded.

“No, I told you she went for a—“

“Someone broke into the compound,” I said, cutting her off.

Her face paled, and her eyes widened with terror.

“Stay with Grayson and don’t leave the house for any reason,” I continued. “I’m going to find Summer.”

Before I could take a step, my phone vibrated in my hand.

It was a video message from Axel.