“Whatperson?”
“An omega named Loni - well, I guess he goes by Scar now,”Gabrielsaid.
“Scar? That pissed-off bartender? What’d you need to find him for?” Iasked.
Gabriel’s expression was serious. “You probably don’t know this, because it wasn’t explicitly written in that book. But Scar is an escaped Stoneheart omega, justlikeme.”
“What?” My brows raised. “Really?”
“Yes. Everyone in Stoneheart thought he was dead, including me. Learning that he was alive was a huge shock, but also reallyhelpful.”
I still didn’t understand what any of this had to do with Gabe. Sure, he wasn’t the only living Stoneheart wolf anymore, but neither of them lived there. Why did itmatter?
“So… What?” Iasked.
Gabrielfrowned. “What?”
“It’s great that Loni - Scar - is alive, but what did you need hishelpfor?”
Gabe’s brows knitted in confusion. “I needed his help because he’s the only omega besides me who's ever gotten out of the pack and lived. Don’t yougetthat?”
I was trying to understand. Honestly, I was. But I still didn’t get what he wasgettingat.
“Do you miss your pack or something?” I asked, taking a wildguess.
He paused. “I don’t miss living there, no. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about italot.”
That was a shock to me. I’d assumed Gabe would want to leave his dark past behind, not actively seek it out. “Youdo?”
“Yes.” He hung his head. “I think about how good I have it here, and what everyone in Stoneheart is missing. They live in fear while I live in freedom. It’s not fairtothem.”
The memory of the night I met Gabriel flashed before my eyes - watching him run desperately away from raiders and failing to flee, being caught in their grasp… I felt a prickle of anger and fire stirredwithinme.
“What they did to you wasn’t fair,” I stated, narrowingmyeyes.
“I know that. But it doesn’t mean they should all suffer because of the elders’rules.”
“So, what?” I asked cautiously. He obviously had something in mind. I just wished he’d hurry up andtellme.
“I need to help them,” Gabrielmurmured.
I snorted. “Like hell, you do. Gabe, you have enough things to deal with right now. Stoneheart can take care ofitself.”
His eyes widened in shock, which quickly turned to anger. “Dante, this is important to me. My old pack can’t live like rats in a cageforever.”
“Then they should have thought of that before they kicked you out and left you to die,” I growled. “You’re safe here now. Isn’t that whatmatters?”
I held out my arms to embrace him, but he backed away,scowling.
“No! It’s selfish of me to sit here, doing nothing, while theysuffer.”
“Doing nothing?” I echoed. “Gabe, you’re pregnant. You’re carrying a child.Mychild. That’s notnothing.”
“You know that’s not what I meant,” hegrowled.
I opened my arms in a wide gesture. “Then what do you mean? Because I don’t understand what the point of allthisis.”
“The point is that I’m learning clear magic so I can create a barrier for Stoneheart so they don’t have to live inside those walls anymore!” hecried.
