“My emotions have been tied in knots ever since we arrived on this fucking planet. The meeting will do me good.”
Patrick wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t argue. “Then let’s talk about what I walked in on up at the cottage.”
Guilt shadowed Gabriel’s eyes as he looked at Patrick. “I wasn’t going to fuck her,” he assured. “The rest just happened.”
That wasn’t a viable excuse, but again Patrick let the comment slide. “We can’t let her play us against each other.”
“I know,” Gabriel insisted. “I won’t touch her unless you’re there.”
“That’s probably wise, at least for now.”
Gabriel nodded, but his expression remained tense. “The harsher you are with her, the more she’ll turn to me. I can’t prevent that reaction.”
“You can,” Patrick argued. “You don’t want to. You like being the hero to my villain.”
They walked in silence for a few moments, each lost in thought. Alex had agreed to meet at his mountain stronghold rather than making Gabriel fly all the way to the lupine village. Rather than making themselves vulnerable with a partial shift, Patrick and Gabriel climbed onto one of the skimmers and headed to the meet.
“Are you going to confront Alex about the tunnels?” Patrick finally broke the silence as they flew just above the trees.
“I’m not sure. I’d love to know how the illusion is created, but we have more important things to discuss.”
“At the very least, we need to seal the entrance so the wolves can’t enter our village,” Patrick pointed out.
Gabriel shot him an impatient look as he said, “I ordered the guards to take care of it before they returned to their posts. I’m not the one who endangered our village.”
Patrick started to comment, then thought better of it. Both sides had compelling arguments, but Patrick’s need for Heather was drawing him toward Raphael’s side of the conflict. Disagreements between Gabriel and Raphael were few and far between. They not only shared blood; they shared a lifetime of brutal injustice. They would work it out in their own way.
When the wolves chose to build a mountain stronghold in the forest bordering Eagle Village, Raphael and many others wanted to drive them off. Gabriel insisted on a ‘wait and see’ approach. Reluctantly, Raphael agreed. For nearly two years the wolves came and went without bothering the raptor shifters or endangering the village in any way. Gabriel frequently used the fact as an example of the need for political neutrality. Then Raphael chose to play hero and unraveled Gabriel’s carefully laid plans.
Patrick and Gabriel reached the stronghold a few minutes later and set the skimmer down in the clearing beside the main building. The house was L-shaped with three levels and a steep roof. There were two small outbuildings that were likely used for storage.
“This place is bigger than I expected,” Patrick said as they walked around to the front door. He scanned the area for dangers. Alex had agreed to meet with Gabriel alone or with one member of his pack, but Patrick wasn’t ready to relax his caution.
“According to Raphael’s spy, Riverside pack was planning to move up here permanently to escape Elias’ tyranny.”
Patrick sensed no one in the surrounding trees and only two people inside the house. Motioning toward the mostly empty building, Patrick said, “Obviously, that’s not what happened.”
“They decided to overthrow the bastard instead,” Gabriel confirmed as they climbed the stairs leading to the wide, railed porch.
A tall, burly wolf shifter pushed open the front door before Gabriel could knock. The wolf’s assessing gaze swept over the raptor shifters, then he motioned them inside.
Patrick followed Gabriel into the house. He was here as Gabriel’s bodyguard, not his advisor. Gabriel would conduct the negotiation while Patrick watched, listened, and scanned the emotions emanating from the others.
The wolf led them past a spacious kitchen and into a living room situated at the back of the house. Another wolf shifter stood near the fireplace. He was taller than the first, leanly muscled with wavy blond hair that flowed past his shoulders. A thick beard obscured the lower portion of his face, but his amber gaze was sharp and filled with intelligence.
Unaffected by the wolf’s dangerous appearance, Gabriel walked up to him and extended his hand. “I’m Gabriel of Eagle Village.”
The wolf hesitated for a moment, then shook Gabriel’s hand. “Alex. I’m the lupine village alpha.” He nodded toward his companion. “That’s Nate, my beta.”
Gabriel greeted the beta with a nod then said, “My second’s name is Patrick.”
Alex lifted his chin, acknowledging the introduction, then swept his hand toward the chairs arranged in a semicircle facing the fireplace. “Have a seat. Would either of you like a drink?”
Patrick shook his head, but Gabriel accepted the libation before choosing a seat. Alex sat facing the eagle shifters, while Nateremained in the archway across the room. Patrick watched both wolves closely, not yet comfortable enough to let down his guard. The alpha seemed relaxed, but the beta was alert and focused.
“You asked for this meeting,” Alex reminded. “Why am I here?”
“As I indicated in my message, Eagle Village has always remained politically neutral.”
