“The wolves got five of the women,” Gabriel said, not bothering with pleasantries. “We lost three good men and killed eleven. And all of it could have been avoided.”
Patrick already knew about the outcome. He’d been upstairs in the bunkhouse when the fighting stopped. In fact, he’d been helping with the headcount when he spotted Heather. “Do we need to organize a rescue?” He hoped Gabriel would say no. His focus had centered on Heather the moment their eyes met and Patrick wasn’t nearly ready to expand his thinking now.
Gabriel shook his head. “I’m going to meet with the new village alpha and see if we can come to an agreement.” He ran a hand through his hair with a deep sigh. “The wolves have just as much right to the females as everyone else. They should have been included in the alliance.”
The source of Gabriel’s emotions suddenly revealed itself. “Raphael disagrees?” The brothers generally agreed on how the village should be run, but recent conflicts had been particularly challenging. Raphael had been the driving force behind the decision to join the feline alliance. Gabriel had been reluctant from the start. “What’s to keep Raphael from going after the women on his own?”
“I told him I’d have him arrested if he did,” Gabriel admitted.
“Will you?”
“Yes. I feel strongly about this. We all agreed on political neutrality. Raphael is the one who stepped out of line. Hopefully, this new village alpha will be more reasonable than his predecessor and we can get our village back on track.”
“I know his name is Alex, but that’s all I know,” Patrick said. “Which pack does he lead?”
“Riverside.”
Patrick made a helpless gesture. “I’ve heard them mentioned in passing, but I don’t know anything about them either.”
“What I know,” Gabriel stressed, “is that the wolves had never so much as approached our village until Raphael attacked their mountain stronghold. From their perspective, we started this fight.”
The strength of their friendship allowed Patrick to speak his mind. He felt conflicted about this subject, but Gabriel wasn’t considering both sides. “That’s not how Raphael sees it. And he’s not the only one who believes that wolves are not worthy of the females. Raphael and the ones who helped him with the raid honestly feel like they were rescuing those females from a fate worse than death.”
Gabriel folded his arms over his chest and studied Patrick. “What do you believe?”
“I’m torn,” Patrick admitted. “If Elias were still in power, I would agree with excluding the wolves. But your point is valid. We don’t have the right to doom all the wolves to extinction because their former leader was a vicious asshole.”
“The only way to resolve this is to learn more about Alex. I need to look him in the eyes and decide for myself if the females are in danger.” Gabriel released a heavy sigh and uncrossed his arms. “No more politics. I desperately need a break from these conflicts.” He waved away the subject, then rubbed the back of his neck. “So, what’s this surprise you promised me?”
Patrick hesitated. Gabriel could be unpredictable, but there wasn’t a way to avoid telling him. The psychic bond linking raptor shifters made most forms of deception all but impossible. Still, he took a second and chose his words carefully. “We were told that anyone who directly participated in the Griffin Project was not eligible for the alliance, so imagine my shock when I found Heather upstairs in the bunkhouse.”
Surprise widened Gabriel’s eyes, and he tilted his head to one side. “Heather? As in your beautiful blonde obsession?”
“That’s the one.”
Gabriel glanced at the stone stairs leading up to the cottage then back at Patrick. “A lot can change in four years. Are you certain it’s the same woman?”
Patrick just glared at him impatiently.
“There are rules regarding retribution. How far have you taken it?”
Frustrated by the disapproval in Gabriel’s tone, Patrick tensed. “You’re the last person I expected to have a problem with this. Heather willingly participated in my captivity for years. Do I not have the right to punish her for that?”
“You have every right to punish her, but there are limits to what you’re allowed to do.” Gabriel pivoted toward Patrick and their gazes locked. “Did Heather ever assist the surgical team? If she took part in your transformation, this needs to go before the council.”
Patrick shook his head. “All the transformations had taken place before she was hired. We were out on missions by the time she came onboard.”
Gabriel nodded, his expression pensive. “Who else did she treat? They also have the right to participate in her punishment.”
It took Patrick a moment to compile the list. Thoughts of his captivity had a way of taking over, so he seldom allowed himself to think about the past. “John, Mason, Ford, Lawrence, Juan, and Phil.” Patrick shook his head, shocked by what the list revealed. “You and I are the only ones left.”
“Heather never treated me,” Gabriel reminded. “Jarrel liked to torment me herself.”
John, Mason, and Ford hadn’t survived the multi-stage transformation. Lawrence and Juan were killed during missions. And Phil took his own life after experiencing the challenges of life on Rydaria.
Patrick dismissed the subject with a sigh, then said, “There’s another complication.”
“Perfect,” Gabriel grumbled and turned back to the shadowy vista spreading out around the cliff. “I love complications.”
