Lone Wolf (The Westervelt Wolves, Book 8) Read Free

long.
    “Are you doing okay, son?”
    He turned his gaze on his father. At some point while Gabriel had been distracted, his father, the Alpha, must have donned the traditional mating ritual attire. In his hundred-some-odd years of life—he’d stopped counting when he’d reached one hundred; it seemed futile after that—he’d watched his father bring together so many couples. Somehow he’d never really believed he would be among them.
    “I’m fine, my Alpha. Thank you for your inquiry.”
    Other wolves got to pal around with their dads, to joke in preparation for the event. Not Gabe. No one joked with Kendrick. Gabriel would stand in front of the pack and swear his unending devotion to Carrie. Then they’d go off and be together for the first time. His groin leaped at the thought. The last weeks of anticipation had been horrific. Years of wanting her from afar had been nothing in comparison to knowing it would actually happen … and soon.
    “You are the first of my boys to be gifted with a mate. You know what that means, don’t you?”
    “No, sir.” He turned his full attention to Kendrick. “I’m afraid I don’t.”
    “Always so dense.” The Alpha shook his head. “Thank the gods you’re as talented a soldier as you are.”
    His words burned Gabe’s soul, pushing away the sweet anticipation he’d had since he’d risen earlier in the day. His father always did that, forever reminding him how stupid he was in comparison to his brothers. How seemingly worthless in all but battle.
    Don’t let it get to you . His wolf hushed his fury. Today isn’t about him .
    “If you want me to know what it means, sir, you’re going to have to tell me.” His words didn’t express his anger. Years ago, he’d learned how to hide it, how to make his face a mask of nothingness. No one could hurt him on the outside and what went on beneath the surface of his walls was no one else’s business.
    Except Carrie’s . His wolf reminded him.
    Except her. In about twenty minutes from now .
    “It means the gods think you’re the best.”
    Gabriel highly doubted that.
    His father continued. “It means you truly were born to be my heir.”
    “Michael’s your heir, the next Alpha.” Had Kendrick lost his ability to count? Michael, the firstborn, would be presumptive heir to Westervelt. And if not Michael, it would not be Gabe. He didn’t want to be Alpha any more than he wanted to drown in the lake surrounding Westervelt Island. Tristan would be a fantastic Alpha, if he could get his head out of his books to acknowledge it. Besides, none of them would challenge Michael.
    “He’s a fool.” His father bent over close to his ear. “And you know it.”
    Come. Go get mated. Get out of here. Something has gone wrong with our Alpha. I don’t even want to lower my eyes. He smells wrong .
    Gabriel moved away from his father to head out into the clearing. He’d had enough of that kind of talk. Lately, Kendrick only wanted to discuss succession. Why bother talking about it when it had been decided by birth?
    He shook his head. Kendrick’s smell followed him and he stopped moving. If the Alpha wanted to follow him, then he had to stop and speak with him.
    “Good luck tonight.”
    Okay . “Thanks.”
    “Things have to change. You realize that, don’t you? We can’t stay like this forever.”
    “Sir?” Gabriel didn’t know where this conversation had come from.
    His father spoke off into the distance. Gabriel might be the person Kendrick technically spoke with, but the way he looked out in the early night air told him anyone would do.
    “I made a decision a very long time ago to do what had to be done to keep this pack strong. I have to do it again. She’s right.”
    “I’m not sure what…”
    Kendrick’s eyes turned back on him. “Never mind, son. Enjoy your mating ceremony. We only get one, you know. One. For all of eternity.”
    “Right.”
    His wolf huffed. When you come back from your mating time with Carrie