Gabriel
THE SUMMER following Lilith’s betrayal passed in a haze for Gabriel. He’d thought their fragile friendship was developing into something more. It definitely had on his part. How could he have been so blind? By choice, that’s how.
Even after Lilith’s brother, Lazarus, handed over a note from Solomon that flat out proved Lilith was a spy, Gabe refused to believe the evidence. He volunteered to spend the winter guarding Lilith in a cave to save her from execution.
He fell in love with her while holding her prisoner and Lilith led him to believe that she was falling for him too without actually telling him so. She didn’t show her fake affection blatantly, but dropped little hints that she was warming up to him. She pretended to be interested in the stories he told and laughed at his lame jokes. She shared tales from her own childhood, growing up inside Sanctuary as an abused member of Solomon’s household and told him of her secret plan to escape Sanctuary mountain before Solomon gave her to Zebulon. It was all lies, of course, but Gabe believed every single one of them.
She rarely complained about the barely adequate conditions inside the cave. She swept it out every day and kept it as clean as possible. She stuttered and stammered something about being cold when Gabe caught her moving her borrowed buffalo robe closer to his spot by the fire. She even managed to blush when he caught her looking at him. But it had all been an act.
Lilith had only pretended to like any of them so she could gather information for Solomon. Thankfully, his plan backfired and ended up helping the revolution instead of thwarting it. But that didn’t excuse Lilith’s behavior or Gabe’s gullibility. Nothing would.
Gabe was barely aware of the sweeping changes brought about by Jonathan and Eli’s sudden rise to power. It all felt anti-climactic, somehow. People complained about the new laws, freeing servants and ranch hands and granting them full citizenship, but the only casualty of the revolution was Shula.
Gabe felt guilty for mourning her death, even though she was his aunt. She’d tried to trick River into mating with Eli to prove he was the promised son of Ephraim. She’d also tried to murder Jonathan, so she got what she deserved, but Shula had been a big part of Gabe’s life since the night his mother disappeared and he missed her.
The only good thing that happened that summer was Gabe’s wolf found his mate. She was only a pup, so they’d both have to wait for her to grow up before she chose a woman to merge with. But at least it gave him hope. Lilith was lost to him forever, but he had a soul mate out there somewhere, all he had to do was find her.
That fall Reuben left to search for Hannah. He didn’t come back until the following spring, one week before they opened Sanctuary. When Gabe rode out to the cleansing station and asked if Rueben had learned anything about Hannah and the baby, all he said was ‘no.’
Jonathan and River wanted to prepare a feast for Reuben after he completed his mandatory cleanse. Thanks to River’s and Gabriel’s hunting skills, they had plenty of meat, but their supply of dried fruit and vegetables was long gone. It was too early for dandelion greens or any other kind of edible vegetation. River traded half a dozen arrows for six bottles of carrots. She should have gotten a dozen bottles for each arrow, but it had been a hard winter for everyone so they celebrated with stewed venison, biscuits, goat milk gravy and one bottle of preserved carrots equally divided between them all. Gabriel savored two bites then surreptitiously slid the rest of his portion onto Paul’s plate when he wasn’t looking. The boy wasn’t overly fond of vegetables, but he was still growing and Gabe figured Paul needed the carrots more than he did.
When the meal was done, Reuben locked his eyes on Gabe. “I’d like to speak with you in my office.”
Gabe nodded, carried his dishes to the kitchen trough then followed Reuben down the hall, expecting a lecture for not doing a better job of rationing food over the winter. So when Reuben shut the door and pulled Gabe into a fierce hug, it stunned him.
Reuben didn’t even pound Gabe’s back, he just held him, pressing his face down against his shoulder. “I missed you, son.”
Gabe’s throat tightened so hard and so fast he couldn’t breathe, much less speak so he just nodded.
Reuben released him then walked around his desk and sat down. He cleared his throat. “Have a seat.”
Gabe pulled the three-legged stool out of the corner and sat down. “I’m sorry about the low rations. Jonathan wants to build a glass shed over the garden. He thinks that’ll make it possible to grow vegetables all winter.” The heated pipes buried under the garden extended the growing season, but with no way to hold in the heat when the temperature dropped, it wasn’t a total solution.
“It might.” Reuben smiled. “If he could get his hands on that much glass. Even if Jonathan could afford it, it would take years for the glass master to produce enough for a greenhouse.”
“So you know what he’s talking about?”
“They’re fairly common in the outside world.”
“So, it’s possible?”
“They have resources we don’t.”
“Jonathan says outsiders throw glass away like garbage.”
“Excessive wealth often leads to excessive waste.”
“He wants to build a glass shop next to the smithy and use the heat from the smelting furnace to melt outsider glass for window panes.”
Reuben’s eyes widened then narrowed. “The glass master won’t like the competition.”
“Jonathan already talked to him. As long as he shares the glass he brings in from the outside and doesn’t try to make anything more complicated than flat panels, the glass master agreed to help Jonathan set up his shop and teach him the process.”
“That would be quite a blessing. Not only would Jonathan learn a valuable craft, he’d be able to trade fresh vegetables for just about anything he’d want during the winter.”
“Knowing Jonathan, he’d probably just give it away.”
Reuben chuckled and nodded. “Most likely.”
“So…” Gabe arched an eyebrow. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“Your inheritance.”
“My wolf’s mate is still too young to merge.”
“I’m only staying for the summer, to be sure the heirs of Sanctuary don’t try to undermine all we accomplished. Once they close the mountain again, I’m going to resume my search for your mother. I should have done this before I left last fall, in case anything happened to me, but I wanted to keep you, Paul, River and Jonathan together for another year.”
“What are you saying?” Gabe hoped he wasn’t planning on kicking River and Jonathan out.
“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to give River and Jonathan the house and twenty acres.”
“You’re giving them the house?”
“With the stipulation that they allow you and Paul to stay as long as you like. I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”
Gabe shook his head. They’d been a little crowded when they got snowed in, but for the most part, they all got along great.
“I’m giving you the smithy, the mud pit and the cleansing pool behind it as well as enough gold to build your own home. When Paul merges, he’ll get the horses, the stable, the steam cave and adjoining cleansing pool, and his share of the gold.”
“But…where will you stay?”
“When I’m here, I’ll stay with River and Jonathan. The rest of the time, I’ll be searching for your mother.”
“If you give up all your land, you can’t be our high alpha.” Gabe put his hands on the desk and leaned forward. “You won’t be an alpha at all.”
Reuben’s eyes glowed with yellow light. “I’ll always be an alpha.”
“Not according to the law.”
“The world is a much bigger place than New Eden. Other packs have different laws. The heirs of Sanctuary don’t require their alphas to hold land.”
“I don’t belong to a different pack. I’m not an heir of Sanctuary. I’m a surface dweller and I need you to hold on to your title as high alpha until someone that shares our vision for New Eden qualifies to take your place.” Gabe shoved his hands in his hair. “You need to retain ten acres from my inheritance and ten from Paul’s until that happens.”
“I’ll retain twenty of your acres.”
“Fine.”
“Until you qualify to take my place.”
“I don’t want to be high alpha!”
“If you did, I wouldn’t name you as my successor.”