Chapter 1 #5
Gabriel grew angrier when situations were left unresolved.
The next hour or so would likely be unpleasant, but it was necessary.
Holding the whiskey bottle in one hand, Raphael used the other to steady him as he climbed.
A wide work bench ran along the far wall of the loft.
The surface was cluttered with scavenged parts and components as well as partially completed projects.
Gabriel had turned his chair around and extended his legs, crossing them at the ankles.
There was a massive skylight above the chair that provided a stunning view of the stars.
Eagle shifters grew irritable unless they could see the sky.
“What are you working on?” Raphael asked, hoping to lighten his brother’s mood.
“You didn’t have the authority to sanction that mission. The wolves will consider it an attack, not a rescue,” Gabriel began, not bothering with pleasantries.
“I knowingly disregarded your wishes,” Raphael admitted as he crossed to the work bench.
He took down the two glasses arranged on one of the shelves and filled both with whiskey.
He handed his brother one of the drinks and raised the other to his lips.
Arguing was pointless. Raphael knew what would defuse the situation and what would add fuel to the fire.
“The decision had to be made quickly, and I knew we would disagree. We have both worked hard to avoid conflicts with the wolves, but this—”
“Then how the fuck do you explain tonight?” Gabriel snapped as he came up off the chair.
Raphael took a quick step back. “Our alliance with the cats abolished any hope we had of neutrality. War is here whether we choose to participate or not. Those females were being held a few miles from our village. The wolves are in our territory. It’s only a matter of time before they attack us directly. ”
“You don’t know that!” Gabriel set his untouched drink aside and rested his hands on the back of his chair. Anger burned in his orange eyes as his temper continued to smolder. “Interfering with their females guarantees that they’ll attack. Is access to pussy worth all that bloodshed?”
Pausing for a sip of whiskey, Raphael chose his words carefully. “Access to mates is worth any sacrifice. There is no future without offspring, and there will never be offspring without females.”
“But why this? Why now? I agreed to the alliance reluctantly, but I never would have agreed to this.”
Which was why Raphael hadn’t asked him. “The wolves are in the middle of a bloody civil war. Half the ruling pack was slaughtered right in front of the females. Riverside pack is in control for the moment, but no one is safe until Alex, or some other alpha, can establish his authority. These females are traumatized and desperate. This was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do.”
Gabriel sighed heavily and returned to his chair. He tossed back half of his whiskey before he spoke again. “Did you act alone or were the cats involved?”
“I learned of the incident from the cats. They asked me to do a flyover and see if the females were in the lupine stronghold. The rest was me. Our alliance with the cats promises us females, but courting them is almost impossible. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to solve that problem.”
“I don’t like it,” Gabriel grumbled. “We had a plan, and it didn’t include a ground war with the wolves.”
Standing while Gabriel sat felt confrontational, so Raphael lowered himself into the other chair.
“Our original plan hasn’t changed. In fact, restoring off-world communications has never been more important.
” He finished his drink and set his glass aside.
“I’ll supervise the bunkhouse. Having the females here won’t distract you unless you want it to. ”
Gabriel looked at him impatiently. “If I’d been in the market for a mate, I would have flown down to the feline village during one of Zion’s ridiculous parties.”
Gabriel couldn’t speak Zion’s name without scowling and filling his voice with scorn.
The two hated each other. Well, Gabriel hated Zion and Zion resented his attitude.
The conflict was old and ugly, but luckily it had not kept the two villages from forming an uneasy alliance.
Besides, on this subject at least, Raphael agreed with his brother.
The parties the cats were throwing were counterproductive.
All they did was allow the females to pretend that they were still on Earth when they needed to adjust to Rydarian expectations.
Raphael hadn’t taken time to attend one of the events, but he’d heard all about them from Victor and Patrick.
The hybrids wandered around smelling and subtly touching the females.
It all seemed like harmless flirting, but the true purpose was to stimulate their instincts into revealing compatible mates.
Such silliness would not be necessary here. Raptors, like all hybrids, were more in tune with their instincts than humans. But the mating bond was formed intentionally.
“Do you have your female picked out already?” Gabriel’s harsh tone mixed sarcasm and disapproval. “Is that the real reason you took on the wolves?”
“The women were in danger, so I rescued them. It was as simple as that,” Raphael insisted, ready for the conversation to end.
Gabriel retrieved the whiskey bottle and refilled their glasses. “I know bullshit when I hear it. What’s her name?”
Clearly, Gabriel wasn’t going to let this go. Raphael took a quick sip before he admitted, “Victor has his eyes on a feisty redhead, but I’m not convinced.”
“Victor’s the best judge of character I’ve ever met. If he’s convinced he found your mate, I’d pay attention.”
Raphael studied his brother for a moment, unsure if Gabriel was mocking him or offering real advice. Raphael wasn’t sure if he was going to court Claire or not, so he simply changed the subject. “Have you made any progress with the com system?”
“I need more parts, or at least components I can turn into parts. I’m honestly beginning to wonder if it can be done.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Raphael assured him. “You always do.”
Gabriel waved away the praise with an impatient scowl. “Tell me about Alex. Is Riverside pack any better than Elias’ mangy strays?”
“I’m not sure,” Raphael said. “The takeover was vicious and bloody, but that’s almost unavoidable. I want to believe that anyone is better than Elias, but I’ve never met Alex or his beta.”
That earned him another challenging look. “So why were you so convinced that the females were in danger?”
Raphael couldn’t hold back a smile. “If I hadn’t rescued them, the cats would have. This made more sense.”
“Of course it did,” Gabriel scoffed as he raised his glass to his lips. “You never answered my question. What’s the redhead’s name?”
“Her name is Claire, but she’s a little hellion. I can see it in her eyes.”
“I like spirited women,” Gabriel said, a hungry gleam shining in his eyes. “If you decide not to court her, let me know.”
Raphael knew his brother was provoking him, but the barb was shockingly effective.
He quickly set down the glass and balled his fists to keep his talons from extending.
Claire’s image filled his mind and stirred his senses.
He wanted to run his fingers through her flame-red hair and watch her green eyes cloud with pleasure.
Heat cascaded through his body and carnal hunger instantly hardened his cock.
Was Victor right? Was Claire their soul mate?
Raphael had never encountered a female whose mere image made his entire body ache.
He shook away the image and forced the possibility to the back of his mind. He wasn’t even sure he believed in soul mates.
Dispelling the rush of possessive anger with a deep breath, he pushed to his feet. “I’ve taken up enough of your time.” He motioned toward the whiskey. “That was a peace offering. Don’t drink it all tonight.”