Lone Wolf (The Westervelt Wolves, Book 8) Read Online Free PDF Page B

that’s enough of a display of testosterone.” If her mate lost his mind, they wouldn’t get anywhere.
    Mary Jo clapped her hands. “He’ll never be able to control the unmated men if the unmated women are not here.”
    Without the possibility of a mate, the single men of the pack couldn’t be made to obey Kendrick’s commands. It made sense to Carrie even as her wolf howled within her to rage against the world.
    “Carrie.” Mary Jo had gone two shades whiter, which said a lot because she had porcelain-colored skin in the middle of the summer. “I need your help. Can you do something for me?”
    “Absolutely.” She’d walk through fire for Gabe’s mother.
    “Mom.” Gabriel wouldn’t let her finish. “You’re telling me there is nothing I can do, that this is unstoppable. I’m going to kill Carrie. No choice.”
    “I’m going to die in this scenario too.” Mary Jo grabbed her son’s arms. “This isn’t exactly great news for me either. I’m going to never see any of you have kids. My husband for whom I bore seven children is going to kill me. None of this is lost on me. Your father has slowly been going insane for the last century. I’ve been keeping it hidden for a long time. And you know the pack never questions him. Alpha’s word is law.”
    “What?” This time Carrie did the screaming. “Why didn’t you say something? You could have gotten him away from leadership. Michael could have—”
    Mary Jo slammed her hand down on the table. “Michael is my son. I adore him, but he’s not Alpha and everyone in this room knows it. Gabe could be if he wanted it. He doesn’t.” Gabriel actually flinched. “Every wolf with half a brain knows Tristan Kane is supposed to be Alpha. Everyone but Tristan.” She shook her head. “My loyalty—my mate honor—tells me that I have to take care of Kendrick above all else. And I know that you’re quite aware of this by now so don’t act holier-than-thou, Carrie. You’d do the same damn thing for Gabriel.”
    “Gabriel. Whatever happens. You won’t kill me.” He won’t , her wolf confirmed. “Every part of me knows that.”
    Gabe paced the room. “You have to run away. You can’t be near me. Go. Don’t tell me where. If it’s safe, I will come and get you.”
    Carrie shook her head. “I don’t run. That’s not how I’m built. I may not have much magic, but I’m strong and I fight with my pack.” She lowered her voice because she wasn’t sure she could get her next words out. “You taught me that.”
    “Carrie.” Mary Jo’s voice held an edge of desperation that hadn’t been there earlier. “I need you to take Angel, go to the boats. Tell Captain Jim that I need him to do what we once discussed. Can you do that for me?”
    “He’ll know what that means?”
    Mary Jo nodded vigorously. “But tell him that he’s going to have a boatload of passengers tonight. In less than an hour.”
    Carrie turned toward the nursery to grab Angel before Mary Jo latched onto her arm. “Darling. I’ll see you on the other side. Thank you for being Gabe’s.”
    A lump formed in her throat. It couldn’t be time for that. They’d only just gotten together. The other side could wait its turn.
    * * * *
    “Ah, Gabriel. That was fast. I would have thought your mother would have taken twice the time to decide what to do. Intellect has never been her strongest feat. Perhaps that’s where you get your issues. Ah, well. Nothing to do about it now.”
    Gabriel leaped at his father. He might not win this fight but he would give it his best shot, and no one could be better prepared than he. In sparring sessions, he’d been the only one strong enough to ever take down Kendrick. Even if his former Alpha, and it was former now, refused to acknowledge it.
    He snarled while he ripped into his father’s side. Seconds later his dad had shifted into his own wolf state. Kendrick had always been huge, which accounted for at least part of the reason the pack fell in