Lone Wolf (The Westervelt Wolves, Book 8) by Rebecca Royce Read Free Book Online

sickness from all of them for so long?
    Carrie shook him. “Tell me what you’ve done.”
    “In order to save you, I’ve agreed to Kendrick’s demands. I’m going to work for him. Or he thinks I will. I won’t. I’ll find another way. For now, we have to do what he says. You have to go with him.”
    She gasped. “I won’t. How can you ask it of me?”
    “My love.” He pulled her into his embrace. Would this be the last time he ever got to hold her like this? Why hadn’t there been more time? “This gives us a chance. Otherwise, I kill you and he wins anyway. And that can’t happen—I won’t allow it. Not if there’s a choice.”
    “You can’t have done this.” She pushed back, slamming her fists against his chest. “You’ve sold yourself to him for me. That is not okay. Better death and the great beyond. I’m not worth this. I’ll end it now. Then he can’t have you.”
    She took two steps back before he grabbed her arm. “If we die, if we are both gone; no one will be able to stop him. Do you understand? There won’t be anyone strong enough to keep him at bay. We have to try. I need the chance to do this, to save us, to save Westervelt, and I cannot do it in a world where you no longer exist.”
    “Gabriel.” She shook her head. “None of us know what comes next. The gods might be kind. Maybe we’ll have another chance.”
    “I won’t risk it. You cannot die and be taken from me. Would you do any less?”
    She stayed silent for a long moment before she spoke. “No. I’d do anything for you. I believe that if anyone can stop him it will be you.” She let go of his hand and the world iced over around him. Or maybe it just felt like it did. “Where is he taking me?”
    “I don’t know. He won’t hurt you. You’re his leverage over me. If you die, he loses what hold he has to keep me loyal.”
    She stood on tiptoe to kiss him. Her mouth was soft and the salty tears on her cheeks rubbed against his skin. The embrace lasted only a few seconds before she pulled back. Kendrick had rejoined them. His happy whistles filtered in, infecting the quiet peace of Carrie’s lips on his.
    His love whispered in his ear. “I believe in you. Save them. Come and get me when the time is right. This is not our end.”
    “Whatever touching things you two are saying will have to wait. It’s time to go.” Kendrick held out his hand. “Come with me, daughter-in-law.”
    His father had blood all over his hands. He’d clothed himself in the garb they kept strewn around the island for shifts, and that had red stains all over it too. His mother. She must be gone. He sucked in his breath. Mary Jo hadn’t run. She’d known Kendrick would come for her and she hadn’t left with the women. Gods! How would he mourn her? How would he ever say good-bye to any of them? Could there ever be a time when this moment, this day, this hour wouldn’t haunt every breath he took?
    She took a step back before turning to Kendrick. “You’ll die here someday.”
    “Do you suddenly have powers of foresight you’ve never had before?”
    Carrie growled. “You don’t know anything about my power. And you never will.” She looked at Gabriel. “I’ll see you.”
    He could barely breathe. “Soon.”
    “Well, we’ll see how long it takes him to fall apart. I give it a decade.”
    Kendrick took Gabe’s mate’s hand. The sight made his hands tingle to grab her and yank her from his father’s grip. One second they were there; the next they had vanished.
    “The fucking witch,” Gabriel yelled to the sky, as if someone would hear him and actually care.
    What do I do now? He spoke to his wolf.
    Silence met his query. Hello?
    Nothing. How angry must his wolf be? His canine half hadn’t uttered a word during Gabriel’s good-bye with their mate. Together they could work this out. Whatever needed to be done. He closed his eyes to bring his wolf to the forefront of his thoughts.
    Where his wolf should have stood only emptiness