CHAPTER 318: A LITTLE MORE THAN JUST CONTEXT

[GREALOR]

The Furfantes were playing a losing game, and Gabriel was doing what he thought was right. He was trying to save his father and his friends, to make them understand the stakes and why they would never be able to go over that particular cliff.

He just wanted them to understand that there was so much that they needed to work with and that they had to brace themselves.

He wanted them to be safe, to know that no matter what life threw at them, there was always going to be a way out especially if they didn’t try to antagonize the Hinatas. But then a part of Gabe also knew that his father was never going to let him be like that.

Gabe had shown the man more than once just how much he despised him. The hate he had for his father was the kind of hate that would never find a way out to salvation or whatever the fuck was waiting for them.

Gabe only wanted to minimize the loss, but what was the point? What use would it all be if his father managed to rally the Grealor wolves and brainwash them into believing that the fight against Kawai was for their own good?

’Hello,’ Gabe spoke in the mind links that he always used to address his people. He was determined to save them, even if it had to be against his father. Gabe wanted them to have peace, the kind that they had wished for for the longest time.

He didn’t want them trying to fight a battle that would never truly be won for them. He only wanted to see where the lines were drawn so that he would try to make it make sense for them.

His people deserve better than his father’s madness and Gabe was going to tell them the truth. So, he tried again, despite the fact that the mind links were empty. Of course, Gabe understood that this had to be his father’s and worse, Zula’s doing.

The Lycan was obsessed with war and Alpha Ashton was enabling her as if this was some spiritual ascent that would forever make life better for them all. No one had known what the sun and stars looked like but they knew what the wrath of the mad king looked like.

Those who had lived in that cruel tenure had read enough books to understand that going against Zaffuto Hinata was pure madness if not the worst case of insanity and Alzheimer’s, given what they knew the man was capable of.

Surely there had to be a few rational people in Grealor, right?

"Good evening, Grealor," Gabe tried again and this time, there was just dress, and emptiness that he knew was because of the crazy woman his father trusted. It hurt to know that they were proceeding with this.

It hurt to even imagine that on the same day Tamiko’s rut ended, was also the day that his father had made the decision to hurt all the people they had loved and trusted. This was cruelty at best and Gabe wished that there was some other way.

So, he got up, determined to address his people on his own. He may have been a depressed piece of shit, but he knew that there was no good in going into a war blind. He had to try and warn them.

He had to make sure they truly understood what they would meet out there instead of the rumors his father had filled all their minds with. They deserved better. Dejectedly, Gabe found his way to the door of his chambers.

It was locked, so he tried to pull. Each pull just ended in him being a frustrated alpha. He tried to knock down the door with his alpha strength and yet even that seemed to not work for him.

Of course, it wouldn’t, and Gabe knew that there was a reason for this. His father and the obsessed Lycan had locked him up. It was a disappointing time but then what the fuck was Gabe supposed to make of this?

He could shout and cry out.

He could try to bargain with them.

However, he was intelligent enough to know that what he had told his father had triggered the man to the point that Ashton knew his son would definitely jeopardize whatever plans he had to make life worse for the Grealors or even for the vengeance that they needed.

"I tried to warn you but you didn’t listen," Gabe sighed as he walked back to his bed. He understood that there was no point in him trying to run away this time because there was nowhere to run to.

The doors had been closed and his links were blocked by magic the only thing he could do was wait and see what the fuck would happen, even though he knew that this was the worst possible state the Grealor wolves would ever be in.

Maybe in another lifetime, they would be alright and wouldn’t have a crazy alpha who thought life was always part of a game of fucked up chess, right? Perhaps it was so, for now.

*****

In the alpha’s study, were gathered the friends of Gabriel Grealor and the Alpha along with his insane warlock who was ready to blast the whole of Grealor to doom just because of the desire for mindless and unfounded vengeance.

It was risky, what they were planning, but then the first step was already here with them. Perhaps they could call it quits, which wouldn’t be so bad, seeing as there wasn’t much progress that had been made.

But that wouldn’t work.

Not this time.

It was not the chance for them to try and figure out what part of life was stupider than the others because they all looked up at Zula, they could tell that there was no turning back from this. The Lycan warlock had influenced them and the game was about to start.

"I knew Gabriel would try to snitch on us to that rogue who rejected him," Zula sighed as she punched a hole in the concrete wall, while Maki, Zakhar, Ceil, and Alpha Ashton watched in silence.

They all had a lot of things running in their minds, and they wondered how they were supposed to do this without Gabriel.

Surely the man was depressed but a part of them still believed that with the right guidance, Gabe would come over to their side and encourage their madness, thus making them feel guilty about it.

It was a long stretch, but one that they are more than willing to count on because at the end of the day, no matter what happened or even how it happened, life was meant to be lived, right?

"Perhaps you can manipulate him with your magic," Ciel said and the other looked at him like he had gone bonkers.

Maybe the young wolf had truly lost his mind.

Months and years of mourning a mate who never came home and never had a body to be buried was bound to do that to anyone. Ciel had lost in the worst of ways and they all knew it.

Maybe that was why they had excused his madness over the years and his blatant disregard for his own grief. But then right now, his suggestion was insane.

Trying to manipulate Gabriel was suicide because if there was someone who was sure to come after them no matter what time or year it was, then it would be Gabriel Grealor.

The man never took betrayal lightly – which was ironic given what he had done to Tamiko – and he was bound to ruin them in the worst of ways, given he knew them even better than they knew themselves.

"That is suicide and you know it too. We can’t be running from Gabriel too. It is not right. If he doesn’t want to come, let him be. We can always find a way around this. After all, your first attempt at usurping the king almost succeeded;

"... and Gabe was just a little kid who had just been born, right?" Maki, Zakhar’s mate, said as she tried to make them see sense. It was one thing to have him isolated and another to actually try to puppeteer him into their scandal.

This was not what friendship was about and Maki was right; she knew that whatever they were thinking of was the worst of ideas. This wasn’t what they had tried to live for for the past few years.

They had been friends in different capacities over the years.

They had been there for each other and the mate bonds had only ever brought them closer to each other. The fact that this was even a thought that had crossed Ciel’s mind, had Maki questioning whether Ciel would ever be loyal to their friend group.

This was not right.

"We are running out of time. If we go to Kawai without Gabe, they will know we have decided. Whether we like it or not, Gabriel is the face of this defiance. His father may have been here but Gabriel is what gives this shit life.

"Without him, we are just warriors who don’t know who to look up to. You all obviously don’t trust this duo that is thirsty for blood and more blood, Maki. We need Gabriel and if we can’t tell him to join us lightly, then we might as well force his hand.

"What’s the worst that could happen anyway?" Ciel asked nonchalantly.

Zakhar sighed.

Perhaps they were getting ahead of themselves in the long desire to get their vengeance, right? Then again, maybe, just maybe, this was the right way for them to go, but would it ever be worth it?