Tempting Fate

Twenty-Two: The Right Choice

It took all of Gavriel's willpower not to head directly into enemy territory to rescue Arietta. His mate was being held captive and tortured. Now, finally, he had a solid lead on a possible location thanks to Ronan and Brynn.

If he were anyone else, he could have run into the territory to free Arietta, and no one would have stopped him.

But he was Gavriel O'Connor, leader of the Southern Shifter Territory, and figurehead for his people. The rules and stipulations were different for him. Even when it came to his mate.

If he was not extremely careful with his entry into the neighboring wielder territory, he could start a war.

For once in his life, he wished he were not the leader of his people. He would have given anything to run into the neighboring territory, rules be damned, and rip apart anyone who got in his way as he rescued his own.

"I will take Cael, Miguel, Soren, and a few other senior fighters with me," Gavriel told the head elders only half an hour after his conversation with Ronan.

Eoran shook his head. "That is too many of our people to risk."

Gavriel was done playing games. He was done catering to the heads when all it did was slow him down. He was done—

"What else would you have him do, Eoran?" Henri said. "He cannot go in alone."

"He should not be going in at all—" Eoran said.

The noise that ripped itself free of his throat was so guttural, each of the council members stopped. Animal eyes stared back at him—a warning sign of shifters responding to a threat in front of them.

"Enough," Gavriel said, his voice a raspy steel. "I am going. I will take only those who volunteer with me. Every single shifter on the small extraction team will know exactly what they are getting into. But I am going."

A beat of silence.

Then the head council exploded.

"We do not know if she's even there to begin with!"

"Gavriel, surely we can send in a small team. It's not wise for us to send our lead representative into something like this—"

"How will we even know what's happening? We're all but blind in that other territory."

Only Ries and Henri sat back and said nothing, content to let the others air out their concerns.

Gavriel let the words go in one ear and out the other. Inside him, his leopard was a vicious, hissing wildcat, ready to claw anyone who tried to physically stop him from doing what was necessary to save his mate.

He had told her he was coming. He promised her he would do everything he could to save her. She was everything good, and brave, and loving that this world had to offer.

And he would not let her down.

"I called this meeting not to discuss," he said over the council members. "But to advise you of the plan."

At that moment, his phone rang.

Cael.

Gavriel answered, and hardly put it to his ear before he asked, "Any news?"

"She's here, Gavriel," Cael's voice was hoarse—the rough voice of a shifter who had spent a few days in their animal form. "Arietta is at a farmhouse on—"

"The north side of the shifter territory."

His leopard wanted to roar with victory. Though it was not yet much of one. Not until she was back in his arms.