Epilogue

Gabriel stood in the corner of the room while he watched his two younger siblings and his father have a private conversation. His father hadn't wanted him in the room, but Gabriel refused to leave. That refusal had cost him a blow to his face, but he was used to it and hardly even noticed. And he at least was able to overhear part of the conversation.

"Get to it," Victor said. He glanced over to Gabriel and then, the younger two lions started to leave the room.

Gabriel knew they were up to no good and moved to follow them, but a growl from Victor made him stop in his tracks. He looked over to his father, waiting for him to speak.

"I didn't tell you to leave," he growled.

"Yes you did," Gabriel replied.

Victor growled, not liking the fact that his son was arguing with him and liking it even less that technically, he was right. Victor had ordered him to leave. "That was then," Victor said. "Michael, Destiny, you have a job to do."

Gabriel looked over at his brother and sister, knowing they had stayed to see what would happen between their brother and father. Michael because he thought it was amusing to watch Victor beat on Gabriel and Destiny because she was concerned about him. But neither of them were about to cross their father. That was a job left solely to Gabriel, and so they did as ordered and left.

"You're going to kill them," Gabriel said, guessing what his father had planned.

"What's it matter to you?" Victor asked.

"You promised Shane that they'd live," Gabriel replied. "You could at least have some honor."

"Don't question my honor!" Victor shouted, slapping him once again, hard enough to send him stumbling backwards.

"You can't kill them!" Gabriel said.

"I can if I want to!"

"I'll stop you," Gabriel said.

That brought a small smile to Victor's face. "I almost want to see you try," he said. "But I'd rather see you shut up and do as you're told. And the thing you need to understand, boy, is that I told the wolf that his family would be safe as long as he did what I ordered him to do, and he's failed to carry through on his end. Therefore, I see no reason to keep the family alive."

Gabriel had heard the phone call his father had received just minutes before. It had been Shane calling, delivering his weekly report on the wolf pack he was with. But he didn't have anything to report, and had said the pack wasn't going to allow him to stay any longer. Victor had grown angry and demanded he find a way to remain close to them.

"You won't win if you do this," Gabriel said. "I guarantee it."

Victor couldn't help but to laugh and his son's bold words. Gabriel hadn't expected his father to take him seriously and he simply headed out of the room. If he didn't think he could do anything, then Gabriel was more than happy to show him just how wrong he could be.

"Gabe," Destiny said, when he left the room. Gabriel looked over at his sister and brother, who had been waiting on the other side of the door. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I have no choice," he said.

"What do you think you're going to do?" Michael asked, looking amused just as their father had been. His oldest brother was too much like their father, and Gabriel didn't like him much better.

"If I can't stop him from going on a rampage against the wolves, then I'm going to make sure the wolves kick his ass," Gabriel said.

"Gabe, don't do it," Destiny said. "Just… just don't."

"Sorry, Destiny," Gabriel said with a hint of sadness. He did care about his sister, but he couldn't do anything for her. She refused to stand up to their father, and until she learned to do that, Gabriel knew she'd never be free. "I'll see you again someday."

He gave her a hug and then turned to leave. Out of everyone in the pride, Destiny was the only one he'd really miss. While Michael was his only brother that clearly despised him, he knew his younger ones were soon to follow their father's lead. As did most of the pride.

"Hey!" Michael said, grabbing Gabriel by the shoulder and spinning him around. "You can't just leave! Especially not with the intention to help the wolves."

"You'd better stop me then," Gabriel said. Before Michael had a chance to say anything else, Gabriel punched him, sending his brother to the floor. Violence wasn't Gabriel's preferred method of problem-solving but he knew how to get the message across that he was serious.

Michael didn't try to stop him or even say anything, leaving Gabriel free to make his getaway and start heading north to Denver, where he could hopefully find the wolf pack his father was targeting.