Cullen forcibly held back his temper. The man was a royal, and Gabriel had done him a favor, but why on earth did he have to put up with this level of incompetence? “Then perhaps you can explain to me, your highness, why you picked out clothing that would be appropriate for say, oh, a weekend playing tennis in the summer when it is twenty-two degrees outside in the middle of winter?”
Gabriel looked down at the bag and then back at Cullen, his eyes huge. Damn, he’d gone too far again. He watched the prince, who looked exactly his age but was lifetimes younger, as he took a deep breath. When he held Cullen’s gaze, it wasn’t anger Cullen saw in them, but hurt. He wasn’t sure how to handle that emotion.
“I’m sorry, Cullen, I’d be happy to go back to the Morrison house and get clothes that would be more appropriate for your mate.” Gabriel held his voice steady. Cullen was impressed with the effort.
“There’s no need for that, I’m sure her sister will provide clothes she can wear when we return home.”
Gabriel nodded, relief evident on his face, but quickly replaced by a look of confusion. “Why? Why did Father order the Morrisons dead?”
Cullen shut his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the leather seat. Everyone wanted him to have answers, solutions to defeating their former Alpha, when he had long since ceased to have any. “It was always a matter of time, I suppose. Once our Alpha’s mate brought her father to IPAG, Victoria and Scott Morrison became part of the game. They were in play.”
He could remember that day vividly. They’d gone in search of a cure for Tristan’s, their current Alpha, psychosis. It had been the same delusions that caused nearly two thirds of their pack to kill their own mates thirty years earlier. This had led to mass suicides. Cullen closed his eyes at the image of his friends—dead, grief still evident in their eyes—strewn over the horizon of Westervelt. Although it had worked, the plan had been hastily put together and they were now looking at the long term results.
“We gave them far too many years without challenge. Thirty years to sit down in Mexico and plan and plot. Ashlee’s plan had better work better this time.”
Cullen nodded. He had very little confidence in the contorted plan their Alpha’s wife had come up with. It required a lot of building construction, a lot of time, and a lot of money. Building supplies and money they had in abundance. Time had just run out. But at least she’d planned.
“We’ll leave you alone with your mate. This door,” Gabriel crossed and pulled a sliding door out of a compartment Cullen hadn’t noticed, “slides shut.” Gabriel demonstrated how the door opened and closed several times as if once hadn’t been enough.
He could have argued with Gabriel’s logic. There was no need for privacy between them, but the truth was he could use a little distance between himself and the others. Too much time in the company of his pack made him feel overwhelmed with responsibilities. There was still so much to do, training-wise, to get them ready and now he had his mate to consider.
Gabriel turned to leave again, but Cullen stopped him. “You fought well today, Gabriel. You and the others. You were always an exceptional warrior. If your father did anything well, it was training you. And now you’ve done very well passing your knowledge to the others.”
Gabriel nodded, the light back in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “Why did he pick me? He made me the warrior, gave me the training, even more so than he did with Tristan who was always the strongest. What did he see in me?” The other shifter’s eyes had started to change to their wolf state.
Cullen sighed. So much for being impressed with Gabriel’s self-control. Visions of Gabriel and his brothers flashed into his mind. Bright young boys who made as much trouble as any pups ever had for the pack. Gabriel’s eyes, ten years old, stared up at him in the darkness of the memories he refused to give room for.
Why do I have to leave, Uncle Cullen? Why would father throw me out? Tears. So many tears, and begging Kendrick to let the boys be young.
He shook his head and steeled his eyes. “I am not your father, Gabriel, nor am I omniscient. I cannot presume to know why or how he made his decisions.”
Gabriel jerked like he’d been struck and turned on his heel, closing the door behind him.
“You certainly know how to clear a room.” Summer’s voice startled Cullen and he almost leapt out of his seat.
She tried to sit up but grabbed her head instead. Cullen eased her head back down onto his lap and stroked her hair again.
“How are you feeling, Summer?” Even saying her name brought waves of pleasure to his body.
“Well, my parents have been butchered. No, I’m sorry, correct that, gutted like fish. The disgusting pig kicked me in the head, and then I threw up all over myself before I passed out. I’d have to say, I’ve been better.”
Mate. Fix our mate.
Cullen blinked twice. He couldn’t remember the last time his wolf had given him a direct order of any kind. Three centuries of sharing a body with someone, even if that other entity was a wolf, and you figured out what the other entity wanted, and did it, without being told.
What?
You heard me, fix her.
I don’t know how to do that. Only females are capable of the medical magics.
Then make her more comfortable.
How do I do that?
Cullen’s wolf sighed in frustration. Ask her if she needs anything.
“Is there anything I can get you? Would you like me to dim the lights, or maybe some water?”
Summer moved her head slightly and she winced. “No, I think I just want to lay here and not move.” She raised her eyes to look at him, and Cullen thought he saw color rise on her cheeks. “Unless you’d like me off your lap.” She started to sit up.
“No.” He pushed her head down gently. Not only did Cullen not want Summer to move for her own comfort, he really liked her where she was.
She settled against him. “Are we on an airplane?”
“Yes.”
“And? Let’s try to have a conversation, okay?”
Cullen’s chest tightened when she smiled up at him. “Tristan bought the plane for the pack’s use about a year ago. We’re getting ready to take off from somewhere called Teteboro airport.”
Summer nodded and groaned. “Okay, I’m going to have to lay off the movements now. Will there be a doctor up there in Maine—I assume we’re going to Maine—who can look at my head?”
“Ashlee will treat you.”
“Ashlee?” Cullen winced at Summer’s shout.
“She’s a healer.”
“Oh, I forgot. She’s some sort of supreme baby-making, mystical person who becomes a wolf and leads the pack.”
“Regardless, she is your Alpha’s mate.” He wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. He was afraid he was about to step into some waters he would not be able to carefully tread out of. “I’m sure when you practice, you’ll have your own set of magical powers—we all do. Your mother was quite capable, and although Ashlee had a big power boost from Tristan’s aunts, you are sure to have your own unique abilities. Give it time.”
Cullen watched in horror as Summer’s eyes filled with tears. One slipped down her cheek before she blinked the others away.
“What makes you think I want any? I do just fine with my plain old human abilities. Someone once told me when they heard me sing it was like listening to the angels. Not that I’ll ever be doing that again. I think it’s safe to say all the song has left my soul.” Her voice shook, and then she closed her eyes in an apparent end to the conversation.