Page 70 of The Alpha's Stolen Mate

“I have access to a shifter army that is full of hundreds of trained warriors. They are camped out only an hour away, and they are ready to fight. I was planning on visiting them today and I would like you to come with me.”

My dad’s mouth dropped open at my news. It took him an entire minute to get over his shock before he spoke again.

“But there aren't enough warriors in our kingdom. How could you…?” my dad trailed off in disbelief.

But I didn’t miss the tiny spark of hope in his eyes.

“Do you remember all the traveling I did when I first started my company? Do you remember how I went all around the kingdom and the Pryegate and Tideridge Kingdoms, too?”

He nodded, but he gave me a strange look, probably wondering where I was going with this.

“That’s when the idea for warrior training camps came to me,” I explained. “The Rogue wolf attacks were increasing everywhere and very few packs seemed to have enough warriors to protect themselves, so I proposed the idea of warrior training camps all throughout our three kingdoms to thirty different Alpha and Alpha interiors. Twenty-five of them accepted. Once Axel had threatened the pack, I began contacting all the Alpha and Alpha interiors with training camps to see if their warriors were ready. I’ve been developing homebases all throughout our three kingdoms for the army to stay in—all depending on where they are needed the most. This past week, we have been discussing battle strategies and the most effective fighting tactics against the Rogues.”

My dad’s mouth dropped open again.

“How have I never heard about this?” my father asked, clearly stunned. “About…any of this.”

“All of the packs that WaterLock is aligned with I’ve only been working with the Alpha inheritors—like Evan from the EchoLight Pack. I asked them not to tell their father’s so that they wouldn’t tell you,” I admitted.

He ran a hand through his graying hair.

“Why? Why did you keep this from me, Gabriel?”

I sighed.

“I tried to tell you many times about King Ezekiel being corrupt, Dad. I never thought aligning ourselves with the Alpha King was a good idea. But you wouldn’t listen to me. You kept brushing me off whenever I brought the subject up,” I said.

A look of guilt crossed my dad’s face, but I wasn’t done.

“When I had the idea for a shifter army, you were the first person I wanted to tell,” I said. “But I knew that if I did, you would just shoot my idea down. You were so set on the arranged marriage being the only way to protect our pack. You wouldn’t consider anything else.”

My father blew out a long breath and shook his head.

“This is a lot to take in all at once, Gabriel,” he said.

I shifted in my seat.

Wasn’t my father happy about the shifter army? Wasn’t this good news?

After another tense moment, the shock in my dad’s eyes was replaced with hope.

“There’s really an army of trained shifters only an hour away?” my dad asked.

“We can go meet them today,” I promised.

After I saw Summer was safe with my own eyes.

“Does Axel know about the shifter army?” my dad asked, his eyebrows drawn together.

My dad flinched when he said Axel’s name. No matter what, Axel would always be like a son to my parents. His betrayal had cut them deep.

“No, I never told him,” I assured my father.

“Good.” My dad paused and then met my eyes. “I’m proud of you. You found another way to protect WaterLock and your compound.”

My heart lifted at his compliment.

“There’s something else I need to tell you,” I said as a jolt of apprehension went down my spine.

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