“… can I offer you some wine? Or anything else?” Matthew said diplomatically.
“That’s not necessary, and I do apologize for intruding, Matthew,” Gen began, her blonde brows drawn into a frown. “I didn’t—”
“What are you doing here?” Gabriel groused. His lion, too, was not happy as it chuffed and flicked its ears. “Matthew, I’m so sorry. They”—he flashed Vicky a venomous look—“were definitely not invited.”
“We just needed to talk to Gabriel about an important family matter,” Vicky said.
Matthew gestured behind them. “If you need some privacy, please feel free to use the inner patio,” he said. Though it sounded like a suggestion, coming from the Blackstone Dragon, it was really more like a directive. Even Gabriel’s lion understood and backed off.
“Of course, thank you again, Matthew,” Gen said with a deferent nod.
They all marched into the inner patio, and as soon as Matthew closed the door behind him, Gabriel exploded. “Are you fucking serious?” he shouted at Vicky. “Are you trying to ruin Damon’s wedding?”
“You left me no choice,” she said. “I couldn’t believe you would dare choose her over me.”
“I would choose her—or anyone else—a thousand times over you, you thoughtless witch!”
“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” Gen said calmly. “I do not like having my time wasted.”
Gabriel whirled to face her. “You don’t know why you’re here?”
Gemma answered. “We were supposed to have a business dinner with William.” She nodded at the older balding man next to Vicky. “He was insistent on tonight, and then he led us here. I thought maybe he had something up his sleeve with Lennox.”
“I’m sorry to, uh, lure you here under less than honest circumstances,” William began. “But perhaps it was better you see it for yourselves.”
“See what?” Gen asked, annoyed.
“That your brother has been screwing around with a human,” Vicky exclaimed.
“Is this true, Gabriel?” Gen’s gaze narrowed at him. “Is this why you’ve been avoiding my calls?”
“I—” He blew out a breath. “It’s not what you think.”
“I’ve never meddled in your little flings,” Gen began. “But you know you have a duty to your family. You’re a Russel, Gabriel, and that means responsibilities.”
“Responsibility has never been his strong suit,” Gemma said with a roll of her eyes. He and his second-oldest sister had an even more contentious relationship than his one with Gen. “That’s going to change soon.” She glanced at William and Vicky.
“You don’t understand,” Gabriel began. “She—”
“Son, you know how this goes,” William said gently. “Your father, God rest his soul, understood our ways.”
Vicky’s smile turned sickly sweet. “And you know what that means.”
“I’m never going to marry you, Vicky,” he spat. “And you can’t keep me away from Temperance.”
Gen harrumphed. “Gabriel, you must break things with her now. William and I want to begin negotiations about a possibly buyout of his company, and we both agreed”—she nodded at the older man, who returned the gesture—“things would be smoother if we had other … alliances in order first.”
Ginny snorted. “Good luck with that. Woolworth Inc.’s losing money faster than Ol’ William here is losing his hair.”
“What do you mean?” Gemma asked.
“Oh, I exist now, huh?” Ginny shot back. She had an even more volatile relationship with Gemma than he did. “Let’s see … when I heard that Vicky here has been trying to speed up her walk down the aisle, I did a little digging and found Woolworth’s financial statements—the real ones he didn’t want to show you. And things aren’t looking as rosy as they seem, are they?” she said to William, who instantly turned bright red. “I think that last expansion did you in. Couldn’t keep up with your creditors.”
Gemma’s eyes turned into razor-thin slits. “I think we may have to go back to the negotiating table.”
“We’ll settle this later, William,” Gen said to the older Woolworth as she shot him with a freezing glare. “In any case, Gabriel,” she began, turning back to him. “You know you can’t keep this relationship with this … human.” Her lips twisted distastefully.
“I will not break up with Temperance,” he said.
“I’m sure we can work this out, Gen,” Vicky pleaded. “You have to make him listen to you—”
“Shut the hell up, Vicky.” Gabriel faced his sisters, hands curling into fists. “Because I won’t give up Temperance. She’s my mate, and we’ve already bonded.”
The complete silence that followed his statement was deafening, broken only by a shriek.
“Mate?” Vicky cried. “No! That’s not true. There’s no such thing.”
“She’s your mate?” Gemma said. “A human?”
“You know it’s not farfetched. Matthew and Jason Lennox’s mates are human,” he said to Gen. “I swear to you, it’s true, Gen. She and I are bonded now, and if you try to split us up, I swear to God—”
“Stop!” She held a hand up, her lips thinning as she pulled them back in with a grimace. With a sigh, she massaged the bridge of her nose. “If this is true, then … then we must respect the mate bond.”
William turned even redder. “You can’t believe this nonsense,” he sputtered.
“My brother may be many things, William, but he’s not a liar.” William opened his mouth but clamped it shut when the Alpha lioness narrowed her razor-sharp gaze at him. “We should head back home. We’ve caused enough of a disturbance.”
“I’ll have our lawyers call yours,” Gemma added.
“You bastard!” Vicky railed at Gabriel. “How dare you!”
“Excuse me?” he said.
“I should have gotten rid of her myself.” Vicky’s face twisted into an expression of hate. “Instead of leaving it to incompetent males!”
“Vicky, pumpkin,” William said nervously, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s—”
“No!” She whirled around. “You said you’d take care of her! That that ex-boyfriend of hers would drag her back to whatever hellhole—”
“What?” White-hot rage coursed through Gabriel as he focused his gaze on father and daughter. “What the hell is she saying?” His tone was dead serious.
“Nothing,” William gulped.
Gabriel lunged forward, grabbing the old man by his collar. “You have two seconds to tell me the truth, old man.”
“Gabriel!”
He ignored Gen’s warning shout. “Tell me!”
William turned
