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Claire did not respond. Gabriel turned from the bar, expecting boundless happiness and excitement.
“Son, come sit down.”
Gabriel poured himself another drink and did just that. Claire sat in his easy chair, so he chose the couch closest to the fire. It crackled and whipped flames, dancing in the eyes of his mother.
She drummed her fingers against the brown leather, balancing her head on her neck as if it held an invisible crown.
“Do you really think it would be prudent to go shouting to the skies about Lily being your mate? Slow down for a moment and think about it.”
Gabriel folded one leg over the other. His ankle bounced up and down. His tiger grumbled.
If anyone else had spoken to an alpha that way, he would have put them in their place with a snarl and followed it with punishment.
But Claire was not only his mother but the matriarch of the family. She had made things work within the pride when his father let them all down immensely. In a way, she was an alpha herself. She had taken on a heavy burden and spun gold out of it.
He respected her for it and took heed of her opinions.
“No, likely not,” he finally said, swirling his drink in his palm. “I should see how she feels about it first."
Claire nodded, folding her fingers together in front of her face. She never spoke down to Gabriel, but in a way that was respectful and kind.
“Humans have a way of overreacting to things that they don't understand, like shifter practices. You only just met her. If you call her up tomorrow and tell her she is your mate, you may put her off the surrogacy altogether."
Gabriel nodded, raising his drink just below his nostrils. Admittedly, he had thought of a possible recoiling response from the human. His mind was a fog of desire, while his body was the wheel that drove it.
Claire was right. He would likely scare her from being interested in surrogacy, and Gabriel would miss yet another chance at starting a family. He had to keep his bloodline going. Time was ticking faster every day.
“Yes,” his mother said, leaning forward on the chair and taking her son by the forearm. “And this is not an opportunity you want to miss out on. I understand the pull of matehood. It’s in us all …”
Claire trailed off, her body slumping along with her mind back in time. Her gentle eyes went glossy for a moment, and Gabriel knew she was dreaming of what could have been.
Gabriel took his mother’s hand, and she returned. He was glad to see her smile.
“I will fight the urge for now. I will focus on the surrogacy part. I will keep up the legacy of this pride.”
“I know you will," she said, patting his arm. “I know you will."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. The clock had nearly struck midnight, and Gabriel rose to his feet, grumbling.
When he answered, he found his beta, Lucas, standing there with that bright beaming smile of his. It wasn't always easy to know what was wrong when he came around. That sandy blonde mop of hair and dazzling blue eyes of his had a way of casting an abundance of optimism into every scene he came upon.
“Good evening, Gabe,” he said, taking a step inside the alpha’s estate. “How was your date?"
Gabriel waved his hands in front of his face like he was casting a spell.
“We can talk about that later. What’s going on? Why are you here at this hour?"
Lucas and Claire exchanged a silent greeting, and then Lucas’s attention was back on Gabriel. He spoke with a peppering of concern, but it wasn’t stifling.
“A few of our men noticed humans camping at the north end of the pack territory. About six or seven of them. I thought you might want to know now rather than later."
Gabriel was contemplative. It was his duty, after all, to deal with matters that pertained to the pride, no matter what hours of the day they happened to fall in. It was likely nothing to worry about, but he needed to get his mind off the Lily situation a little.
“All right, let’s go then. You can lead me to them."
Gabriel offered to walk his mother home, but she blew him off with a scoff. Shifters were full of pride, no matter what age they were.
“I am fine, honey. Don’t forget who birthed and protected you.”
