“But you’re his beta. Can’t you reason with him? Ask for more time?” Two weeks ago I would have been happy to get rid of Gabriel, but at the moment he was one of the few people I had left in the world to rely on. The idea of his leaving made me want to scream at the heavens.

“Sirhan has never been quite the same since his mate, Rachel, died as a result of Caleb’s treachery. And now Sirhan is dying of old age. Can you imagine how that would be for someone who has stayed young and felt immortal for almost a thousand years? The rapid aging he has gone through in the last few months has taken a toll, not only on his body but also on his mind. He is not someone who can be reasoned with easily. He is facing death in what appears to be only a few days’ time, and that has made him a desperate man. And desperate men can be very dangerous.”

“Then you really are in danger if you go back there?”

“If I reassure Sirhan of my loyalty by returning quickly, then I should be okay. As his beta, it is my duty to be with him in these last few days. I was going to go straightaway this afternoon, but I could not leave yet, after I heard what happened to your father.”

“But you are still leaving?”

“I must go first thing in the morning. There is an additional danger to Sirhan coming here. According to pack laws that are even older than I am, the place in which the alpha dies is where we must hold the Challenging Ceremony to determine the new alpha. If Sirhan were to pass away while he was here, not only would that bring Caleb and his pack here, it would also bring other Urbat challengers from all over the world to Rose Crest. You do not want your little town to become a battleground for every werewolf seeking to overthrow me.”

No, I certainly do not.

I had so many more questions for Gabriel, but before I could ask them, we were both startled by the sound of a mournful, and terribly loud, howl that emanated from the forest behind the neighborhood.

Daniel.

“Oh no!” I shot up from my seat and accidentally knocked Gabriel’s sketchbook from the table. His hand shot out and caught it before I could react. “I heard Deputy Marsh threatening to get a wolf-hunting party together. With everything that happened today, I totally forgot. They think Pete Bradshaw was attacked by a wolf, and now that he’s dead … They even have silver bullets.”

“That is a disturbing development.” Gabriel stood up and gathered his drawing pencils and sketchbook into a knapsack.

“I need to do something.” My hand went to the moonstone in my shirt pocket.

Gabriel put his hand on my arm. “Let me go after him. I could use a good run to think some things through, and you need rest. I will find Daniel, take him somewhere safe, and stay with him through the night to make sure he is out of danger.”

He slung his knapsack over his shoulder.

“Wait.” I pulled the moonstone from my pocket and placed it on the table.

Gabriel gasped when he saw it. He extended his hand toward it, and I could see his fingers itching to touch the stone. I nodded my approval, and he pressed his fingers against its surface. I could see some of the tension in his body physically drain out of him. It must have been quite the sacrifice for Gabriel to give up his moonstone ring for my brother. This was probably the longest he’d been without one for centuries.

For half a second, I wanted to snatch the stone back—afraid Gabriel might try to steal it from me like Talbot had. But then I shook my head, realizing it was the wolf’s selfishness that would make me feel that way. I watched in silence for a few more moments while Gabriel soaked in the hopeful power of the stone.

“How did you find this?” he asked when he finally pulled his hand away from it.

“Talbot was hiding it from me. I just found out that he’d had it since yesterday. I … I wanted to seriously hurt him when he told me.” Maybe there was something to all this anger stuff. “I want you to take it to Daniel,” I said. “I want you to cure him with it. I don’t know how.”

“Neither do I. Not really. I have my speculations. I believe the process may be much like how we tried to heal your father—concentrating energy into him—but using the moonstone as a filter. Alas, I know that I am not the one who can bring him back.” Gabriel picked up the stone and handed it back to me. “Only you can.”

I bit my lip and closed my hand over the stone. What if I tried to change Daniel back and only made things worse, like I had with my father? “Why me?”

“The connection the two of you have—I believe you are Daniel’s anchor. His tether to what makes him human. I believe only you have the ability to bring the human side of him back.”

I nodded, realizing that I had already known what he’d just told me. I was the only one who could do it—just like I’d been the only one who could cure Daniel a year ago.

The first time I’d experienced the connection between Daniel and me—months ago when he brought me to the Garden of Angels—it had felt like we were tethered together and I was his lifeline. Like I was the one who could pull him to safety.

“Your anger is trying to sever that connection. It is even more imperative now that you deal with it as soon as possible. You must not try to change Daniel back until you have—or I am afraid you will lose him forever.”

I swallowed hard, unable to respond. Even though I had the moonstone now, Gabriel knew I wasn’t ready to use it.

I knew I wasn’t ready.

Daniel’s howls grew louder. Perhaps he knew it, too.

“I must bid you good-bye. I will protect Daniel tonight, but I will be gone in the morning.” He stood and bowed to me, bending from the waist with one hand over his heart, as if addressing royalty. “I have faith in you, Divine One. I know you and Daniel are destined to do great things for the Urbat.”

And then he was out the door before I could even muster up an argument to his beliefs. Instead, I let myself be grateful for his help.

I’d have it for only a few more hours.

Chapter Twelve

DO THE MATH

LATER THAT EVENING

Dad being worse off now because of my botched healing attempt

+

Finally having the moonstone and not being able to use it

+

Fearing my anger was driving Daniel away, and not knowing how to get rid of it + Knowing Gabriel, the one person I had left to rely on, had to leave or else my town might become a paranormal war zone