by Mary Rundle
Jackson laughed. “Well, that’s good because he’ll have company if you keep using that language in front of him.”
Jimmy guffawed and reached out to take Daniel. “I better feed him the rest of his bottle while you and Steel go talk to Mystia. She’s been on edge all night. It has something to do with that shifter.”
Jackson sighed. Handing Daniel over, he rose and led the way to his study. Once inside, he turned to Mystia and asked, “Do we need Oracle?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go get my Mom,” Steel said.
Jackson asked Mystia, “Which brother is the man’s Fated Mate?”
Mystia smiled. “Mon petit loulou, how did you know?”
“I didn’t —not really. But I figured it had to be the reason the Fates sent him here.”
Jackson glanced over as Steel and Oracle entered and sat down.
Then he said to Oracle, “Sorry to be abrupt but I’m worried about our sick shifter so let’s cut to the chase. Mystia confirmed the man in our hospital is a Fated Mate of one of my brothers. Which one?”
“Cody.”
Jackson gasped. “Does he know it?”
“Yes, he does,” Oracle said.
“Why hasn’t he said anything to me?” asked Jackson.
“I do not know. Maybe you should speak with him.”
Jackson glanced at his mate and knew this was a whole new set of variables to take into consideration. Speaking with Steel through their mind link, Jackson asked, Why is my brother rejecting his mate?
I don’t know. We need to speak to Cody.
This means Cody will receive his gift from the Fates.
Then Jackson turned to Oracle. “Cody will receive a gift from the Fates when he claims the man…”
“Dylon,” Mystia said. “His name is Dylon.”
“Okay, Cody will receive a gift from the Fates when he claims Dylon. What will it be?” Jackson asked Oracle.
“I cannot tell you until I tell Cody. In order for me to do that, he has to claim his mate and right now he is rejecting Dylon.”
“Steel, would you ask Cody to come and see me?”
~/~/~/~/~
Down in the hospital, Colton was watching the man’s body as it shook and twitched with pain. There wasn’t much they could do to relieve it other than what they were already doing. Luckily it was working, and his vitals had become more stable. But his face—Colton didn’t know how it could heal. Normally, a wolf could shift to recover from injuries caused by a beating, but his patient wouldn’t be able to do that for a while. Which left Colton trying to figure out which to use—his natural healing ability or Raphael’s Power. He’d have to talk to Ian and Jackson about this.
Lying in the hospital bed, Dylon was trapped in a nightmare with no ending. There wasn’t anything he could do to stop the beatings. He tried to cover his face as they pummeled him but unlike the other times, they didn’t stop. Over and over and over.
Chapter 2
The glow had faded and Cody, once more in the real world, couldn't move. What he'd seen was so painful he wondered how he could take any more sessions like this. The whipping, beating, and abuse broke his heart. He knew he had no choice but what about his Fated Mate? Would he want to live with someone like me? Cody rose, still weak from his visions, as he heard footsteps along the path. Sitting down on a fallen tree, he waited to see who was coming.
Steel emerged from the woods and stopped short. He expected to see Cody meditating but instead found him staring up into the trees, apparently listening to the sounds of birds, squirrels, rabbits and probably a bear or two ambling nearby. But that wasn't what caught his attention, no, it was the look of sorrow and pain reflected in Cody's body. What the fuck is happening to Cody and why is he in pain? Oh, gods, please Fates, tell me Cody isn't going to die! Is that why he's rejecting his mate? Fuck!
Waiting to be acknowledged, Steel stood still while studying Cody. Here was a someone that looked haggard—it was the only word he could think of to describe him. In all his years, he'd never seen any shifter as young as Cody look so old and weary. Steel couldn't stay still any longer and approached him, reaching out to offer comfort. For what? He wasn't sure but if there was ever a man needing reassurance, the shifter in front of him did. He placed a hand on Cody's shoulder and gasped after Cody turned to look at him. For there, in the eyes staring back at him, was all the sorrow, heartbreak and pain found in the world. Cody's misery pulled Steel in and, wrapping his arms around him in an encompassing hug, he tried to relieve Cody of the burden he was carrying.
For what seemed like hours, Steel gave what comfort he could while Cody gratefully took it in an effort to block the visions from his mind. Finally, Cody pulled back, surreptitiously wiping tears away.
"Jackson wants to see me, huh?"
"Yes, he does," Steel said before adding, "Cody, is there anything I can do?"
"No. Yes, take care of Jackson and my brothers for me. I'll be leaving for awhile and I know they're going to worry."
"What do you mean, 'leaving for awhile'?"“Let’s go see Jackson and Oracle. Might as well do it all in one meeting.”
~/~/~/~/~
Rudy knocked on Josiah’s door, then entered. His Alpha was in a rage and he was clueless about the reason. He thought about the discrete inquiries he made about the Blackwood brothers with fellow pack members but didn’t see how any of it could produce the absolute fury he heard in Josiah’s voice when he summoned him. He went and stood in front of his Alpha and waited. But not for long.
In a deadly calm voice, Josiah asked, “Do we have an enforcer by the name of Dylon Royd?”
Rudy knew this was not a good sign. Josiah never asked about who he hired as enforcers. “No. Why?”
“His father is looking for him. According to Mr. Royd, his son is an enforcer with the Silver Point Pack. Why does Mr. Royd think that?”
“Probably because his son was one of our enforcers but I let him go.”
“When?”
“A short time ago. Why all the questions? You never questioned me about my hiring and firing practices.”
“Do you know who Mr. Royd is?”
“No, not really. I never ask those questions before I hire someone. Never been a need too.”
Josiah stood before roaring at Rudy, “HE IS THE FUCKING VICE CHAIR OF THE HIGH COUNCIL, ASSHOLE!”
Rudy blanched. Oh shit! Fucking dammed! Now what do I do? Lie—no other way to handle it. “Why is he calling here? His son left a while back. He needs to call his son, not you.”
Josiah sat down. He had to think how he could still use Royd’s son as a bargaining chip. “Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. He just cleared out his stuff and left.”
“Then go find him. I want him back here tomorrow. I don’t care how many men you need—just make sure he’s back here.”
Rudy knew he could never bring Dylon back—not after what he’d ordered his men to do to him. No, the best thing is to make sure the traitor is dead. “Sure boss, I’ll get on it right away.”
Josiah’s eyes narrowed as he watched Rudy leave. His second knew more than he was telling about Dylon, but what? When he got the call from Royd, he figured he finally had the break he was looking for. Someone on the inside who would make Jackson’s complaint against him go away. First, he would do what his lawyer advised—demand they produce an eye witness— and when Jackson failed to do it he would have Dylon talk to his father about dropping the whole matter. So fucking simple—that was until his secretary couldn’t locate the boy within his pack members.
Left! Ha! He bet Rudy fired the boy for some reason and probably a good one but he didn’t care. All he wanted was for the boy to be an enforcer once again for his pack. Maybe even a promotion to head enforcer. Couldn’t hurt to have the Vice Chair’s son as my head enforcer. Josiah leaned back and contemplated all the ways that contact could help him get rid of Jackson and his fucking brothers.
Rudy walked down the hall after l
eaving Josiah’s office thinking quickly about what he had to do. Find Dylon’s body and bury it—maybe near the abandoned Blackwood Pack house. That way if it was ever found, they could throw the suspicion onto Jackson and his brothers. Claim Jackson and his brothers killed Dylon because he worked for Silver Point. Yeah, this was sounding better already! Now all he had to do was put his plan into action. He walked into the bunk house and called for his head enforcer. “I want you in my office now.”
“Sure boss.”
Bruno followed Rudy, curious about what his boss needed. As far as he knew, his team of enforcers was on a semi-vacation ever since the kill order against their Alpha’s nephews had been rescinded. He didn’t know the reason, nor did he care; his job was to make sure his team followed orders and completed missions. Just because they didn’t kill those no-good Blackwood Pack fuckers didn’t mean they failed. No, that was a case of not enough time. Entering Rudy’s office, Bruno closed the door before heading over to sit in a chair in front of his boss’s desk. Then he waited.
~/~/~/~/~
Steel followed Cody into the house and down the hallway to Jackson’s study. He could see by Cody’s body language the reluctant acceptance of what was about to happen and he was confused. Finding a Fated Mate was a blessing, one of the highest points in a shifter’s life. So, why then did Cody look like he was walking to the gallows? Steel mulled over everything he knew about Jackson’s brother and other than the glowy meditating thing Cody did—which according to his brothers he’d done his whole life—nothing else stood out. And everyone treats Cody’s meditating as being normal, so what can be upsetting Cody? And would it impact Jackson? Steel was at a loss but it didn’t matter because Cody opened Jackson’s door and stepped inside. He followed and walked over to his mate while Cody took a chair between Oracle and Mystia.
“You wanted to see me?” Cody asked.
“Yes, I’ve been told Dylon, the man in our hospital is your Fated Mate. Do you deny it?” asked Jackson.
“No.”
“Then why haven’t you said anything? Are you rejecting him?”
“No, I’m not. But I think he will reject me.”
“Why? Because he is an enforcer with the Silver Point Pack?”
“No, yes, maybe. But more because of what I am.”
“What do you mean ‘what you are’?”
“Oracle, would you please explain,” Cody said to Steel’s mother.
“Of course,” she said, patting Cody’s arm. “Cody has the ability of foresight…”
“What do you mean?” asked Jackson. “He can see the future?”
“Yes and no. Cody can’t predict what is going to happen today or tomorrow. His visions pertain to specific events and if I am not mistaken, these visions have gotten stronger since your parents were killed.”
“Cody, is that true?” Jackson asked his brother.
“Yes, it is.”
“Can you give me an example of one of these visions?” Jackson asked Cody.
Instead, Oracle said, “When he was young, his visions were more like dreams and he experienced what would best be described as déjà vu moments. For instance, he would be playing with one of his brothers and something would be said or happen and Cody would realize he knew about it before he heard the words spoken or while it was happening.”
“Is this what his meditating was about?” asked Steel.
“Yes, Cody sees things.”
“What kinds of things?”
“I see things that can happen in the future,” Cody replied.
“What do you mean ‘that can happen’? I don’t understand. If you see the future, then how can it not happen as you see it?” asked Jackson.
“Variables can enter into the equation that I don’t know about.”
“Like what? Give me an example,” Jackson said.
“For instance, I saw your death and knew nothing could be done to save you. However, my vision did not tell me about the power Colton received so that variable changed the course of the future as I saw it.”
“Oh, Cody, why haven’t you said anything? This is a tremendous burden to carry by yourself. Wait, you share a mind link with Colton and Carson. Do they know about your ability?” Jackson asked.
“No, Mom had the Shaman teach me how to keep part of my mind—the part with the visions—blocked from them.”
“Why wasn’t I told?” asked Jackson.
“Because Mom was afraid someone would use me to gain an unfair advantage. After our Shaman told her everything about my ability, she had a witch cast a memory-wipe spell so she and I were the only people who knew.”
“And Oracle said the visions are getting stronger? Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Jackson was horrified. He never realized the suffering his brother was enduring. He could only imagine Cody’s pain when he saw Jackson dying. And who was there for him? No one! Because the only other person who knew about Cody was gone—killed in a massacre. Oh shit! Did Cody see that too?
“How long have you had these vivid visions?”
“Are you asking if I knew about the massacre and did nothing to stop it?” Cody asked angrily. Then his voice changed as he said in a weary tone, “The answer is no. At that time most of my visions were more smoke than any real picture. I didn’t know who or what—only that the future would be painful. That’s how it was when I was growing up. It all changed when our family was killed.”
“Now your visions are specific?” asked Steel.
“Yes, they are.”
“What did you see today, right before I found you? Is that the reason you have to leave?”
“Leave? What do you mean ‘leave’?” asked Jackson.
“I don’t know any more other than Cody said he had to leave,” Steel said.
“Cody?”
Oracle spoke up, “Before we get into that, I think we need to talk about Dylon. He is important in Cody’s life.”
Jackson said, “Okay, but I’m coming back to your statement about leaving. Now, why do you think Dylon won’t want you?”
Cody’s jaw dropped. What the fuck? Wasn’t his brother listening? Shaking his head in disbelief, Cody was speechless and couldn’t reply.
Mystia spoke up. “I think Cody can’t believe his mate would want to take on someone like him.”
“You mean because he has visions of the future?” Jackson asked.
Cody could take no more, jumping up he shouted, “Of course like me! I’m a frigging sideshow in a carnival. ‘Come one, come all and get your fortune told by the nutcase who sees the future.’ How would you feel if your mate could tell the future?”
“Well, I don’t know about Jackson but me, I think it would be kinda cool,” said Steel.
“Hush, lover,” Jackson said before turning back to Cody. “But Steel has a point. How do you know what Dylon will think unless you ask him? Or do you already know through a vision?”
“No, I don’t,” Cody said as he slumped back into his chair, “But how can I even possibly ask him to be shackled to me for eternity when he will feel my torment through our mind link? No, it’s better this way.”
“I don’t think you’re being fair to Dylon. You have taken away his right to make his own decision. I did that to Steel until Mystia showed me I didn’t have that right,” Jackson said, “Tell your mate the truth and let him make his own decision. Hell, maybe he has a bad habit you won’t like—like farting in bed every night.”
Cody burst out laughing. “Only you would think that’s a bad habit, bro. But you have a point,” he said, then getting serious, “But did you forget? He is an enemy of our pack. How do you think Zane would feel if I accepted him?”
“Bro, nobody has the right to interfere with a Fated Mating. Zane knows that. As for the rest of your brothers, I think they’ll be rooting for you because the Fates are never wrong when they pair Fated Mates. We don’t know his story and he deserves a chance to tell it. Let’s hear it first and then we can talk about it
again.”
Mystia spoke up, “He was new to the Silver Point pack and he did not take part in the massacre.”
“See Cody, there’s a lot you don’t know about Dylon. I have to believe he is a good man who was hoodwinked by our uncle. Please give him a chance otherwise, and correct me if I’m wrong Oracle, the only other choice you have is for Dylon to die.”
Cody felt the pain rise in his chest at the thought of his mate dying but as he thought about it, wasn’t that what was happening to his mate right now? “But that’s happening right now. Isn’t he dying? His injuries are really bad—hell, his face is a bloody mess. I can’t even speak to him because he’s still in a coma.”
Jackson said to Steel, “Would you please go and get Ian? Let’s see what he has to say.”
Chapter 3
Rudy looked across his desk at Bruno. “Where did you dump Dylon’s body?”
“North of here. We dumped it at night near the old Blackwood Pack house in a ditch alongside the highway. Nobody saw us, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Tonight, I want you to get the body and take it up the mountain and bury Dylon in the backyard of the house. I want it to be noticeable so someone walking around would know it’s a grave. Got it?”
“Sure.”
“And Bruno? Use as few men as possible and your most trusted ones. I don’t want a word of this getting out. Understand?”
“Got it. No problem. Tonight, it will be done.”
~/~/~/~/~
Ian was going over the latest test results for the shifter in his hospital and was satisfied with what he saw. Adding them to the man’s chart, he looked up as the door opened. “Hi Steel, are Jackson and Daniel okay?”
“Just great, thanks. Jackson needs to speak to you about Dylon.”
“Dylon?”
“Yeah, that’s your patient’s name, Doc.”
Ian quickly added it to the chart, then rose and said, “Let’s go, but first I need to tell Colton where I’ll be.”
Then, Steel and Ian headed to Jackson’s study where Ian saw Oracle, Mystia and Cody sitting in front of Jackson. Taking a seat, he tilted his head in acknowledgement of his Alpha.