White Knight (Blackwood Pack Book 8)

by Mary Rundle

  “How can you be sure he’ll do that?” Fionn asked his voice breaking.

  “Because my darling angel, he is the chosen one for you,” his mother replied.

  Fionn remained where he was, soaking up his mother’s love, reluctant to leave her arms, a place he’d always found comfort. But he could see the light surrounding her grow fainter; her time with him was coming to an end. Using the heels of his palms, he rubbed his face dry and then, sitting up, he said, “I love you mum, always did and always will.” Sighing, he gazed at his mother as she began to fade, quickly adding, “I’ll go home and meet my mate, mum, I promise you.” His mother smiled and then was gone, leaving Fionn alone in the cold, dank cavern that even the glow of his gold couldn’t warm up.

  ~/~/~/~/~

  “Thank you, sweetie,” Oracle said, picking up her cup of tea.

  Sitting down in a chair opposite Oracle and Maximus, Jackson said, “No problem. Steel was going to bring it but then Dakota messaged him that he’d be able to resume his chef’s duties for lunch, sending my mate into a panic. Right now he and Theo are frantically cleaning the kitchen.”

  “How is Dakota?” asked Maximus.

  “According to Ian, he and his pup are doing fine which is a relief after yesterday,” Jackson said. Seeing their puzzled looks, he explained, “When my brother found out our mother was still alive, he fainted. After making sure he and the pup were fine, Ian kept him in the hospital overnight.”

  “Is Slate with him?” asked Maximus.

  “Of course,” Jackson said, grinning. “The pups will be happy to see both of you again.”

  “As we will be to see them,” said Oracle, smiling. “Are you happy everyone is home again?”

  “Very much so. It was a bit of a mess yesterday when our cousins arrived but eventually everything got sorted out.”

  “I can imagine. How is your mother doing?” asked Oracle.

  Jackson frowned. “She’s still in a coma…Ian doesn’t know if she’ll ever come out of it.”

  “Sweetie, your mother survived for a reason,” Oracle said softly. “You must believe everything will turn out fine.”

  “I hope so,” Jackson said, thinking about what would happen to his brothers if she didn’t. Then he stood up. “I better check on Daniel. Hopefully he hasn’t gotten into any trouble.”

  “Just a moment, sweetie,” Oracle said, “Steel asked if I knew a doctor who could fill in for Ian while he was on paternity leave.”

  “Right. Did you find one?”

  “Yes, he just joined Frontline Doctors, so he was free to accept the job.”

  “Who is he? Can he be trusted with our secrets?” asked Jackson.

  “I don’t think you have to worry about that,” said Maximus, “since all medical information is confidential and he’d lose his license if he disclosed it to an unauthorized party.”

  “True, and Ian and Kieran are Omegas so that’s not a problem. The only one would be Dakota, who’s like me,” said Jackson. “When will the doctor arrive?”

  “He’s already here…your cousin, Dr. Mac Evans.”

  Gobsmacked, Jackson stared at Oracle. “Mac? He’s going to replace Ian?”

  “No sweetie not replace…substitute…he only agreed to nine months,” Oracle clarified.

  Sitting back down with a thump, Jackson began shaking his head, remembering Ian’s anger yesterday. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?” asked Maximus. “If you’re worried about his skill, don’t be, Frontline Doctors vetted him thoroughly.”

  “I don’t doubt that…it’s just that…well, Ian doesn’t like him,” murmured Jackson.

  “That doesn’t sound like Ian at all,” Maximus said.

  “No, not at all,” agreed Oracle. “Let me speak with Ian about it and if he does not feel comfortable with Dr. Evans, then I will try to find someone else.”

  Rising, Jackson said, “Fine. I’ll ask Ian to see you as soon as he’s free. In the meantime, please keep this to yourselves.”

  “Certainly,” replied Maximus. After Jackson had left their suite, he turned to his wife and said, “So, Mac hasn’t said anything to anyone about accepting the job.”

  “No, obviously not,” Oracle said, smiling.

  ~/~/~/~/~

  Stalking into the great room, Jackson was trying hard to keep his anger under control. Not finding who he was seeking, he headed into the kitchen, pushing the door hard, slamming it against the wall. “Where is he?” Jackson growled.

  Startled, Theo jumped at the noise and then, seeing the fury in his Alpha’s eyes, whimpered, moving closer to Steel in an attempt to hide.

  Looking up at his angry mate, Steel stopped cleaning the stove, stepping in front of Theo. “Where is who?” he asked.

  “Hunter,” Jackson ground out, his teeth clenched.

  “Babe,” Steel said, “What happened? Why do you want to see him?”

  Shaking his head, Jackson backed out of the kitchen and right into Norm who was rushing in.

  “Omph!” Norman grunted, then gaining his footing, said, “Sorry Alpha, I didn’t mean to do that.”

  Hearing his fiancé’s voice, Theo cried out, “Pooh bear!”

  Glancing at Theo peering around Steel with panic in his eyes, Norm pushed passed Jackson, muttering, “Excuse me.” Rushing to his fiancé, Norm wrapped his arms around him, pulling Theo tight to his chest.

  Throwing his sponge in the sink, Steel strode over to Jackson, took him by the arm and led him to his office. Closing the door behind him he scooped Jackson up and carried him to the sofa. Hugging his mate to his chest, surrounding him with his scent, Steel waited until he felt the anger ease out of Jackson’s body before speaking. “Babe, what happened with Hunter?”

  Inhaling the familiar scents of orange, clove, and bourbon, Jackson turned his head, nuzzling Steel’s neck. Concentrating on his breathing, he finally relaxed. “Hunter blindsided me again,” he said, exasperation in his voice. “First it was with my mother, then his mate and now I find out from your mother that his brother…Dr. Mac Evans, accepted the position.”

  “What position, babe?”

  “Our doctor, of course. According to your mother, he just joined Frontline Doctors and agreed to be the pack’s doctor for nine months…enough time to deliver Ian, Kieran and Dakota’s pups. But Hunter never said a fucking word to me, and he certainly had plenty of chances. See, this is exactly what I’m worried about—how can I protect Fionn if Hunter is intent on keeping things from me?” Jackson asked.

  “Are you positive Hunter knew about Mac?” asked Steel.

  Chewing his bottom lip, Jackson thought about it. “I’m not a hundred percent positive, but I’m pretty sure. He kept my mother a secret, and also that his mate was a member of my pack, so it’s more than likely he knew this, too.”

  “Babe, I never got the feeling Hunter knew in advance his mate was here. Regarding his brother, it doesn’t sound like you to accuse Hunter without proof, no matter how logical you feel your argument is,” Steel said, kissing the top of his mate’s head. “Now, what’s this really all about? Ever since your cousins showed up, you haven’t been acting like yourself, and that’s putting it mildly.”

  Pursing his lips, Jackson knew his mate was probably correct. Trying to pinpoint the exact moment it all went to hell, he said, “Actually, finding out one of my pack members was Hunter’s mate threw me for a loop, but when I found out he’d hidden my mother’s existence from me all those years…yup, that pretty much was the final nail in the coffin.”

  “What’s your biggest worry?”

  “Easy…Hunter becoming a member of my pack,” Jackson said, biting his lower lip.

  “Why, exactly?”

  “Hmm.” Jackson hesitated, not wanting to tell Steel because it didn’t make sense and he knew it would sound stupid.

  “C’mon, babe, tell me why you barged into the kitchen, spitting fire and nearly caused Theo to crap in his pants.”

  “O
h fuck…I did that, didn’t I,” Jackson groaned. “I have to apologize to him… and Norman.”

  “Good idea, but unless we sort this out now, I see a lot of apologies in your future. Babe, tell me why…or I’ll tickle you until you do.”

  Shaking his head at his mate’s teasing threat, Jackson said, “How can I trust him when he wasn’t honest with me right from the beginning in his first email? Babe, he lied to me…not directly, but by omission. And then there’s his mate. Does he plan to challenge me when he finds out about Fionn’s white dragon or his superpower? He’s an Alpha, meant to lead a pack—he trained for it his entire life. And you know what? He was much better at it than I was. I feel like a little kid again with my big cousin watching me, waiting for his chance to take over. With Fionn at his side, Hunter would be more powerful than I could ever be. And his freaking attitude…always so fucking smirky.”

  “Smirky? Is that even a word?”

  Batting his mate’s arm, Jackson said, “You know what I mean. My cousin comes across like he knows everything. Fuck, he probably does…at least more than I do about being an Alpha…”

  As Jackson’s voice trailed off into silence, Steel waited, making sure his mate had finished, before saying, “Babe, I think Hunter is desperately trying to control his need to seek his mate and claim him. And that’s overpowering everything else in him, making him appear smirky at times, simply as a defensive mechanism against the one person who—as his wolf sees it—is keeping his mate from him.”

  “But I’m not! I told him that.”

  “Babe, you’re thinking logically while Hunter is overcome with the mating drive. Did I ever tell you what Colton did in Mexico when he realized Ian was his mate?” After Jackson shook his head, Steel said, “No, I didn’t think so. Your brother was in a jeep with Ian waiting for Slate, Cody and me. The plan was for Colton to claim Ian when we got back here but he couldn’t wait. He bit Ian right then, in the jeep, needing to mark and claim him. This was way out of character for your brother…who’s always so methodical in his thinking and actions. Hunter is an Alpha…a powerful one…and his need to mark and claim his mate must be driving him crazy, just as it was with Colton.

  “No matter what you told him, Hunter’s wolf saw his mate…only to find out later, after he agreed to wait so you could deal with your brothers, that his mate was gone. And no matter how often you explain where Fionn is, it doesn’t matter because the longer Hunter is apart from his mate, the harder it is for him and his wolf. All I can say is thank the gods Kieran did his magic this morning and calmed them both.”

  “What you say makes sense,” Jackson conceded, “but why do I get the feeling Hunter wants my pack?”

  “I’m guessing it has to do with the relationship you had with your cousin when you were young. He was more of a big brother than anything else and you looked up to him…always thought he knew what he was doing, which is why you followed him around. Back then, Hunter had all the answers, knew all about being an Alpha, so when he arrived yesterday and started acting weird because he’d found his mate, a part of your mind reverted back to being the kid who thought your cousin was a better Alpha than you.”

  Jackson had to admit everything Steel said was true. It was that part of him—thinking Hunter was the better Alpha—that was pissing him off. And it was affecting everything he did. Groaning as he remembered Theo’s fearful face, he kicked himself for putting it there. “Gods, I really fucked up with Theo…probably brought back all his horrible memories of Arald in Tajikistan.”

  “Norm will take care of him,” Steel assured his mate. “But babe, you must make it right with your cousin or else Fionn will be torn between the two of you. Hunter is his mate, given to Fionn by the Fates, to protect and love him. Your role is to guide Fionn—to be the non-judgmental person in his life he can speak freely to about his responsibilities as a white dragon and how to handle the supernatural gift he’ll receive. Fionn needs both of you right now.”

  “Any suggestions on how to begin with Hunter?”

  “Yes, tell him everything…the gifts, who Fionn is, what your role is in Fionn’s life…everything. He’s a member of this pack and has a right to know. And when you’ve done that, Hunter might just be willing to answer your questions about why he decided not to become the Alpha of his home pack and more about why he kept your mother a secret.”

  “But there are no guarantees he’ll tell me.”

  “No, there aren’t, but that’s not why you’re doing it, babe. You’re the Alpha, welcoming a new pack member, letting him know you trust him with our secrets,” replied Steel.

  Examining his behavior since yesterday, Jackson’s forehead wrinkled, seeing for the first time how badly he’d treated his cousin, always assuming the worst, never giving him the benefit of the doubt he’d give to every other pack member. What made his behavior worse was that Hunter was family, his mother’s nephew and Jackson knew his mom would be so disappointed at how he’d treated him.

  Vowing to make amends, Jackson smiled, thanking the Fates for giving him Steel as a mate. So many times, his counsel had been spot on, helping Jackson navigate the storm-tossed waters his life had become since his brothers began to find their mates. Lightly kissing Steel, Jackson asked, “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

  Chapter 16

  “Just a minute, macushla,” Kieran said, steering his mate into Dakota’s hospital room. “Hi Kota, how ya doing? I’m here for my ultrasound cause the doc wants to make sure our squirt is doing okay but I already know he is though I wish he would kick because I really want to feel him. Have you felt your sprout kick yet? I bet you’re excited too. Macushla said we’ll get the first picture of our squirt today and I can’t wait to put it in his baby book that I bought in Scotland. It has a place for it along with loads of spaces for all kinds of other stuff, including a place for a lock of his hair, footprints and his first newborn picture. Have you thought of any names? We haven’t settled on one yet, but we’ll tell you as soon as we pick one, so you don’t choose the same one. Huh, wouldn’t that be funny if our pups ended up with the same name? Don’t you think so, macushla?”

  Logan chuckled. “It would be, babe, but I’m sure there are enough names that we won’t run into that problem.” Looking at his brother and Slate, he asked, “Hey, everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good,” said Dakota. “I’m just waiting for Ian so I can get up,”

  “Babe, we agreed yesterday you’d stay in bed for a few days,” Slate said.

  “But I feel fine and besides, I already told Steel I’d be reclaiming my chef’s hat from him this morning,” replied Dakota.

  “No way, bro,” Colton said, walking into Dakota’s room. “Ian’s orders state you are to have complete bed rest for two more days. And Jackson won’t let you anywhere near the kitchen unless Ian agrees.”

  “Where’s Ian now?” asked Dakota, anxious to settle the issue.

  “Up with Oracle, and no, I don’t know when he’ll be back,” said Colton before asking: “Kieran, Logan…ready to see your pup?”

  “Will you be doing an ultrasound on Dakota, too?” asked Slate.

  “It’s scheduled for tomorrow,” Colton said. “In the meantime, get some rest, bro,” he said to Dakota. “Kieran and Logan, follow me.”

  Waiting until they were out of his room, Dakota said, “Babe, bring me my clothes. I’m not staying in bed anymore.”

  Shaking his head, Slate sat down in the chair next to Dakota’s bed. “Yes, you are, babe. We agreed to Ian’s terms last night when you wanted to see your mother…several more days spent resting. I know it’s a pain in the ass, but how would you feel if something happened to our pup that you could have prevented? Would you be able to live with that? Don’t bother answering because I know you couldn’t.” Reaching over to the bedside table, Slate opened the drawer, sliding out his laptop. “Last night, while you were sleeping, I downloaded a bunch of cooking shows you mentioned you wanted to see. I know it’s not the s
ame as being in the kitchen, but I was hoping they’d help you pass the time.”

  His mate was right about everything. Throwing back the covers, Dakota moved over, smiling. “I’ll enjoy them more if you’re next to me.”

  Slate grinned—his mate wasn’t angry at him. Settling in, he placed his arm around Dakota’s shoulders and started the first video.

  ~/~/~/~/~

  “Oh. My. Gods!” Kieran exclaimed staring at the ultrasound picture Colton handed him. “Look macushla, he has your nose!”

  “How can you tell?” asked Logan, studying the picture, not even sure what he was looking at.

  “Here.” Kieran pointed to a dark spot. “See? Just like yours, oh I wonder if he’s going to have your hair color too and maybe your eyes and mouth and…”

  “Babe, trust me, our squirt isn’t going to be a carbon copy of me.”

  “Why not? You are the mostest gorgeous man alive and it would be so cute to have a mini you following you around, can’t you see it now? I could even buy you matching onesies and pajamas and t shirts and jeans, but I don’t think I can do shoes because they don’t make baby shoes big enough for you. But I can do matching everything else, oh my gods, we could name him Logan, Junior, and wouldn’t that be just perfect? Although I would have to come up with a really cute nickname because otherwise if someone said ‘Logan’ neither of you would know who they wanted. Oh my, this is the bestest idea I ever had!”

  Colton was shaking with laughter as he wiped Kieran’s belly clean. Then looking at his brother, said, “Now I know what to get your pup as a gift – matching onesies.”

  “Fuck off,” Logan said, helping his mate up from the exam table.