Chapter 6
“That’s good to know, Penn,” Jackson said. “My brothers will be happy to hear the High Council dismissed Josiah’s complaint against us.” Then seeing Steel indicate he wanted to speak to Penn, Jackson lowered the phone from his ear, switching it to speaker.
“Hey, by chance, do you know Josiah’s reaction to the news?” asked Steel.
“No…it all happens behind close doors so unless Josiah makes it public, it would be impossible to find out,” Penn said. “But, if I were you, I’d double the guards for a while.”
“Already done,” Steel replied. “When do you plan to submit Willow’s affidavit?”
“Tomorrow,” Penn said. “However, I don’t expect to hear anything for at least a week, if then. I should also warn you, the High Council will probably send someone to depose Willow.”
“Why? Isn’t her affidavit considered sworn testimony?” asked Jackson.
“Normally, it is,” Penn said. “But in this case, when there’s mass murder of a pack…something that hasn’t happened for hundreds of years…the prosecutor is going to make sure everything’s in order before going before the High Council judges.”
“Do you think Josiah will be found guilty on all counts?” asked Steel.
“I do,” Penn replied, “but there isn’t any guarantee. Josiah’s life is on the line so I expect his attorney will have some tricks up his sleeve.”
Glancing at Steel, Jackson frowned before asking Penn, “Is Josiah allowed to attend Willow’s deposition?”
“Of course, since he’s the defendant.”
“Right. Look Penn, I don’t want Josiah anywhere near my pack and I certainly don’t want him in our home,” Jackson said.
“That shouldn’t be a problem…I’ll arrange for the depo to take place at my office.”
“That’ll be fine,” Steel said. “Just give us a few days’ notice so I can arrange adequate protection for Willow.”
“Absolutely,” Penn agreed. “And, by the way, the defense attorneys for the group of buyers at Arald’s slave auction have dropped their demand to depose Norman and Theodore, but they’re still insisting on taking Kieran’s deposition.”
“But he’s pregnant,” Jackson said. “I’m worried about the stress it’ll cause him.”
“I understand,” Penn said, “so what I need from Logan is the list of conditions he insists on in order for the deposition to proceed…such as time limit, breaks, who’s allowed in the room with him, and so on.
Have him consult with Mac also. It always helps to have a doctor sign off on this stuff…
makes it kinda impossible for the judge to override them, unless he’s a real prick. ”
“When does it have to be done?” Jackson asked. “Logan and Kieran are in France right now. And I don’t have a return date yet.”
“Are we talking months?” asked Penn.
“No…maybe a week,” Jackson replied.
“That’s fine. There isn’t a deadline yet…I just want to get it in before a demand is made for Kieran’s appearance.”
“I’ll talk to Mac and have him draft something for Logan and Kieran to look at when they get back,” Jackson said. Then hearing a knock, he glanced over at the open door to his study to find Mystia and Brady standing there. Gesturing for them to come in, Jackson turned to Penn. “Anything else?”
“Nope. Have Mac call me if he has any questions.”
“Will do…thanks Penn.” After ending the call, Jackson turned to Brady.
He was relieved to see some of his wariness gone, but there was still an air of caution.
Guessing Brady was still reconsidering his decision, Jackson decided to focus on why he wanted a meeting.
“I know you’ve been promised any assistance you might need from me in regard to helping Remy and Carson deal with the Witches’ Governing Council, but I want you to hear it directly from me.
As Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, I guarantee you can count on us to be there for you.
The trouble with giving you my word is that you have no idea exactly what kind of help I can offer which, if I were you, would have me questioning exactly what my word is worth. ”
“Oracle has given me some idea of the powers the Fates bestowed on you and your brothers,” Brady murmured.
“Yes, she told me, but I believe you should know everything before you commit to the task ahead,” Jackson said.
Brady snorted, “I don’t even know what the task is until I speak to the Ruler of All Magic.”
“Frankly, I don’t either,” Jackson said, “but from what I could glean from Oracle…Carson, Remy, and his three young brothers are in mortal danger by a magic user or magic users unknown.”
“That about sums up what I know, too,” Brady muttered.
“Right…so how about we fill in some of those blanks. In order for you to do whatever you need to do for Remy, I think it’s critical for you to know exactly what gifts are at your command. Do you agree?”
“My command?” Brady asked, anger and panic jostling for control of his voice. “You just can’t go handing out that kind of power. What if I possess bad intentions? Do you have any idea the havoc I could wreak in the paranormal world? This is exactly why…why…oh, never mind.”
“This is exactly why…what?” Jackson asked softly.
Shaking his head, Brady wouldn’t give voice to his thoughts. What the Fates had decreed certainly wasn’t any business of his and bitching about their decisions wouldn’t change anything.
Jackson leaned forward, looking at Brady intently before speaking.
“If you were going to say it’s insane my pack has so many powers…
I would agree with you. Or if you were thinking the Fates made a mistake…
I’d say the jury is still out on that. But if you think my pack would ever use these powers for any purposes other than what they were given for, then I would say, you’re dead wrong.
How can I be so certain? Because I know my pack and I’ll stake my life on the righteousness of each and every member in it. ”
“I’m sorry if you thought I was insulting you, Alpha…
I wasn’t,” Brady replied, chastising himself for his lack of tact.
“My thoughts pertained to the Fates’ decisions.
I’ve seen what power in the wrong hands can do.
It’s the reason I agreed to help…to right a wrong done to many magic users for years now. ”
“No insult taken, Brady,” Jackson said, softening his tone.
“I’m not arrogant enough to assume I know why the Fates did what they did, but I do know evil will never find a foothold here.
And if that’s the sole reason my pack was blessed, then the paranormal world will only benefit from it.
” Jackson paused before continuing. “When Oracle warned me that my brother and his family were threatened and asked my permission to reveal my pack’s gifts to you, I gave it without hesitation and, frankly, you are the first outside this pack to know.
Honestly, if there was any other way to protect Carson and Remy, I would’ve jumped on it like a duck on a June Bug.
Does you knowing about us make me nervous?
Absolutely. But I also trust Mystia and Oracle implicitly and their assurances about your motives has eased my mind… somewhat.”
“You can trust me,” Brady replied. “As I promised Oracle, I will never betray her…or your confidence.”
“I believe you,” Jackson said, smiling. “Now, back to the job at hand. I’ve decided to assign Dylon as your contact person regarding whatever it is you need from us.”
“Why did you pick him?” Brady asked, wondering if this was a subtle attempt by Jackson to be able to sidestep any help he might need.
“Dylon has the power of Hercules, giving him extraordinary strength and courage, and the ability to solve any problem presented to him. But what’s most important in this case is his strategic brilliance.
Once you tell him the situation, he will be responsible for selecting which pack member…
or members…would best be able to assist you and make sure the mission succeeds. ”
“What if there are multiple missions?” asked Brady. “What if it takes several months before I can get everything sorted out?”
Shrugging, Jackson said, “It doesn’t matter.
I’m committed no matter how long it takes.
As far as I’m concerned, the job isn’t finished until Carson and his family are safe.
” Hearing a rapping on the door frame, Jackson’s gaze shifted over there, smiling at the man waiting for permission to enter.
“Dylon, come in. Did they arrive safely?”
Taking a chair next to Mystia, Dylon greeted her and Brady before turning back to Jackson. “Everyone’s fine. At Sawyer’s insistence, Mac took Alex downstairs to check him over and Glenn’s with them.”
“Sounds like Alex didn’t stand a chance of refusing,” Steel said, chuckling as he rose. “If y’all will excuse me, my father is waiting for me. See you guys later.”
Grabbing his mate’s hand, Jackson pulled him down until their lips met in a kiss before letting go, keeping his eyes on Steel as he left the room.
Giving a small sigh as his eyes refocused on the people sitting in front of him, he found Dylon smirking his eyebrows winging upward. “What?” Jackson asked.
“Join the club,” Dylon said. “We spent last night taking turns with two fussy pups who are both teething…killing a romantic evening I’d planned for Cody.”
“It’ll get better,” Mystia said. “Pups grow up fast, but trust me, before long, you will be wishing for these days again.”
“She’s right,” Jackson said to Dylon. “Now that Daniel is walking, Steel is freaking out about pup-proofing everything.”
“Ah, maybe he shoulda thought about that before Daniel got into the shaving cream,” Dylon chuckled.