Chapter 7
“Oh, thank the gods!” Alex exclaimed. “Nice to meetcha, Big Boss Man. Would you please tell your cousin to stop with the alpha stuff. I’m fine, my baby’s fine but for some reason, my wolf mate can’t get that through his thick skull.”
“You don’t know that,” Sawyer said. “You may think everything’s okay but then, suddenly, poof, you’ll end up in the hospital because of a hidden injury.”
“Stop treating buttercup like a child,” Glenn growled. “If he said he’s fine, I believe him.”
“Oh, so now you are a doctor as well as a secret agent.” Sawyer glared at his mate. “We wouldn’t be in this situation if you drove more carefully.”
“Enough,” Jackson said. “Sawyer, Mac does not require Alex to undress at this time so I suggest you stop stressing him out and let Mac do his job. Alex, would you prefer to see the doctor alone?”
Glancing at his mates, Alex shook his head. “I’d rather they stay with me.”
“Fine,” Jackson said. Then shifting his gaze to Glenn, he said, “Nice to finally meet you, Glenn. I’ve heard a lot about you from Willow.”
“All good, I hope.” Glenn smirked.
“All good. My brothers and I owe your mother a huge debt for saving our mother…not to mention all the help she’s given her in her recovery. Anything I can do to repay the debt, just let me know.”
“I appreciate that.”
Glancing over at Alex, Jackson asked, “Do you mind if I speak to my cousin out in the hall for a moment?”
“Is that okay with you wolf mate?” asked Alex softly, unsure what Jackson wanted with Sawyer. “Glenn can go with you if you want because I’ll be okay with Mac.”
Shaking his head, Sawyer lifted Alex up, setting him on the exam table before giving him a kiss. “I’d rather he stay with you, sweetheart.” Then, leaning in, he whispered, “Nothing to worry about babe…Jackson won’t bite.”
Giggling, Alex grinned at Sawyer. “I hope not.”
Stepping over to Alex, Mac patted Sawyer’s shoulder. “Go…I promise to take good care of your mate.”
After finding the reassurance he needed in his twin’s face, Sawyer gave him a tight smile. Turning to Glenn, he gave a small nod before following his cousin out of the room. Shutting the door behind him, Sawyer said, “I’m sorry Jackson.”
“For what?”
“For whatever I did. Obviously, I did something wrong or otherwise why would you want to see me alone.”
Leading Sawyer to two chairs, Jackson said, “Sit.” Then joining his cousin, he said, “When I was pregnant with Daniel, Steel drove me crazy with his hovering. ‘You should rest’…‘are you hungry’…‘you aren’t eating enough’…
and on it went. In the beginning, it wasn’t so bad but as time went on, it became intolerable.
“Even though I knew it was his way of dealing with his fear of losing me in childbirth, it just became overwhelming; I felt like I was a bug under a microscope.
And in the end, the stress it caused me began to affect the pup.
Luckily, Ian figured it out and had a chat with Steel, explaining that what he was doing was no good for me or Daniel.
“Sawyer, whether Alex admits it or not, right now he is feeling his life is out of control because of his pregnancy. The last thing he needs is you making all of his decisions for him.”
“I’m not,” Sawyer protested. “I just want what’s best for him and our cub.”
“Yeah…I get that. But let me ask you this…how do you know what’s best for him? Did he tell you? Or are you just assuming you know better?”
Opening his mouth then shutting it, Sawyer reflected on his behavior since learning about Alex’s pregnancy.
The shock that he was going to be a father was fresh in his mind along with the self-doubts about being a good one.
Sure, he had a good role model when he was growing up, but truthfully, he never thought he’d be a dad.
Now that it was imminent, it was freaking him out.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” he murmured, realizing his uncertainty was causing his behavior.
“I want to be a good father to our cub but I don’t know how.
And what if I miss something that causes Alex to lose the baby? What if…”
“Nope…trust me…stop with the ‘what ifs’ because no matter how many you think of, I can promise you if anything happens, it’ll be the one thing you didn’t think of.
In the meantime, all those ‘what ifs’ will only end up hurting your relationship with Alex because he’ll only see them as evidence of your lack of trust in him. ”
“But I do trust him.”
“Then show it by respecting his decisions. And in order to do that, you have to listen to him…really listen, Sawyer.”
“Trust me to fuck it up,” Sawyer muttered.
“Nope, you can’t claim ownership to that…
Colton did it to Ian before his mate put a stop to it and poor Slate, he’s suffering with Dakota’s pregnancy.
The only one who doesn’t seem to be affected is Logan, but that’s probably due to his and Kieran’s spirit, who’s constantly monitoring their pup.
Otherwise, I’m sure he’d be acting the same way. ”
Glenn stuck his head out, looking at Sawyer. “Are you through out here? Buttercup is getting worried the Big Boss Man is chewing you a new one.”
Laughing, Jackson rose. “Tell Alex his mate is safe.”
“I’ll be right in,” Sawyer said. After Glenn disappeared, he got up and, giving his cousin a big hug, murmured, “Thanks.”
Smirking, Jackson said, “Go…see me after Mac is finished. Steel has assigned a special suite for you guys…one he outfitted with a huge bed.”
Nodding, Sawyer opened the examination room door, Smiling at Alex. “Here I am, sweetheart, all in one piece.”
Smiling to himself, Jackson headed to Zane’s computer room, hoping to find some good news awaiting him there.
~/~/~/~/~
Hearing a soft knock on his door, Brady put his ear against it but heard nothing.
Chewing his lower lip, he considered not responding since he wanted time to himself.
Everything had been a bit overwhelming since leaving his cottage that morning and he was slightly off balance.
After leaving the discussion with Jackson, he’d been looking forward to a quiet evening, but it seemed he wasn’t going to get his wish.
It was a lesson he learned during his childhood from his nanny who never tolerated any behavior that could be viewed as impolite.
Inwardly sighing, he called out. “Who is it?”
“Brady? It’s Theo.”
Smiling, Brady quickly undid the lock before opening the door. “Hi Theo, I was just having more of your delicious cookies. Come in.”
Grinning, Theo walked over to the table, claiming one of the chairs.
“I’m so glad you like them. Here’s the recipe I promised you.
” Taking a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, he handed it to Brady.
“They’re really easy to make, especially since you grow roses.
I’ve started using edible flowers in my cooking but I usually have to buy them. ”
“Why don’t you plant your own?” asked Brady, glancing up at Theo while he unfolded the paper.
“I thought about it, but I’d have to learn more about growing plants.
And right now, with Dakota unable to do much cooking because of doctor’s orders, my free time is mostly spent researching and trying recipes for the pack.
Maybe after he’s back in the kitchen, I can plant a garden and give it a try. ”
“I think it’s something you’d enjoy…it can be very rewarding.
My roses bring me so much peace. And I have several books I can send you when I get home.
They list all the edible flowers, where they grow the best and how to take care of them…
there are even recipes included. It’s how I got interested in roses. ”
“Do you only grow roses, now, or do you still grow other flowers?” asked Theo.
“Only roses,” Brady said, smiling. “My girls are my passion.”
“Girls?”
“Yes, I call them my girls and give each a name.”
“Oh, I love that! I did that with a patch of wildflowers back home. They grew in this secret clearing deep in the forest. I found them by accident one time when I was on the hunt for some honey. It ended up as my favorite spot and I spent many summer days there before…” Theo’s voice faded as sadness filled his face; he wondered if his flowers survived without him to take care of them anymore.
Brady wasn’t sure why Theo’s mood changed, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t good. Wanting to cheer up his friend, he said, “When I get home, I’m going to send you a big jar of my Rose Petal Tea.”
Theo’s face brightened. “I’ve never heard of that. When I was in Scotland, I tried some Lavender Lemonade. It got me interested in edible flowers.”
“Lavender is another flower that has many uses,” Brady said. “You should see how they grow it in France…rows and rows of it…absolutely gorgeous…and their scent fills the air.”
“My friends are in France right now. Jackson sent Kieran to help Fionn, and Q went along because he’s trying to find a dress to wear to my wedding.”
“Q?”
“Quin…Q is his nickname.”
“He’s dress shopping?” Brady asked, taken aback. There were many questions swirling in his mind, but the predominant one was about the Alpha and how he’d react to it.
Grinning, Theo said, “In France, no less! How amazing is that! There’s this dress shop in Paris that makes one-of-a-kind dresses for men. He and Ki looked on their site and Q found several he loved but couldn’t decide. So Q decided to go with Ki so he can try them on.”
“And Quin is going to wear a dress to your wedding?”
“Yup, but he’s going to be in the wedding as pooh bear’s groomsman. I can’t wait to see what he picks out.”
“I assume pooh bear is your husband-to-be?” asked Brady
“Yes,” Theo grinned. “His real name is Norman.”
No matter how hard Brady tried, he just couldn’t wrap his mind around a powerful male Alpha ever allowing the dress.
Not that he had any problem with a man wearing one since there were more than a few low-level male magic users who did.
In fact, they were highly prized by a certain group of high-level magic users.
It was what those particular low-level magic users were force to do that enraged him because it went against the witches’ moral code.
When he brought it up before the governing council, his complaint was quickly dismissed.
Brady kept reminding himself that both Mystia and Oracle had vouched for Jackson, but now he needed more.
And who better to provide him with answers than the bear shifter. “Theo, what does Quin do in the pack?”
Shrugging, he said, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Well, you work in the kitchen…”
“No, I’m an intern…at least that’s what Cody calls it. I want to be a chef so Dakota is teaching me, and when he can’t, Steel or Miss L steps in.”
Nodding, Brady said, “I understand…so is Quin an intern too?”
“Noo…at least not that I know. Q just joined the pack so maybe he hasn’t decided what he wants to do.”
While Brady was mollified that Quin wasn’t being abused sexually, the jury was still out regarding the acceptance of a male wolf shifter wearing female clothes. “Does anyone in the pack object to Quin’s desire to wear dresses? What about the Alpha?”
“Jackson?” Theo squeaked. Shaking his head vigorously, he said, “Never! Jackson’s the best Alpha ever. Oh, my gods, I can’t believe you think he’d ever be mean to Q.”
“I just wanted to make sure, Theo, since I’ve seen it happen before,” Brady murmured, slightly embarrassed.
“You have nothing to worry about. Jackson would never allow anyone to mistreat Q. He is so protective of all of us. Pooh bear and I were hot messes when they rescued us and look at us now…I’m learning how to be a chef and pooh bear is learning all about business…
and we’re getting married soon. We owe it all to Jackson and his brothers.
Nope, the Fates smiled on me and pooh bear when they sent Cody and Dylon to get us out of Arald’s hell. ”
Brady felt his worries fade after listening to Theo’s ringing endorsement of Jackson. Maybe, just maybe, success against the Witches’ Council was within reach this time, especially if Jackson and his pack were on Brady’s side.
~/~/~/~/~
Staring at the ceiling for the past hour, Fionn decided to get up, wondering if the answers he was searching for would come easier to him.
Inching slowly out from under Hunter’s arm that was pinning him to the mattress, he listened to his mate’s breathing, pausing whenever there was a hitch to it.
Finally free, he climbed out of bed carefully, making sure not to jostle Hunter.
His bare feet padded softly over to the chair by the window.
Sinking into its deep cushions, he sat bathed in moonlight, his mind revisiting what he learned from Oracle…
trying to make sense of it. But no matter how many times he mulled things over, he was overwhelmed.
There was just so much to process, beginning with his father being gay.
How could he hate me but love Alex? We’re both gay.
He knew in his heart that until he could understand that contradiction, it would be impossible for him to decide about meeting Alex.
Once again, Fionn thought about seeing his mother, but just as he’d decided since first learning about his half-brother, he rejected it because of the pain it would cause her.
And to make matters worse, his dragon wanted to meet his half-brother dragon and welcome him into the family.
But what about me? Will Alex even understand what our father did to me?
And then, what if Alex doesn’t like me? What if he blames me for killing his father?
How can I ever justify that? Taking away his only parent.
I know I could never forgive that if I were in his shoes.
Rubbing his head in frustration, Fionn considered his options. Finally, he rose, walking over to Hunter. Shaking him gently, he called softly, “Mate…mate?”
Groaning, Hunter slowly turned over until his eyes met Fionn’s. Seeing the worry in them, he sat up and asked, “Pet, are you okay?”
Shaking his head, Fionn replied, “I have to go to my hoard…do you want to come with me?”
“You want to go now? Can’t it wait until morning?”
A tear rolled down Fionn’s cheek. He was so tired?tired of thinking, tired of fighting his dragon, tired of his father still affecting his life…
all he wanted to do was to forget everything.
And the only way that was going to happen was to let his gold soothe him until he fell asleep. “I need to go…now.”
Hearing the pain in his mate’s voice, Hunter understood what Fionn needed him to do. Using his thumb to brush away his mate’s tear, he said, “Let’s go, pet.”