Chapter 13
Anger flared in Glenn. Clamping his mouth shut, he summoned his self-control honed over the years, to keep from pouncing on the smug bastard across from him.
He didn’t know what pissed him off more—Dylon questioning his loyalty or the insinuation that Smokey, Ghost and Riley couldn’t be trusted.
His ‘friends’ as Dylon called them, saved his ass more times than he could count…
as he’d saved theirs. They were his brothers, not by blood, but in every other way that mattered; all for one and one for all.
Frowning, Glenn’s eyes narrowed as he searched Dylon’s face, looking for telltale signs of what his end game was.
Why the fuck is this snotnosed kid deliberately provoking me?
Does the asshole really think he can make me attack him?
And if so, why? He was missing something.
Dylon wasn’t stupid nor careless. From everything Glenn knew about him, including his gifts from the gods, there was a reason behind each of Dylon’s actions—and a carefully thought out one.
Discarding his initial urge to attack, Glenn sifted through other possibilities, looking for an explanation, discarding each until he was finally left with the only one that ticked all the boxes.
Now sure of Dylon’s motives, Glenn relaxed, his tiger no longer ready to spring.
It was a long time since someone had the audacity to challenge him.
Smirking, he said, “My ‘loyalty’ is to Sawyer and Alex, my Fated Mates, and that means I will do nothing that would cause them harm. And it would be a betrayal of every vow I made to them, which is unthinkable. And since their brothers are members, my loyalty to the Blackwood Pack is absolute; I’ll never do anything to betray it. You have my word.”
Snorting, Dylon expected that response from Glenn. “That’s good to hear, but what if your loyalty requires you to keep secrets from your friends?”
“You mean like the secrets you, Cody and Zane revealed in New York?” Glenn asked, leaning forward.
“You made no effort to hide your power from me or Riley. And what about Cody? I watched him use his gift and also saw Zane walk through a door. It seems to me you have a double standard; one for you and another for me. How come?”
Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Dylon realized Glenn had turned the tables on him. Deciding to ignore Glenn’s question, he said, “Can I take your reply to mean you’ve told your friends about the powers the Blackwood Pack has?”
Glenn chuckled. He’d nailed Dylon to the wall with his own bullshit. “You know, I don’t think Cody would like you acting toward his cousin Sawyer’s mate the way you do.”
“In what way is that?”
“Like a bitchy little queen.”
Jerking back as if he’d been slapped, Dylon growled. “You gotta lot of nerve, especially knowing I could squash you like a bug.”
“Sure you can…but you and I both know you’ll never do it.
Now, why don’t you pull in your claws and respect my position as your cousin-in-law.
To answer your question, my ‘friends’ know what I saw in New York.
What they don’t know is the rest of the story about the Blackwood Pack…
only that Alex is a dual shifter and the Fates gave Sawyer and me powerful gifts.
Regardless of what you think of me, you should know this…
Smokey, Ghost, and Riley are my brothers…
not ‘friends’ as you call them. I trust them not only with my life but with the lives of my mates. It’s not something I give lightly.”
“Duly noted,” Dylon replied. “You certainly can understand why I want to know who else knows about the specialness of the pack.”
“I do.”
“Do you intend to tell them?”
“I haven’t decided…but if I do, it won’t happen until I get my mates’ approvals along with the Alpha’s. I’m sorry if that’s not what you were looking for but it’s the best I can do right now.”
“Will you at least let me know before you inform your…brothers?” asked Dylon.
The request pissed Glenn off. No matter how Dylon put it, it all came down to a lack of trust between them. And as much as he wanted to get up and walk out, he had mates and their safety to think about. Internally sighing in frustration, Glenn knew there was only one choice. “I will.”
“Thanks. Now about this bug…you say Riley can help us.”
“Yeah…he’s in LA but I’d rather he came here with the equipment.”
“I’d rather send it to him down there,” Dylon said.
“Not a good idea. Whoever planted the bug already knows it’s been discovered, so I’d bet there is someone outside this compound waiting for the chance to steal it back.
However, that can’t happen if it never leaves here.
Is it because you don’t want Riley here?
If so, that’s a piss poor reason since you already know him. ”
“I hardly think sharing one meal with him makes us bosom buddies,” Dylon snickered.
“Fine, since you don’t want him here, how do you suggest we get the bug to him without giving anyone the chance to steal it while it’s in transit?” asked Glenn.
“Easy, I have someone who’ll transport me there.” Dylon smirked.
“You mean Zane? Let me get this right…you don’t have a problem using the different gifts in front of other people…you just don’t want me to tell anyone about them.”
“Stop with the shit, asshole!” Dylon exploded. “I didn’t say Zane, did I? I plan to ask Mystia, who’s a witch, if she can take me.”
Glenn could feel the beginning of a headache forming behind his eyes caused by the constant friction between Dylon and himself.
They couldn’t go more than a few sentences without poking at each other; he was at a loss to how they’d ever be able to work together without coming to blows.
Rubbing his forehead, Glenn analyzed the situation, remembering his first priority was keeping his mates safe.
All the other crap was only distracting him from that mission.
Vowing to keep his temper under control, he exhaled before saying, “That’ll work.
By the way, Smokey will be bringing the shifter’s parents here soon.
I asked him to keep me informed about his movements and I’ll pass the information on to you as soon as I receive it. ”
“I appreciate that. Can you tell me anything more as to why they need our protection?”
“Not until I speak to Smokey, since it’s his secret, but I’ll see what I can do,” Glenn said.
“Thanks,” Dylon said, pausing as he listened to Cody through their mind link. Silently groaning at his mate’s request, he couldn’t argue with his logic. “Do you have the time to come with me? That way, you can introduce me to Ghost since he’s joined the effort to find The Collector.”
The offer stunned Glenn. He’d thought about suggesting it, but, expecting a negative response, hadn’t.
And with his new resolve to stop rubbing Dylon the wrong way, he’d kept his mouth shut.
But now, since the invitation came from Dylon, he viewed it an offer of détente and there was no way he’d turn it down. “Sure…when are you leaving?”
“I have a meeting shortly…so after that?”
“Sounds good.” Rising, Glenn paused, his eyes roaming over Dylon’s face, before leaving.
Sighing with relief after Glenn left, Dylon slumped back in his chair, feeling exhausted from the power struggle occurring every time they were together. Something had to give, because his mate was right—if he didn’t find some common ground for them, in the end, the pack would pay the price.
~/~/~/~/~
Carson stared at the gold statue sitting in the middle of the cottage living room, opening and shutting his mouth several times before finally looking at his cousin. “Uhh…Hunt? Doing some redecorating?”
“That’s Fionn’s mating gift to Alex,” Hunter said, before sitting down on the sofa.
“No way!” Walking around it, Carson noted the sculptor’s attention to detail of each man’s action. “It’s very life-like,” he murmured, reaching out to run a hand along the muscled buttocks of one of the lovers kneeling with a cock in his mouth.
“It is, isn’t it?”
Nodding, Carson’s eyes roamed over the figures.
Life-like didn’t do justice to the statue.
It was more like the men had been frozen in the act, just waiting to thaw so they could finish.
Never before had a piece of art affected him as this one did.
Swallowing the lust spreading through him, Carson felt his cock twitch as the need for Remy filled him.
Shaking his head in an effort to clear it, he tried to remember why he was here, but it was hopeless—his mind was exploding with images of him and Remy fucking.
Finally, forcing himself to turn his back to it, Carson was relieved when his arousal began to fade.
Closing his eyes briefly, he inhaled deeply, getting his needy cock back under control.
“Hey, do you mind if Ki and Quin help us with the boys when you and Remy leave?” Hunter asked, a smile on his face.
“No…that’s fine,” Carson said, putting some space between him and the statue. “I thought they were leaving, though.”
“Yeah…well, Logan decided they should stay until Fionn’s brother gets here.”
“Does he think there’ll be a problem?”
Shrugging, Hunter said, “Not that he told me. Personally, I think Kieran wanted to stay and Logan couldn’t say no.”
Snorting, Carson said, “I understand that, totally. All I want is for Remy to be happy so whatever it takes…”
“You’ll do it. Same for me with Fionn,” Hunter said. “Hey, did you come over here for a reason?”
“Uhm, yeah…Remy…I mean, we wanted to invite everyone over for a barbecue tonight…nothing fancy.”
“Sounds good. Fionn is over at the chateau with the others right now, but should be back shortly. He, Kieran, and Quin are busy getting a room ready for Sawyer, Alex and Glenn. All very hush, hush…but it has something to do with the Love Queens.”
“Love Queens?”
Chuckling at his cousin’s expression, Hunter explained, “From what I understand, Quin was sure I was going to fuck it up with my mate before we claimed each other, so he, Theo, Norm, and Kieran got together to make sure I didn’t.”
“O-o-o-kay,” Carson said, “but Sawyer, Alex, and Glenn have already claimed each other…so obviously, they didn’t screw it up.”
“You know that and I know that but Quin thinks Sawyer didn’t ‘woo’ Alex enough, so they are busy making sure Alex is properly romanced.”
Pointing over his shoulder at the gold statue, Carson asked, “Is that going to be in their bedroom?”
“Yup…I would love to be a fly on the wall when Sawyer sees that for the first time.”
Carson’s eyes widened. “You don’t like it?”
Shaking his head, Hunter said, “I love homoerotic art, but…that? In my bedroom? Nope…I’d rather have something a little more abstract…well, at least a statue whose eyes weren’t following me.”
Snickering, Carson headed for the door, saying, “Come over at five.”
“Will do.”
~/~/~/~/~
Listening to the voice on the other end of the call, Josiah’s knuckles turned white on his left hand from the increasing force of his grip on the chair arm. He’d passed the stunned stage and now was fully enraged at the news that a witness to the massacre had come forth. “He’s a fake,” he growled.
“The High Council is satisfied that the sworn statement is true.”
“Who’s this last minute witness? Probably some asshole my fucking nephews convinced to lie for them.”
“Hardly. She’s…”
“She? The witness is a female?” stuttered Josiah.
“Yes, she’s Willow Thatcher. Her son works for the agency.”
“I don’t care who she is…she’s lying!” Josiah barked.
“Maybe…but right now, the Council believes her.”
“Where is she right now?”
“Don’t know. The High Council is keeping a tight lid on this. I only found out by accident.”
“Can’t you do something and find out where she is?”
“I-I-I don’t know…I got to go… just wanted to warn you.”
“Wait,” Josiah snapped, but it was too late; the other person had hung up.
Throwing his phone against the wall, he watched as it shattered into pieces, leaving a divot in the plaster.
A red mist clouded his vision as fury consumed him.
No longer able to sit still, he jumped up, his chair crashing to the floor behind him by the force of his movement.
Unable to remain still, Josiah began pacing, his anger growing as he took each step.
No fucking way are my fucking weak-ass nephews gonna win.
I don’t care if I have to personally kill each and every one of them…
that land belongs to me. Fucking brother…
you shoulda done what I told you to do. But no, you told me to fuck off, so you have no one to blame but yourself…
what the hell did you think I was going to do?
Just lie there and let you walk all over me?
I did the only thing I could after you stole what was rightfully mine…
Hope belonged to me, you fucking asshole!
I saw her first but did that stop you? Oh no, you just ignored me after I told you she was mine.
Laughed in my face and told me I wasn’t good enough for her.
Well, guess what brother, you weren’t either… I made sure of that!
Stopping in his tracks as the reality of what he was facing finally sunk in, Josiah returned to his desk, righting the chair before sitting down and unlocking a drawer from which he removed a file folder.
Until recently, he never thought the tables would turn on him so quickly, but after his Shaman’s last warning he decided he needed an escape plan.
Of course, it would have been better if his fucking son hadn’t left, but there wasn’t much he could do about that, now.
Sorting through the documents in the folder, he checked to make sure everything was there. His new untraceable identity cost him a pretty penny but, what the fuck, as long as it kept him safe. Shoving everything into his briefcase, he closed and locked it before setting it under his desk.
According to what his contact said, Josiah figured he still had some time before the High Council enforcers appeared.
That meant he had the rest of the day to search his files for any incriminating evidence before leaving.
First, though, there was something else he had to do.
Buzzing his secretary, Josiah asked her to get Rudy.
It was time for him to set his backup plan in motion.