Chapter 25
Rudy knew his Alpha was going to be pissed when he told Josiah he found the pack house deserted and no new leads.
Well, no sense in calling Josiah with the bad news.
He yelled to his boys to head back to the vehicles they’d left parked five miles away.
Shifting one by one, they ran off leaving only him.
He wanted one more look to see if he missed any clues as to the brothers’ whereabouts.
The house contained only Jackson’s scent, which puzzled Rudy, but something else worried him more.
Walking through it, he came to a bedroom, and smelled not only Jackson, but the presence of another wolf.
In fact, the house contained three unknown wolf scents which caused the hackles on Rudy’s neck to rise just thinking about it.
The three were from the same pack but he couldn’t identify it.
The scent that alarmed him most, though, was Jackson’s, because if he wasn’t mistaken, Jackson had mated with one of the three unknown wolves.
“Shit, shit, shit,” cursed Rudy, heading outside, knowing his Alpha wouldn’t like this news at all.
~/~/~/~/~
Khan came into Josiah’s office, worry written all over his face. “Dad, a representative of the Universal Paranormal High Council is here and wants to see you immediately.”
Josiah looked up at his son, knowing his time had run out. He could only hope Rudy had been successful and the Fox River brothers were dead. He stood up and said, “Show him in and shut the door when you leave.”
The High Council representative greeted Josiah with, “Alpha Silver Point, I presume. I’m Wolfgrim Morris of the Universal Paranormal High Council.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Morris. Just call me Josiah and please have a seat,” he said, sitting down behind his desk, waiting for the man to speak.
“I couldn’t get hold of you by phone which is why I’ve come to see you since time is of the essence.”
“That sounds important. What is it you want to see me about?”
“A very serious complaint has been filed against you by the Blackwood Pack…”
“Blackwood Pack??? Wait a minute! I’ve never had any dealings with a Blackwood Pack. In fact, I don’t even know who this pack is. Are you sure the complaint is against the Silver Point Pack?”
“The Blackwood Pack consists of seven brothers who were previously part of the Fox River Pack. Their complaint alleges the Silver Point Pack committed a heinous act against their former pack. I have a copy of the complaint for your records,” he said, leaning forward and placing some papers on Josiah’s desk.
“The accusations in it are detailed and you have 60 days in which to file an answer with the Universal Paranormal High Council. Also, please consider this as putting you and your pack on notice; if harm befalls any member of the Blackwood Pack, you and your pack will be held responsible for it—whether or not any of you personally caused the harm.” Morris then stood up.
“Good day, Alpha,” he said, walking out.
~/~/~/~/~
His mate was sleeping when Steel left the room to seek his mother and Colton. He found Jackson’s brother in the library, reading one of the many books there.
Colton looked up as Steel approached, waiting to see what his brother-in-law wanted.
“Good morning,” said Steel, sitting down. “I need your help in a matter concerning Jackson.”
Startled, Colton asked, “Is my brother okay?”
“Yes, sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. What I want to do is to set up a mini hospital in case Jackson needs it during the birth of our pup. I just want to be prepared for the worst, though I hope it’ll never happen. Can you tell me what should be in it?” Steel asked.
“Sure,” agreed Colton, “but remember, I’m not a doctor and haven’t even finished my nursing degree yet. I can give you a list but I’d feel better if you had a doctor look it over.”
“I’m planning to ask my mother for a name of a doctor who’d be on call for the birth,” Steel said, and then quickly added, “I don’t have any doubts about your abilities; Jackson has sung praises about your healing skills repeatedly and I know he trusts you implicitly.”
Colton was inwardly pleased at the compliment but reiterated, “I appreciate your faith in me but I want what’s best for my brother and that’s a doctor handling the birth of your pup.”
Nodding in agreement, Steel said, “Jackson wants to ask my mother some questions about his pregnancy and thought you’d like to sit in on the meeting. It would be your chance to get answers to any questions you might have.”
Colton’s face lit up with a wide smile, already thinking about questions to ask. “Gosh, thanks, I’d appreciate that. When are you getting together?”
“I have to find my mother to see what she’s planned today, but I’d like to do it as soon as Jackson is up and before his morning sickness kicks in. Okay with you?”
“Yup, I’ll start writing down my questions now.”
~/~/~/~/~
Sitting next to Steel, Jackson interlaced his fingers with his mate’s while waiting for Oracle to join them. He looked over at his brother whose lips were moving as he reviewed the questions he wanted to ask.
During his shower this morning, Jackson noticed his normally flat stomach was now very slightly rounded—visual proof that he was really pregnant.
And at that moment, with the water streaming down on him, a sharp and deep yearning coursed through his heart for his unborn pup.
Caressing his wet belly, he realized he already loved his baby with his entire being and would do anything to protect it from harm.
His knees buckled at the revelation, and he had to lean against the shower wall to steady himself.
Now, looking up, he watched Oracle sit down across from them. Her gentle smile greeted Jackson. “You are looking fine this morning, dear.”
“Thanks, I feel pretty good but I tire easily which is very unusual for me. I’m hoping it’s only the pregnancy responsible for that.
” He could feel his mate squeezing his hand and, through their mind-link, chastising him for not telling him.
Jackson looked at Steel, murmuring, “I was going to tell you last night but I fell asleep.”
“Yes,” he heard Oracle say, “the pregnancy is causing your tiredness and it will disappear after two months, as will the morning sickness. The rest of the pregnancy should be easy, other than some water retention and back pain. There aren’t many problems with a Dire Wolf pregnancy, but it will take a toll on your body. ”
Colton asked, “In what way?”
“A Dire Wolf pup,” explained Oracle, “will be larger than a Timber Wolf pup and your body will struggle to provide everything the growing pup will need. Don’t be shocked at the amount of food you consume once you are past the morning sickness stage.
And of course, you will not be able to shift during the last two months as it would be very dangerous for the pup. ”
“What will I need to help Jackson with the birth?” asked Colton.
“Jackson will not be able to give birth in the normal way because a Dire Wolf pup is almost twice the size of a Timber Wolf pup. He’ll need a Caesarian delivery when the baby is ready to be born,” Oracle replied.
Colton, shocked, looking at Jackson, said, “Bro, I’m not qualified to operate. You’re going to need a doctor for this.”
Steel spoke up. “Mom, do you know a doctor who’d agree to stay here for the last few months of Jackson’s pregnancy?”
Oracle thought for a minute. “Hmm, I think so, but let me make some calls first. Any more questions?”
Colton replied, “No, not right now, but I may have more later. I think the most important thing for me is to focus on working with a doctor to set up the mini hospital that Steel wants. So, let me know when you’ve found a doctor.”
Jackson’s mind was in turmoil about everything Oracle told them. Steel was worried, listening to his mate’s thoughts. Wrapping his arm around his mate’s shoulders to pull Jackson into his chest, Steel gave him reassuring caresses.
Bending down, Oracle kissed Jackson’s cheek. “We’ll take care of you, Jackson. The best advice I can give is just take it easy for now.”
Feeling numb and alone, Jackson watched Colton and Oracle leave the library.
Then, without warning, Steel scooped him into his arms, settling him on his lap.
Safe within the circle of Steel’s arms, Jackson buried his head against his mate’s chest listening to the strong, steady heartbeat and inhaling his addictive scent, which calmed him considerably.
Suddenly, this was very real to Jackson, almost frighteningly so.
But that thought was fleeting—he knew that wasn’t him.
He faced problems head-on and that’s what he’d do now.
Thinking about what he’d learned, he turned to Steel. “Did you know I’d need a Caesarian? Is that why you want to set up a hospital?”
“No, mo chroí,” answered Steel. “I decided to do it prior to this meeting. I wanted to be prepared for anything. I asked Colton this morning to give me a list of equipment we should have.”
Feeling his heart swell with love for his mate, Jackson recognized Steel had been working all along to make sure he and their pup would be safe, even before knowing he’d need the procedure. “I love you so much, my love,” Jackson said, lifting his lips to kiss Steel.
~/~/~/~/~
Rudy knocked on Alpha Silver Point’s office door, waiting for permission to enter. He wasn’t in any hurry because he knew Josiah, his Alpha, would become incensed when he heard what Rudy learned.
“Come in,” barked Josiah.
Opening the door, Rudy saw him sitting at his desk, scowling as he read a document. Rudy closed the door and sat in a chair opposite Josiah’s desk, steeling himself for the rage he knew would be directed at him.
Josiah exhaled loudly, looking up at Rudy, his trusted second-in-command. “Well, did you get it done?” he snarled.
“I found where they’ve been hiding, but they’re not there anymore,” replied Rudy.
Josiah sat there, his face turning red as anger coursed through his body. “Any idea where they went?”
“Nope. I searched the house several times and didn’t find any clues as to their whereabouts. But I did scent three other wolves. I don’t know which pack the three wolves belong to but I’m pretty sure one of them mated with Jackson.”
Josiah sat back in his chair, staring at Rudy. “Get Khan in here. I need to ask him a question.”
As Rudy headed out to find his Alpha’s son, Josiah felt fear start to swallow him as he thought back to what his Shaman had foreseen.
No! He wouldn’t allow that to happen and he’d kill Jackson and his brothers before they killed him.
There just wasn’t any other option. The Shaman was quite clear about it and Josiah saw that prediction coming true if what Rudy said was correct.
He slammed his massive fist on the desktop, cursing himself for not trying harder to find and kill those brothers before they alerted the High Council.
Well, Jackson better not count him out yet, because he wasn’t about to give up on everything he’d worked so hard for.
They’d soon find Josiah’s elite fighting force was far superior to anything the seven puny brothers could come up with.
Khan knocked and then entered. “You wanted to see me, Father?”
“Yes, tell me who the guy was you met in the supermarket. You went out on a date with him?” Josiah asked, barely disguising his disgust. Khan claimed he was gay but Josiah refused to acknowledge it publicly.
He knew it was just a stage and his eldest son would grow out of it because when he took over the Alpha position one day, he’d need to mate with a female to continue the line.
“Yes, I dated him once,” Kahn answered. “I don’t know a lot about Steel because he didn’t talk very much during our date. When I met him again on the Fox River Pack land …”
“Wait! You met him on the Fox River Pack land? What was he doing there? Tell me!” he barked.
Looking at his father strangely, Khan wondered why his comment would upset him so much. “Yes, I met Steel and his father. Steel thought they were on public land. When I told them it wasn’t, they left.”
Josiah narrowed his eyes, doing an imaginary eye roll at the stupidity of his son. But instead of chastising Khan, which would just shut him down, he asked, “What about the supermarket?”
“I told you, I bumped into him, we exchanged pleasantries and then he pulled me over to the wine display where we talked about our favorites. Why?”
“When you scented Jackson, did you notice anything strange?” pushed Josiah.
“Well, at first I didn’t realize it was Jackson because my wolf kept scenting a pregnant wolf. But as I continued to track the wolf through the store, I guess my wolf was wrong because it was Jackson,” replied Khan.
“Thanks for the clarification. Tell Rudy to come in now,” Josiah said.
Watching his son walk out of the room, he dropped his hands to his lap to hide their shaking. Shit, Jackson had mated and was now pregnant. He didn’t know how that could happen with a male Alpha wolf, but his Shaman warned him Jackson must be killed before that happened.
If Josiah were honest, he’d never given much credence to the ramblings of his medicine man. What normal person would? How could a male Alpha wolf become pregnant? Josiah huffed; he still didn’t believe it but just in case, Jackson and his mate must be killed at once. Fuck the High Council!