Chapter 10
Logan’s phone buzzed, waking him up. Disentangling himself from Kieran, he rolled over, picked it up from the nightstand, rubbed his eyes and stared at the text from Groose.
Ahh shit! Quietly getting out of bed, he slipped on his jeans and left their suite.
Meeting Slate in the hall, he asked, “You got the notice too?”
“Yeah,” answered Slate. “Any idea what it’s about?”
“Nope,” Logan said. “Except I’m sure it has something to do with David.”
“Good guess,” Slate chuckled, opening the door to Zane and David’s suite.
As Logan entered, he saw Groose’s men holding a captive. “Hi, Groose, who do we have here?” he asked.
“My man saw him sneaking into Zane’s room, so he alerted me and I ordered a take-down,” said Groose.
“Who is he?” Slate asked.
“He won’t give us his name but claims to be a friend of David’s.”
“Where’s David?” asked Logan, scanning the room. “Have you asked him if he knows this man?”
Groose motioned Logan and Slate to follow him into the bedroom where he shut the door after them. “Sir, they were gone by the time we got the suspect under control.”
“Fuck!” Logan said, looking at the rumpled sheets. “I don’t think that guy is any friend because David disappears when he feels threatened. I don’t know who the intruder is but hold him until we find Zane and David or until they return.”
“Snap a picture of him and send it to me,” Slate ordered. “My men can run it through our database and maybe get a hit.”
“Send it to me too,” Logan said, “I’ll send it to Dylon and see if he can use his contacts with the High Council.”
Groose nodded and left to take the photo before taking their prisoner into custody for the night, assigning Vesper to stay in the suite.
“Do you have any idea where David took Zane?” Slate asked Logan, as he surveyed the room, trying to pick up a clue.
“Not really. If you’re asking for a guess, maybe Morgan’s, though I wouldn’t bet on that,” answered Logan. “I’ll have to let Jackson know and he’ll ask me that too. Dammit! Maybe we need to put a tracker on Zane if this is going to keep happening.”
“That’s not a bad idea. They left in a hurry,” Slate said, pointing to their piles of clothes on the floor. “I wonder what they were wearing?”
“Underwear or pajama pants, I’m guessing,” said Logan.
“Not naked?”
“I don’t think so. Zane wanted to talk to David about the Blackwood Pack and the gifts before any claiming would happen. Considering how late we got back from the pub, they probably went to sleep, thinking they’d have plenty of time to exchange life stories tomorrow.”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” agreed Slate.
“Nothing more to do here so I’m heading back to bed, Kieran is calling for me,” Logan said.
Slate followed Logan out of Zane and David’s bedroom, saying, “Dakota woke up when Groose’s message appeared, but not knowing what we might run into, I convinced him to stay in bed to make sure he and our pup would be safe.”
Kieran was waiting for Logan as soon as he entered their suite. “Macushla, why didn’t you wake me?” Ki asked, jumping up.
“Because you and our squirt need sleep. Groose caught someone breaking into Zane and David’s suite claiming to be a friend, but we can’t verify it since they’re missing.”
“I know. Our spirit told me they are safe but that’s all he knew.”
“Yup, that’s why I’m not calling Jackson tonight but waiting until morning. Maybe by then, they’ll reappear,” Logan said, setting Kieran on their bed before undressing and climbing in, pulling his mate tight against him as he turned off the light.
~/~/~/~/~
Once Zane had closed the cabin door, David looked around, loving how small and cozy it was, with its built-in bed big enough for both of them.
Even the sheets had been turned down. Not sure what to do or say, he stood there, waiting for Zane to say something about Brian calling him ‘High Priest.’ He knew his mate wanted to know about that but didn’t want to get into it tonight—tomorrow would be soon enough—even though it wasn’t fair or right of him to make his mate wait.
Zane sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take David’s hands, then said, “Babe, are we in danger here?”
Blinking at the unexpected question, David said, “No, no one knows we’re here.”
“Good, let’s get some sleep,” Zane said, rubbing the back of his mate’s hands with his thumbs. “In the morning, after I call my brothers and we have breakfast, then let’s talk, okay?”
Grateful his mate understood his need for more time, David nodded. “Which side of the bed do you want?”
“For my peace of mind, will you sleep on the inside?”
“Sure, if that’ll make you sleep easier.”
“Yeah, it will. Oh, and if for any reason you need us to disappear again, try to wake me first, okay? It’s a bit disconcerting to wake up in a black hole.”
Giggling, David said, “I’ll try.” Giving Zane a kiss, he climbed into the bed and wiggled over.
Watching his mate’s antics, Zane growled, “You’re a cock tease!
Enticing me with that beautiful plump ass of yours.
” Turning out the light, Zane slipped into bed, pulling the covers over them.
Spooning his mate, he whispered, “Sleep tight, babe, and don’t worry about tomorrow.
No matter what you tell me, I will still want you. ”
Blinking to keep his tears back at his mate’s assurance, David realized his mother was right; everything he ever wanted, he found in Zane. Sighing, his body finally relaxed as feelings of love and safety filled his soul. Closing his eyes, a smile graced his lips as he fell asleep.
Brian slid into the sleeping bag he’d unrolled, thinking about David and the mate the Fates gave to him.
Zane was the third brother he’d met and, like the other two, power radiated from him—that alone made him perfect to safeguard the High Priest, but it remained to be seen if Zane would claim his mate after he learned who David was.
If he were a betting man, he’d put his money on Zane sticking around, because Brian saw the pureness of good inside David’s mate.
His friend needed that to ward off the evil coming after him.
As he closed his eyes, the last thought crossing his mind was whether the High Priestess knew who the Blackwood Pack was and the prodigious power they wielded.
~/~/~/~/~
Jackson was delighted when Mystia appeared with Maximus for dinner, taking the opportunity to have Daniel show off the latest words he’d learned.
After hearing her request for a meeting, he assigned Cody and Carson to clean-up duty and was now waiting in his study for Steel, Mystia and Maximus to join him.
Checking his email, Jackson found another message from his cousins and made a mental note to speak to Dakota and Zane in the next few days.
Agreeing to requests by Mystia and Maximus to let them put Daniel to bed, Steel headed to Jackson, looking forward to a few minutes alone with him before the meeting started.
Pushing open the study door, he smiled at his mate who looked up from the computer screen.
“Dad and Mystia will join us shortly after they wrestle our son into bed.”
“Clever. You know our son gets his stubbornness from you, don’t you?”
Leaning down, kissing his mate, then giving a quick lick behind Jackson’s ear, Steel sat down next to him.
Grinning when he saw Jackson shiver, he answered, “I don’t think so, mo chroí.
I have always been known as the voice of reason, ask my mother if you don’t believe me.
If there was anyone who was stubborn it was my brother.
When he got an idea implanted in his head, it was virtually impossible to remove.
I spent my youth keeping Slate out of trouble or, at least, keeping it to a minimum. ”
“Mmmm, maybe I should compare notes with Dakota about who was the troublemaker.”
“You do that and while you’re at it, ask him if my brother ever told him about the bullfrog incident.”
“Son, are you telling tales out of school?” Maximus asked, as he escorted Mystia into Jackson’s study.
“Not at all, I’m just defending myself,” Steel smirked.
“Oh, well, then that’s okay, I’m sure your brother will understand,” Maximus said, smiling.
Knowing Slate would not be pleased if he shared that story, Steel decided to change direction, asking, “Did you find out anything about David?”
Giving his eldest son a knowing look, Maximus let the previous topic drop, answering, “Yes, we did. But before we start, let me say this. When you told me about David, I was almost certain who he was but needed one more piece of evidence to be absolutely sure.”
“The facial markings,” Jackson surmised.
“Yes, but let me start from the beginning,” Maximus said.
“When I was a child, I loved reading Mystia’s books about myths and legends.
She and I spent so much time reading and discussing each story that in a very short time, I knew each one by heart.
Later, when I was older, we would go on hunts, trying to prove or disprove the truth of each story… ”
“I’m guessing David was one of those stories,” said Steel.
“Yes, but that wasn’t the one we were researching the day a seer in Italy pulled me aside and told me about David…
that his story was true because he had envisioned him in the future.
As you can imagine, I was very excited and wanted to share it with Mystia, but before I could, the seer told me I was tasked with saving the world from David.
As soon as he made that pronouncement, he died, right before my eyes, his body crumbling into a pile of dust at my feet. ”
Jackson glanced at his mate, then looked back at Maximus, and asked, “What did the seer mean when he said you were supposed to ‘save the world from David’?”
“We don’t know,” Maximus said, gravely. “After that, we concentrated all our efforts on finding out more about the myth. Throughout the years, we’d find bits and pieces, but never enough for us to identify who David was.
We hoped to find him when he was a pup, so we could raise him to make sure evil didn’t take root in his soul.
Last month Mystia discovered the date and location of his birth, so we knew we’d missed the chance to raise him. ”
“Why are you so certain David is the one you’ve been looking for?” asked Jackson.
“The seer told me I should look for an Italian wolf that could disappear and had facial markings of which I knew,” Maximus replied.
A look of puzzlement came over Jackson’s face. “I don’t understand. How would you know what David’s tattoos looked like if you’d never seen him?” asked Jackson.
Placing Mystia’s book on Jackson’s desk, Maximus opened it to the page that pertained to David. Turning it around so Jackson could see the beautiful, hand-drawn likeness of David, he placed a photo of David next to it, and said, quietly, “See for yourself.”
Jackson took his time scrutinizing the drawing. Then, comparing the picture Logan had sent him of David, gave a low whistle when he saw they were a perfect match. “May I read the story?” he asked.
“Certainly,” Maximus said.
Jackson moved the book so Steel could read along with him.
The more he read, the worse it became, until Jackson could only focus on what would happen to his youngest brother—the brother who always had a fierce determination to protect someone weaker than he, the brother whose moral compass was pure, the brother who felt everything to the depths of his soul.
What would he do when faced with the evil described in the myth?
When he finished, Jackson leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
Sadness seeped through him as he contemplated the pain his brother was about to face.
What can I do to help him through this? Is it even possible to survive this?
Jackson found himself on Steel’s lap, wrapped in his mate’s arms, holding him tight so he could inhale Steel’s scent, hoping it would infuse him with the strength he needed to figure out what to do.
Can I order my brother’s Fated Mate killed just so the world can be saved? What about the rest of our group in Scotland? Are they safe? Jackson sifted through his thoughts then, sitting up said, “Does David have all the powers listed in the story?”
“We don’t know,” Maximus said.
“Jackson,” Mystia said, “these stories have been told by many generations of families until they are finally recorded in a book. Others are from seers who have seen the future, but maybe not all of it. The stories can be a mixture of truth and fiction. Which category David’s story falls into is unknown as yet or how much of it is true. ”
“He may or may not have all the powers described, is that correct?” asked Steel.
“Yes,” Maximus answered. “Just like we don’t know if the evil resides in him…yet. If it doesn’t, and if we’ve found him before it has taken hold, then we have a real possibility to save him. And Zane would play a major role in doing so.”
“In what way?” asked Jackson.
“They are Fated Mates,” Mystia said, “therefore, David couldn’t…”
“Cause Zane to suffer,” Steel finished.
“Exactly,” said Maximus.
“Does Oracle know who David is?” Jackson asked.
Shaking his head, Maximus replied, “I don’t know what the Fates have told her about him. I never ask because she always tells me if she can.”
“Right,” mused Jackson, pondering what steps he should take and whether he should even do anything until he had more information. Would doing nothing put Zane and everyone else at greater risk? That’s what I have to decide. Fuck, fuck, fuck. “When will Oracle arrive in Scotland?” he asked.
“In twelve hours,” answered Steel.
“Mystia, what are your thoughts about David?” asked Jackson.
“I think we need more information…like what happened during his childhood and what he’s been doing since he became an adult. Knowing those answers will tell us more about who he is today,” Mystia said.
“Before you ask me,” Maximus said, “I agree with Mystia. Once we have that information, it will be easier to decide what action to take.”
“I agree with them,” Steel said. “I think we owe it to Zane to advise him to move very carefully since it will affect him the most. And I have one other thing to add…send Cody and Dylon back to Scotland to handle the investigation.”