Chapter 4
Looking at Jackson, Colton sighed. “You aren’t going to like this, bro.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Jackson.
“Briefly…Norman, Kieran and Theodore are meeting tonight to decide if they want to leave the Pack. And something happened to Cody. I don’t know what because Dylon wouldn’t let Ian examine him…he whisked him off to their bedroom, I think.”
“Is Dylon with Cody now?” asked Jackson.
“Yes, but he needs Ian. Cody was white as a ghost and shaking so hard, I thought he was going to hurt himself. Do you want me to send Ian to their bedroom?” asked Colton.
“No, that’s not necessary…at least not now. If Cody needs a doctor, Dylon will let Ian know. Now, what happened to cause the boys to want to leave?”
Colton explained how he teased Kieran and how it had pissed off Norman.
“Jackson, I’m sorry. I was treating Kieran like I would any of my brothers…
like Zane or Carson. If I had known the shit they went through while prisoners, I’d never have teased him.
Holy fuck! I still can’t wrap my head around what happened to them and I know there’s more.
Crap, did you know Kieran slept in a small cage for all those years?
” Colton’s voice rose as he became more distraught.
“Stop, Colton! None of us knew any of this, well, except Cody but I don’t think he knew everything. Anything else?”
“Yeah, Dylon wanted me to tell you he wants to talk to the boys in Kieran’s room in an hour,” Colton said.
“Got it. I’ll handle that. Would you please find Theodore and Kieran and ask them to meet me there? I’ll go find Norman,” Jackson said.
“What about Cody? I’m worried about him. I think Ian should take a look,” said Colton.
“Not now. I’ll talk to Dylon first. I’ll let you know if we need Ian,” assured Jackson. “Go, please, and let me know if you have any problems with Theodore and Kieran.”
Giving his brother a worried look, Colton left to find the two boys.
~/~/~/~/~
Dylon sat at the foot of the bed, studying Cody, relieved to find him breathing slowly and deeply. The tension was gone from his mate’s body and he could feel the love Cody was sending to him through their life thread. Good. Now to sort out this mess. “My pet, how are you feeling?”
“Better, sir.”
“Did you have a vision?”
“No, sir. I had a panic attack, sir.”
“What caused your panic attack, my pet?”
“My failure with the boys, sir.”
“What failure is that?”
“I didn’t protect them, sir. They want to leave, sir.”
“What do you mean ‘you didn’t protect them’?”
“Colton teased Kieran and he was hurt by it. I didn’t stop my brother from hurting Kieran, sir. I failed him, sir. I failed the Fates and myself, sir.”
Now he understood why Cody reacted the way he did.
“Look at me.” He waited until Cody raised his eyes to meet his.
“Wrong, my pet. You haven’t failed our boys, yourself, or the Fates.
There wasn’t any indication that would lead you to believe Kieran would react the way he did.
In this instance, you would have failed our boys only if you knew what was going to happen and took no steps to prevent it.
That wasn’t the case here. Colton was teasing Kieran.
He meant no harm by what he did. It’s how you and your brothers interact all the time.
What it does show is Colton has accepted the boys, and that’s a good thing because it will give the boys more security.
More importantly, Kieran’s reaction shows that our boys need more emotional support from us until they feel comfortable enough to tease back. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I have to figure out what to do about it, so I can make sure they are adjusting to their new life. I don’t want them to go, sir.”
“Neither do I. Now, I want you to climb into bed and rest. I’m going to chain you, so you can go to sleep without fear.”
“Yes, sir.” Cody rose gracefully, climbed into bed and slid between the sheets. Holding out his arms, he sighed when he felt the cuffs lock onto his wrists.
“While you get some rest, I’m going to talk to the boys in Kieran’s room. If you need me, use our mind link and I’ll come immediately. Okay, my pet?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, and just so you don’t worry about our twins, my mom is taking care of them and is very happy to help out. Now, relax, my pet.”
Cody closed his eyes, exhaled, and finally finding peace, drifted off to sleep.
Dylon watched his mate until Cody was asleep before slipping quietly out of the room. Now it was time to sort out the mess out with the boys.
~/~/~/~/~
Colton headed to the kitchen, hoping to find Theodore there. He was greeted by Dakota and his new intern, both kneading bread dough on the marble topped island.
“Like this, Theo,” said Dakota, “grasp the dough opposite to where you are standing and fold it over itself. Yeah, like that. Then using the heel of both of your hands, push the dough away from you. Very good. Keep doing that.” Glancing up, Dakota saw Colton. “What’s up?”
“Jackson asked me to round up Theodore and Kieran. He wants to speak to them.”
“Why? I was just with Jackson. Did something happen? Is Norman all right?” Theodore asked as he dusted the flour off his hands.
“Nothing happened, well, not physical at least. Listen, Jackson will explain everything. Will you please go to Kieran’s room and wait for everyone?” asked Colton.
“Go, Theo,” said Dakota. “Everything will be all right, I promise. When you’re finished there come back and we’ll finish making bread.
” Seeing the worry on Theo’s face, he gently pushed him toward the door saying “Shoo! Norman needs you as well as Kieran. This needs to be sorted out now before it festers more.”
Alarm crossed Theodore’s face, but he nodded and left the kitchen without another word.
As Dakota continued kneading Theo’s dough, he said, “Bro, stop kicking yourself. Let Jackson handle it.”
“Maybe, but what about Cody? I’m worried. I don’t know what happened, but it was bad. Dylon rushed him off and wouldn’t even let Ian look at him. Fuck!”
Dakota brushed off his hands and then walked over to Colton and hugged him. “Dylon will take good care of Cody. When the time is right, I know they’ll tell you everything.”
“Hey, how do you know what’s going on with Cody?”
“Listen, you better go and find Kieran. I think he’s downstairs with Zane.”
“Oh, fuck…right. Talk to you later,” Colton said before leaving the kitchen and heading downstairs.
He turned at the bottom of the stairs and walked towards Zane’s computer room.
He was sorry he offended Kieran but that wasn’t what worried him now—no, it was Cody and his reaction.
Colton had never seen his older triplet react that way to a tease that bombed.
Something was wrong with his brother, and Jackson knew what it was.
So why am I being kept in the dark? Or for that matter, why is Ian? Shit!
He rapped on Zane’s door before entering and was promptly ignored by his brother and Kieran who were looking at something on one of the computer screens.
When neither turned around to greet him, Colton cleared his throat and then said, “Hi Kieran, Jackson would like you to join him in your bedroom as soon as possible.”
Zane turned and studied his brother, finally saying, “Thanks, please tell him Kieran will be there shortly.”
Colton’s jaw dropped. What the fuck? He was read the riot act for not talking to Kieran directly and now Zane was speaking for Kieran. I don’t understand any of this. What did I do that was so wrong?
Zane turned back to his computer, then added, “Is there anything else you want to say? Like to fucking apologize to Kieran for your superior attitude, brother of mine?”
“Look, I said I was sorry and I am, Kieran. I was just teasing you. I promise I won’t do it again,” Colton said.
Zane and Kieran exchanged glances before Kieran sighed.
Turning to face Colton he said, “Thank you, I accept your apology. But you still need to adjust your attitude and until you understand that, your apology is not worth much.” Then Kieran turned to Zane.
“After I see what Jackson wants, can I come back here?”
“Absolutely dude, anytime. See you later,” Zane said.
Kieran brushed past Colton as he left the room without saying anything.
Shutting the door behind him, he walked silently down the hall while wondering what Jackson wanted to see him about.
Oh shit, I bet Lizzie can’t go with us. Well too bad, I need to be in Scotland, so Jackson…
and Cody for that matter…will just have to accept it.
Colton was dumbfounded! My attitude? What the fuck is wrong with my attitude? I have a great attitude! I’m caring and gentle with patients. I’m always helping…I don’t get it.
Zane saw the puzzlement on Colton’s face and knew his brother didn’t understand what Kieran was saying. “Colton, do you mind if I give you some advice?”
“Sure. What am I missing here?”
“Bro, you care about everyone. Doesn’t matter how sick they are, you give your all taking care of them.
But sometimes, you are so dense when it comes to dealing with a non-sick person.
Kieran told me what you did, and I wasn’t surprised he was upset.
Bro, that dude is amazing! You need to look beyond his size and his youth.
Those ‘boys’ as everyone calls them, went through so much that it is fucking amazing they came out of it on the other side.
Give him some respect! He was impressed with how beautiful the hospital rooms were done and when he found out you did them, he wanted to tell you that.
Instead, you thought he was being a smartass and you put him down.
“Kieran, Theo and Norman walk around here like they never spent years being tortured. But they were. Have you taken the time to talk to them? I have, and let me tell you, I’m fucking impressed with them.
No, not impressed…I’m fucking in awe of them.
I understand Ian is pregnant and you are worried about him and the pup, but you still have responsibilities outside of your mate.
Isn’t Kieran, Theo, and Norman’s mental health just as important as their physical health?
Isn’t talking to a patient just as important as treating them?
If you’d taken the time to sit and talk to them, you’d have learned so much…
like how Kieran starved himself, so he could give extra food to the other prisoners, or the number of times Kieran stepped in to take a beating for an older and weaker prisoner. But you didn’t bother.
“Instead you think by teasing Kieran you are doing him a favor by treating him as a brother. Don’t get me wrong…
I’m happy you’re treating him as a brother, but I think you skipped twenty years of growing up with him first. I mean, you don’t know him well enough to tease him as you do…
as you tease me. That’s what’s wrong with your attitude…
you really don’t think you did anything wrong and yet every fucking thing you did was wrong. ”
Colton stood there, frozen, as he realized what Zane said was true.
He was worried about the pup and the toll the trip to Scotland would take on Ian but that was no excuse for ignoring Kieran, Theo, and Norman.
Cody had told them briefly what happened to the boys—yet he’d done nothing.
No that wasn’t quite true…I pushed for them to have physicals but only, so I could cross that task off my list. Right!
Good going! Kieran is right and so is Norman. I need an attitude adjustment.
Slowly nodding his head, Colton said, “Holy shit balls, you are so right. I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been.
Listen, do you have a few minutes because I would like to talk to you about what you found out.
” Holding his hands up to forestall his brother’s objection, he added, “Zane, I will talk to them about their experiences, but it would help if I had some knowledge first, so I can avoid stepping on any land mines. I only want to help them, so they can move forward in life without a ton of baggage dragging them down. Please, I promise, I will do better.”
Zane searched Colton’s face and seeing the truth there, he nodded.
~/~/~/~/~
Jackson knocked on Norman and Theodore’s bedroom door and waited. He could hear someone moving around but he wasn’t going to barge in. Finally, the door swung open and Norman stood silently looking at him.
“Hey, Norman, I heard what happened this morning and before you hold your meeting, I’d like the chance to speak with you, Theodore, and Kieran.”
“Why? I’m not sorry for what I said,” said Norman.
“Good. I don’t think you should be. I want to talk to you, Theodore and Kieran about what we, that is my brothers and I, are doing wrong and listen to your ideas of how we can do better.
I know some of what you all went through but not all of it.
It would help me understand what steps to take to help you through this time.
I’ve asked Kieran and Theodore to meet me in Kieran’s room. Will you join us?”
Norman fidgeted at the door. Shit! Now Ki would know what he’d done.
And Theo—Theo was just beginning to feel secure.
Fuck! His anger was gone, and he was sorry he had exploded at Colton and Cody, but he hated to see Ki upset.
He and Theo owed their lives to him because he took care of them.
Ki could have left at any time but instead he’d made sure Theo and Norman survived and found their freedom.
And he was confused by Jackson’s reaction to his outburst. Back in his den, the Alpha would have punished Norman for speaking out, so he wasn’t sure what to make of Jackson’s overtures.
He had nothing to compare it to. “Okay, I’ll come. But you better not hurt Ki again.”
“That is what I want to avoid,” Jackson assured him, “so I appreciate your willingness to talk. And I promise you, I will do my best to make sure none of you are hurt ever again.”
“Thanks,” Norman replied as he stepped out of his room and headed over to Ki’s room wondering if living in a pack would ever feel right for him and Theo.