Chapter 20
He waited until his mate was asleep and the moon high in the sky before he slipped from the bed and moved cat-like toward the bedroom door.
Opening it a crack, he slipped through and then closed it silently.
Tears filled his eyes as he paused and listened, hoping he’d waited long enough so everyone was asleep.
Making it to his room, he packed his belongings, left a note, took the documents and money he needed, headed downstairs and, like a thief in the night, made his escape, leaving everything he held dear behind.
~/~/~/~/~
The morning air was broken by the sound of roaring loud and long and sometimes as if in pain, followed by crashing and splintering sounds coming from somewhere in the house.
Steel woke, grabbed Jackson, threw him into a closet and commanded, “Stay there, I’ll get Daniel.
” As he ran toward the nursery, he heard doors opening and voices calling out, but his mission was to get to his son.
Slamming open the door, Steel’s eyes searched until he found Daniel sitting in the corner of his crib, playing with his stuffed wolf toy.
Lifting him up, he tucked Daniel under his arm and ran back to Jackson.
Dylon woke with a start, but in a second, knew what was making the sound. Jumping up, he grabbed Cody and ran into the sitting room/nursery where Jake and Jessica were. “Stay here and don’t leave.” Then Dylon ran out of their bedroom, locking the door behind him and headed for the commotion.
Maximus and Oracle woke as the roaring penetrated their bedroom suite and, rising from their bed, put on their robes. Maximus said to his wife, “I assume you know what this ruckus is about.”
Smiling, Oracle replied, “Of course, this should be interesting. Ready, dear?”
Taking his wife’s hand in response, they left their room and strolled down the hallway.
Colton, trained to remain calm in times of crises, failed, panicking about Ian being in danger. Rousing his pregnant mate, he rushed him to their bedroom closet. “You’ll be safe in here until I sort this out.” Then he left their bedroom and joined Dylon who was rushing upstairs.
Steel looked through the doorway of Kieran’s bedroom, and while the roars continued, they now had the sound of pain threaded through them.
He was quickly joined by Dylon and Colton, then Dakota, Carson and Zane, as one by one, their jaws dropped as they stared at the scene in front of them—two very large creamy-white bears, sitting dejectedly on the floor surrounded by broken furniture, shredded bed linens and broken glass.
“What the fuck happened?” asked Carson.
“Where’s Kieran?”
“Holy shit balls! Theodore? Norman?” asked Zane.
Jackson pushed through the crowd, taking in everything. “Dakota has a good point, where is Kieran?”
Cody peeked over Jackson shoulder. “Fuckingbedamn, look at the mess.”
When Steel finally realized Jackson was standing in front of him, he growled, “I told you to stay in the closet.”
“What the fuck do I look like to you? A child? Someone so weak, they need their parents to hide them till the danger is gone?”
“No, but babe…”
“Don’t you ‘but babe’ me. If you ever do that to me again, you’ll be sleeping in that closet for a fucking year.”
“And the same goes for you, Dylon,” said Cody.
“But…”
“But nothing, Dylon. Don’t you think it’s important for me to be here? I’m the only one who can walk into the room without being attacked.”
“Are they hurt? Should I get my medical bag?” asked Ian, who threw Colton a ‘don’t even think about objecting’ look which caused Colton to promptly snap his mouth shut as he moved next to his mate.
Jackson examined the two ghost bears and replied to Ian’s question, “No, I don’t think they’re hurt, at least not physically…where is Kieran?”
“Ask your fucking brother. Kieran was with him yesterday…probably used him as a fuck toy before showing him the door,” growled Dylon.
“Stop it, Dylon! Logan did nothing of the kind,” said Cody.
“Logan? Using Kieran? Why?” asked Jackson.
“Because he had the hots for him,” growled Dylon, which caused more moaning from the bears.
“I need Theo and Norman to shift so I can get to the bottom of this.”
“Why don’t you use your Alpha power?” asked Zane, anxious to know what happened to his friends.
“It won’t work on any shifters except wolves,” replied Jackson. “I’m not even sure they’ll understand me in their bear forms.”
“Are you sure?” asked Carson, “I’m only saying because it’s pretty fucking powerful.”
With nothing to lose, Jackson rolled out his Alpha power at full strength toward the ghost bears; nothing happened and he was about to pull it back when first one bear and then the other tilted their heads, submitting to Jackson’s authority.
A collective gasp was heard behind him, but ignoring it, Jackson issued his order, “Shift Theodore and Norman! Shift now!” One second…
two…then Jackson saw the shimmer begin as Theodore and Norman shifted, finally standing before him, naked with tears streaming down their faces.
Jackson entered the room, followed by everyone else, and stood in front of the boys. “Theo, Norman, are you all right? Have you been hurt?”
Shaking their heads, they turned to each other and fell into each other’s arms with deep soul-wrenching sobs overwhelming their bodies.
Cody stepped around Jackson and wrapped his arms around the two boys, giving what comfort he could, and waited for them to stop.
The sound of breaking hearts moved Jackson to tears as he stepped up and joined Cody in his effort to comfort the boys.
And one by one, everyone joined in until Theo and Norman were engulfed in a fortress of love.
Finally, when the tears had stopped, and the sobs were mere hitches of breath, Cody spoke. “Guys, can you tell me what happened? Why did you shift in Kieran’s bedroom?”
Once everyone had stepped back to give them some room, Norman said, “Because our friend is gone, and he didn’t take us with him.”
“You mean Kieran is gone?” asked Cody.
“Yes, he was rejected and said he couldn’t stay here anymore,” cried Theodore.
“Did he tell you this?”
“No, he left us a note,” Norman said.
“May I read the note?” asked Cody.
Theo and Norman looked around the room for the first time since they shifted and seeing the state it was in, looked at each other with shock etched on their faces.
Cody realized they were using their mind link so he waited, his eyes moving from the boys to the trashed room. In a split second, Theo and Norman were running from the room and down the hallway headed for the staircase, rushing to escape.
“Stop!” boomed Maximus, his voice rolling out his Alpha power over the two hapless bear shifters, sending shivers down everyone’s body except Jackson’s.
Forced to stop, Theo and Norman fell to their knees, their heads touching the ground and their hands rose above them in a prayer position. Crying and pleading for their lives, the two shifters shook violently with fear at what could happen to them.
As Jackson, Cody and the rest of the group stared at the sight before them, the realization of what Theodore and Norman must had gone through caused tears to well up again in Jackson.
If there was ever any doubt about the wisdom of opening Cody’s home for gay boys, it disappeared at that moment.
Jackson reached down and helped Theo up while Cody did the same to Norman.
“Theo, Norman, please stop. Nothing will happen to you here, I give you my word as the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack.” Then he gathered Theo into his arms and rubbed his back soothingly as Cody did with Norman.
While Jackson held the bear shifter, he issued orders to the rest of the group.
“Zane, go to their room and get some clothes for them. Dakota, please make some coffee and bring it to my study. Ian, please get your medical bag and meet me there.” Turning to Steel, he said, “Daniel, Jake and Jessica are with Lizzie and I would appreciate it, babe, if you’d check on them to make sure everything is all right.
Carson, Colton, please see what you can do with Kieran’s room.
Oracle, please join me in my study and Dylon, please find Logan and tell him I want to see him immediately. ”
“Jackson, I don’t think it’s a good idea for Dylon to get Logan,” said Cody.
“Right,” said Jackson, then turning to look at Dylon.
“I don’t know what that thing is between you and Logan, but whatever your beef is with him, in my pack you bring it to me instead of giving him dirty looks all the time.
Now I expect both of you in my study, no fighting, no bruises and no cuts. Understand?”
“Perfectly. I promise I won’t fight him.”
Turning back to Theo who wasn’t shaking as hard anymore, Jackson said, “Theo, will you and Norman come to my study with me and Cody? I swear neither of you will face any punishment. If Kieran has really left, then I’ll need your help to find him.”
“You’re going to find my friend?” asked Theo.
“Yes, I am. Kieran belongs here and whatever made him think he doesn’t will be sorted out.”
Taking a moment to confer with Norman first, Theo finally said, “Okay, let’s go.”
After everyone had left the hallway, Maximus looked at his wife.
“Well, that was certainly interesting. Logan is Kieran’s Fated Mate.
But what has really surprised me is how powerful Jackson has become.
I’ve never heard of any Alpha Wolf power…
other than me… having an effect on other species of shifters. Most extraordinary.”
“Yes, it is. Shall we go?”
“Absolutely!”
Oracle and Maximus reached Jackson’s study just as Dakota was wheeling his cart through the door. Following him in, Oracle took one of the chairs facing the desk as Maximus sat on the small couch and thanked Dakota for the mug of coffee.
Zane hurried in with clothes and handed pajama pants and t-shirts to Theo and Norman and, after grabbing a mug of coffee, moved over to sit next to Maximus.
When Ian came in with his medical bag, Jackson said to Theo and Norman, “Guys, do you mind if Ian gives you a quick look-see while we wait for Logan and Dylon?”
~/~/~/~/~
Striding to Logan’s room, he chafed under Jackson’s order of ‘no fighting’ because if he had his way, Logan would be sorry he ever messed with Kieran.
Once he was at Logan’s door, Dylon stopped, and inhaled deeply several times, forcing himself to calm down.
Finally, he was ready to deliver Jackson’s order, so he pounded on the door.
“Logan,” he yelled. “Jackson wants you! Right now!” He waited a nanosecond before he started pounding again.
Kieran had made sure Logan would have a very deep and restful sleep before he left the room so the roars of the bears and the smashing of the furniture never woke him up.
Even now, the heavy, insistent pounding by Dylon hadn’t disturbed his sleep.
But when Dylon grabbed his leg and dragged him out of bed, landing him on his bare ass on the floor with a thunk, Logan woke up with a snarl, fangs dropped, claws out.
Looking up at his attacker, Logan thought he was still dreaming.
“What the fuck?” Logan uttered before he realized Kieran was sleeping in his bed and the sheets were in a pile beside him.
Growling at the thought his mate was naked in front of Dylon, Logan leaped off the floor with the sheet in his hand to cover Kieran up.
Standing, Logan was sure he’d been knocked unconscious when he hit the floor because he was staring at an empty bed. Swirling around, he growled, “What did you do to Kieran?”
“Kieran? Nothing! He’s gone, asshole and I want to know what you did to cause him to run away because, I swear, if you’ve hurt him, you will answer to me whether Jackson likes it or not.”
Logan’s face was blank as he tried to process what Dylon was saying.
Kieran gone? My mate? My Fated Mate? No-no-no-no-no!
Nooooo! He has to be here! But as hard as he tried, he could not sense his mate.
Oh, my gods, is he really gone? My Kieran left me?
Trying to make sense of it, he shook his head while telling himself he’d been right to keep his wall up.
Kieran left him as everyone else had during his whole life so why should he have thought his mate would be any different?
Schooling his face into a neutral calm expression, he turned back to Dylon.
“I didn’t do anything to Kieran except claim him as my Fated Mate.
If he doesn’t want to stay, I’m not going to force him. Now, why did you invade my privacy?”
Dylon opened and closed his mouth several times before shutting it.
What the fuck? How the hell did sassy Ki end up with a cold fish like Logan…
shit, that’s above my pay grade. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Logan with contempt and when he finally could speak, he spit out, “Jackson wants you in his office immediately but for Theo and Norman’s sake, shed the ‘I-don’t-care-about-Kieran’ attitude cause those two…
those two are heartbroken Kieran left them behind.
So, if you have any decency in you, please remember that Theo and Norman think they’ve been rejected by the one person who made sure they survived their time in Arald’s hell.
” And with that, Dylon stomped out of Logan’s bedroom.
Sitting on his empty bed after Dylon left, Logan tried again to find his mate but to no avail.
He had to face the reality that Kieran had left.
But why didn’t Theo and Norman go with him.
This isn’t making any sense. He didn’t know why Jackson wanted to see him since he couldn’t provide any answers to his twin’s questions nor did he want to talk about it.
Kieran was gone and that told him everything he needed to know.
Sighing wearily, Logan rose and went over to his closet to pick out his clothes.
Standing in the color-coded closet, he felt the darkness come back to claim him and that’s when it happened.
Tears flowed as he cried at the loss of the one person who was supposed to be with him forever.
Gods, what a fucking fool I was to believe I would ever have a happy ending.
I need to get a grip otherwise my brother will never believe that I don’t care if Kieran left.
Oh shit, what the hell am I going to do?