Chapter 31
After a shower, during which Kieran was on his knees taking care of his mate, they sat on the sofa waiting for Oracle’s return.
Logan had sent a couple of texts including one to Steel and a quick one to Jackson letting him know everything was good.
Logan was nervous, and it had to do with what Oracle was going to tell him.
Suddenly he felt Kieran’s hand on his thigh and his anxiety ceased.
In a way, he wished Oracle would tell him Kieran was his gift from the Fates—that’s how he felt because his life began when he found his mate and what could be greater than that?
Somehow, knowing Oracle wasn’t going to say that, he began to worry if Kieran would want him once his gift was revealed.
Now Logan understood how Jackson felt when Oracle told him he, as an Alpha, could have pups—excited, but fearful of being rejected by his brothers and stripped of his Alpha position—though it worked out in the end, and he would just have to believe it would for him, too.
“Stop it, macushla, it doesn’t matter to me what she tells us, I will always want you…always!”
Lifting the corners of his mouth slightly, Logan said, “Reading my mind now?”
Kieran rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to do that!
Our spirit tells me you’re being nervous about what I’m going to think!
” Kieran scrambled up onto Logan’s lap and held his face.
“Listen to me, macushla, I. Don’t. Care.
Not now. Not ever.” He kissed Logan, first lightly, then with more pressure, until all his mate could think of was the hungry lips devouring his.
Finally, when Logan’s scent changed to arousal, Kieran slowly retreated, loath to leave his mate’s mouth but wanting this meeting over so they’d be free to do more than just kiss.
When Kieran’s lips were a hair’s breadth away from his, Logan whispered, “Thanks, babe, thanks for the show of support and, hmmm, the diversion. You can do that to me anytime, in fact, I think I need more of it right now…I feel another bout coming on.”
“Our spirit tells me Oracle is on her way,” said Kieran, “so if it will make you feel better, you can hold my dick while she’s talking to you.”
Logan burst out laughing—he couldn’t help it—as he pictured himself doing that. “Oh, babe, thank you! But no, I’ll manage,” Logan said, still chuckling as he heard a knock on their bedroom door.
“Come in,” called Kieran, smiling at his mate’s reaction to his proposal, and jumping out of Logan’s lap.
Oracle entered and walked over to them, happy to see smiles grace Logan and Kieran’s faces. Sitting opposite them, she said, “Before I speak to Logan, do you have any questions for me, Kieran?”
“Just one, what happened to the humans who killed my parents?”
“The High Council authorized killing them. They were destroyed, along with the virus.”
“Good. Then it won’t happen to anyone else. Thanks for telling me about my parents and giving my mother’s letter to me. I’ll treasure it always.”
Oracle smiled at Kieran before asking Logan, “Do you have any questions?”
“No, Kieran told me who he is…I guess my biggest worry is how to protect him.”
“The Fates took that into account when they decided what your gift would be.
Kieran represents the future of the shifter world and the gods wanted to make sure he would be able to fulfill his destiny, which means you are part of their plan.
Throughout our history, hatred has caused the death of many shifters.
At first, because we are special, humans hated us and when we went underground to hide our identities, hatred sprung up from within the shifter world itself, dividing us when gay shifters were singled out.
“But this was not always the case. Long before I was born, gay shifters were accepted in the shifter world and they lived without fear. In fact, at one time, no distinction was made between male shifters who loved other male shifters or males who loved females. Shifter society worked together to solve problems facing them and, as a result, the shifter world enjoyed great prosperity.”
“Why isn’t this history taught to us as children?” Logan asked, thinking of his own childhood.
“As hate grew in the shifter world and firmly took root, the High Council, in response to the demands of a small but vocal minority, acceded to their demands and ordered all references to that part of our history stricken. At the time, the High Council thought they were doing the right thing. In hindsight, it only engendered more hate. The gods and Fates knew they had to do something so when Kieran’s mother asked them to protect her son, they saw it as a perfect opportunity to stem the hateful tide. ”
“So, my mate is a guinea pig for some great experiment of the gods and Fates?” growled Logan.
“No,” said Oracle, shaking her head, “he is not a ‘guinea pig’ as you put it. At the moment, he is a unique shifter designed to change the shifter world, so it can become better for everyone. And he has the power to have pups so more will be born with his abilities to continue what he has started. It took many years to get to this point and it will take many more to undo the damage. Kieran is the first one given the task of bringing compassion, love and hope to the shifter world.”
“You keep talking about the shifter world. Do you mean all shifters or just wolf shifters?” asked Logan.
“All shifters. Kieran has already started with Theo and Norman…which brings me to your gift. The gods and Fates know that you, as a wolf shifter, are very protective and proprietary about who Kieran interacts with and they want to avoid any friction between the two of you due to that interaction with other species of shifters. So, they have decided to give you the gift of shapeshifting into any shifter species, so you can always be at your mate’s side. ”
Silence filled the room as Logan sat in shock.
Speechless at Oracle’s pronouncement, he didn’t know what to think or feel or do.
Shapeshifting? What the fuck? Does she mean…
like a bear? A leopard? An eagle? A dragon?
Unfuckingbeleiveable! I can become any shifter?
Really? Oh my gods! Oh, no, what will my mate think?
Or my brothers? Oh shit, Jackson will freak out!
Kieran watched Logan’s face, waiting for him to say something, but when nothing was forthcoming, he quickly glanced at Oracle before grabbing his mate’s arm and shaking it.
“Macushla, are you all right?” Still not getting an answer, Kieran climbed into Logan’s lap again.
Placing his hands on his mate’s face, he forced Logan to look at him.
“Macushla, talk to me, please! I love you! Everything will be all right!”
Hearing the distress in Kieran’s voice, Logan focused on the vivid blue eyes filled with worry staring at him.
Finding his voice, Logan grasped Kieran’s hands and said, “Babe, it’s okay, I’m stunned…
really fucking stunned…that’s all. I don’t understand what it means…
I mean…does it mean I can turn into a ghost bear?
A dragon? What? Shapeshifting! Do you know how many different shifters are out there? What does it mean? Oh, my gods!”
“One step at a time, macushla, one step at a time! Do you want me to ask Oracle about your gift?”
Logan gave his mate a grateful nod as he was unable to put a coherent thought together in his head.
Turning in Logan’s lap to face Oracle, Kieran asked, “Okay, I guess the first question is why this gift?”
“It is simple. You will probably have to touch every different kind of shifter at one time or another, so the gods and the Fates were concerned with Logan’s nature as a wolf to tolerate his Fated Mate doing so.
They also foresaw Logan’s need to be with you during those times to protect you, as his wolf requires.
In addition, some species of shifters will not accept a wolf shifter into their midst, so Logan’s gift allows him to always accompany you no matter what kind of shifter you are interacting with.
For instance, ghost bears are very secretive and avoid contact with other shifters.
Logan can shapeshift into a ghost bear and provide you with acceptance by other ghost bears while still protecting you. ”
“That makes sense, right macushla?” Kieran asked, looking at Logan and, after receiving a nod, he asked his next question. “What shifters can Logan change into?”
“All of them,” answered Oracle, “as you will be interacting with everyone in the shifter world.”
Nodding, Kieran asked his next question, “Will Logan still be Logan inside when he shapeshifts?”
“Yes, the only thing that will change will be his form. Of course, he will also have the traits of the new form he is in. For example, as a dragon he will be able to breathe fire.”
“But what if Kieran is attacked by more than one shifter…say dragons? How will I protect him? Even as a dragon, I can’t fight three at once.
If I understand you correctly, it will only be me and my mate going into places where he might not be wanted or welcomed.
What good will that be if I can’t call on my pack for support? ” asked Logan.
Kieran was relieved when Logan asked that.
He understood how his mate felt because he felt the same way—gobsmacked.
This was a gift from the gods that had never been given before, at least as far as he knew from the books he’d read when growing up with his Shaman.
He wanted to ask if he was correct but decided not to bring it up at this time.
His mate had to get used to the idea first.
“Good point, Logan,” answered Oracle. “The gods and the Fates also considered this possibility both from your need to protect and their need to keep their promise to Kieran’s mother about the safety of her son.
So, their solution is this…whatever form you shapeshift into, you will be the strongest one in that species.
So, using your example, if three dragons attack, you will have the power and strength to defeat them all.
The gods and Fates are very committed to restoring balance in the shifter world and Kieran is their instrument to make this happen. ”
“Why me? Why not Jackson?”
Oracle chuckled, “Why not?” Then getting serious, she continued, “Logan, the gift you have been given is unique, just as you are unique. During your life, you have been subjected to the worst kind of hatred there is…from a parent…the one person put on earth who should unconditionally love their child. How did you react?”
“Not well, I’m afraid,” Logan said, his cheeks turning pink as he remembered the wall he’d built inside himself.
“The Fates disagree. Instead of blaming anyone for your father’s hate, you absorbed it, kept it inside and refused to allow it to betray the values you held dear…
loyalty to your family and the love you had for your mother and siblings.
That was extremely difficult and weaker men would have taken an easier route…
but not you.” Oracle held up her hand and counted off, “First, in order to avoid causing pain to your mother, Jackson and the family, you never told anyone you were disowned by your father.
Second, when your family was killed, you gave your support and your absolute loyalty to Jackson when he was trying to build a pack from scratch, even when it put you at odds with the rest of your brothers.
“Third, when Jackson found out he was pregnant, you again supported him, though you could have challenged him for leadership of the pack. Fourth, you slowly stepped aside to allow Steel to fulfill the role of the Second in the Blackwood Pack without any fuss about him being out of line. And fifth, you have totally accepted Kieran without feeling he somehow diminishes who you are. You have repeatedly demonstrated to the gods and the Fates that you are exactly the person they can entrust Kieran to and that qualifies you for this unique gift. Enjoy it, as you and Kieran can also have a lot of fun with it.”
By the end of Oracle’s speech, Logan’s face was red with embarrassment at her recitation about his extraordinary behavior when all he saw was his failure to deal with his pain.
He was still trying to see it from her point of view when he felt his mate turn to him and place his hand on Logan’s chest, over his heart. Then, Kieran began to speak.
“When I was growing up, I used to lie in bed at night, staring up at the stars and moon through my window, hoping someday someone would want me…just me…and would love me no matter what. Through those long years, I kept wondering if there would ever be a man like that…if there ever could be a man like that…who wouldn’t be threatened by who I am, but see me as just a man wanting to be loved by another man.
And during the long, dark days at Arald’s, when I believed the gods and the Fates had forsaken me, I still held that hope in my heart.
“And then I met you. From the very first moment I saw you, I was smitten. Dare I hope you were my Fated Mate? Did I just leave hell and arrive in heaven? Was it going to be that easy? Then you claimed me and my failure to be truthful to you drove me to leave. But did that stop you? A man who suffered so painfully long it made my time with Arald seem like a walk in the park. No, it didn’t.
You found me, and then revealed all your pain and suffering because you loved me…
just me. The one thing I wanted my entire life.
Logan, do you know how special that makes you?
No, I don’t think so because that is so you.
Everything Oracle said about you is true and now you need to hear me say it.
I consider myself the luckiest shifter that ever walked the face of this earth because you became my Fated Mate. ”