Chapter 8
Gray watched in frustration as Simon’s eyes drifted closed. He didn’t know which way to turn. He held his son, his awake and alert son, in his arms. Simon wasn’t so lucky.
Simon’s body lay where it fell on the floor of Garon’s bedroom. His ridiculous green-plaid pajamas and bright orange T-shirt twisted to expose his stomach. One bright yellow shoe sat on the floor next to his bare foot.
Garon squeezed Gray with his arms to get his attention. “Dad, we have to help him.”
Gray knew that, wanted to help, but didn’t know what to do.
Cade lifted his hand from Simon’s limp body on the floor and stared down at the unconscious man.
He’d no doubt thought Simon was hurting Garon and had jerked the mage away from his alpha-heir.
Cade looked up at his alpha for direction.
Gray couldn’t tell him anything. He’d never felt so helpless.
Garon struggled out of Gray’s arms and went to kneel at Simon’s side. “He gave it all to me, Dad.”
“All of what?”
“His magic. I could feel it. I didn’t have any left, and then he saved me.”
Hell. This was worse than he’d thought. Gray really had no clue when it came to magical stuff and hadn’t had a chance to learn much with everything else going on.
“Okay. Well, we’ll just have to figure out a way to fix this.”
“I should give it back.”
Gray stopped himself from shouting his answer. “No, Garon. Simon gave you his magic for a reason.” He moved to the floor and knelt on the other side of Simon’s still form. “Now we have to figure out what was going on so we can help him. Right?”
Garon nodded. “You’re right.” He paused, his eyebrows scrunching together before they relaxed and he smiled. “You’ll just have to give him some of yours.”
Cade jumped in before Gray could respond. “No way.”
A low growl filled the room. Cade’s eyes widened, and he looked at Gray. It wasn’t coming from Gray, though. It came from Garon.
He snarled at Cade, his face beginning the shift, which shouldn’t have been possible.
“Garon, stop!” Gray’s deep and commanding tone allowed for no disobedience. It was the first time Gray had needed to use his alpha voice on his son.
Garon immediately complied, lowering his eyes and baring his neck to his father. He took several deep breaths then looked back up at Gray with tears in his eyes. “He doesn’t get to tell us what to do.”
“Garon Nathaniel Townsend, you will not disrespect an elder member of this pack at any time. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes,” Garon grumbled.
“You’re right that Cade doesn’t tell me what to do. However, he is one of my trusted friends and advisors, and you need to learn to listen to those you trust. Understood?”
“Yes,” Garon said again, this time wiping angrily at the tears in his eyes.
“Now, as you are also one of the people I trust, tell me why you think I can give Simon some of my magic.”
His son’s head jerked up in surprise, and he had a happy smile on his face. “Well, since Simon gave me all his magic, it’s only right that we replace it, Dad. I mean, when he got hurt after that demon thing hit him with that spell, the other kids and I helped him get better.”
Gray absorbed that little detail for the first time and fought back a scowl. “And how did you do that?”
Garon tilted his head to the side. “What do you mean? We just did it. Like if one of us got hurt and we helped them shift to wolf form to heal. Like that.”
Like that.
It seemed easy when Garon explained it, but it altered Gray’s thinking completely. Cade’s as well, apparently. “But Garon, your dad calls our wolf. Simon doesn’t have a wolf.”
Garon rolled his eyes in annoyance. “No. Dad calls to our magic. ‘The pack alpha controls the energy of the pack,’” he quoted.
Cade and Gray stared at each other before turning their attention back to Garon. Gray’s head swam with the new way of thinking, but Cade was full of questions. “So, Gray can call on Simon’s energy, like he’s a wolf?”
“Sheesh, didn’t your teacher make you read the book?” Garon bit his lip and looked sheepishly at his dad. “Sorry. That was rude. I know.”
Gray couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, son, it was pretty rude. And yes, I clearly remember being forced to read the pack history when I was your age.”
“Yeah, we all have to read it, even though it’s old and boring sometimes. It says it in there though. Well, it says energy and not magic, but it’s the same thing, isn’t it?”
Gray supposed to a ten-year-old mind it would seem like the same thing. His mind, however, didn’t think of it that way. “I can see why you’d think that. I’ve never been taught that they were the same.”
“Oh, they are, Dad. I know it. ’Cause when Simon got hurt, I just knew all I had to do was give him a little energy to help. The other kids knew it too, and they aren’t even as old as I am.”
Kneeling next to Simon on the floor, Gray realized he was willing to put his faith in his son’s beliefs and try to pass some magic on to Simon. He glanced at Cade, who looked as confused as ever, but in the end, Gray trusted his son. “Let’s give it a try.”
Gray focused his energy on Simon and concentrated in the same way he would as an alpha to any wounded member of his pack. Garon’s hand slipped into his. They each grabbed one of Simon’s hands, forming a circle with the three of them as Cade watched from behind Gray.
“I can feel his magic, Dad. Can you?”
“Yes.”
“Can you help him?”
Gray didn’t know, but he wanted to try. He gave a little push with the energy of his wolf—not as hard as he would to a member of the pack but enough to make sure Simon didn’t react negatively. Simon’s energy connected with his own, but it didn’t feel bad or hurt.
Instead, it seemed they completed a circuit. Gray’s energy was a power cord; Simon’s was the outlet. When plugged in, energy could flow freely between them.
It was a strange sensation, different from healing a pack member but only slightly.
Gray thought about how he helped another wolf heal itself and sent that specific message through their connection. Simon gasped, his body trembling slightly. After a moment, he relaxed with a sigh. Gray disconnected, pulling them back, and let Simon’s magic do the rest.
Garon squeezed his hand, and Gray looked over at him. “You did it. His magic isn’t hurting as much now.”
Before Gray could respond, he heard the front door open and running steps coming up the stairs. He tensed a moment until he recognized Aunt Maggie’s scent. She burst into the room, ready to fight whatever was hurting her family.
Her eyes passed over them all quickly, taking in the scene with a glance. “Gray?”
He knew she was asking for an explanation. He gave her a quick rundown. She leaned down next to Garon and ran her hand over his head. Garon turned into her and nuzzled his face into her familiar touch.
She pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly. “Sounds like you had an exciting night, young man.”
He nodded against her shoulder and yawned widely.
“Well, let’s get you into bed.”
Gray helped her get his son settled. They tucked him in, and both kissed his forehead. Garon scrunched up his nose. “I’m too old for night-night love.”
She scoffed at him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “You’re never too old for that.”
Garon didn’t argue and gave her a small smile as his eyes began to drift shut. “Dad?” he whispered.
“Yeah?”
“He’s one of us now.”
Gray knew he meant Simon, and had a brief moment of panic that somehow he’d turned Simon into a wolf. But that wasn’t possible. He could feel Simon now, though, just like any other member of his pack. Simon was one of them in a way he hadn’t been before.
Aunt Maggie met Gray’s eyes over the bed, and he could see the tears in them. “I’ll stay with him. Should we settle the mage in the guest room?”
Gray’s instincts were to put Simon in the extra twin bed in Garon’s room, just to keep them together where he could watch over them both. Garon needed rest, though, already drifting off to sleep.
“That’s fine. I’ll stay with Simon. You let me know if there’s any problem, anything at all.”
“I will, Alpha. I’ll watch over him like my own.”
Cade still knelt on the floor next to Simon. He stared at him like he had horns growing out of his head.
“Cade?”
“I can sense him. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping he’ll be able to explain it when he wakes. I want you to stand guard downstairs.”
Cade nodded and left the room with one last questioning glance back at Simon.
Gray carefully lifted Simon in his arms and took him into the guest room.
He pulled the yellow floral bedspread his mother had purchased for the room back with an awkward tug and wished for a moment he’d taken the time to redecorate.
Then he realized how ridiculous he was being.
Simon wouldn’t care what the bedspread looked like.
Gray lowered him to the cool sheets, startled when he felt a touch to his face.
Simon was awake, staring at him with a dazed and tired expression. He brushed his fingers over Gray’s jaw.
“It’s soft. I thought it would be prickly.”
“No, just a little prickly.” Gray couldn’t help but grin. Simon was clearly exhausted. Gray was sure he’d never be so forward otherwise.
“Hmm,” Simon mumbled, “I never thought I’d like facial hair, but I do now.”
“I’m glad,” Gray replied. “I never thought I’d like a mage, but I do now.”
Simon’s eyes drifted up to meet Gray’s, a sudden heat in them. “I’m glad, too.” The heat shifted to terror as his memories came into focus. “Oh God, Garon. Is he okay?”
Gray ran his fingers over Simon’s smooth cheek to calm him. “He’s fine. You saved him.”
Simon let out a slow breath. “I didn’t know what I was doing, but I tried. What about the other kids?”
“They’re fine. No trouble at all with them.”
“Good. I need to check them, too. Just to be sure.”
“You can, later. You need to rest now.”
Simon placed his hand over Gray’s where it rested on his face. “Will you stay with me?”
Their eyes locked, and Gray nodded. Simon moved over, and Gray stretched out beside him. He reached down and pulled the covers up over them. Simon slowly rolled to his side and wrapped his arm across Gray’s chest.
“Is this okay?” he whispered.
Gray’s answer was to cover Simon’s arm with his own, holding it in place.
A DISTURBANCE from downstairs woke Gray moments before he heard Emma’s voice in his head. Alpha Gray, Cade is mean and won’t let us in.
He had to chuckle at the indignant tone. He heard Cade’s voice drifting up the stairs. “Emma, I told you Alpha was sleeping. You didn’t wake him, did you?”
“Yes, I did. Alpha said I could always call him if I needed help, and I need him to help me make you move. You’re mean!”
Gray snickered and tried to extract himself from Simon’s embrace. The mage was plastered to his side, their bodies entwined. Gray groaned when Simon wiggled his way closer. A crease formed on his forehead when he realized Gray wasn’t staying still.
Simon’s eyes blinked open. “Where are you going?”
“Downstairs. Cade needs my help.”
Simon tilted his head to the side like he was listening. Gray realized he was, and that he could hear the ruckus going on as well as Gray could. He chuckled and looked over at Gray. “She’s a feisty little thing, isn’t she?” Simon moved his arms and legs and let Gray slip out of the bed.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Simon nodded and closed his eyes again. His breathing evened out quickly as Gray left the room and went downstairs to “help” one of his youngest pack members.
When he reached the bottom of the steps, he was surprised to see not only Emma and her parents, but also the other kidnapped kids and their parents as well. He’d been sleeping so soundly he hadn’t heard them all come in. “Good morning, pack. What’s the problem?”
Emma sent a superior look at Cade before she looked over at Gray. “Morning, Alpha! We came to help Simon, but Cade said no. That’s not very nice. You should always help someone who’s hurt, isn’t that right, Alpha?”
Gray could tell Cade was irritated, but it was hard to argue with a five-year-old’s logic. “Well, Emma, I suppose it is usually right to help.”
Emma’s father, Jeff, spoke up. “We’re sorry to bother you, Alpha, but she got up this morning and insisted we come straight over. It looks like the others had the same idea.”
The other parents nodded their agreement, and the kids all gathered together in front of Gray.
Danny, at nearly nine, was the next oldest of the group.
He stepped forward and looked up at Gray.
“Alpha, we need to help him. It’s like, well, our wolves or something are telling us what to do. What’s that word?”
“Instinct?” Gray asked.
“Yeah. It’s like that. Mom says that when I get bigger my wolf instincts will help me do the right thing and stuff. But it’s telling me now to make Simon better, like before.”
Gray was just as shocked as the rest of the parents at this news.
It wasn’t common for their cubs to show many wolf abilities until after their tenth birthdays.
Garon was over ten, but even he was stronger than he should be.
He’d partially shifted in the night when Cade angered him, something that really shouldn’t be possible at his age outside of the full moon.
The fact that their wolves were guiding them now was something he would have to learn more about. Gray felt like he was in so far over his head at this point that he considered calling his father home. The problem was his dad didn’t know anything more about this than he did.
“Okay guys, here’s the thing. Simon is resting right now.”
“No, I’m up.” Simon’s voice came from behind Gray on the stairs. The kids all ran for him when they saw him, and he met them at the bottom of the stairs, kneeling to allow them all access.
Emma wiggled her way to the front, and Simon lifted her up with one arm. “Hey there, little one,” he said.
“Simon, I’m not little. I’m a big girl.”
“You’re right. You are a big girl. Now what’s this about you needing to help me?”
Jessie, the other girl of the group, moved to Simon’s side. “We know we can help. You’re hurt again.”
Blake, the remaining boy, nodded his agreement. “We know, Simon. We felt you, like before.”
Simon looked as confused as everyone else. “Gray, what do I do here?”
Everyone’s eyes shifted to the alpha. He ran his hand over his cropped hair and tried to think it through. “Okay, cubs. You can help, but just this once. We’re going to have a grown-up meeting later and talk about all this.”
The kids all reached out to Simon as before, resting their hands on him. Gray watched Simon’s eyes twitch, then slide closed for a moment, before he opened them again with a smile. Gray could see that much of the pain that had been in them before was gone.
“Thank you all. You guys are awesome,” Simon said.
“It’s okay, Simon. It’s our ‘in-stinks.’ Alpha said so.” Blake nodded dramatically, and everyone had to smother their laughs.