Chapter 33
Jackson was sitting on a tree stump, waiting for Cody and Dylon’s wolves to return to the pack house.
Curious about how they’d look, he waited outside for them.
At his feet, Daniel’s wolf was exploring, stumbling over tree roots before turning and attacking this fierce new enemy.
Spotting them through the trees, he rose.
As his brother and his mate entered the clearing, a low whistle left Jackson’s lips.
Striking in their looks, there would be no mistaking these wolves were unique—making them prime targets.
Thank goodness for the gifts the gods gave them.
Cody shifted, and while pulling on his jeans, he asked, “What’s up? Why the welcoming committee?”
“I wanted to see your wolves but also tell Dylon his parents would be returning tonight instead of tomorrow,” Jackson said, as he watched Daniel charge Dylon’s wolf in a series of attacks.
Cody followed Jackson’s gaze and smiled. “Look at Daniel being a badass.”
“Must get that from Steel,” Jackson chuckled.
“I don’t know, you’re getting pretty Alpha yourself. I don’t think Zane or Carson would question your ability to lead this pack anymore.”
“No, I guess you’re right,” Jackson said, smiling at his pup who was now climbing all over Dylon’s reclining wolf, taking small bites of the thick fur. “So, bro, everything cool with Zane and Carson? Did you and Dylon accept their apologies?”
“Everything’s fine. Zane is doing some research for me about the packs at the peace conference and Carson agreed to do the laundry any time Dylon and I are gone after his six month punishment is up.”
“Fuck! Maybe you should do the negotiating at the conference instead of Slate.”
“No way. Carson had a lot of guilt he needed to get rid of, so it worked out fine. Now, let’s have it. Why did you really come out here?”
Chuckling, Jackson said, “Don’t even tell me how you knew but I want to see you turn invisible…not that I don’t believe it…well, maybe a little. I mean, come on bro, it is pretty unbelievable.”
Cody smirked. Repeating the words Oracle told him, I am invisible, to himself, he saw himself encased in a shimmer of light.
Looking at his brother, he saw the shock on his face and knew it worked.
He looked down at his life thread and saw it shining brightly as he followed it to his mate.
He saw Dylon’s wolf eyes follow their life thread until it disappeared into his chest.
Dylon chuffed with pride when he saw Cody disappear before him. He had an extraordinary mate and one he loved with every cell in his body. Giving a soft growl at Daniel whose tiny, sharp teeth were now chewing on his ear, Dylon stayed still so as not to cause the pup to fall. But damn, it hurts!
Jackson glanced at his pup when he heard the growl and quickly removed Daniel from Dylon’s ear.
“No Daniel, we do not bite ears…at least not yet,” Jackson admonished his son before placing him once more on the forest floor.
He watched in amazement as his son walked up to the spot Cody was last seen and started sniffing.
Finally, raising his hind leg, he proceeded to piss on nothing at all—that is, until Cody became visible and jumped out of the way.
“What the fuck, Jackson? Haven’t you house broken him yet?” growled Cody, shaking his wet leg.
Dylon had shifted and pulled on his jeans. Then he turned to his mate and said, “Don’t be angry at Daniel, ma moitié, he may just have saved your life.”
“Pissing on me saved my life? Really?”
“Yes, Daniel just showed us he could find you because of your scent. We need to figure out a way to hide it when you are invisible, so you can’t be detected.”
“Dylon has a point, bro. Maybe Mystia can help.”
Cody knew his mate was right. “Sorry bro. Will you contact Mystia and see if she can come here tonight or tomorrow before we leave?”
“Sure,” Jackson said, and then crooned to his son he’d picked up and was cuddling, “You are so smart, my little Dire Wolf. I love you to the moon and back.”
Cody leaned over and gave Daniel a kiss on his furry head. “Thanks, little badass. I owe you one.”
Jackson turned and headed back to the house. “Dinner will be served shortly. I suggest you change clothes, bro, or expect to be the subject of your brothers’ fun tonight.”
Dylon snorted, “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Believe it or not, Daniel did us one huge favor by pointing out what we should have thought of before now.”
“I know. But it pisses…pun intended…me off because I know how much you love my scent as I do yours. Haven’t you given up enough already? Do you have to give that up too?”
“Maybe Mystia will have a way that I don’t have to. Before you get all grouchy, why don’t you wait and see what she says.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”
Taking Cody’s hand, Dylon started walking back to the house with his mate. “No apologies needed, love.”
~/~/~/~/~
After dinner, Jackson asked Cody and Dylon to come to his study. As they followed their Alpha, Dylon whispered, “Do you know why we’re being called to the principal’s office?”
Cody snickered before whispering, “Principal’s office? Is that where you spent your youth?”
“Sometimes. You know, for beating up assholes.”
Jackson called over his shoulder, “You two need to learn how to use your mind link more if you intend to keep Cody’s location secret when he’s invisible.”
“Uhh, right,” his brother answered.
Reaching his study’s door, he paused with his hand on the doorknob. “The reason I brought you here is I thought you would like to talk to Mystia in private,” Jackson said, as he opened the door.
Mystia was standing in the center of the room. “Come in so I can solve your problem,” she said to Cody and Dylon.
Cody led the way into the room and stopped in front of Mystia with Dylon standing beside him. “Mystia, glad to see you again.”
“Congratulations on your claiming and your gifts. And Dylon, I hope you have found a way to forgive this old woman for what she did when I put the spell on you.”
Cody looked at Dylon and waited for him to reply.
When he was finally able to mind link with his mate after biting him, Cody saw Dylon’s memories of the many beatings he suffered at the hands of Silver Point Pack.
Brutal was too kind a word to describe them—torture was better, although still falling short.
As much as Mystia meant to Cody, he would support whatever his mate decided because Dylon came first in his life now.
Anger flashed through Dylon at the thought of the beatings he endured due to Mystia’s magic, but as fast it came, it went, dissolving in a mist of thanks.
Strange as it sounded, those beatings brought him to his Fated Mate who was the love of his life.
Would I have preferred for it to happen differently?
Sure, who wouldn’t. But it was a test and one I needed to pass in order to be worthy of the gift I received.
“I forgive you, Mystia. But with one correction…you are not an old woman,” Dylon said smiling.
Cody laughed. “My mate has you there and you better not let Jackson hear you say that, either.”
Laughing softly, Mystia looked at Cody, liking what she saw. “I won’t. Jackson told me briefly why I was needed but explain exactly what you want me to do.”
Cody began, “You know my gift is the ability to become invisible, but today when I did so, Daniel’s wolf was able to locate me by my scent and if he can, then I’m not truly invisible especially around wolf shifters.”
“I can block your scent by the same spell I used originally.”
“I know that, but I want Dylon to be able to smell me because he gets so much pleasure from it.”
Mystia nodded slowly, thinking about how to solve the problem. Suddenly her face lit up. “Stay here, I’ll be back in a second. I know just the spell to use, but I must refresh my memory on this one since I haven’t used it for a very long time.”
“Wait, where are you going?” asked Cody.
“To look at one of my books of spells.” And with a swish of her hand, Mystia was gone.
When it registered what Mystia was going to do, Dylon exclaimed, “I don’t know, Cody. Cast a spell on me? I don’t think I’m comfortable about her doing that. Isn’t there some other way?”
“Who said she was going to cast a spell on you? Maybe it’s me.”
“True, then that’s okay.”
“Gee, thanks,” Cody chuckled.
“You know what I mean. Using me as a witch’s guinea pig gives me the willies. You heard her. She doesn’t know it and what if something goes wrong? What if my dick shrinks and becomes small. Then who’s going to pleasure you?”
Cody giggled, picturing his Dylon with a small cock.
“It’s not funny,” Dylon growled.
“If that happens, I bet Mystia can cast another spell and make it big, but even if she can’t, I will still love you, small weenie and all.”
Growling, Dylon said, “Keep it up and I see a punishment in your future.”
Cody’s eyes widened as lust and need ignited his body, causing his cock to harden. And before he could respond, Mystia was back.
“Okay, now face each other and hold hands. I want you to keep focused on each other.”
“Wait,” cried Dylon, “what are you going to do?”
“I’m casting an anti-scent spell on Cody but you will always be able to smell him even when he is invisible.”
“Are you doing a spell on me too?”
“No. Now, get into position.”
“If you aren’t casting a spell on me then why do I have to hold his hands?”
Mystia sighed before saying, “Dylon, I’m casting a protection spell which will prevent anyone from smelling Cody’s scent.
However, you will always be able to smell your mate even when he is invisible.
When I cast this type of spell, anyone touching the person who receives it is excluded from the effects of the spell.
So, in this case, no matter what form Cody is in, you will always be able to locate your mate by his scent.
Isn’t that what you wanted? I didn’t get it wrong, did I? ”
Dylon looked at his mate with a big smile as he faced him and clasped Cody’s hands. “Sorry, Mystia, you didn’t get it wrong. You got it perfectly right. Go ahead, I’m ready.”
~/~/~/~/~
Josiah was fuming as he listened to his attorney, Boris Calhoun, tell him he had to wait for the High Council to respond to his request that Jackson’s complaint be dismissed.
Three of his fucking nephews found their fated mates and he was running out of time.
According to his Shaman—though he refused to believe in the concept of fated mates—the clock was ticking.
Tuning back in, he heard Boris say, “Look you had several extensions and the High Council is going to extend the same courtesy to the Blackwood Pack’s Alpha. You’re just going to have to wait.”
“What if I push them to move faster?” asked Josiah.
“It might give them the idea you’re hiding something,” Boris said.
Drumming his fingers on the desk, Josiah contemplated his options. “What if I claim the Vice Chair of the High Council has a conflict of interest?”
“What conflict of interest?”
“His son recently mated with one of the members of the Blackwood Pack.”
“Hmmm, interesting argument,” Boris said, more to himself than to his client as he thought over the legal ramifications of such a claim.
Josiah, impatient as ever, demanded, “Well? Can we do it?”
“Yes, but I don’t think we should use this right now.
First, I doubt the High Council would be swayed by it this early in their investigation and might view it as an unwarranted attack on one of its highest esteemed colleagues.
Second, if Mr. Royd does not disclose that his son is mated to someone in the pack making the complaint, only then would we have legitimate grounds to challenge the integrity of the High Council’s investigation.
And finally, even if Mr. Royd is forthright about his conflict of interest, we can still claim it and demand dismissal. ”
“So, you are telling me to sit and do nothing?”
“Yes, that is my professional advice. Of course, as always, it’s your decision whether to accept it,” replied Boris.
“Of course. I’ll get back to you,” growled Josiah.
Hanging up, he wasn’t happy. More waiting and for what?
He knew his fucking queer nephew couldn’t produce an eye witness.
The entire pack had been killed except for the seven of them.
Cursing at everything that had gone wrong, it was time something went right.
Picking up his phone, he called his son and told him he wanted to see him.
Then he slammed the phone down on the desk and waited.
Kahn knocked on his father’s office door before opening it. Sticking his head in, he asked, “You wanted to see me father?”
“Come in and have a seat. It’s time we talk about your future.”
Kahn groaned inwardly as he entered and shut the door behind him.
He knew what was coming. The same crap his father had been demanding since he finished college.
He knew his father thought his gayness was a passing phase but he figured it would finally be put to rest when he invited his boyfriend to his graduation to see him receive a degree in art.
Kahn was an artist and painted beautiful watercolors of mountains and wolves.
He was beginning to receive attention in the art world—not that his father gave a damn—and was able to demand good prices for his paintings.
Sitting in a chair facing his father he waited for the proverbial shit to hit the fan.
“It’s time you take a mate, son,” Josiah said.
“You are the heir apparent and the pack needs to see you settled down with a wife and some pups. Continuity is key to keeping members from worrying about their future and more importantly, it keeps the challenges from within the pack for my position to none. And that makes for a very stable pack.”
“Father, no one in their right mind would challenge you for leadership. You are the strongest wolf in Silver Point.”
“Wrong! There are always wolves who aren’t satisfied with my decisions.
The fact you aren’t mated and with pups of your own reflects on me.
Now, I’ve picked out several female wolves from good families and have arranged for you to date them one at a time until you find a female you want for your wife.
Here’s the list. I’ve set up the first date for tonight. ”
Kahn took the list and left the room. It would do no good to argue with his father. It was time to talk to his mother.