Chapter 41
Dylon was up first this time, taking care of their pups when a flustered Cody joined him.
“I’m so sorry, babe, I guess everything just caught up with me,” Cody said.
“These last few nights I’ve gotten some of the best sleep I’ve ever had…
well, except when you used the chains…and I feel so much better, but I’m not doing my fair share with our pups.
” Cody quickly changed Jake and picked up the bottle Kieran had left for him.
“Stop it right now, ma moitié,” replied Dylon.
“You have nothing to apologize for. Jake was fine, Jessica is fine and to make sure they stay that way, you need to be fine too. Stop with the guilt and just enjoy our pups.” Dylon smiled at Jessica and looked at Cody feeding Jake his bottle.
“Hey, I think we’re doing great. I can’t wait for my mom to see these two. ”
Giggling at the attempts of his son to grab his finger, Cody said, “We have to be sure to take some pictures when your mom meets these two. Oh, my gods, babe, we haven’t taken any pictures yet! We have to do that.”
“When we get back today, I promise. Is Jake finished? Slate will be waiting for us.”
“Yup. Give me a second to burp him.”
Kieran walked in. “Slate called. He wants to know if you plan on showing up today. His words, not mine.”
“Yeah that sounds like him. Jake and Jessica have been changed and fed. We’ll be back as soon as the buyers are locked up. Then we’ll be heading home so let Theodore and Norman know, okay?” asked Dylon.
“Err, okay,” Kieran said, his eyes darting around the room.
“Kieran, is something bothering you?” asked Cody.
Embarrassed to ask, and he wasn’t sure how, especially since Cody had done so much for him already, only his friendship with Theodore and Norman finally made him blurt it out.
“I was, well, actually we were wondering if we can borrow some money to go shopping for some things. We only have a couple of outfits and nothing else; once we get to your pack how will we shop for what we need? I know this wasn’t part of the deal, but Theodore almost backed out last night because he was ashamed he had nothing except two pairs of jeans…
and not the best style for him, if you want my opinion…
and a couple of t-shirts in the totally wrong color for his complexion, if you catch my drift.
I told him we could go shopping today and I would make him look fabulous. So please, can I borrow some money?”
Cody stared at Kieran for a long minute before he finally grinned, “Sure, only it’s not a loan.
Every pack member has a monthly allowance to pay for that kind of stuff.
Since you and your friends are now pack members, you’re able to draw on your stipend as of yesterday.
Let me ask Slate to give you a credit card. Is that all right?”
Beaming, Kieran answered, “Wow, wait till I tell Theodore and Norman. Is it all right if I take Jake and Jessica with me today? I promise I’ll take care of them.”
“They can go with you,” Dylon answered, “but understand that you’ll have enforcers with you and your friends…not only to protect the pups, but to protect you guys, too.”
Waving his hand, Kieran said, “No problemo. Give me a minute to call my friends. Be right back.” And he was gone in a heartbeat.
Dylon looked at Cody quizzically. “What monthly allowances are you talking about?” he whispered.
“Tell you later,” said Cody a moment before Kieran burst into the room again.
“Okay, okay. Go. I’ve got this. Chop, chop. Slate is waiting for you.”
Cody laughed as he put Jake in his crib and Dylon did the same with Jessica. Giving his pups one last kiss, Cody took Dylon’s hand and left the room—but not before telling the sassy young man the credit card would be with the lead enforcer and he shouldn’t worry about any limits.
Once in the elevator, Dylon yanked Cody to his chest and devoured him with a kiss. By the time he was finished, Cody was dazed, looking like a well kissed man should, with swollen lips. “So, my pet, where’s my monthly allowance?” he asked.
Licking the taste of his mate on his lips first, Cody smiled, “There isn’t one really, but Jackson has set it up so we can each draw funds from his inheritance when we need them.
I felt Kieran and his friends had been through so much, it was important to give them a little self-esteem instead of making them feel like beggars.
No man wants to be looked at that way…you saw how reluctant he was to ask me what he wanted.
Now, he can keep some pride and start rebuilding his self-respect… Theodore and Norman, too.”
Gently smiling, Dylon said, “Did I ever tell you how much I admire you?” Pulling his mate close to him once more, Dylon enveloped him in his arms and gave him a tender, love-filled kiss.
~/~/~/~/~
Slate glanced around the clearing, noting where all his enforcers—now dressed in local outfits to blend in with Ulfric and Ordovic’s pack members—were located.
He had to admit Dylon was a genius when it came to this kind of operation.
Looking skyward, he located the first buyers flying in for the auction.
Kieran had told him where to find Arald’s paperwork describing who the buyers were and when they’d be arriving.
It would be tight, but if Dylon’s plan worked, he’d have a shitload of prisoners to give to the High Council at the end of the day.
Many of them would be very well-known, wealthy shifters.
What surprised him though, were the two humans on the list of approved buyers.
That was going to present a challenge for the Council—to figure out how the humans knew about shifters.
As the first helicopter landed, Slate waited until two buyers came down the steps and were standing surrounded by a handful of their enforcers.
Stepping forward, Slate greeted them in Arald’s native language before switching.
“If you come this way, there’s some paperwork to complete before the auction. ”
“What kind of paperwork?”
“Verification of your ability to pay for your purchases. It won’t take long and then you’ll have a private tour of the merchandise up for sale.” Slate led them to the peace conference building and into the meeting room where Dylon was waiting.
“Gentlemen, have a seat,” Dylon said, and continued, “if you’d please give me your proof of funds, I’ll call to verify and then you can see what’s for sale.
” Once he had the paperwork from each of them, Dylon stood and said, “Make yourselves comfortable. There’s coffee along with some pastries.
I’ll be right back.” Leaving the room with the paperwork, he headed to a small office and phoned Steel who was standing by.
“I don’t like this,” said the first buyer.
“Why not? I see nothing wrong here. I think Arald is a sharp businessman. Why would he want to show us the shifters he has for sale if we don’t have the money to pay for them?
All I care about is how healthy they are.
I’m looking for some young men who can work all day and suck me off all night and I’m willing to pay a lot for them.
In the last auction, I was bidding on a very healthy young man who was a natural healer.
Fuck! I was willing to buy him no matter what the price, but I lost out at the very last second.
The only reason I’m here is Arald said he had two healthy 18 year old virgins.
How fucking lucky is that! It almost makes up for losing the healer. What are you looking for?”
“I need an heir but my wife also wanted a girl so Arald found me twins…a boy for me and a girl for her…and as soon as he verifies my funds, I’m taking them and leaving.
I have business to attend to and this is an unwelcome interruption.
I wanted the pups shipped to me but Arald insisted I take possession in person. Where the fuck is he?”
Relaying all the information, Dylon waited until he received confirmation from Steel before heading back to the buyers.
After opening the door to the meeting room, Dylon announced, “Gentlemen, your paperwork is in order. Would you please come this way to see the merchandise?” Leading them out of the building and down the path to the fortress, Dylon opened the door and led them to the south dungeon where Slate’s enforcers were waiting.
Opening the steel door, Dylon flipped on the switch and descended the stairs, waiting for the two buyers and their enforcers to reach the bottom.
With only one bulb glowing overhead, most of the dungeon was cloaked in darkness. Looking around, one of the buyers asked, “Well, where are my young studs?” Dylon whistled and his enforcers jumped into action, encircling the visitors.
“What’s this?” one of them called out in alarm.
“This, gentlemen, will be your new home for a while. Turk, please shackle everyone,” ordered Dylon.
“What do you mean my new home? You can’t do this! I’m a paying customer,” he said indignantly, trying to shake off the hands of his jailer.
The buyers and their enforcers were securely shackled to the same wall Slate and his enforcers had been chained to only a few days before.
Placing rubber ball gags in their mouths to keep them from warning the next group, Slate’s enforcers merged into the darkness as Dylon climbed the stairs to greet the next group of buyers.
After all the buyers had been locked up and their funds frozen, Dylon and the enforcers climbed the stairs for the last time. As they headed out of the fortress, Dylon saw Slate walking toward them.
“Everyone secured?” Slate asked.
“Yup, worked like a charm. Steel moved all the funds to a trust account until he gets High Council’s approval to disperse the money to the victims.”
“Did Cody get everything recorded?”
“I think so. I’m headed there now,” Dylon said, as he continued walking toward the peace conference building.
Slate fell in step with Dylon. “So, you heading home now?”
“Yup, and I can’t wait to get there.”
“Does anyone know about the pups yet?”
“Nope, we wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Well, I think you’ll nail that,” Slate said, chuckling.
“Yeah, you’re probably right there,” Dylon said, as he opened the front door and headed for the conference room where he saw his mate drinking coffee and eating pastries.
“What? I’m hungry. Just because I can become invisible doesn’t mean I don’t need food,” Cody said, in response to the look his mate gave him.
Sighing, Dylon felt happy his and Cody’s part in all this crap was over. Bending down, he licked his mate’s lips, removing the remaining frosting.
“What a bad mate I am…not thinking about making sure you had lunch.”
“Thanks, babe, but I’m fine. Is everyone locked up?”
“They sure are…did you get the evidence we need to make sure these bastards are locked up for a long time?”
“Fuck, I couldn’t believe how all of them talked. Each of them blabbed about who they wanted to buy and why. The equipment worked perfectly. All I had to do was sit here and listen to the assholes. It’s all been recorded. Now, can we go home?”
“Yes, I have the jet ready to go. Just have to pick up the pups, Kieran, Theodore, and Norman, and then you can get moving,” said Slate.
“How long will you be staying here? Not too long, I hope,” Cody said.
“It shouldn’t be too long. Tomorrow I can get rid of all the buyers and their enforcers because Steel has charted a prison plane to make sure they’ll all remain locked up during their ride to the High Council jail.
As for Arald and his men, it shouldn’t take me long to document their actions before they’ll join the other assholes. ”
Cody gave Slate a bro hug and whispered in his ear, “Get it done fast. Daniel needs to see his uncle soon.”
“Promise. Pictures are a poor substitute for seeing my nephew in person.”
Cody smiled as he took Dylon’s hand. “Let’s go babe, I’m eager to see our pups.”
Leaving the peace conference building, the three of them walked over to the helicopter that was waiting to take Cody and Dylon back to the hotel.
Slate stood, watching as Cody and Dylon boarded the helicopter.
He was happy for Cody who seemed far better than he’d been the last time Slate saw him in Mexico.
Lifting his hand and waving, Slate turned around and headed for the house he was staying at, ready for a hot meal, a long soak in the tub and an uninterrupted night of sleep.
~/~/~/~/~
After their day of shopping, Kieran inspected Theodore and Norman dressed in their new clothes which, of course, he had orchestrated.
How handsome my friends are? New haircuts, a stop at the Mani and Pedi spa at the hotel, and gorgeous attire that highlighted their best features made all the difference in the world.
When they got to Cody’s home, he was determined to take them to a gay dance club and show them how to have fun.
“Well…how do we look?” asked Theodore.
Cody and Dylon walked up behind Kieran and before he could answer Theodore, Cody exclaimed, “Wow, you guys are gorgeous! Did Kieran help you pick out that outfit, Theodore?”
“Yeah, he did…he told me it brought out the green in my eyes and complimented my body, right?” asked Theodore turning to Norman for affirmation.
“That’s what he said, Theo,” answered Norman.
“Well done, Kieran. Not to rush you guys, but the plane is ready and we’re eager to go,” Cody said, adding, “you look fantastic too, Norman.” Then taking a good look at Kieran, he smiled. “I love your look, Kieran. You have great taste.”
“Thanks, I hope you don’t mind but I bought Jake and Jessica a bunch of clothes too.
We went past a darling children’s clothes store and in the window were these matching outfits for a boy and a girl.
Of course, they spoke to me right away and I really didn’t think you’d mind.
But when I got inside, well, it was impossible to stop at just one outfit. ”
By the time Kieran finished, Cody was laughing so much, he was leaning against Dylon. “Oh Kieran, you are going to get along just fine with my brother Jackson,” he finally sputtered out.
Dylon chuckled. “Okay, babe, I think it’s time we get our pups. Guys are you packed?” After receiving a chorus of yeses, Dylon pulled his still snickering mate along to pick up Jake and Jessica.
Later, Dylon shepherded everyone on board and watched with amusement as Kieran, Theodore and Norman explored the entire plane before taking their seats. Giving the signal to the pilot to take off, he breathed a sigh of relief that they were finally headed home.