Chapter 22
Colton woke near noon, his stomach growling with hunger.
He smiled at the sight of his sleeping mate, and knew he was right to claim him.
He could feel it in his soul, wolf and heart.
Who would have ever thought I would feel this way?
Why me? Why now? Of course, he didn’t have a choice—no, he’d never reject a gift from the Fates.
In the mate department, they gave you only one chance.
Fuck it up and you were destined to be alone for a very long time. Especially, a gay wolf like him.
Hell, if I were honest about this, I never believed I’d have a mate.
He didn’t know many gay wolves other than his brothers.
Shit, even their father was furious about his first seven sons being gay.
That thought led him back to a discussion he had with Logan before he left for Mexico.
His brother felt they survived the massacre because they were special and the Fates had great things in store for them.
Well that part was true at least. Look at Jackson…
pregnant. And me with this freaking god-like power.
If that didn’t help prove Logan right, he didn’t know what would.
But he was going to make sure no one knew about his power.
That was going to be tough because Cody and Carson could read him as he could them.
And what about my mate? There’ll be a mind-link because we mated.
Shit, Shit, Shit. Colton decided he’d close off the mind-link with his mate and brothers.
There was no way he was going to live with everyone knowing his secret and looking at him as some kind of freak.
He heard a soft knock, scented Cody at the door and heard a rustle of paper being slid under it.
Fuck that! Everyone knows you don’t interrupt a claiming.
What the fuck was so important that Cody broke the rule?
Shit, maybe it’s Jackson and the baby. But why wouldn’t my brother just say that instead of waiting for me to see his note?
Colton sighed. He knew he’d retrieve it to see what was so important.
Slowly sliding a pillow under Ian’s neck to replace his arm—so his mate wouldn’t be disturbed—he carefully got out of bed, padding over to the door.
He opened the note and read, “Colton, Jackson wants to see you immediately. I promise to stand guard outside your room and protect Ian. I’m waiting in the hall. ”
Fucking be damned! This better be an emergency!
He turned, walked to his duffle bag and pulled out some clothes.
After dressing, he wrote a short note to Ian, in case he woke while he was gone.
Colton didn’t want his mate to think he’d deserted him so soon after the claiming.
Damn, I swear Jackson, if this isn’t an emergency you better be prepared for the wrath of Lyssa to descend on you… pregnant or not.
Placing the note on Ian’s nightstand, Colton let himself quietly out of the room.
Cody was leaning against the wall at the end of the hall but Colton remained at his door, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for his brother to walk over to him.
There was no way he would leave until Cody was standing right outside his bedroom door.
Cody raised his eyebrows and Colton could feel him trying to read his mind but he had shut that door firmly.
Finally, he saw Cody push off and stroll over to him.
“I want your word you will protect my mate with your life.”
Cody’s eyes widened at the intensity of Colton’s voice. “Of course, I will.”
“Not good enough. I want you to swear it to me Cody or you can tell Jackson he has to wait until my mate is up and ready to come with me.”
Cody was puzzled. His brother had never spoken to him like this before. He tried their mind-link but still found it firmly closed. Sighing, he said, “I swear to you Colton. I will protect your mate with my life.”
Colton searched Cody’s face. Then nodding, he said, “I won’t be gone long. If my mate wakes up, you are to call me immediately. Do you understand?”
“I promise.” Cody watched Colton walk away.
He’d never seen his brother behave this way before, and added to that, he couldn’t read his brother’s thoughts—Not good.
Not good at all. Something is going on. He mulled everything over in his head and suddenly gasped.
Shit, is my brother going to get pregnant?
Like Jackson? He didn’t know how he felt about that or how it would affect Carson.
Crap! He’d used his position as the eldest of the triplets to make Carson agree to Jackson remaining as their Alpha and to even accepting the pregnancy.
But if Colton could become pregnant? All bets were off.
As he leaned against the door, and listened to Ian’s faint snores, he was relieved that Colton’s mate was still asleep.
~/~/~/~/~
“What did Oracle say?” asked Jackson, who was standing at the window.
“I told you,” Steel said, “she said we needed to talk to Colton and Ian. And yes, I pressed her but no, she wouldn’t say more,” Steel insisted as he nuzzled his mate’s neck.
“Dammit, I’m her Alpha. Did you tell her I wanted to know?”
“Of course. But babe, she’s an Oracle. Keeping secrets goes with the territory.”
Jackson huffed to himself. What good is being Alpha if no one obeys me?
Steel stopped, sensing his mate’s frustration. “Babe, please let’s wait for Colton. I don’t like seeing you upset. And if I could force my mother to answer you I would,” he said, taking Jackson into his arms
Jackson rested his head on Steel’s chest, letting his mate’s heartbeat calm him down. “I know lover, it’s just that I worry over what gift the Fates gave him. Do you think he’ll be able to have pups? Oh wow, a playmate for our pup! How neat is that?”
“Before we plan for another pup in the house maybe we should wait and see what Colton says,” Steel chuckled. Hearing a rapid series of hard knocks on Jackson’s study door, Steel added, “Showtime, and by the sound of that, Colton is not too happy about being dragged from his mating bed.”
Jackson pushed steel away and sat down, giving his mate a hard look. “Come in,” he said.
Colton entered, looking pissed, and marched to his brother’s desk. “What’s the emergency? I assume there is one since I know my brother would not take me away from my mate so soon after I claimed him.”
Jackson stared at Colton until his brother finally lowered his eyes and tilted his head in deference. “Have a seat, Colton. We have to talk.”
Colton plopped down and asked, “About what? What’s so important you had to take me away? Is there a problem with the baby? Are you feeling ill?”
Jackson sighed. “Look, Colton, I’m sorry. But things are happening and in order for me to make the right decisions, I need answers.”
“What’s happening?”
“Slate has questioned Pablo and found out someone hired him to kidnap you. He was supposed to kill you but after finding out what you were, decided to auction you off.”
“Oh yeah? And whose fault is it I didn’t know I was a natural healer?
Mom? Dad? Or yours? Well since two out of three are dead, my money is on you.
You know what Jackson? What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me after our parents died.
Sure, I can understand you felt you had to keep this “big” secret while they were alive, but now? Nope don’t get it.”
Steel moved to Jackson’s side, “Now look here, Colton…”
“No you look here. I don’t know if you knew it but if you did, both of you are responsible for sending me to Mexico without me knowing everything I needed to.
By the way, did Slate know? Or did you blindside him too?
Didn’t either of you think it would have helped us make better decisions if we knew the whole story?
Especially, this very important little nugget of information?
So important that Pablo was going to make big bucks selling me as a slave?
And what if I hadn’t escaped? And by the way, that didn’t go so well either…
I nearly died.” Colton took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He knew Ian would sense his anger.
Jackson knew everything Colton said was true but he still couldn’t tolerate disrespect, even from his brother.
He stood, staring at Colton, his face hardened, his mouth a thin, straight line.
As they faced off, Jackson rolled out his Alpha power over Colton and could feel his brother trying to resist but he wasn’t going to allow it.
Increasing his power, he finally felt Colton yield, lowering his head and then tilting it in submission.
“What I did or didn’t do is not important anymore.
What is important is your safety and that of your mate.
For me to insure it, I need to know what I’m dealing with.
“So far, the facts I know are as follows: one, you’re a white wolf…
a rare white wolf…a white wolf other wolves will kill for.
Two, you are a natural healer…another rarity…
and as we have seen, worth a lot of money.
And three, you received a gift when you found your fated mate…
that information I do not have and need to know. Now tell me what the Fates gave you.”
Colton looked at the floor. He should’ve expected this. Shit! Now what?
Thinking over his options, he seized the one he felt would distract Jackson. “Did you know Ian is a male Omega wolf?”
Jackson heard Steel groan but his brain was still slowly processing what his brother just told him. Ian? A male Omega? Oh my gods? How fucking rare is that?
He didn’t know but he could hazard a guess.
This was quickly becoming a security nightmare of the highest order.
What the fuck…How the fuck…Oh crap! Is Ian pregnant already?
He heard Steel telling him to sit down through their mind link.
He slowly sat down and looked at his mate, his face frozen in horror as his mind raced through the ramifications of what had been dumped in his lap.
Steel, feeling Jackson’s turmoil, grasped his mate’s hand and squeezed. Turning to Colton he asked, “Is Ian pregnant?”
Colton was dumbfounded. Ian pregnant? Now?
Oh my god we never talked about the possibility.
I fucked him without protection! Fuck, double that with a heaping of hell on top!
How could I be so stupid! He looked at Steel and said, “I don’t know.
I claimed him but didn’t use protection. It’s too early to tell anyway.”
He needed to get back to his mate for a long overdue discussion. “Is that all? I really need to get back to Ian.”
Jackson glanced at him, his eyes narrowing. “In a minute, but you forgot to tell me the gift you received. Are you able to have children too?”
“I can’t have children as far as I know…
only my mate. As to what my gift is…it’s immaterial since it won’t affect anyone in our pack.
” Colton held up his hand to stop Jackson’s expected objection.
“If you try to force me to tell you, using your Alpha power, I will leave this pack with my mate because you would be asking me to deliberately hurt Ian and I can’t.
Please don’t make me choose between you and my mate.
And it would just about kill me to leave you, especially now, Jackson.
My position is non-negotiable. Now if you don’t mind and since there isn’t any medical emergency you need me for, I’m going back to Ian. ”
Jackson was speechless as he watched his brother go, he never thought he’d see the day one of his brothers would threaten to leave.
After the door closed, Jackson slumped in his chair.
How could Colton threaten me with leaving?
Colton? My brother who never fought with any of us?
What power did he get that he would hide it from his Alpha? Oh my gods, I hope it isn’t bad!
Steel listened to his mate’s thoughts and his heart hurt at Jackson’s distress.
But he could do nothing to relieve it since his mother would say nothing.
Hey, Colton told us about not wanting to hurt Ian.
So maybe my mother will answer some questions about Ian and we might get an idea about Colton’s gift.
Steel squeezed Jackson’s hand again and said, “Babe, why don’t we talk to my mother now.
We did as she said and talked to Colton.
And we know about Ian. Maybe she’ll tell us more. ”
“Okay, but I know she won’t say what his gift is,” Jackson said.
“No, but we might pick up some clues.”
“Yeah. Would you ask her to join me?”
“Sure babe, be right back.”
~/~/~/~/~
Colton headed back to his bedroom, hoping Ian hadn’t awakened.
Turning the corner he saw Cody leaning against his bedroom door staring into space.
He could guess what was going through his brother’s mind, but if Cody thought he’d get some answers, well, he was wrong.
Colton meant what he said about leaving if pushed.
And Jackson and his brothers would have to accept it.
No way was he going to hurt his mate by telling him who really saved him.
Not that he was ungrateful to the Angel, but he wondered if any of the gods had really thought this through.
“Is Ian awake? Have you heard anything?” he asked softly, not wanting his voice to carry.
“No, nothing. But bro, we need to talk. Something has happened to you and I can sense you’re hiding it.”
“Yeah, something happened. I almost died. Now, if you don’t mind, I want to go in to my mate. Do you mind?” Colton asked, waving his hand to move Cody away.
Cody grabbed his brother’s arm and held it to keep Colton from opening the door. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Now give. Why are you blocking me? What gift did you get that you need to hide it? Can you have babies like Jackson?”
“I don’t know what you mean. I’m sharing my mind link with Ian and I don’t want you, or Carson either, to hear my mate’s thoughts.
So stop the bullshit. And no, I am not like Jackson.
” Colton glared at his brother and said, “Tell me Cody, did you know I was a natural healer?” The brief glimpse of guilt he saw in Cody’s eyes gave him the answer.
“You’re a bastard. Don’t you ever give me shit again about me denying you access to my link.
It seems you’ve been blocking me from complete access to yours for years.
” Shaking his arm free, he opened his bedroom door and, after slipping through, he quietly closed it behind him.