Chapter 13
His beast was closing in on the marina when Reif finally regained control of him after proffering many apologies and promises never to harm the white dragon.
Reluctantly reversing course, his beast returned to where Reif had shifted.
Once on the ground, Reif descended the mountain and, rejecting the idea of owning the white dragon.
But it didn’t mean he couldn’t try to persuade him to help him find the treasure.
But first I have to find him before he can help me.
No, first I have to find out more about white dragons.
Contemplating whether to speak to his father, or maybe one of the elders, he decided not to tell his father anything; he just had a sense of foreboding about doing that.
Turning it over in his mind, he tried to see what was causing it, but couldn’t figure it out.
In the end, he trusted his gut, deciding to start with the online paranormal library.
Now with a plan in place, Reif headed for his car, eager to get home and start researching.
~/~/~/~/~
Pacing around the room, Logan held his phone to his ear, waiting for his brother to pick up so he could dump another thing in Jackson’s lap. Oh, joy! He’s going to stop talking to me if I keep up doing this shit.
“Hey, bro,” asked Jackson, after he answered, “did you find Brian’s mate tonight?”
“Fuck, no! A major clusterfuck!” exclaimed Logan.
“What happened?” asked Jackson.
“Nothing I can’t handle but there’s a bigger problem. You’ll love this especially because you’re wild about dragons,” Logan said.
“Yeah? Don’t tell me Fionn is pregnant,” sniggered Jackson.
“Fuck no! Hey, don’t even joke about that…although it might be easier to deal with,” Logan mused.
“Easier than a pregnant dragon? I don’t think so. Now you have my attention. Go ahead, tell me what would be harder for me to deal with than that.”
“Here goes…tonight I found out Fionn is a white dragon,” Logan said. Silence greeted him. “Jackson, did you hear me? Jackson!”
Stunned, shocked—Jackson couldn’t think of a strong enough word to describe how he felt when Logan dropped his bomb, because there weren’t any words strong enough to describe his feelings.
He first thought Logan was pranking him because of his love of everything dragon when he was a boy, but he quickly dismissed it.
Logan wouldn’t fuck around with something like that, or would he?
“Really? You saw Fionn shift into a white dragon?” asked Jackson, still hoping it was just a joke.
“Yup, twice…just in case you think my eyes were deceiving me the first time,” Logan snapped. “What the fuck is it about a white dragon?”
Ignoring the question, Jackson asked, “Is he solar-white or lunar white?”
“How the hell would I know? I didn’t even know there were two kinds until Kieran told me. And before you ask…my mate believes Fionn is a lunar-white dragon…whatever that means. And for what it’s worth, I agree with him since Fionn’s dragon glows like the freakin’ moon.”
“Holy shit!” Jackson exclaimed, then quickly asked, “Who else knows?”
“Just Kieran and me,” replied Logan, “and maybe Fionn’s uncle…
you know, the one trying to get custody.
Actually, that’s the reason I’m calling.
If the uncle knows, then it’s very possible his custody petition is a way to get control of Fionn’s dragon.
It’s a theory Kieran and I have been kicking around. ”
“Do you think Fionn’s in danger if he goes to the hearing?” Jackson asked.
“Yes.”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“Jackson, when I found out how rare his dragon is, my first thought was for him to skip the hearing, but I think that would be playing into his uncle’s hands.”
“On the other hand, if he’s there, it’s easier for his uncle to abscond with him,” murmured Jackson.
“Exactly…a clear case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
“Yeah…maybe…hmmm…something’s fucked up with this hearing. Penn told me the reason Fionn’s father wanted to fake his age was so he could name his brother’s son as his heir. Right?” asked Jackson.
“That’s what Fionn told me,” Logan said.
“Well, if that’s the case, then the uncle already knows Fionn is an adult dragon,” said Jackson. “And I’m also sure he’d have given Fionn a gift when he was born.”
“That’s right!” Logan exclaimed. “And he was probably involved in the scheme to have his son named as heir to Fionn’s father’s horde.”
“Sooo…the big question is ‘why is the uncle claiming Fionn is a minor?’” asked Jackson. “He has to know the midwife’s certificate would show the date Fionn was born.”
“Yes,” Logan agreed, “if it was found…and that may have been what he was looking for when he broke into Fionn’s house in Scotland.”
“Shit, when did that happen?” asked Jackson.
“Last week, I think. Penn knows about it.”
“That might explain why he filed for an emergency hearing” Jackson conjectured. “Penn said it was unusual since the court had only ordered a preliminary report as to the validity of each person’s claim for custody.”
“And the uncle didn’t want to take a chance on someone finding the midwife’s certificate,” Logan added.
“Sooo…we know the uncle’s intentions are not good and that Fionn is a white dragon….hmmm, I think Kieran’s right, the uncle knows about his dragon and this whole custody thing is just a ploy to get close enough to snatch him,” Jackson said.
“Knowing that doesn’t help Fionn,” Logan said. “He still has to attend the hearing and, in doing so, he’s walking right into a trap.”
“True,” Jackson agreed, “but do you think his uncle has any fuckin’ idea about the power of Cody and Dylon?”
Chuckling, Logan said, “Nope. Not a fuckin’ clue.”
“Exactly! Time for one of Dylon’s plans.”
“By the way, Fionn has already figured out his uncle is after him because of his white dragon,” Logan explained.
“I’ll let Dylon know.”
“Okay. I plan on having Mystia zip Fionn to court so let me know if Dylon has different ideas about that,” Logan said.
“Will do,” Jackson said. “How’s everyone else?”
“Good. Ian and Colton have decided to return with us at the end of the week. Tell Steel, his brother is doing great. Dakota’s happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. Zane is over the moon about his mate. Theo and Norm are doing couple massages…no one’s in trouble for a change.”
“What about Kieran and the pup?” asked Jackson.
Grinning as he thought about his mate, Logan said, “Growing like a weed…the pup that is. Hey, before I go, are you going to tell me about white dragons?”
“Sure but I don’t know a lot. They’re extremely rare… they’re either connected to the sun god or the moon god and, if I remember correctly, the lunar-white dragon has a power. That’s it,” replied Jackson.
“Are you going to tell Dylon about Fionn’s dragon?” Logan asked.
“Of course,” Jackson said, “so he knows what he’s up against.”
Yawning, Logan said, “It’s late and it’s been a long night so give Daniel a kiss for me and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Jackie.”
“Go, get some sleep…if Kieran will let you. Bye,” Jackson said, hanging up before his brother could respond to his tease about his mate.
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There were only a few more grant applications Carson had to review before calling it a night.
So far, he was enjoying everything about his promotion and was determined to prove the company had chosen wisely.
He thought nothing would top the day Jackson and Steel gave him a new laptop loaded with all the business software he’d need in his new position—a job he’d only dreamed about after his family was massacred and his education cut short.
But when Steel told him they wanted him to head the Dire Enterprises Grant Division—that was the highlight of his life and Carson doubted anything would ever surpass it.
The corporate beliefs and values of Dire Enterprises were exactly why he wanted to go into business.
He knew his brothers never understood his attraction to the corporate world, teasing him about his pursuit of wealth.
But that wasn’t the reason at all. Carson’s goal was to start a company that would share profits with its employees, so their lives would be better.
He’d spent hours researching companies, taking notes on the good points each had before writing a business plan for his fictional company.
In it, Carson outlined the philosophy and goals of a profit-sharing business whose core purpose was to provide a product or service the world needed.
A total win-win as Carson saw it. But after the massacre he shelved the business plan, his dream shattered as he and his brothers struggled to stave off his Uncle Josiah’s kill order.
But then the Fates brought Steel—and Dire Enterprises—into his life.
And tonight, here I am, going over grant applications that promise to make the lives of wolf shifters better.
He’d spent the last week with Steel, learning about the inner workings of his job and reviewing pending applications to give him a good understanding of what Dire Enterprises was looking for before granting funds, sometimes in the millions.
And that thought still boggled his mind, finding it unbelievable he was now in control of millions of dollars.
Picking up the last application, Carson began to read Slate’s notes on what was missing, then, turning over the cover sheet, he gasped at who the applicant was, quickly dropping the document as if it were a hot coal.
All the terrible emotions he’d fought so hard to hide came roaring back.
Sorrow, guilt, anger—all raged inside of him, each fighting to bury him in the never-ending helplessness that had consumed him that summer when Jackson told them what happened.