Chapter 16
Oh my gods, I make him brave! Slate was bowled over by Dakota’s simple declaration.
In those four words, Dakota had given him the greatest gift of Slate’s life—trust—something he promised to himself he’d never take for granted.
“Thank you, babe,” Slate said, his voice filled with emotion.
Pulling Dakota close to him, he rested his chin on his mate’s head, loving the skin to skin contact of their chests.
Last night, it was a mutual decision to wear pajama pants to bed but the flimsy pants did nothing to hide Slate’s erection.
Disregarding that need, he concentrated on the feeling of contentment he felt with his mate in his arms.
Slate never felt this way before, never experienced the feeling that all was right with his world.
Thinking back to his childhood, he realized it was what had been missing.
Now, Slate could understand why shifters so badly wanted to find their Fated Mates—the way he felt right now was something no one ever told him would happen.
Deeply inhaling Slate’s unique scent, Dakota was floating in a sea of need as his body reacted to his mate.
No longer in doubt about wanting a mate, he yearned to be claimed with a ferocity he never anticipated.
Yesterday, Slate’s reaction to Dakota’s curse was a surprise and gave him hope that there was someone who could understand him when everything spun out of control, someone who didn’t think he was a freak, someone who would see something of value in him when he was unable to, someone who would love him when he found it hard to love himself, someone to pick up the pieces of him and put him back together when his curse broke him into fragments.
Overjoyed with the decision he made, Dakota murmured, “If you still want to claim me after knowing what I am, I’m yours. ”
Dakota’s voice was so low Slate needed his wolf’s hearing to catch what was said, those words sending shivers of joy through his body.
He heard his wolf howl his mating call; then Slate’s blood began to boil as he prepared to claim his mate until…
his promise to his mother reared up, reminding him his mate had to speak with her before he could claim him.
Hoping Dakota would understand, he said, “Babe, you are perfect just the way you are and I’m beyond happy to have you as my mate.
But as much as I would love to claim you right now, I promised my mother not to do so until she spoke with you. ”
Dakota gave a small giggle when he saw the unhappy look on his mate’s face. “Can we do that right away? It won’t take long because I already know what she’s going to say.”
“Good idea!” Slate grinned. “Right now, she’s probably having her first cup of coffee.”
“Fantastic!” Dakota said, scrambling out of Slate’s arms and bouncing out of bed.
“Jackson said your mother is cooking this morning, so if we hurry, we can talk to her right away. C’mon!
Otherwise, we won’t have a chance until after breakfast and if you haven’t guessed, now that I made up my mind, I’m in a hurry for us to begin our lives together.
” Then realizing he only had the sweatpants from yesterday, added, “I’m heading to my room to get my clothes so at least I’m not sitting and listening to your mother half naked. Meet me there?”
“Sure, give me five,” Slate said as he rolled out of bed, eager to get dressed and get this talk over with so the claiming could begin.
~/~/~/~/~
Kieran was sitting on Logan’s lap in the living room of Theo and Norman’s hotel suite in Edinburgh explaining everything on the list that Fionn absolutely must have when Logan’s phone dinged.
Shifting his mate slightly, he pulled the phone from his pocket and read the incoming text from Jackson telling him Mystia would be there in a few minutes.
The lack of detail in the text told Logan his brother had realized the risk to the young dragon’s life.
“What’s the matter, macushla?” Kieran asked, after feeling his mate’s body stiffen.
“Mystia will be here shortly to help Fionn with his hoard,” Logan replied.
“Good, but why are you worried about that?”
Not wanting to disclose the details of the death threat to Fionn, he said, “Jackson didn’t tell me what Mystia is going to do so I’m hoping it’ll be all right with Fionn.”
“Of course it will be,” Kieran assured him, calling to Fionn who was in his bedroom sorting through his stuff with Theo and Norman’s help.
As they all entered the room, Theo asked, “Yo, sup?”
“Sup?” Logan looked at Theo, puzzled.
“Yeah, you know…sup?”
“I think my mate needs more information,” Kieran said, then in a stage whisper, giggled, “He is older, you know.”
“Older? Really? Maybe I need to cut out some nighttime activity so this older mate can get more sleep.” Logan teased.
Kieran’s eyes widened as he realized what Logan was referring to. “No, that won’t help at all, macushla. I think if you did more ‘nighttime activity’ it would keep you young like me. We can start tonight…I have lots of ideas we haven’t even tried, like bonda…”
Logan clapped his hand over his mate’s mouth, then looked at Theo, “What does ‘sup’ mean?”
Giggling at his friend trying to pull Logan’s hand away from his mouth, Theo said, “It’s slang for ‘what’s up’. See…sup! Fionn has been teaching us some slang. Isn’t it cool?”
Not letting an opportunity go to waste, Kieran’s tongue was busy licking the hand covering his mouth, hoping to excite him.
Logan chuckled, pulling his hand away, knowing what his mate was trying to do.
Giving a pinch to Kieran’s nipple, Logan whispered in his mate’s ear, “Later, babe, and then we’ll see who calls it quits first.” Turning to Fionn, he said, “Mystia will be here shortly to help you with your hoard.”
“Who’s Mystia?” asked Fionn.
“Ooohh, she is this really cool witch who’s married to a wolf shifter. You’ll really like her,” said Theo.
“But can I trust her?” asked Fionn.
“My brothers and I trusted her and her husband Jimmy with our lives but you make up your own mind when you meet her,” said Logan.
“Oh here she is now.” After Kieran jumped up from his lap, Logan stood, smiling at his surrogate mother.
Stepping over to where Mystia materialized, Logan hugged her before kissing her on the cheek. “Hi, thanks so much for helping us.”
“Always, mon petit loulou. Now introduce me to the young dragon.”
Leading Mystia over to Fionn, Theo and Norman, Logan said, “Mystia, this is Fionn, ward of Cody and Dylon.”
“Hello, Fionn,” said Mystia
“Wow! You’re the first witch I ever met,” Fionn said, finally getting over his amazement of a witch suddenly appearing before him.
Chuckling, Mystia said, “Well, then, you are lucky I’m a good witch. I understand we need to move quickly. Jackson told me what you need and I have it all arranged. If we could speak in private, I can explain everything.”
“Fionn, why don’t you and Mystia use your bedroom?” Logan offered.
“Uhmm, yeah…sure.” Leading the way to his bedroom, Fionn was finding it hard to believe he was talking to a witch.
Once they were inside, he closed the door and offered Mystia a chair by the window, then sitting at the foot of the bed, Fionn said, “Okay, I’m ready…
” He stopped as Mystia held up her hand with a wand in it, indicating he should be quiet.
That made Fionn nervous, unsure of what the witch was going to do to him.
Shit, I should’ve asked more questions. Eyeing the door, he wondered if he could make it out of the room before he was turned into a toad.
Mystia smiled, knowing what the young dragon was thinking.
Ignoring him, she waved her wand and cast a spell, encasing the two of them in a bubble.
Once she checked the bubble and found it intact, Mystia said, “Fionn, the spell I used will prevent anyone from hearing us while I explain what Jackson has asked me to do.”
“Sound-proof? Really? Nobody will know?”
Chuckling, Mystia answered, “Only you and me. Now, Jackson said this was an emergency so let’s begin.
There is a cavern deep under a mountain on the Blackwood Pack land I have created for your hoard.
Once we transfer it there, I will create a portal to it that can only be accessed by you…
no one else will be able to get in. Jackson has also set up an account for you, connected to the Blackwood Pack, that you can use without worrying about your father being able to locate your hoard by any purchases you make. Do you have any questions so far?”
“Does Jackson know where the cavern is?”
“No, he showed me a map of the Blackwood Pack lands and pointed to a general area he picked because it was close to the house as per Logan’s instructions.”
“What about you? How do I know you won’t take my hoard?”
“Because the portal will be controlled by a password you pick. Without it, the portal is useless.”
Fionn thought it over, then asked, “Why is everyone helping me?”
“Jackson understands how it feels to be alone and also knows how it can change someone’s life if a helping hand is extended in time of need.
The Blackwood Pack was born out of death and has become a beacon of goodness in a world many paranormals have forgotten is possible.
Accept the help my young dragon and in the future when you see another in need of help, reach out. It is all Jackson asks.”
Unsure of what he should do, he decided to use the first of the five times he’d been given by his mother to ask her for help.
Fionn closed his eyes, summoning the spirit of his mother, and asked for her guidance, thankful she taught him how to reach her.
After explaining everything, and getting her blessing, he opened his eyes and said, “Thank you, I accept. What happens next?”
“We need to transfer your hoard. Have you done this before or do you need my help?”
“I can do it but I need to see the space it will go in first.”