Chapter 38
“Wait!” Theo exclaimed. “You can read our cub’s mind? What is he thinking? Is he all right?”
“He’s fine, honey bunch,” Norm said softly. “He loves you already.”
“He does?” asked Theo.
“Yup, and can’t wait to meet you and Smokey.”
“What about you? Doesn’t he love you?” asked Theo.
Chuckling, Norm said, “He loves all of us, honey bunch.” Then, turning to Jackson, he added, “I could sense him a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn’t until last week that I could read his thoughts.”
Nodding, Jackson asked, “Anyone else?”
“Wesley and Heather…but not until this morning.”
“That figures,” Jackson mused.
“Why?” asked Smokey.
“Because this morning I decided to send them here…to stay with you guys until the warrants are rescinded,” Jackson said. “I figured it would be the safest place for them to be until I can determine if Norm is the rightful heir.”
“And what happens if he is?” asked Smokey.
“That’s up to Norm,” Jackson said. “He can either claim his position as Alpha or maybe make a deal with the current Alpha to leave you guys alone in exchange for him keeping the position of Alpha.”
“Do you want us to leave the Blackwood Pack?” Theo asked fearfully.
Shaking his head, Jackson said, “Absolutely not! You will always have a home with me, but if Norm is the rightful heir, then your son would be next in line…as Danny is with me. Giving up the Alpha position might also mean giving it up for your son, so that’s something you guys need to consider when deciding. ”
Norm glanced at Theo, then Smokey, before turning back to Jackson. “We will…but can you explain your reaction when I told you I could read Wesley and Heather’s minds?”
“Right…well, I’m not sure, but it appears that your Alpha power views them as members of your pack now.”
“My pack? I don’t have…”
“Yes, you do,” growled Smokey. “Theo, me, our cub, and now Theo’s parents…we’re all members of your pack…the one your Alpha spirit is forming.”
“No…it can’t be…” Norm said, his voice fading as he tried to wrap his mind around it.
“I agree with Smokey,” Jackson said. “When you found your Fated Mate, it started a chain reaction that included the forming of a pack. And it’s probably why the Ghost Bear Alpha is so desperate to get you back.
” Then, seeing the confusion on Norm’s face, he explained, “According to Wesley, you, as the first-born son of the former Alpha, have the Power of the Alpha.”
“Why is that important?” asked Smokey.
“It’s the only thing that will keep a pack together,” Jackson said.
“If you’re correct, then the current Alpha doesn’t have it and he needs Norm to keep his pack together?” asked Smokey.
“Exactly,” Jackson said. “And given the fact that Norm is already assembling his own pack…”
“The ties that bind the pack he grew up in are fraying,” Smokey said.
“What does that mean?” asked Theo.
“If I’m right, it means the current Alpha is desperate to get Norm back to prevent his pack from unraveling,” Jackson explained.
“What about me and Smokey? We have to go also, cuz we’re his mates,” Theo said.
When Jackson hesitated to respond, Smokey studied him and realized there was more to his ‘Power of the Alpha’ explanation, and it had to do with Theo and him. “Tell us the rest,” he said, locking his eyes with Jackson’s. “I can’t protect them with only half the information.”
Sighing, Jackson slowly nodded, then said, “Wesley said the current Alpha needs to kill Theo and the cub in order to keep in power.”
“NO! NO FUCKING WAY!” Smokey roared, pounding the table with his fist. “I’LL KILL THE SONOFABITCH BEFORE THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN.”
Grabbing his mate’s fist before it could connect with the wood again, Norm ordered, “Stop, Smokey…you’re scaring Theo.”
Jerking his head around to Theo, Smokey felt his anger instantly dissipate at the frightened look on his mate’s face, filling him with shame over his reaction. “Oh, hell, Shining Star, I’m sorry…”
Blinking back the tears filling his eyes, Theo whispered, “I’m not scared of you. I’m scared for our cub. He’s innocent in this whole mess…”
“No one will harm you…or your cub, I promise,” Jackson said softly.
“You can’t promise that,” Theo said sadly.
“I can…Once Wesley told me that, I had Remy place a protection spell over the three of you and Theo’s parents. No one who intends to harm any of you will make it through it alive…trust me.”
Relieved at the news, Smokey said, “Thanks…and give Remy my thanks too.”
“I will,” Jackson said. “And I have a favor to ask of you…”
“Shoot.”
“Dylon brought back one enforcer they encountered on the rescue mission…”
“I’ll do it!” Smokey blurted out.
Laughing, Jackson said, “I haven’t asked you yet.”
“Doesn’t matter…count me in.”
“Good, because I need someone to interrogate him, and according to Dylon, you’re one of the best,” Jackson said.
“Just tell me where and when,” Smokey said.
“What do you want to know from the enforcer?” asked Norm.
Jackson pressed his lips together for a moment as he looked at Norm, then finding what he’d hoped for, said, “One question I have is why did the current Alpha decide to act now…what triggered that response in him.”
“And what did you come up with?” asked Norm.
“It has to do with your Power of the Alpha,” Jackson said.
“Wesley said the current Alpha needed it to keep the pack together, but when Theo became pregnant, your Power of the Alpha abandoned your old pack and began to assemble a new one…one that included your mates, the cub, and now Theo’s parents.
If I’m correct, several members have left your old pack, and when that exodus began, the current Alpha realized what caused it.
So, he came up with a plan to get you and Theo back under his control. ”
“What about Smokey?” asked Theo.
“Ah…he doesn’t know about him yet,” Jackson smiled. “And since Ghost Bears always mate in twos, he’s Norm’s secret weapon.”
Glancing at his mate, Norm murmured, “The best secret weapon there is.” Then, turning back to Jackson, he asked, “Do you think the enforcer will tell you how many members have left?”
Snorting, Smokey said, “Trust me…by the time I’m done, I’ll know everything there is about what’s been happening in your old pack.”
Nodding, Norm turned to Jackson. “I want to be there. I have some questions of my own to ask.”
Shaking his head, Smokey said, “No way, Eagle Feather…it’s not safe for you.”
Norm didn’t respond but just stared intently at Smokey until the grizzly bear finally bowed his head in submission. Then, turning to Jackson, he said, “I will attend.”
“Fine…I’ll let you know when,” Jackson said, trying to hide his grin at Norm’s display of Alpha Power with Smokey.
Whatever doubts he may have had about Norm being the rightful heir to the Ghost Bear Pack had been dispelled.
Now all he had to do was prove it in a court of law, and that started with…
“So do I have your permission, Norm, to take a sample of your hair for a DNA test?”
Norm looked at his mates and asked, “What do you think? Should I do it?”
“If it will help prove you are who I now believe you are, then yes…I’m all for it,” Smokey said.
“Does that mean you want to move back and become the Alpha?” asked Theo.
“No, honey bunch,” Norm said. “It just means we need to find out if Jackson is right, because if he’s not, then there’s no reason to go further with it, and we’ll have to find another way to get the warrants dropped.”
“Okay,” Theo said, “then I agree with Smokey. Let’s do it.”
Norm turned back to Jackson. “You have my consent. How long will it be before you find out what it shows?”
“A day or maybe two…it all depends on how quickly Ian can get both samples to the lab.”
Nodding, Norm asked, “Are you gonna do it now?”
“No, Mac will as soon as he gets here.”
“What about my parents?” asked Theo. “Will they be here soon?”
“I have to speak with Tristan first and, once that’s done, Remy will bring Ollie, Mac, and your parents here,” Jackson replied.
“Oh…I better prepare a couple of rooms for them,” Theo said, rising from his chair.
“Shining Star,” Smokey said, “Heath said all the rooms have been cleaned.”
“I know, but I just want to make sure.”
Norm looked at Smokey. “Go upstairs with him, will ya? I just need to speak to Jackson for a moment, then I’ll be right up.”
Getting up, Smokey held out his hand for Theo to grasp. “C’mon, Shining Star…let’s make sure there are clean sheets, towels, and whatever else you think is needed.”
Norm’s eyes followed his mates out of the dining room before he said to Jackson, “There’s more I can do that I haven’t told either of them yet.”
“I figured,” Jackson said. “Wesley told me there were other abilities the first-born son of the Alpha gets when he finds his Fated Mate, but he didn’t know what they were.”
“When I was twelve, my mother took me for a run, and that’s when her bear told my bear. When I asked her about it, she wouldn’t answer me, but she made me promise never to tell anyone what happened.”
“What will you do when the DNA test proves you are the rightful heir?” asked Jackson. “Are you gonna tell your mates about your other abilities?”
“Yeah…but not right away,” Norm said. “Theo and the cub’s well-being come first, and you saw how upset he was about the possibility of leaving the Blackwood Pack. He doesn’t need that kind of stress right now.”
“I totally agree with that,” Jackson said, “But as I have told some of my brothers, keeping secrets from your mate…or mates in your case…is something that can come back and bite you in the ass.”
“I know,” Norm murmured. “And trust me, I will tell them…and you… about everything when the time is right.”
Nodding, Jackson stood. “I always appreciate a heads-up. Now, I better go find my cousin, otherwise Steel is gonna have a fight on his hands. Theo’s parents are champing at the bit to see their son.”
Pushing back his chair, Norm rose. “I better see what my mates are up to. Knowing Theo, he probably insists that everything needs to be cleaned again. And by the way, Tristan is outside waiting for you,” he said, winking at Jackson.
Grinning, Jackson headed to the front door, realizing Norm had just revealed another ability he had gained.
~/~/~/~/~
It was hard for Sofia to believe that Cain was the same person she’d known, as he excitedly described his nighttime trip to the library and his chat with Steel.
Watching him, she noted Cain’s sparkling eyes, many smiles, and the happiness that exuded from him as he spoke.
It was amazing, and yet, she wondered when, or if, he might retreat into his former shell—the one life had given him when it took everything from him.
“So, do you think it’s all right if I start right away?” Cain asked eagerly. “I know you have a schedule for me, but some seeds that Theo left should have been planted last week, but I think it’ll be okay since there’s still enough time for them to grow.”
Smiling, Sofia said, “Of course, we can head down there in a moment…the schedule can be changed, but taking on the garden seems to be a lot for you to do by yourself.”
“That’s why I wanted to get started as soon as possible.”
Tapping her chin with her finger, Sofia thought for a moment, then said, “Lucius, David’s friend, might help you. His mate is Brady, who has the most beautiful rose garden I’ve ever seen. Would it be okay with you if I ask him?”
Cain’s brow furrowed for a moment before asking, “Is he a shifter?”
“No, sweetie,” Sofia said. “He was once human like us, but then a terrible vampire bit him and changed him. He’s still trying to figure out his life, and my David has been a good friend to him.”
Cain’s eyes widened as he whispered, “A real vampire? Will he change me into one? I don’t think I want that.”
Smiling, Sofia shook her head. “No, dear boy, Lucius would never do that. However, he remembers what it’s like to be human, so I think you would get along with him quite well…and besides, he loves flowers, which he has in common with you.”
“What about his mate? Will he be angry if I spend time with Lucius?” asked Cain. “Would he bite me?”
“Brady? Heavens no,” Sofia said. “He’s not a vampire.”
Cain sighed in relief at that news. He certainly didn’t want to become a vampire because he couldn’t see himself biting another human, or for that matter, drinking their blood.
Ugh! Just the thought of doing that sent a shiver up his spine, so it was a good thing Lucius’ mate wasn’t a vampire, but then he wondered, “Is he a shifter?”
“No, dear, he’s a magic user,” Sofia replied, and then, seeing the fear on Cain’s face, quickly added, “However, he can’t use his magic.”
Intrigued, Cain asked, “Why not? Was it his punishment for doing something bad?”
Chuckling, Sofia said, “Absolutely not. He got very sick as a child and nearly died. He was lucky to recover, but his ability to use magic was gone.”
Cain thought about that for a moment before concluding he was safe from Lucius’ mate, but he was still nervous about being bitten. “Are you sure David likes Lucius?”
“Very sure, sweetie. They’re very good friends, which makes me quite happy since my David didn’t have any friends growing up.”
“And Lucius won’t care that I’m human?”
Shaking her head, Sofia said, “I’m positive. Do you want to meet him? I can ask David to bring him up here without telling him anything about helping you in Theo’s garden. That way, if after meeting him, you decide you'd rather do it by yourself, no one will know other than you and me.”
Cain sat there, thinking about what he should do.
He hated making decisions, especially ones that could have dire consequences for him.
It was something he learned growing up in foster homes, and he had continued it into his adulthood—where it was much harder to do, especially with Sarge.
His friend insisted on giving him choices.
And it was one of those choices he picked that ended up getting Sarge killed.
Then he went to prison and found it made everything easier for him since all he had to do was to follow whatever the guards told him to do.
But now, Sofia was asking him to make a choice, and the fear of picking the wrong one filled him once again.
Watching Cain closely, Sofia could see him retreating into that shell she was so desperate to get him out of. Without waiting for an answer, she said, “Meeting Lucius can wait for the moment. Instead, why don’t we head down to Theo’s garden and you can show me what needs to be done?”
Grateful for the reprieve, Cain nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Good, then let’s go.”