Chapter 29

“What the hell happened, Oracle?” Jackson asked. It wasn’t his intent to be so brusque but there wasn’t time for niceties. “Who shot Cain? And where the hell is Frank?”

“Mystia is trying to find that out right now,” Oracle replied, sitting down. “All I can tell you is the Fates notified me Cain was in danger and authorized me to use any means possible to remove him from the prison.”

“That’s why you called Mystia?”

“Yes…she was the first person I thought of that had the ability to enter Cain’s cell without going through the normal process.”

“It’s a good thing you sent her. Cain almost didn’t make it, but Smokey saved him, so thank you for getting him here so fast.”

“Where is Cain now?” asked Oracle.

“Steel said Cain was tired and wanted to take a nap so he left him in his bedroom. And I know you’re wondering if I’ve made a decision…I have. Cain is staying,” Jackson said.

“I will inform the Fates.”

“There’s also the matter of Cain’s unauthorized removal from the High Council prison. Dylon has informed me the Council will issue a kill-on-sight order for Cain, not to mention charging me with harboring a fugitive.”

“I will take care of both,” Oracle replied. “The Council has accepted the Fates’ request to release Cain into your custody so I will notify them he is with you and he will no longer be listed as an escaped prisoner. However, the Council will require your signature accepting the release terms, one of which will be the implantation of a tracking device…unless you have changed your mind about Cain having one.”

“No I haven’t, but I want to hold off on it being done right away,” Jackson said.

Nodding, Oracle asked, “Do you know how long you want to wait?”

“No…but I know it won’t happen before Rudy and his gang have been captured and Frank is found. That should give Cain some time to settle in and decide if life in a wolf pack is something he can handle.”

“I will inform the High Council,” Oracle replied. “And speaking about Rudy…has Tristan contacted you?”

“No…I asked Reeve to have him call me, but I haven’t heard from him yet.”

“I am sure you will. Now I must go and inform the Fates of your decision. And, by the way, I have asked Mystia to see you immediately if she uncovers any further information.”

“Thanks,” Jackson muttered, glancing down at the new text on his phone as Oracle left his study. After reading it, he quickly answered Groose, approving his defense plan. The likelihood the Blackwood Pack would be Rudy’s target was slim since killing him wouldn’t make Rudy the Silver Point Pack Alpha, but he agreed with Groose on ‘the better be safe than sorry’ theory. Just as he was about to set his phone down and get back to going over the Pack’s monthly expense report, it began to beep.

Hitting the accept button, Jackson said, “Hello Cousin.”

“I haven’t gotten used to the fact I have so many cousins,” Tristan said, chuckling .

“After this mess with Rudy is over, I’ll have you over for a barbecue. My brother makes a mean steak.”

“Sounds good,” Tristan replied. “Now for some housecleaning…I’m sorry about Reeve’s call…he’s assured me it won’t happen again because he knows the consequences if he forgets who’s Alpha. As for Rudy…my main concern is protecting the members of my pack, but I don’t have enough enforcers to guarantee that, so I’ve come up with two options…the first is to move all my members to the main building and use my enforcers to form a ring around it.”

“That sounds okay,” agreed Jackson, “but unless there are enough enforcers to stand shoulder to shoulder, you run the risk of one or more of his gang sneaking past them. And once Rudy has men inside, he’ll have you under his control…and Tristan, that would be what I’d expect Rudy to do.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Tristan replied. “Which is why I came up with option two…Rudy can’t use or harm any of my pack members if they aren’t here, which leaves him with only one choice and that’s to fight me and my enforcers.”

Impressed by his cousin’s reasoning, Jackson asked, “Where would your pack members be?”

“At my brother’s condo. According to Heath, the building has a number of meeting rooms that could quite easily handle all of them. And there are only two doors, both of which Reeve’s men are guarding now.”

“Sounds like a good plan…what do you need from me?” asked Jackson.

“Could you ask Maximus if he knows how to contact Mystia? I don’t have enough vehicles or ones big enough to move my pack in a timely manner… ”

“And you thought Mystia, being a witch, could use magic to do that,” Jackson finished.

“Exactly,” Tristan replied. “It’s the fastest way I could come up with.”

“Unfortunately Mystia isn’t available,” Jackson said. “But I know someone else who can do it. I’m not sure if you met him when you were here. His name is Remy and is the mate to your cousin, Carson.”

“I’m not sure, but the name sounds familiar,” Tristan murmured, thinking back to the day he met his cousins.

Chuckling, Jackson replied, “Probably because his younger brother Galen was brandishing a sword and warning you not to hurt Remee.”

“Yup, I remember that,” Tristan said, smiling at the memory. “He was quite insistent I would be made to walk the plank if I did.”

“That sounds like Galen. He said the same thing to Carson when they first met,” Jackson replied. “If you’re okay with Remy helping you out…”

“I am,” Tristan replied. “How soon do you think he would be available to move my pack? I’m not trying to rush you but according to Reeve, it could be as little as three hours before Rudy shows up with his companions.”

“I’ll go ask him now,” Jackson said. “And I’ll call you back with an answer.”

“Sounds good,” Tristan replied.

After hanging up, Jackson sat for a moment, thinking about his cousin. He had expected a plea for help, but what he got was a well-thought out plan. That was a pleasant surprise, but his cousin’s determination to protect his pack members over himself was pure Alpha—and Jackson couldn’t be prouder of Tristan for mastering a lesson that many others couldn’t.

Jackson learned in his youth that assuming the leadership of a pack was a two-edged sword with sacrifice and duty on one side and absolute power on the other. It was a constant juggling act to keep everything in balance and he knew from his own experience it wasn’t easy, but the lessons his father drilled into him in his youth helped him navigate the tricky waters of being an Alpha when it had been thrust upon him.

Tristan had lacked that training in his youth and Jackson had expected that when his cousin faced his first crisis, he’d concentrate on saving his own skin. New Alphas, who sometimes made that mistake when their lives were in danger, usually ended up losing their packs. There’s more to Tristan than I first thought…and a barbecue is a perfect way for me to see what else my cousin has in him. Jackson smiled to himself as he pushed back his chair and got up to find Remy.

~/~/~/~/~

Heading over to his grandparents, Tristan was amazed at the number of pack members who greeted him and shook his hand, voicing their support for him. Seeing how warm and welcoming they were touched him and reinforced his decision to become their Alpha. The pack had suffered long enough and it was time their lives took a turn for the better.

Knocking on his grandparents’ door, he noticed new flower plantings in front, along with cut grass and trimmed bushes adorning the house. On the whole, a far better appearance than when he’d first seen it. Turning around when the door opened, Tristan flashed his grandfather a smile. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

“It’s all your grandmother’s doing,” Pete said, chuckling. “Since we didn’t have to pay Rudy and his goons anymore, she decided we could splurge a little and buy some flowers.”

“They look great.”

“Next on her ‘honey do’ list is painting the house.”

“Heath and I can do that.”

“So you sorted out things with your mate, have you?” Pete asked, grinning.

“Yup…fully claimed.”

“Well, you better come in because your grandmother has been on pins and needles about it.”

Walking in, Tristan inhaled deeply, the scent of bread baking in the oven reminding him of home. And in that moment, he realized his grandparent’s home was now his, too. Just as it had been with his mother, it had become a place he knew would always be there for him for whatever his needs might be. “Freshly baked bread…mmm…mmm.”

Bustling out of the kitchen when she heard her grandson’s voice, Kathy greeted Tristan with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then looking around, she asked worriedly, “Where’s your mate?”

“Back at the office,” Tristan replied. “I’m sorry I haven’t brought him over yet but something came up and I could use your help.”

“Anything, sweetie,” Kathy said, pulling Tristan into the kitchen. “Sit down. ”

Doing as he was told, Tristan glanced over at his grandfather who had also joined him at the table. Then, before he could speak, a plate with two slices of freshly baked bread appeared before him along with a jar of blueberry jam. “Oh wow! This smells great!” he exclaimed, looking up at his grandmother. “Mom used to make bread on the days I needed some comfort food. I never did figure out how she always knew.”

“As the great poet said, ‘Ours not to reason how’,” Pete said.

Chuckling, Tristan replied, “Grandpa, that’s not what Tennyson wrote.”

“Oh, I know,” Pete said, chuckling. “But I know he wouldn’t mind me taking a few liberties with it.”

Shrugging, Tristan replied, “Your version certainly works, especially when it comes to my mother knowing what I needed before I did.”

Kathy gave her husband some bread along with a jar of raspberry jam before sitting down between them. “Now, what brought you here today?”

Swallowing his bite of bread, Tristan told them about Rudy’s escape from the High Council prison along with the others, and then explained his plans for evacuating the pack members. “I’m waiting to hear from Jackson but I have a feeling the answer will be yes.”

“That bastard!” Pete exclaimed. “Just let him try to go after you and I’ll show him what’s what!”

“Hush, old man,” Kathy chided. “Putting yourself in danger isn’t going to help anyone, especially our grandson.” Glancing at Tristan, she asked, “What can I do to help? ”

“Time is of the essence, but I don’t have a way to reach every member quickly yet so I thought your Petticoat Express could help spread the word for everyone to show up at the main building. They should also pack a small suitcase for each member of their family because they might be gone for a few days,” Tristan explained.

Nodding, Kathy rose. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll be right back.”

Stunned, Tristan looked at his grandfather after his grandmother left the kitchen. “Where’s she going?”

“To give your instructions to the pack,” Pete replied, spreading a spoonful of raspberry jam on his bread.

“But she left her phone here,” Tristan said, pointing to it on the counter.

“She’s using her computer,” Pete said. “At one point, Rudy threatened to take all our phones away because he caught Old Wolf Johnson trashing him to someone on a call…so the Petticoat Express decided they needed an alternative means to communicate. Her friend, Julia, has a son who’s a computer whizz and he wrote a program for the ladies to use. It worked so well, your grandmother thought it should be expanded to include additional homes in case there came a time when Josiah finally went insane and we all needed to flee. So right now, she’s sending out a red alert to everyone, passing along your orders.”

Laughing, Tristan said, “Josiah never had a chance, did he?”

“Not if your grandma could help it,” Pete said, chuckling. “Let that be a lesson to you, son, never piss off a mother. Kathy never forgave Josiah for what he did to her daughter and every chance she got, she made sure he paid for it many times over. ”

“My grandma…a real badass.”

“That she is,” Pete agreed, taking another bite of his raspberry jam-covered bread.

~/~/~/~/~

Back in his suite, Cain was stunned as he stared at the huge pile of clothes on his bed. He remembered telling Sofia he only needed a few things, but by the time they’d finished, he was the proud owner of more clothes than he ever had before in his life. But that wasn’t all. When she learned he had no shoes except the prison flip-flops he was wearing, she promptly produced a pair of sneakers and a dozen pairs of socks—all of which fit him perfectly.

Reaching into the pile, Cain pulled out a dozen briefs, thinking back to when Sofia accidentally found out his had been left behind in his cell. Even now, he could feel his face heat up with embarrassment when she asked him what style of underwear he preferred. Talking to a woman about his unmentionables was a new experience for him and one he wasn’t eager to repeat again.

Setting the underwear down in a separate pile, Cain went through the rest of the clothes sorting them by type—pants, shirts, and hoodies—before folding them. Sarge had taught him the importance of respecting his clothes since they often meant the difference between being just cold or freezing to death. And even in prison, he took care of the few outfits they gave him, knowing what a hassle it would be to get them replaced.

After the clothes were folded and in neat piles, Cain looked around the room for a metal locker to put them in. As there was nothing resembling the one in his cell, he opened one of the doors in his room, and cried out in surprise when he discovered a bathroom just like Sofia’s.

Forgetting his search for a place to store his clothes, Cain slowly walked in, heading straight for the giant bathtub. It took him only a second to decide everything could wait until after his bath. Turning on the faucet, he tentatively stuck his fingers under the rushing water, relishing the sensation. It reminded him of the time one of his foster parents took everyone camping. The camping part wasn’t that great, but he absolutely loved standing under a small, nearby waterfall.

Undressing quickly, Cain gingerly stepped into the tub, bracing himself on its rim before lowering himself into the hot water. When the tub was filled nearly to the top, he turned the water off, laid back, closed his eyes and began his ascent to heaven.