Chapter 11

If Jackson thought it would be easier for him to make a decision after Oracle answered his question, he now realized how wrong that assumption had been. Nothing she had said quieted his fears. In fact, all it had done was to raise new doubts. Sighing, he tried to keep his frustration in check before saying, "Thanks…I have some more questions but before I ask them, please finish telling us the rest."

Nodding, Oracle said, "The Fates do not want any harm to come to the Blackwood Pack, so they have included a number of safeguards. First, before Cain Foster is released into your custody, he will be implanted with a device that will pinpoint his location at all times. It cannot be removed or disabled by him or anyone else without your explicit permission. That device will allow you to place limits on where he can go. In addition, your Alpha Power can be used to control him. So, for example, if he decides to use one of the pups as a hostage in order to gain his freedom, you will be able to prevent that by immobilizing him."

"My power? On a human?" asked Jackson, shaking his head.

"Yes, and not only on Cain but also on any other human who poses a threat to our world. The gods and Fates felt it necessary in order to resolve this problem as quickly as possible."

"Whoa," exclaimed Steel. "They aren't kidding around!"

"No they are not," Oracle confirmed. "The Fates and the gods are willing to do everything possible to guarantee the success of this mission…and the safety of your pack."

Rocking back in his chair, Jackson glanced at his mate before returning his gaze to Oracle. "That's good to know…but I'm still concerned about how much of my time this will take up. You referred to him as a wounded animal and that makes him unpredictable, which worries me."

"Maybe that was a poor choice of words," Oracle replied. "Cain puts on a tough front, mostly because it was how he learned to survive in a violent world, but I believe it is a front he uses as protection."

"Contrary to what his file states?" asked Steel.

"Yes," Oracle answered. "I do not know what led him to believe that buying a shifter was a good idea, but when he found himself locked up in a shifter jail, he panicked and has been trying to find a way out ever since. My instinct tells me—and the Fates and the gods assured me—that Cain has good in him."

"Maybe…that has yet to be seen," Jackson murmured, rubbing his chin while his mind was busy processing everything Oracle had said. "How long will Foster be here?"

"For as long as it takes for you to find and eradicate the humans threatening our world," Oracle replied.

"That could be a while, especially since Dylon, Glenn, and Zane have been working on finding out who they are for some time…without much luck, I might add. But I guess that's why Foster was picked to help us," Jackson said.

"Yes, he has a unique skill set," Oracle confirmed.

Jackson turned to Steel. "Any questions? Or are you satisfied with the protections the Fates have given us?"

"Hmm…it does sound okay," Steel said slowly. Then, looking at his mother, he asked, "But what if Jackson finds out it's not enough to keep Foster under control…or maybe Foster decides not to cooperate, then what?"

"To answer your second question, if Cain reneges on his part of the deal, then he will go back to the Council and face the consequences of his crimes," Oracle replied. "As to the first part, if added restraints are required, I will contact the Fates and inform them of the situation. However, I cannot promise that they will respond in a positive manner."

"Of course," Jackson murmured. He knew the Fates were asking a lot of him and his pack and, while it might seem unfair to impose such a burden on them, it made perfect sense, especially since he'd already given the order to find and neutralize any humans who were infiltrating their world. The only difference was the addition of Cain Foster to their team. And that was the crux of the matter. Could he, in good conscience, invite someone into their pack who might pose a physical risk to all of them? And along with that question was his trust in the Fates—was it still unwavering as always? A decision had to be made, but before Jackson could make it, he felt there was one more piece of the puzzle he had to have before that happened. "I want to meet with Foster before I give you my answer. How soon can you arrange it?"

~/~/~/~/~

Knocking on Kahn's bedroom door, Heath smiled, anticipating the reaction to the good news he'd brought. While waiting for permission to enter, he was already thinking about the men who would accompany Reeve's mate to the art gallery. When he heard nothing, he knocked again. "Hey, Kahn? It's me, Heath."

When only silence greeted him, his gut began to churn. Trying one more time without any luck, Heath grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, expecting it to open…but it didn't. "This isn't good," he mumbled under his breath, jiggling the knob harder. "Kahn, open up or I'm coming in!"

Still no answer. A sense of foreboding overcame him. Willing to wait no longer, Heath threw his weight against the door, smashing it open. Once in the room, his eyes searched for Kahn, but no luck. Nor was he in the adjoining bathroom. Motherfucker…where the hell are you!

Panic seized him. Frozen in the middle of the empty bedroom, he frantically ran his fingers through his hair. Think, dammit! Think! Muttering a stream of expletives, he headed downstairs, praying to the gods his boss's mate was there. Reaching the bottom step, his eyes swept the living room. Empty! Turning, he saw Gunter standing at the kitchen doorway. "Hey, have you seen Kahn in the last hour or so?"

"No, why?"

"He's not in his room."

"Oh, he went out," CeCe said, brushing past Gunter, her hands full of snacks. "He said he'd be back later."

"When did he leave?" asked Heath, trying but failing to sound calm.

Shrugging, CeCe said, "I don't know…maybe twenty minutes ago. He said he'd be back and he always keeps his word, so I wouldn't worry." Then, shoving a handful of chips into her mouth, she headed upstairs. Heath slumped against a wall, burying his face in his hands. What the fuck was he going to tell Reeve?

~/~/~/~/~

Following Norm, Smokey realized they were headed toward the kitchen from which an intoxicating aroma drifted toward them. Now he was certain his surprise was a very tasty treat his mate had made. Before he could say anything, Smokey was suddenly assaulted by… What the fuck?

"Hey!" Galen yelled, falling against Smokey. "Danny, stop shoving me."

Eamon, who was hot on Danny's heels, tripped and fell to his hands and knees only to be pounced on by Jessica who'd been close behind him. "Ooh…stop it, Jesse," he cried, yanking his face back. "Quit lickin' me."

Hearing Smokey's growl, Galen looked up. "It wasn't me," he cried, pointing to the wolf pup standing next to him. "He won't leave me alone."

Coming up behind Smokey, Colton stopped in front of Daniel's wolf, shaking his finger at him. "Daniel, stop hunting Galen. He's not prey. Promise you won't do it anymore or else you can't go with Theo."

Go with Theo?Turning to Norm, Smokey asked, "Where's our mate going?"

Before Norm could answer, Jake's wolf attempted to climb up on Smokey, digging his claws into one of his legs. "SHIT!" Smokey roared, reaching down to extract the needle-sharp points.

"Colty, he said a bad word," Galen snickered. "Are you gonna make him stand in the corner?"

Scooping up Jake and Jessica, Colton handed one pup to an astonished Smokey and the other to Norm. "It's best if you keep Jessica away from Eamon…I think she has a crush on him."

"A crush?" asked Norm. "Isn't she a little young?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Colton extended his arm to Galen to help him get up. "If you have a better explanation, I'd love to hear it."

"Colty, can I say bad words now?" asked Eamon, standing up.

"No, you cannot," Colton replied.

"But he did!" Eamon whined, pointing to Smokey.

Colton rolled his eyes at Smokey. "Little pitchers have big ears."

Pushing open the kitchen door, Theo asked, "Who's misbehavin'? No cookies for that person."

Running to Theo, Galen yelled, "Not me! Can I have one now?"

"May I have one now," Theo corrected as he hefted Galen up into his arms with a smile. "Who else wants one?"

"Me!" exclaimed Eamon, running to Theo's side as a chorus of barks joined in.

"Well, then, you all better come in," Theo said, setting down Galen before retreating into the kitchen. "You each can have one now, but the rest is for this afternoon."

After the kitchen door swung shut, Colton smiled. "I have no idea what the noise level will be once our triplets are old enough to join the puppy pack."

"Puppy pack?" asked Smokey.

"The Blackwood Pack Puppy Pack," Norm clarified. "Right now, there're five, but when you add in Rune, Lory, Lili, and Killi…"

"Don't forget Kota and Kieran's pups, and Alex and Theo's cubs," Colton said, grinning.

"So that makes…" Norm said.

"Thirteen," Smokey muttered faintly, finishing his mate's sentence.

"Yup, thirteen," Colton agreed. "At least for now."

Smokey shook his head. "So who's the Alpha of the puppy pack? Or is that still up for grabs?"

"Jackson believes Daniel is," Colton replied. "And that would explain why Danny is after Galen so much."

"Keeping him in line, huh?" asked Smokey, grinning.

"Possibly," Colton said. "Or maybe Danny just wants to play. But regardless, I really appreciate you all helping me out this afternoon. Ian needs his rest and the only way he'd agree was if I took care of Lory, Lili, and Killi."

"No problemo," replied Norm, smiling.

"I'll return the favor when you have your cub," Colton said, before heading to the stairs, eager to get back to Ian.

"C'mon," Norm said, grabbing Smokey's hand. "Theo's waiting for us."

"Wait a minute," Smokey growled, remaining rooted in place. "What did he mean by us all helping him? I don't recall making any offer."

"Of course not. That's because our mate did. C'mon, Theo can tell you all about it."

Shaking his head, Smokey slowly followed Norm, wondering how he'd been roped into whatever Theo had planned for the afternoon. Entering the kitchen, he was nearly mowed down by two, small, naked boys chasing each other while the two older ones sat on the island countertop, quietly munching on their cookies.

Glancing up at his mates, Theo blew a lock of hair out of his eyes before asking, "Can you capture Jake and Danny and dress them for me? They love being wolves but for this afternoon, it'd be better if they're not."

"Sure, honeybunch," Norm said, darting after Jake and scooping him up. Looking over his shoulder at Smokey and grinning, he said, "Daniel is yours."

Smokey just stared at Norm, his body frozen, trying to grasp what his mate wanted him to do… but without success. Daniel's mine? What the fuck does that mean?

"Smokey, snap out of it…grab Danny and get him dressed," Norm ordered.

Shaking his head briefly to clear the fog in his mind, Smokey finally understood what he was supposed to do. Looking around, he saw Daniel reach for a cookie and, seizing the moment, he captured the boy in his arms and sat down on the floor next to his mate. Holding the squirming child wasn't easy and before he could get a firm grip on him, Daniel shifted back to his wolf and slipped free. Rising, Smokey watched Daniel race around the kitchen, avoiding every attempt he made to catch him. Finally exasperated, Smokey turned to Norm, his hands on his hips. "Now what do I do? He won't let me dress him."

Finishing with Jake, Norm lifted him and sat him on the island countertop before handing him a cookie. Then, turning around, he spied Daniel, hiding behind the door. Pointing at him, Norm said, "Daniel, if you aren't ready in the next three minutes, you'll have to stay home and miss out on all the fun this afternoon. What's it gonna be? Should I call your daddy to come get you?"

Snorting, Smokey muttered, "Like he's gonna believe that." But Daniel had shifted back and was running over to Norm. "You got to be shi…" stopping as Norm elbowed him.

"Jackson has a firm rule about no swearing around the kids," Norm murmured. Bending down, Norm opened his arms and caught Daniel as he flung himself at him. "C'mon, Danny boy, time's a wasting."

Smokey's eyes widened as he watched his mate quickly slip Daniel into a t-shirt, briefs, and jeans before pulling on his socks and shoes.

"There, now you can have a cookie…what'll it be…a wolf, dragon, or bear?" Norm asked, standing up.

"A wuf! A wuf" Daniel yelled, jumping up and down.

After handing a wolf cookie to Daniel, Norm looked at Smokey. "I'm guessing you haven't spent a lot of time around kids."

"Nope," Smokey replied, warily eyeing the brood as they sat quietly munching their cookies. However, he wasn't fooled by how angelic they looked.

"I kinda figured that, too," Theo said, placing the rest of the cookies in a big picnic hamper. "So I came up with this great idea, you know, since soon you'll be a father…for you to be around kids and, since we already have a bunch of them here, I figured it would be perfect for all of us to spend some time together to give you a chance to practice your daddy skills. And also because Colton needed some help…and, well, it all worked out perfectly." After closing the hamper, he looked at Smokey and grinned. "Isn't it grand? Perfect weather for a picnic!"

Dumbfounded, Smokey's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally found his voice. "But…but…there's only three of us and if you really want to be accurate…only two, because I'm useless as Daniel just proved."

"You'll be fine," Theo replied, handing the hamper to Norm. "I'm giving you Galen and Eamon. They can't use magic yet, so that should be a good way for you to start. Norm has Daniel and I'll take Jake and Jessica."

"Why does Norm get only one?" asked Smokey, frowning.

"Because you can't handle Danny…remember?" Norm replied, chuckling. "Oh, and by the way…do you like your surprise?"