Chapter 22

Holy fucking shit!Jackson's mind just kept repeating it over and over as he sat there staring at Smokey. Lord Manetu…holy fucking shit! It was a gift he'd never heard of before; no wonder Smokey had kept it a secret. If the word got out, there'd be no end of unsavory characters trying to capture him in order to gain control of it. Holy fucking shit! Shifting his gaze to Dylon, he shook his head and, after getting the same response from him, he knew they were both thinking the same thing.

"Say something…please?" Theo asked Jackson, worried when the room had gone silent. He could feel the tension build again in Smokey and the only person who could ease it was the Alpha.

Glancing at Norm, Smokey saw the bewilderment caused by Jackson's silence, but he wasn't surprised. Keeping his secret was a heavy burden, as he knew after a lifetime of doing it, I wouldn't blame Jackson if he wanted no part of…

"Smokey," Jackson said, finally breaking the silence and pulling Smokey out of his internal thoughts. "Who…"

Fuck, here it comes.Well, Smokey was going to save Jackson from having to say it; Jackson had been a good alpha to his mates, so it was the least he could do. "I can leave tonight…but is it all right if Norm and Theo stay…at least until our cub is born?"

Snapping his head around, Theo stared at his mate. "What? No, no, no…if you leave, we leave. Isn't that right, Eagle Feather?"

"That's right, Shining Star. If Golden Sun leaves, then we go with him," Norm said.

"Wait a minute," Dylon said. "What's these new names you're using?" But his question went unanswered as if it had never been asked.

Smokey glanced at Norm, before turning to Theo. "Don't worry about me…I can go stay with Ghost."

"We're coming too!" Theo replied emphatically.

"Sweetheart, I would love that but there isn't a doctor there. Stay here, have the cub and as soon as you and the baby can travel, I'll come get you, I promise."

"I'm with Theo…we're going with you," Norm said stubbornly.

"Who said anything about leaving?" asked Steel.

A loud whistle from Jackson silenced the room and suddenly all eyes were on him. "Good, now that I have everyone's attention, let's begin again. I was going to ask who else knows about your ability, Smokey."

"Oh…well, my mates, you, Steel, and Dylon…however, I'm sure Willow and Hope might suspect something, as well as Ghost," Smokey said, pausing to think. Then he said, "Oh wait, my parents and grandfather but they're dead so I guess they don't count."

"Does Kevin or his parents know?" asked Jackson.

Shaking his head, Smokey said, "No, my grandfather warned me not to tell anyone…and I didn't, not until I met my mates. They had a right to know in case it was too much…"

"Never!" cried Theo, leaning over to hug Smokey. "We love you…all of you!"

Patting Theo's arm, Smokey murmured, "I love you both."

"Smokey," Jackson said, after getting his thoughts back on track, "you don't have to worry about your secret getting out. I don't have time to go into it now, but this pack has lots of secrets so you're safe here. What we do need to figure out is what to tell Nicolet about your lack of bullet wounds."

"Don't forget Willow," Dylon said.

"Yes, her too," Jackson agreed. "Okay, I'm open to ideas…anyone got any?"

Shrugging, Theo said, "Why doesn't Smokey just deny he was shot? After all, there isn't any proof of it on his body."

"What about Willow?" asked Steel. "She was shot too."

"Unless there's proof of that on her body, I don't think she'll be of any help to Nicolet either," Dylon said.

Raising an eyebrow, Jackson looked at Smokey. "Did you do the same to her as you did to yourself?"

"I did…Nicolet won't find any evidence she was shot."

"So that leaves only Hope," Steel murmured. "She was there when it happened and if Nicolet insists on questioning her…"

"He'll need my permission to do so," Jackson said. "And I have every right to refuse due to the mental and physical stress Josiah inflicted on her…and Mac would back me up on that."

"Reeve could always subpoena her for a deposition," Steel said.

"And I have the right to fight it as her Alpha," Jackson snarled. "If Nicolet had done his job in the first place, Josiah would never have been on my land."

"You have a point," Dylon said. "It really depends on how far he wants to push it."

"He did say he only wanted to talk to Smokey," Steel reminded Jackson.

"True…damn it, I wish I knew more about him," growled Jackson. I don't even know what kind of paranormal he is.

"I thought you said he's acting Alpha of the Silver Point Pack," Dylon said. "So, he has to be a wolf shifter, right?"

Shrugging, Jackson said, "Can't tell. He's concealing his scent if he is."

"No one knows what he is," Smokey said. "When I was at the agency, he was one of our trainers and he kept it a secret no matter how many times he was asked."

"Hmm…a mystery man," Jackson mused. "I wonder what he's hiding?" Just then his phone buzzed with an incoming text. Picking it up, he read the message, then looked at Smokey. "Nicolet's here and has asked to speak to you alone."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Steel said.

"I agree," Jackson said. "I don't know why he wants to, but I don't like it. It gives him the upper hand."

"In what way?" asked Norm.

"Without a witness, Nicolet can claim Smokey admitted there wasn't a reason for him to kill Josiah," Jackson replied. "His word would carry more weight than Smokey's denial that he ever said that."

"Why don't you tell him either he speaks to Smokey in front of all of us, or he can wait until Penn can come and be with Smokey during his interrogation," Steel suggested.

"Good idea, babe," Jackson said. "Is that all right with you, Smokey?"

Before answering, Smokey looked at his mates and, after getting their nods of approval, he turned back to Jackson. "That's fine."

"Okay," Jackson said. "So the plan is for Smokey to deny being shot, right?"

"Actually, it would be better if he didn't say anything," Dylon replied. "Nicolet can direct his questions to you as Alpha and that way, it will help us figure out his end goal. Once we know that, we can figure out what the next step will be to protect Smokey."

"I like that idea," Jackson said, smiling. "Are you good with it, Smokey?"

Nodding slowly, Smokey thought it was a brilliant plan based on his past experiences with Nicolet. The man always knew what buttons to push to make him feel two feet tall. "I am…and I just have one addition to make…after you figure out what his intentions are, could you insist on a break so we can…"

"Excellent idea," Jackson said. Then looking at Theo and Norm, he added, "Regardless of what Nicolet says about Smokey, you two must remain silent. I know how hard it will be, but this is not the time for you to defend your mate."

Norn glanced at Theo; after seeing the confirmation in his eyes he turned back to Jackson. "Understood…we won't say a word."

"Good." Picking up his phone, Jackson sent a text to Groose and, after reading the return reply, he looked up at everyone in his office and said, "Showtime."

~/~/~/~/~

Reeve waited in front of the house, staring off into the distance, deep in thought about a recent conversation he'd had with his boss about the Council's position on Josiah's death. He had some doubts but had to admit it would make his life easier.

"Mr. Nicolet?"

Looking over his shoulder, Reeve saw one of Jackson's enforcers. "Groose, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's me," Groose replied.

"Is Jackson ready to see me?" Reeve asked.

"This way, please."

Following him, Reeve noted that the enforcers had surrounded him without any command from their boss. I have to hand it to Jackson…he certainly has trained his men well. In fact, there was a whole lot about the Blackwood Pack he admired, mainly Jackson's loyalty to his members—a quality every Alpha should have but sadly lacking in many packs he'd visited.

Entering the house, Reeve smiled briefly, remembering his first visit and the noisy game of hide and seek. But this time, the great room was deserted, and he suddenly realized how much he missed the boisterous sounds of youngsters that gave life to a space. Shaking off a sudden wave of melancholy, Reeve forced his thoughts to focus on the upcoming meeting.

~/~/~/~/~

"Is it true?" Kahn demanded, his fists on his hips.

Inwardly sighing, Heath remained at the kitchen counter and continued to pour himself a cup of coffee, preparing for what might be a long night. Somehow, he guessed Kahn had found out about his father's death and had come to him for confirmation. "Is what true?" he replied, still not looking at Kahn. Maybe, just maybe, he'd get lucky.

"Is my father dead?"

Fuck!"Where did'ja hear that?" Heath asked, pretending to be surprised.

"Dammit, look at me!"

Setting down his coffee cup, Heath slowly turned around and leaned back against the counter. "Okay, now what?"

"Is. My. Father. Dead? And no bullshit, Heath."

Heath studied Kahn's face, and what he found there helped him make a decision. "Yes, he is." Then holding up his hand to stop Kahn, he continued, "That's all I know. Reeve will be here tomorrow to break the news to your mother and sisters, so save your questions for him."

Stunned, Kahn remained rooted to the spot, trying to process the shattering news Heath had just confirmed. My father's dead…finally, I'm free…and so is my mother and sisters. Can our nightmare really be over? Or is it just the beginning of another?

Other than Kahn blinking once, he might as well have been frozen for all the reaction Heath saw, and that was surprising although he wasn't sure why. From everything he'd heard, Kahn's father wasn't supportive of his son's chosen career, so it could be he was relieved, or maybe it was grief at the loss of his father that now had him acting as a statue. Either way, Heath was at a loss for how to handle the situation.

Closing his eyes, Kahn tried to shut out Heath and the outside world. I need time to think. It didn't work because he could hear every damned sound around him. Unwilling to remain in the kitchen, he turned and headed toward the door, praying he wouldn't run into his mother on the way to his bedroom. She could always tell if Kahn was upset. Just before he left the room, Kahn looked over his shoulder at Heath. "Don't tell my family…I'll do it…soon." After seeing Heath nod, he walked slowly out of the kitchen with his head bowed.

Letting out a long sigh, Heath turned back to his mug, tossing the cold contents down the drain. Filling it again with fresh coffee, he took a swallow, wincing as the steaming liquid burned its way down his throat. Turning off the light, Heath walked downstairs to the soundproof room to call Reeve—something he wasn't looking forward to.

~/~/~/~/~

Entering Jackson's study, Reeve's eyes were drawn to Smokey, before returning his gaze to the Alpha. His animal sensed the tension in the room but it was nothing to worry about; in fact, he could use it to his advantage.

Gesturing to the chair in front of his desk, Jackson said, "Please sit down, Mr. Nicolet."

Oh…so formal.Reeve held back a chuckle. Glancing around the room, he noticed three new shifters he hadn't met before…one was a wolf and the other two were bears. Hmmm…they must be Smokey's mates; so that much is true. Deciding to ignore them for a moment, Reeve focused on the unknown wolf shifter, noting his power that even his animal could feel.

"What do you want to speak to Smokey about?" asked Jackson.

Turning to Jackson, Reeve replied, "It's a private matter."

"Not if it concerns Josiah," Jackson answered smoothly.

"It doesn't."

"Then why are you here?" asked Jackson. "This afternoon, you were quite insistent about speaking to him regarding Josiah's death. Has something changed that I should be aware of?"

Ahh…now Reeve understood the hostility coming from each person in the room. "Actually, yes. There isn't any need to investigate the circumstances leading up to Josiah Silver Point's death because once I informed the High Council that you regarded it a legal kill and was satisfied with the outcome, they considered the matter closed."

"That's good news," Jackson replied, smiling briefly. "However, that makes your request to speak to Smokey privately all the more puzzling."

Nodding, Reeve said, "I understand…but there's nothing to worry about. I have some information to give Smokey that concerns him, personally. I won't take more than five minutes of his time."

Smokey was mystified. He couldn't think of anything that Reeve…oh shit, he knows about Riley hacking the agency's files. He probably wanted to issue a warning to stop or else, and Smokey would rather that be done in private without getting Jackson involved.

"I'm not convinced…"

Smokey interrupted Jackson before he could finish. "That's okay with me…is there someplace we can use?"

Leaning over, Norm whispered in Smokey's ear, "Are you sure? Theo and I can be there in case he tries to pull any funny business."

"Not necessary, I'll explain later," Smokey whispered back.

"You can use this room," Jackson said, rising from his chair. He wasn't sure what Smokey was up to, but he trusted the grizzly knew what he was doing.

Keeping his face impassive, Reeve felt the gaze on him as each one left the room, fighting a smile at their protectiveness of Smokey. When the door shut on the last to leave, he turned to Smokey and said, "I've been waiting a long time for you."

"You have?" Smokey asked, confusion showing on his face.

Chuckling, Reeve said, "Both me and my animal to be exact."

"Your animal?" Smokey asked. "I don't understand…you knew where I was except for the last five years. And even then, you could have found me. And what does your animal have to do with me?"

"So you still don't know who I am?"

"Uhm…Reeve Nicolet…trainer from hell."

Laughing, Reeve said, "I guess I deserve that."

"Well I sure as shit didn't deserve that treatment."

"At the time, I thought you did," Reeve said.

"I don't know why, but that's history," Smokey muttered.

"Besides me being the trainer from hell, what else do you know about me?" asked Reeve.

Shrugging, Smokey said, "Not much, given I have no fucking idea why we're playing twenty questions."

Pausing for a moment, Reeve stared intently into Smokey's eyes, finding exactly what he and his animal had been biding their time to see for many years. He'd been close to returning to the Great Spirit to confess his failure, but something always stopped him. Now he knew what his animal had known all along.

Locking his eyes with Smokey's, Reeve announced quietly, "I am Tatanka Spirit. We have been waiting for you, Lord Manetu."