Chapter 27

Opening his eyes, Smokey found himself looking into Norm's. "You're awake."

"I was thinking about yesterday," Norm whispered.

"What about it?" Smokey whispered back, following Norm's lead. Theo was still sleeping and, after the stress of yesterday, he knew his mate needed it.

"How we almost lost you."

"But you didn't."

"This time," Norm whispered. "But what about next time? I shouldn't have let you go after Willow alone."

"And leave Theo alone with all the kids without knowing who was shooting? It was better that you stayed," Smokey said.

"My brain agrees with you, but my heart doesn't," Norm whispered. "We can't lose you…Theo and me…we need you."

Smiling tenderly at his mate, Smokey whispered, "I can't imagine my life without you and Theo in it either." It was time to finish their claiming, but before that could happen, he had to see Dylon. "Is it Theo's turn to make breakfast?"

"Nope," Norm whispered, grinning.

"Good…will you stay with him while I go talk to Dylon?"

"What do you need Dylon for?"

"Uhm…something to do with Glenn," Smokey whispered, blushing.

Norm studied Smokey's face, then smirked at his mate's embarrassment. Whatever Smokey wanted with Dylon certainly had nothing to do with Glenn. "Sure…but hurry back. Theo will be awake soon."

"I won't be long," Smokey whispered, easing himself out of the bed, careful not to disturb Theo. Throwing on jeans and a t-shirt, he slipped out of their bedroom, heading downstairs to Dylon's office. He wasn't sure if Dylon would be there yet, but it was a better option than knocking on his bedroom door.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Smokey paused when he heard cabinet doors opening and shutting in the kitchen. Turning away from the noise, he padded barefoot down the hallway to Dylon's office. He didn't know what to make of Dylon. According to Glenn, the man was a jerk, but he hadn't gotten that impression yesterday—or maybe Dylon acted differently when he was around his Alpha.

Reaching Dylon's office, Smokey was relieved to see that the door was open. Rapping his knuckles against it, he waited until Dylon looked up from his computer screen. "Do you have a moment?" he asked.

Leaning back in his desk chair, Dylon smiled, waving Smokey in. "Sure, I was just catching up before the twins wake up. It took forever for us to get them settled down enough to fall asleep last night. Have a seat."

Closing the door, Smokey walked over and sat down, glancing around the office. "Nice space you have," he said, nervously rubbing his hands on his thighs. Now that he was here, how to start the conversation had flown from his mind. The man in front of him was pure muscle and power and, while Smokey wasn't lacking in either of those attributes, he knew Dylon could easily take him down.

Before Smokey could start, Dylon said, "I didn't get a chance yesterday to personally thank you for killing Josiah. He's been a thorn in our sides for quite a while. I'm not sure how much you know about what he did, but I'll bet anything Jackson and his brothers slept better last night than they have at any time since the massacre."

"That's good to hear. Theo told me he was evil but…"

"He was…to the core." Pausing for a moment, Dylon asked worriedly, "Is there a problem with Theo's cub?"

"What? No! At least I don't think so. Why did you ask? Did Mac say something?"

"Whoa," Dylon replied, holding up his hands to stop Smokey. "No one told me anything. The only reason I asked is because of how nervous you are. If it's not Theo, then why are you acting like a cat on a hot tin roof?"

Smokey's cheeks burned bright red before he could hide his face in his hands. Talking about his sexual exploits had never bothered him before, but then he'd never faced this particular issue before. It certainly was nothing he could talk to Glenn or Ghost about, so that left only Dylon. He would just have to swallow his embarrassment and do it.

Smokey's behavior confused Dylon for a moment until he remembered something Jackson had told him yesterday, and then all the puzzle pieces fell into place. Knowing how hard it would be for him to talk to a relative stranger about it, he was impressed by Smokey's courage. Deciding it would help if he broke the ice, Dylon said, "I haven't told anyone this, but when I was shipped off to a Shaman who taught me how to be a Dom, I could never picture my mate submitting to me, especially since he'd be a wolf. But I was proven wrong when I met Cody."

"Cody is submissive?" Smokey asked.

"Yeah, but he didn't know it until we met."

"I don't understand. How come?"

"It just never occurred to him that he was. The same way Theo never knew he needed the structure being submissive gives him."

"That's what Norm said."

"Nor did Norm know he was actually a Dom," Dylon replied.

"He told me Theo kept asking him for more…"

"And I bet he told you Cody sent him to me for help."

"Yeah…but I still don't understand why. Theo's an Omega…wouldn't it be enough that Norm's an Alpha?"

"It probably would under normal circumstances, but then that's not what happened to Theo and Norm," Dylon said. "You have to remember they were taken from their home and shipped thousands of miles away from everything they knew. When they woke up, they found themselves chained and locked in a filthy cell where they were not permitted to shift. The only reason Theo didn't die was that Norm and Kieran kept him alive. And that's why they all share such a tight bond, even to this day."

Smokey's eyes glowed red with anger. "That asshole needs to die for what he did to my mates! A prison sentence would be too good for him."

Dylon chuckled. "I agree with you, but not by either of our hands. Did you know that Arald killed Jake and Jessica's parents just to get the twins who he planned to sell?" Seeing the disbelief on Smokey's face, he continued, "It's true. Thankfully, it was Kieran's job to take care of them and when Cody and I finally freed all of Arald's prisoners, the Fates decided Cody and I should be their parents. As much as I want that asshole dead, I won't do anything that would adversely affect my mate or my pups. Let the High Council take care of Arald while you take care of Theo and Norm."

"Jackson said the same thing to me."

"He's a smart man."

"Yeah…he is," Smokey said, distractedly, his mind still on his problem.

Dylon's eyes narrowed as he studied the grizzly bear. Whatever drove Smokey to seek him out hadn't been resolved and it was still bothering him. Steering the conversation in that direction he began by saying, "I'm not a kiss-and-tell type of guy…whatever we talk about is between us…unless it affects the safety of the pack."

Smokey's eyes widened. "No…no, it's nothing like that."

"Is it about Theo and Norm?" Dylon asked, keeping his voice low.

Sighing, Smokey nodded. "Not so much about Theo but more about me and Norm."

"What about…oh, I understand. It's about Norm being the dominant when…"

Smokey quickly interrupted Dylon. "Yeah…about that. My bear wants to claim him, but as Norm's Alpha."

"And Norm doesn't want that?" Dylon guessed.

"I don't' know…I haven't asked him."

"Why not?"

"After we both claimed Theo, Norm asked me if I had a problem with him as a Dom, and I told him no…that I enjoyed being submissive to him…and now I'm gonna demand he submits to me? I can't do it because I saw how happy he was when I gave him my answer."

"Oh…I see," Dylon replied. "Okay, first of all, the act of claiming your Fated Mate has nothing to do with being submissive or dominant. Has Theo bitten you yet?"

"No. But Norm and I both bit Theo."

"Are you going to allow Theo to bite you even though he's submissive?"

"Of course! That doesn't matter!"

Dylon raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Right! Norm's bear knows your bear is his Alpha merely because your animal is up higher on the predator scale." Leaning forward, Dylon continued, "Claiming unites our animals but that's it. Trust me, whether you are dominant or submissive in the bedroom, it means absolutely nothing when it comes to your animal claiming Norm.

"Outside the bedroom, Theo and Norm see you as their Alpha, as you found out yesterday when you left to go help Willow. Even though Norm wanted to go with you, he stayed and did what you told him to do. If he viewed himself as your Alpha, he wouldn't have obeyed you. Look, I know it's hard to have one part of your relationship dominant and submissive and the other part not, but time will help you and your mates sort it all out…especially once you all are claimed. Then, your mind links will make things easier."

Smokey remained silent for a moment, thinking over what Dylon said. The confusion he'd had about Norm had cleared…enough that he was ready to claim him, but there were still questions about being a good submissive. Never having been one before, he felt there was more he should know. "Uhm…Norm said he watched some videos on YouTube about how to be a Dom…do you know if there are any about how to be a Sub?"

"There are…but I'd recommend talking to Cody first," Dylon said, smiling. "He'll be able to answer your questions…like why you enjoy Norm being in control in the bedroom."

Smokey's face grew hot and he knew it was bright red once again. Dylon had hit the nail on the head; he'd been wondering about that in particular. "I would like that…if he doesn't mind," Smokey muttered.

"He won't…I think the answer will surprise you."

Smiling, Smokey stood. "Honestly, this whole submissive side of me blew me away. I never thought I'd enjoy it so much."

"The Fates knew what they were doing when they gave you Norm and Theo as mates," Dylon replied, shutting down his computer before rising. "Sorry to cut this short but the twins are awake and Cody needs me."

"Nah, that's cool," Smokey said. "I have to get going, too. Thanks for your help."

Slapping Smokey on the back as they headed out the door, Dylon said, "Any time you wanna talk, my door is open."

~/~/~/~/~

Groaning, Kahn rolled over in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Sleep had been elusive and he'd finally given up on getting any more. It was just as well since he could use the time to plan his day. Telling his mother was his first task and, even though he wasn't looking forward to that, it wouldn't be as bad as it would be with his sisters. Both of them grew up sheltered from the harsh reality of who Josiah really was because he and his mother always gave his sisters a false impression of their father. But now, his sisters were about to have their world come crashing down around them when he told them what their father had done.

Sighing, Kahn realized it was a mistake to protect his sisters as much as he had, but at the time it seemed like the right choice. All he tried to do was to make up for the complete lack of interest Josiah had in his daughters. He was sure his mother had gone along with it simply because she couldn't bear to see her girls hurt. And Josiah knew how to do that very well.

Missing birthdays, holidays, and other important events in his and his sisters' lives was a routine occurrence. It never bothered him since Josiah's absence meant Kahn wasn't subjected to his father's constant cutting, criticisms. But it was different with his sisters. The rare times Josiah was present on special occasions made them happy since he'd be sure to heap lavish praise on them. They never realized their father did it only to impress dignitaries who might be visiting the pack at the time.

Sighing again, Kahn sat up on the edge of the bed, cursing his father once again for the pain his sisters were about to suffer. What a fucking mess. Girding himself for the day ahead, he rose and padded to the shower, wishing it'd be as easy to wash away his father's sins as it was the night sweat from his body.

As Kahn turned on the water, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror over the sink. He winced when he saw the effects of several nights of restless sleep and, involuntarily, one of his fingers ghosted over the dark bags under his eyes. What the fuck did you expect? Turning away, he climbed into the steamy shower, letting the hot water do what it always did for him.

Twenty minutes later, Kahn shut the water off and grabbed a towel. Rubbing briskly, he quickly dried himself before heading to his bedroom. Picking up his backpack from the floor, he searched through it for a shirt that had the least amount of wrinkles. He did not expect to see anyone other than his family, but still, as the new Alpha of the Silver Point Pack…gods I hope no one calls me that or I just might lose it…it was important to look like he hadn't just fallen out of bed after a night of drinking and fucking.

Initially, Kahn had no intention of assuming the title, but during the night he realized it might be useful to counteract Reeve and his demands—especially concerning his mother and his rights as her Alpha. Tucking in his button-down shirt, he grabbed his phone and wallet and then, taking a deep breath, opened his bedroom door.

After several cups of coffee, Reeve resumed his post and, rather than sitting, he chose to lean against the door. Suddenly, he found himself falling backward into Kahn's arms. It took him a moment to gather his wits because his buffalo was bellowing in joy to finally be held by their mate.

"What the fuck?" Kahn growled, shoving Reeve off him. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

Regaining his balance, Reeve glared at his mate. "Just protecting your ass! What the fuck did you think I was doing?" Then, remembering Heath's advice, he lowered his voice and said, "Sorry…I didn't mean to get angry."

"You do that a lot, dontcha?" Kahn asked. "Get angry, I mean."

Reeve ran his hand through his hair in frustration. His mate was right. "I don't usually but I can't seem to help myself with you."

"Great," Kahn replied sarcastically. "Just like my father did."

"No! I assure you I'm not just like your father," Reeve said, gritting his teeth. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to Josiah. "I'm nothing like him."

Kahn rolled his eyes. Leave it to Reeve to misunderstand his comment, but he wasn't interested in correcting him. "Look, if you don't mind moving, I have stuff to do today, starting with a desperately needed dose of caffeine."

"Uh…sure…no wait," Reeve said, "Can we talk…in private? Please?"