Chapter 9
Steel was about to leave Colton and Ian’s room to wake up Lily and Samuel when a movement caught the corner of his eye. Turning quickly, he saw Jackson faint. Reaching for his mate and catching him just before he hit the floor, he then lifted him up, cradled him in his arms and sat down on the bed. “Jackson…babe…what’s wrong?” Steel’s eyes roamed over his mate’s pale face, fear seizing his gut. “Mo chroí…”
Jackson’s eyelashes fluttered several times before opening completely. Staring up at Steel, he asked, “What happened?”
“Don’t know, babe…are you okay?”
Closing his eyes against the cries coming from Colton’s wolf, he shook his head.What the hell did I just do?In the heat of the moment, he’d bound his brother’s wolf to his, not thinking about what the outcome most likely would be.How the hell would his brothers ever understand?
“Babe,” Steel murmured, anxiously. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Covering his face with his hands to avoid what he knew his mate’s reaction would be, Jackson said softly, “My brother’s wolf…is…is dying.”
Frowning, Steel asked, “Why? I mean, how come? Shit…I don’t understand.”
“I shouldn’t have done it…but Mac needs Colton…there isn’t anyone else who can help him and there wasn’t any way I could allow my brother in the room with Mac. At the first scent of Ian’s blood, Colton’s wolf would force a shift in order to protect his mate.”
“I got that…but it doesn’t explain why Colton’s wolf is dying.”
Lowering his hands, Jackson looked at Steel. “I bound his wolf to mine…do you know what that is?”
“No…tell me.”
“Using my Alpha power, I forced Colton’s wolf to be tied to my wolf…meaning he’s now under my control. I didn’t even know it was possible, but a couple of weeks ago, Colton told me about it. He read about it in one of Ian’s ancient medical books when he was looking for a way to assist Mac if he needed to operate on Ian.”
“I never heard of it.”
“I’m not surprised. It faded from usage after it was deemed too dangerous.”
“Because the bound wolf would die?” asked Steel.
Nodding, Jackson said, “It drives him insane. Right now, Colton’s wolf is crying out for his mate, sensing he’s in danger.”
“How long does Colton’s wolf have before he goes over the edge?”
“We don’t know for sure…Colton couldn’t find any records at first, so without knowing more I refused to consider it. But my brother didn’t give up; he went back to the books to see if there was any information about it under Alpha power and he found a first-hand account of what occurred to a wolf who was bound. Colton’s wolf has less than an hour before it’ll be too late to save him.”
“Fuck,” Steel growled.
“I told him it wasn’t long enough. The risk was too great…so many things could go wrong during the operation, even though he assured me C-sections were routine.”
“Let me guess…he didn’t give up.”
Shaking his head, Jackson murmured, “He went to Mac…showed him what he’d found and explained he only wanted it as a back-up in case it was needed. I got the feeling my cousin wasn’t thrilled about it but after Colton pointed out there wasn’t any indication he would be needed, Mac agreed. After hearing them out…and relying on Ian’s tests results, I agreed to it…but only if there was an emergency that absolutely required Colton’s help.”
“Your worst nightmare came true.”
Nodding, Jackson brushed away a tear that escaped his eye. “I couldn’t refuse my brother’s request to allow him to be there if it meant saving his pups.”
“I assume Mac knows he’s working under a deadline now.”
“He does, but he can’t pay attention to that. Colton made him promise to put the pups and Ian first,” Jackson said quietly, getting up off his mate’s lap. “If his wolf dies, so will my brother.”
Rising, Steel wrapped his arms around his mate, pulling him to his chest. He felt Jackson’s agitation and frustration in the rigidness of his body. Unable to offer a solution, he concentrated on supporting his mate instead. Rubbing Jackson’s back soothingly, he flooded the air around them with his scent, hoping it would provide some comfort.
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Dylon stared at the closed operating room door, envisioning what was happening on the other side with Ian; fear was trying to seize control of his mind but he could not allow it. Colton’s life depended on it. Running up the stairs, he headed for his and Cody’s bedroom. There might be a chance for him to save Colton—but there wasn’t a moment to lose.
