“Has another blood rage?” asked Jackson.
“Well…that…and…well, he’s still coming to terms with the things he was forced to do while under Valerian’s control,” Brady said, trying to conceal his anger at that thought.
“I know…and it is something I want to help with. You see, several of my pack members also suffered at the hands of others and, while they’ve made extraordinary progress, I still worry about the long-term effects trauma like that could cause them down the line. Luckily, Dr. Rom DiLupo, a psychologist, will be joining the pack soon and I think it would help Lucius if he talked to him.”
“DiLupo? He’s a wolf shifter?”
“Yes, but trust me, that won’t be a problem. Dr. DiLupo is a recognized expert in the field of trauma therapy and, more importantly, a multiple-species specialist”
Seeing the doubt on her friend’s face, Mystia touched his arm. “Brady…I agree with Jackson. Lucius has a long, hard, road ahead of him overcoming Valerian’s impact on his life. And while I know you want to protect him from more harm, shielding him from the paranormal world he is now a part of will only end up causing him more pain in the end.”
Jackson chimed in. “I know how hard it is to let someone you love be exposed to the danger in our world but my pack can be a safe place for Lucius to explore his new reality without worry on your part. Dr. DiLupo can provide a private place for Lucius to discuss matters that he might not be comfortable telling you because of his need to protect you.”
Remaining silent, Brady was touched by Jackson’s concern for Lucius, putting to rest any lingering doubts he might have had about the Alpha. Just being around the members of the Blackwood Pack would show his mate that Valerian was the exception rather than the rule in the paranormal world. And it was bound to help Lucius navigate his new life. Swallowing the lump in his throat caused by Jackson’s offer, he bowed his head. “Thank you, Alpha. I appreciate your offer more than I can say.”
“You’re welcome, Brady…and please, call me Jackson. I don’t put a lot of store in all the formalities of being the Alpha. I abide by the adage that respect is earned.”
“Yes, Alph…err, Jackson.”
Grinning, Jackson asked, “Ready to begin Operation Freedom?”
“Absolutely!” Brady grinned. “I assume everyone is waiting for us inside?”
“Yup…c’mon. Time to exterminate some vermin.”
~/~/~/~/~
Striding out of the cave, Smokey’s anger surged to the surface as he saw the pile of bodies, knowing it wouldn’t take much for his bear to appear. Stopping in front of Ivan, he asked, “Didja find anything?”
“Nope…no ID or anything else that would explain why humans were after shifters.” Glancing at the cave, he asked, “Everyone okay in there?”
“One gunshot wound…they got here first by about ten minutes buthowis what I want to know. I didn’t pick up any recent human scents on the way up here so how did they get here without us knowing about it?”
“Maybe they came a different way?”
Smokey thought about Ivan’s answer, his eyes roaming over the thick brush of the mountain, before shaking his head. “Look around…the only access to this place is the trail we came up on. Even my bear would have trouble going through that crap.”
“They had to get here somehow.”
“Yeah…send Hawkeye up for a looksee…maybe there’s a path on the other side of the mountain that ain’t on the map.” After Ivan left to deliver his order, Smokey grabbed the arm of one of the bodies and pulled it from the pile. Kneeling down, he started going through the man’s pockets, doing his own search. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Ivan, but after his years in the field dealing with scum, he knew secrets could be hidden in the most unlikely places.
As Smokey expected, the man’s pockets yielded nothing. Removing the blood-soaked shirt, he ripped open the collar, spying a thin plastic band sewn into it. Carefully removing it, he examined both sides, finding only a strange symbol on the back. Pulling out his satellite phone, he snapped a picture and sent it to Ghost and Glenn before resuming his search.
Snorting at the sound of an incoming call, Smokey quickly wiped the blood from his hands, then hit the button. “Sure the fuck took you long enough,”
“Don’t blame me,” Ghost growled, “lover boy was busy with his mates.”
“Fuck off, asshole,” Glenn chuckled before getting serious. “Hey Smokey, want to tell us what’s going on and why you sent us the pic?”
“Yeah…I assume it has something to do with Kevin’s parents, right?” asked Ghost.
After explaining what happened and where he found the plastic band with the symbol, Smokey finished by saying, “They all had the same band sewn into their collars. My gut tells me there’s more to them, but what it could be is a job for Riley to figure out.”
“Tracking device is my bet,” Glenn mused.
“Agreed,” Ghost said. “But who’s tracking them?”
“The Collector?” posed Smokey.
