Anger, disbelief, worry, and revenge swirled within Smokey after listening to Jackson tell him about the horrors of Theo’s imprisonment at Arald’s. His bear was growling, demanding the man be found and killed. Smokey was in total agreement but the stumbling block was that Arald was already in custody at the High Council and, since Smokey was no longer employed by the Agency, he couldn’t gain access to him. Refusing to allow that small issue to thwart his goal, he began to plan a way to breach the High Council jail without being discovered.
“Smokey!” Jackson said again, more emphatically, trying to get his attention.
Jolted out of his plans, Smokey growled. “What?”
“Forget about it,” Jackson said, quietly. “You getting into trouble is the last thing Theo needs right now. Let the High Council handle it.”
“I don’t think what I do is your business, Alpha. I’m not a member of your pack.”
“You’re right. Until Theo accepts you as his mate, you’re not a member of my pack, but remember, Theo is. So anything you do to adversely affect one of my pack membersismy business. And right now, the last thing Theo needs is the stress of dealing with your desire to extract revenge and the consequences your actions might cause.”
Scowling, Smokey jumped up and began pacing. “What kind of Alpha are you that would allow harm done to a pack member without…without…”
“An Alpha who cares for the well-being of that pack member more than showing the world what a badass he is,” Steel answered, entering the room and heading over to Jackson. Bending down, he brushed his lips against his mate’s before sitting down next to him. Looking at Smokey, who’d now stopped pacing, his eyes narrowed at the man’s aggressive posture.
Seeing the anger in the bear’s face, Jackson quickly laid his hand on Steel’s arm, soothing his mate’s aggravation with Smokey’s behavior. “May I introduce you to the Alpha Mate,” Jackson said quietly. “He has further information concerning Theo’s condition I think you should hear.”
Reclaiming his seat, Smokey knew it wasn’t gonna be good if the look on Jackson’s face was any indication, but he forced himself to say, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
~/~/~/~/~
After promising Jackson he would not seek out Theo until given permission, Smokey left the study, heading outside. He needed the peace of the forest to help settle his thoughts about what his options were concerning his mate. Opening the front door, he stepped outside, ignoring his bear’s objections. While he could understand and even agree with his animal’s demand for vengeance, he knew they belonged here with their mate. Revenge would have to wait.
Pausing on the porch, Smokey glanced around, smirking at the enforcers casually scattered around the edge of the forest. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind what their assignment was but that wouldn’t be necessary. He had no intention of doing anything that would cause his mate more anxiety. Nodding briefly to the leader, he stepped off the porch, heading for a path leading into the trees.
The quietness of Smokey’s footsteps on the thick bed of pine needles had the effect on his bear he hoped for. The anger was gone, stripped from his animal by the stillness of the forest surrounding them. Now he could think without dealing with the wild mood swings of his bear.
Moving slowly through the trees, Smokey let his senses savor the forest sounds and scents, reminding him of the many times spent with his grandfather learning the ways of the ancient ones. He kept that knowledge locked up, guarded against all who might seek to destroy it or use it for nefarious purposes. It was a part of him that had remained a secret—at least most of it—from even his two best friends.
But somehow Ghost had found out about some of it, which is why he’d insisted Smokey use it to save Harte. Thinking it over as his mind cleared in the peaceful surroundings of the forest, the impact of Ghost’s knowing about his power chilled him to the core. Not only did it expose him to danger, but it also compromised his friend—who couldn’t possibly know how vulnerablehemight now be.Dammit!
Continuing on the path, Smokey headed deeper into the forest, letting the shadows cool his agitation. Ghost’s knowledge would have to be handled soon, but there were other matters he needed to figure out first. Turning his attention to his mate, the image of Theo filled his mind, causing his bear to roar in approval.I agree…our mate is gorgeous…and brave…and smart!Everything he learned from Jackson told him the Fates had found him a mate worthy of sharing the world he was born into; the problem was Theo was already spoken for.
Fucking hell!Slamming his fist into the trunk of the nearest tree, Smokey howled in frustration, cursing the turn his life had taken. Nothing had ever been easy, so why did he expect his mating to be? Rubbing his fist, he resumed walking, concentrating on the questions Jackson asked him, questions he hadn’t been able to answer.
He decided to start with the easiest one.Can you raise Theo’s cub even though you’re not the father?Smokey carefully examined his feelings and those of his bear and after talking it over with his animal, he knew the answer. Blood alone did not make a father, but the love he already felt for the cub certainly did. And the thought he might never get to show the cub his love caused a deep ache in his heart.
Trying to ignore it, Smokey moved on to the next question.Can you accept the father of the cub and welcome him into your mating?Listening to his bear growl in response, he knew it would be a problem—not for him, but definitely for his animal. That was the reason he couldn’t immediately give Jackson the assurances he was looking for. As far as he was concerned, he owed…what was his name? oh yeah, Norman…Norman for saving Theo’s life. According to Jackson, Norman was the reason his mate made it through the hell of Arald’s prison.
Pausing as the growls of his bear grew louder, Smokey gave his animal the finger, refusing to kowtow to his demands this time. It was rare for Smokey to stand up to his bear, but too much was at stake to give in. Finding a fallen tree trunk, he sat down on it and called to his animal’s spirit, seeking a meeting with him. Once the spirit appeared, Smokey closed his eyes and released control of his human spirit. Falling into a trance, he watched and listened as his spirit explained the issues to his bear’s spirit. Smokey knew the only way to gain his animal’s cooperation was if their spirits were in agreement.
Finally, the two spirits faced Smokey and his bear, announcing their decision to accept Norman into their mating with Theo. Then they vanished and Smoky was left with a grumbling bear. “I wouldn’t have had to do that if you’d just listened to reason,” he muttered, rising from his impromptu seat.
Brushing off his jeans, Smokey continued his hike, focusing on the next question.Can you accept me as your Alpha if Theo and Norman decide to stay in the pack?His knee-jerk reaction was a ‘hell no’ but fortunately he kept that to himself. It was a fair question. After all, his mate and Norman had settled in, found a purpose and were very happy, according to Jackson. But a Grizzly bear in a wolf pack? That was what worried him because his species were loners. But then so were Siberian tigers and neither Willow nor Glenn seemed to have a problem living with a bunch of wolves.
Smokey decided more information was needed, starting with a discussion with Theo and Norman. If, after meeting him, they decided to leave the pack, then an answer to Jackson’s question wasn’t necessary. But if the opposite were true, then he would talk to Glenn and Willow to find out how they were handling living under the rule of an Alpha wolf. Satisfied with his plan of action, Smokey turned around and headed back to the pack house, hoping Theo had changed his mind about him.
Chapter 24
Jackson glanced at his mate. “Any thoughts about this mess?”
Rubbing his chin, Steel stared at the chair Smokey had recently vacated. “Well…I think Smokey is an okay guy.”
Snorting, Jackson pushed back from his desk. “So do I but what we think doesn’t mean squat. It’s what Theo thinks and so far…”
“He wants nothing to do with him…and I get it,” said Steel, “but he never gave Smokey a chance. Just rejected him outright.”
“Babe, I don’t think he did it to hurt Smokey.”
