“I…I…guess they’re all right,” Cain said, shrugging his shoulders. “Honestly…”
Jackson raised an eyebrow. “Please.”
“The last time I was around them was in the foster homes I spent my youth in. Some were good and some you learned to avoid if you could.”
“Did you become close friends with any of them?”
“Nope…never was in a home long enough for that. I kept to myself mostly.”
“Were you close with any of your foster parents?”
“Not really. I learned early on that most foster parents were only in it for the money and didn’t want to get too emotionally attached to any of the kids.”
“You were in a number of homes…were all your foster parents like that?”
Pain so sharp, it nearly doubled Cain over, shot through him as the image of one couple appeared before him. He tried not to dwell on it, lest the familiar feeling of despair envelop him and take him down a road he no longer wished to travel. Closing his eyes and banishing the vision from his sight, Cain murmured, “Not all, but most were.”
Even though Cain had tried his hardest to conceal it, Jackson heard the pain in his voice and he wondered what caused it. But he knew asking that particular question wouldn’t be answered—no matter what it cost Cain. If he decided to accept Cain into the pack, he would eventually find out, but if he decided the man was too dangerous, then it wouldn’t matter what had affected Cain that way.
“My pack is a small one, made up of my six brothers and their mates, my cousins and their mates. We’re all gay and that’s the reason I asked about your sexual orientation. I have no room in my pack for a homophobe. If you join the Blackwood Pack, you’ll be expected to contribute, do your own laundry, keep your personal space clean, and you’ll be on a rotating basis to help with the rest of the chores. You’ll have your own room…a suite, actually, that includes a sitting room and bath, but I would also expect you join us for meals, unless there’s a valid reason youcan’t. In short, you will be treated as every other member of my pack and I will trust you to uphold your end of the bargain by helping me end the threat to my world.
“Before you ask me any questions, I think it’s only fair you know something about me. My father was a cruel man and went out of his way to punish me for being gay. The only thing that saved me from following your path was the love my mother and brothers gave me.” Seeing the look of surprise on Cain’s face, Jackson explained, “When my father beat me so badly that I couldn’t even stand, I vowed it would never happen again. The only way out for me was to run away…which I planned to do as soon as I could shift and heal myself.
“A young wolf shifter out in the human world had no chance of surviving unless they were willing to steal, at the very least. But I was prepared to live a life of crime to escape a life of torture with my father. Before that could happen though, my mother stepped in, defied my father and took me, along with my brothers, away.
“The love she gave me helped heal my soul and the love my brothers gave me forged a bond between us that exists to this day. It was what allowed me and my siblings, who survived my uncle’s hate make it through until we were able to find the happiness we have today. During this journey, I learned one very important fact…nothing is as it appears on the surface.
“As I said, I read your file but it doesn’t tell the whole story and, from my own experience, I know how desperation can drive a good person to do bad things. So if you decide to join my pack, you will start with a clean slate. No one other than my mate will know about your background and, from that point forward, you will get the chance to decide what future notations in your file will say about you. Any questions?”
“Just about a million of them,” Cain muttered.
Chuckling, Jackson asked, “How about you start with the most important one first?”
Frowning slightly, Cain thought for a moment then asked, “Why? Why would you do this, especially since I’ve already been convicted of buying shifters. Why would you risk it? After you’ve struggled so hard to achieve happiness, why would you now risk it by taking on someone who could be dangerous to you?”
“The simple answer is that the Fates have asked me to. But that’s only part of my reason. When my uncle put out a kill order on me and my brothers, we were forced to run but had no resources and nowhere to hide, so it was only a matter of time before he’d find us and kill us. However, two people came to our aid. They gave us a safe haven, even though it meant risking their own lives. And I vowed to myself that if ever I had a chance to do the same for someone in need, I would do it—both to honor their bravery and to pass on their kindness.”
Chapter 36
Stunned, Cain blurted out, “Are you for real? Who the fuck does that for a person they don’t even know?”
“It appears I do,” Jackson said, dryly.
“Yeah, I get that, man…but, are you fucking crazy?”
“Not that I know.”
Shaking his head, Cain muttered, “This has gotta be a trick. Shit like this just don’t happen to me.”
“Well, it has…that is, if you agree to my rules, it will,” Jackson replied. “And make sure to leave your smart-ass attitude in this cell because I won’t tolerate it in my pack.”
“What are the rules?”
“I expect you to be polite to every member of my pack…like you are with me right now…and no fighting. If you have a problem with another member, you bring it to me and I’ll handle it. You will also obey the hierarchy in my pack. As Alpha, my word is law, followed by Steel, who is my mate and holds the position in the pack as Alpha-Mate.”
“What if I screw up…then what happens?”
“It depends on the circumstances…for instance, if you fight with another member and I decide you’re at fault, you can expect to be punished. And before you ask, I don’t believe in physical punishment.”
