“What is it?”
“Tristan will need my enforcers, so will you use the Magic Carpet to get them there?”
Bursting out in laughter, Remy nodded. “Did you come up with that name?”
“Nope,” Jackson replied, smiling. “That honor belongs solely to Miss L.”
Chapter 36
Anxious to speak with Dylon alone, Frank glanced at Lizzie who was seated at the side of his bed, holding his hand and said, “Darling, I’m starving.”
“Goodness me! “Lizzie exclaimed. “Didn’t they feed you? What kind of monsters were they? I’ll just go and get you something from the kitchen. I don’t know what there is, but I’m sure I can find something and, if not, I can certainly make you a couple of sandwiches. Is that okay? Or do you want to come with me?”
“That’s fine, Lizzie,” Frank said. “I’ll wait here.”
“Okay,” Lizzie said, letting go of Frank’s hand. Passing Dylon on her way out of the room, she said, “You stay with your father until I get back.”
Dylon nodded and waited until she was gone before turning to his father. “The answer to the question you asked Jackson is yes, Rudy nearly killed me, but luckily, Jimmy found me in time and brought me here where Colton used his Raphael’s Power to save my life.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Frank.
“If I had, what would you have done?”
“Make him pay for it.”
“I figured as much,” Dylon said, quietly. “Tell me Dad, how would you explain the lack of evidence on my body when Josiah demanded proof that I’d been beaten so badly? It was a miracle I lived long enough for Rudy to dump my body in a ditch.” When Frank remained silent, he continued, “Jackson gave me the choice of reporting Rudy or not and I chose not to in order to protect his pack and the secrets it has.
“The kindness Jackson showed me when he ordered Colton to use his power to save my life was something I found hard to believe. During your many years with the High Council, how often have you heard of an Alpha doing that for an enemy? None, I bet. But Jackson did it for me who, just days before, had been hunting him and his brothers to kill them. It boggles the mind, doesn’t it?”
Pausing for a moment to let his father think about it, he then continued, “Rudy had me beaten for days, only giving me enough time between sessions to barely heal before doing it over and over again until my wolf was so weak, I could no longer shift. Then he had his men get rid of me. But in the end he failed and I survived, found my mate, and also a home in a pack with an Alpha I would give my life for.”
Frank looked at his son for a moment before asking, “Are you going to kill Rudy?”
Shrugging, Dylon said, “Only if Jackson tells me to.”
“Even after what he did to you and me?” Frank asked.
“Jackson is my Alpha, and I’ll do as he orders.” Then, seeing the disbelief on his father’s face, he said, “If you ask me if I want to kill him, my answer would be yes…but not for what he did to me, but for what he did to you.”
“It was revenge that was behind Rudy’s actions,” Frank said.
“I figured that out, but even knowing that, I would not go against my Alpha. From the moment Jackson found out you were taken, he made it clear his first priority was to rescue you. He didn’t have to…could have insisted it was the High Council’s job, but he knew how much it would hurt me, Cody, Jake, and Jessica if you were taken from us and that wasn’t acceptable to him. So he chose you, someone who’s not even a member of his pack and for that I’ll be forever grateful.”
“In all my years, I’ve never met an Alpha like Jackson,” Frank said, quietly.
“And I doubt you will,” Dylon replied. “I thank the gods every day for leading me here and if being beaten up was the price I had to pay, I’d gladly pay it again.”
Nodding, Frank said, “All I ever wanted was for you to find a place where you’d be happy.”
“I am, Dad…very much,” Dylon said, smiling. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Frank studied his son, and saw the truth of his words reflected on his face. It was something he’d worried about as Dylon grew up and had wondered from time to time if his son would ever find a place where he could find happiness. Even though Lizzie had assured him that Dylon would find his place in the world, it never was enough to ease his doubts.
But that changed when Jackson—an Alpha who understood Dylon better than Frank ever had—came into their lives. By putting Frank first, Jackson had made sure Dylon’s focus was on saving his father instead of seeking revenge. He owed Jackson a lot for making that decision and it was a debt he could never repay.
Satisfied his son’s reasoning, Frank grinned. “So…your mom told you we were moving to California.”
“You are?” asked Dylon, trying his best to act surprised. “When?”
