Jackson was puzzled. “What does this have to do with my mating with Steel—if I do? And why isn’t Steel telling me this instead of you? Am I missing something?” Jackson asked, and suddenly a thought occurred to him. “Certainly, we are not a threat, are we? Because I assure you, I wouldn’t harm Steel or his family. You must know that.”
“Of course, I do,” Oracle said.
“Wait a minute,” said Jackson. “What do you mean I’m a special wolf? I’m just a timber wolf and we may become extinct but that doesn’t make me special—just endangered.”
“I think we have come to that part of our discussion that should help clear things up,” Steel’s mother said, “and I am now going to speak to you as the ‘Oracle’—do you understand?”
Jackson nodded, waiting expectantly for her next words. He knew whatever she said was going to have earthshattering consequences for him.
“Long ago,” the Oracle began, “the Fates decided the Dire Wolves had squandered their lives by constant fighting—trying to seize and take control of the Dire Wolf treasure. This was long before your time. Every five years, the Fates awarded the guardianship of the treasure to the Alpha of a Dire Wolf Pack who demonstrated his ability to take care of shifter wolves in need, regardless of their species. It was a highly coveted honor and the Fates felt it would motivate all Dire Wolf Alphas to be good and kind to all so they might be chosen next.”
Oracle paused, her eyes misting up before she continued. “However, that did not happen because one Dire Wolf Alpha decided to fight and defeat smaller Dire Wolf packs to improve his chances of getting the honor. And so, it went. War soon wiped out pack after pack until only one Dire Wolf Alpha and his pack remained to fight the Dire Wolf Alpha guarding the treasure.
“Finally, a great battle raged throughout the night, and when the Alpha of the treasure realized his pack was losing, as a last desperate measure he entrusted the treasure and his son to a witch, hoping she could hide them until better times might come.”
The room became silent and Jackson tried making sense of it all. Then he asked, “Your husband is the son that was taken and protected?”
“Yes, he is. And Mystia was the witch who took him to her home, protecting him the same way she has protected you,” smiled Oracle. “As he grew up, Maximus studied and learned about the purpose of the treasure and honored his deceased father by setting up a number ofbusinesses whose sole purpose was to educate, employ, and help shifter wolves of all kinds. The Fates rewarded him with a mate, me, who could help him with the Fates’ decisions. Maximus has the gentle and kind soul of his father and has greatly benefited, as do the wolves he helps, by my power. Our sons now run the daily affairs of these companies while my husband oversees things.”
“But I don’t see how this affects me,” Jackson said, still puzzled. “If I do mate with Steel, I would never interfere with his work.”
“I am getting to your role in this tale,” Oracle continued. “The Dire Wolf pack that attacked and killed the Alpha of the treasure, soon realized both the treasure and the Alpha’s son were missing and a great hunt began for them. Greed and jealousy consumed their minds as they fought each other trying to find the treasure. Eventually, all died and we became the last Dire Wolves on earth.”
Oracle paused, lifting an eyebrow to see if Jackson had a question and, with none forthcoming, she continued. “At first, I was relieved my sons would be safe and I was content to spend the rest of my days providing love, support, and help with the family businesses. I kept in touch with Mystia and she made a comment once that made me realized my sons were paying the price for the greed and jealousy of others.
“So, I prayed to the Fates and begged them not to wipe out the Dire Wolf. It took many years, but they finally agreed to provide mates for my sons so they could experience the joys of parenthood and preserve the guardianship of the treasure. They also decided to help another species in danger of extinction and that is why you were selected as Steel’s mate.”
Jackson was flabbergasted, his mind raced in a thousand directions all at once. But his primary thought wasWhyme? I can’t bear him pups. The Fates got this all wrong. Steel’s mate has to be a femaleand as those thoughts sunk in, a profound sense of sadness washed over him.How could the Fates be so cruel as to dangle the perfect mate before me only to have him be snatched back because I don’t have the proper equipment? Oracle could see the sorrow on Jackson’s face, then said softly, “Jackson, the Fates did not get it wrong; all will become clear soon, I promise you. First, tell me about your parents, please.”
That request startled Jackson but he responded, “My father was the Alpha of the Fox River Pack, mated to my mother, and together they had 13 children. What else do you want to know?”
“What type of wolf was your mother?”
“She was an Omega”
“I assume you were the oldest because you are the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, is that correct?”
“Yes. Logan and I are fraternal twins but I’m the first born.”
“Did you enjoy a good relationship with your parents?”
Jackson paused, thinking about whether he wanted to reveal his father’s treatment of him, afraid he would appear weak but then decided the Oracle knew it anyway so he opted for complete honesty. “I had a stormy relationship with my father who always felt that I was too soft and incapable of making hard decisions. But my relationship with my mother was the best; it carried me through all the trying times with my father.”
Oracle nodded and then said, “Steel met you after you had been robbed—what happened?”
Jackson’s cheeks turned light pink as he thought back to his stupidity in stopping to help the men.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” said Oracle. “Helping others is never a dumb thing to do.”
Jackson looked down, then raised his head and smile. “That’s what my mother said all the time but my father saw it as a defect in me. I can’t explain it but I always needed to help anyone I could and I guess it wasn’t a good move that day. After knocking me out, they stole my money, clothes, and car. Steel picked me up and took me to Jimmy’s. That’s how we met.”
“Jackson, that desire to help people—the caring gene—came from your mother. But that’s not the only thing you got from her. You are a hybrid, a very rare hybrid, a cross between an Alpha and an Omega with traits and abilities from both. From your father,
your Alpha leadership qualities are readily apparent in how you took control after your parents and other members of the Fox River pack died.
“You made hard decisions at a chaotic time and got your brothers to safety. Look at what you have accomplished—your brothers are safe in a new home and protected from their enemies. Your father could not have done any better and I know he is proud of you.”
“Thank you for that,” said Jackson, “it means a lot to me. But if, as you say, I have traits of both my Alpha father and my Omega mother, how does that make me the right mate for Steel?”
