“How’s the father-to-be feeling today?” asked Colton, entering the room, forestalling any response from Steel to Jackson.
“I’m fine,” he said curtly.
Colton looked at Steel after hearing the unhappy tone in Jackson’s voice. Steel shook his head almost unnoticeably.
Colton nodded once in return. “Well, let’s see if your pup wants to show us anything today,” he said, moving the ultrasound machine over to Jackson. After he prepped his brother’s belly, Colton turned on the ultrasound, pressing the wand to the baby bump. Colton moved it around, taking a series of pictures for Dr. Wallace and then said, “Okay, everything seems to be fine. The pup is growing nicely. Do you want to know its sex?”
Jackson looked at his mate and nodded. Steel said, “That would be great.”
Colton moved the wand again, pointing to the screen. “It’s a boy!” he shouted with excitement.
Jackson could feel tears fill his eyes, looking at his mate with joy. “A boy! Babe, we’re having a boy!” he exclaimed, taking Steel’s hand and kissing it.
Steel could feel his mate’s joy mirroring his, basking in the knowledge that he would be a father to a little Dire boy pup and then a thought flashed in his head causinghim to exclaim, “We need a name! Our pup needs a name!”
“Babe, we have time,” laughed Jackson, his former gloomy mood now gone.
~/~/~/~/~
Slate looked at Jimmy’s video several times before emailing it to Steel. It was good, but it didn’t give irrefutable proof the Silver Point Pack actually did the massacre and that’s what Penn, their attorney, needed. Penn made that point clear after he’d reviewed the complaint, confirming Steel was correct about the weakness in it any good lawyer would exploit.
However, a new possibility opened up after the tape showed up in Slate’s mail. Steel came up with the basics, Penn refined it, and now it was time for Slate to implement it. That meant talking to that jackass of an Alpha again and he wasn’t happy about it. But it was a small price to pay if it helped Steel protect his mate.
Slate dialed Alpha Silver Point’s number, drumming his fingers as the phone rang.
“Hello,” snarled Josiah, “Alpha Silver Point.”
“Hello, Alpha Silver Point. This is Slate Valentin,” he said, waiting for it to sink in who it was the Alpha snarled at.
There was a moment of silence and then, “Mr. Valentin, sorry about my tone. I was busy with pack matters and forgot my manners for a moment,” said a chagrined Josiah.
Slate inwardly chuckled. “I received a video and after showing it to the Board, they instructed me to call you.”
“Video of what?” asked Josiah cautiously.
“It shows one of your enforcers talking about a kill order you or your second-in-command has out on some shifters.”
Josiah paused, worried about what else might be on the video regarding the massacre. “Is that all that’s on it?”
Slate ignored the question. “The Board would like to know why this kill order was issued. The enforcer said Jackson and his brothers were enemies of your pack. What have they done? Were they notified of the charges?”
“Wait a minute, Mr. Valentin, this is pack business and doesn’t concern your company…”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Alpha. The company’s bylaws require us to assess each pack to make sure all laws mandated by the Universal Paranormal High Council are strictly followed before we can release any money to the pack. You have a kill order out on the shifters. I’m asking if you have proof they’ve received notice of their crimes against your pack? It’s a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.”
Josiah inhaled sharply and then finally replied, “We were unable to find them to serve them notice.”
“In order for the Board to consider your request to waive the right to provide proof of title to the land in question, the kill order will have to be rescinded immediately,” Slate said, and then shot the next harpoon. “I’ll need a sworn statement from you that the kill order has been rescinded as well as sworn statements from your enforcers that they know about it.”
Slate paused before continuing, “Once I have those documents, I will inform the Board so they can convene a meeting to consider your request for the waiver.”
“Certainly, I understand. I’ll get them to you in the next few days,” replied Josiah.
“Finally, the Board has authorized me to give you a Dire Warning in this matter.”
“What’s a ‘Dire Warning’?” asked Josiah.
“If we find out at any time from this point forward that you or any members of your pack, in any way, shape, or form, did not follow the laws of the Universal Paranormal High Council, a Dire Wolf will issue a challenge to you—a fight to the death, Alpha, for the sole purpose of taking control of your pack. This will be the only Dire Warning you will receive, so govern yourself accordingly.”
