Chapter 1
Almost two months earlier…
Colton stuck his head into Jackson and Steel’s bedroom where Logan was admiring the results of his decorating job. “Hey, bro, come on! The helicopter will be landing in a few minutes.”
Logan turned around, smiling. “Yeah, I’m coming.” Looking around once more, he knew Jackson would love his efforts. Steel hired him to redo their bedroom while they were in San Francisco on their babymoon. “Make it romantic and serene,” Steel said, responding to Logan’s questions. Everyone was astonished that Jackson had finally found his fated mate and discovered he was a very rare Alpha/Omega hybrid who could bear pups, chosen to mate with Steel, one of the last Dire Wolves on earth. Though the mating was blessed by the Fates, not all of Jackson’s six brothers welcomed the news about their Alpha having a baby. It was rough in the beginning but now they were eager to greet the soon-to-arrive new member of the Blackwood Pack.
Colton headed downstairs to welcome the couple back. He thought about the last few years, beginning with the massacre of the Fox River Pack that wiped out his parents and younger siblings. He and his six brothers were in Vegas partying at the end of the school year when wordreached them. Jackson took control, getting them to a place of safety.
As the eldest, Jackson was now the Alpha of the newly formed Blackwood Pack. Other members were Logan, Jackson’s fraternal twin, the triplets, Cody, Colton, and Carson, and Dakota and Zane. The pack had expanded when Steel claimed Jackson and now included the last four Dire Wolves on earth—Steel, his brother Slate, and their parents, Maximus and Oracle.
One of the fallouts from the massacre was that their educational goals screeched to a halt. And for Colton, that meant he never finished nursing school. One year short.Just one fucking year…and he would have received his degree. He’d since picked up a few online courses but was still short of the credits he needed. Before Jackson became pregnant, Colton’s nursing skills were confined to sick or injured animals found in the woods surrounding their old pack house.
But now, Jackson’s pregnancy gave Colton a real patient to use his knowledge and skills on. Eager to see the expectant father, he bolted down the rest of the stairs, joining his brothers on the porch.
Zane shouted, “There they are!” Joined by Steel’s parents, Colton and his brothers scanned the sky as the chopper grew larger and noisier, finally landing.
Waiting for the blades to stop, Steel emerged first, helping Jackson out. “Hey guys, I need a hand with some bags,” shouted Jackson, waving his brothers over. Colton studied Jackson. What he saw pleased him. His brother’s face was calm, his body relaxed, his spirits high—just what the doctor, or in this case, the nurse, ordered. Colton hugged his brother and then Steel. “Did you guys have a good time?”
“Oh, my gods, we had a fantastic time,” boasted Jackson. “I took lots of pictures so maybe we should do a picture-night.”
Steel passed the bags to Colton and the other brothers. When Jackson reached for one, Steel admonished, “No, babe, I don’t want you carrying anything.” Jackson rolled his eyes behind Steel’s back making them all laugh.
“Are you doing that thing again?” asked Steel.
“What thing?”
“You know the eye roll thingy you do.”
Jackson reached over, kissing Steel, “You know I love you, babe.”
“Holy crap, did you guys buy out all the stores in San Francisco?” Logan asked, as Steel kept passing shopping bags to the brothers.
“What the hell you bitchin’ about?Yougave us the list of baby clothes we needed,” smirked Jackson.
Logan and the brothers started their hike back to the house while Steel greeted his parents. Oracle hugged her son, then asked Jackson, “How’s the little one?”
A wide smile crossed his face. “We felt him move for the first time last night, didn’t we, babe?”
“Yup, it was amazing, Mom.”
Oracle hugged Jackson, murmuring, “You look radiant. I will take it that the babymoon was good?”
Jackson nodded as he looked lovingly at his mate. “It was the best.”
Steel asked his dad, “Did you hear anything more from Slate about the kill order on our pack?”
“Nope,” Maximus replied, “I think the Dire Warning did the job.”
“Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving,” announced Jackson.
Laughing, the four of them walked toward the house.
~/~/~/~/~
Evening found everyone relaxing in the great room as Jackson showed their babymoon pictures on the huge TV screen. Listening to his brother describe the trip, the urge to travel swept over Colton. His goal, after becoming a nurse, was to join Frontline Doctors, to serve where the need was greatest. Colton sighed heavily.Well, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. After all, he was a Timber Wolf shifter and they lived a long time.
He knew Jackson would never allow him to volunteer until the mess with the Silver Point Pack was resolved. Steel’s brother Slate had made progress when he forced Colton’s uncle—the Alpha of Silver Point Pack—to rescind the kill-on-sight order for Colton and his brothers. But it was only temporary. He shook his head. Who would have thought his uncle would order a massacre that orphaned Colton and his brothers?No one… The day Jackson’s friend Jimmy called, telling them what happened, would be forever etched in his memory.
