Then Jackson turned to Oracle. “Cody will receive a gift from the Fates when he claims the man…”
“Dylon,” Mystia said. “His name is Dylon.”
“Okay, Cody will receive a gift from the Fates when he claims Dylon. What will it be?” Jackson asked Oracle.
“I cannot tell you until I tell Cody. In order for me to do that, he has to claim his mate and right now he is rejecting Dylon.”
“Steel, would you ask Cody to come and see me?”
~/~/~/~/~
Down in the hospital, Colton was watching the man’s body as it shook and twitched with pain. There wasn’t much they could do to relieve it other than what they were already doing. Luckily it was working, and his vitals had become more stable. But his face—Colton didn’t know how it could heal. Normally, a wolf couldshift to recover from injuries caused by a beating, but his patient wouldn’t be able to do that for quite a while, if at all. Which left Colton trying to figure out which to use—his natural healing ability or Raphael’s Power. He’d have to talk to Ian and Jackson about this.
Lying in the hospital bed, Dylon was trapped in a nightmare with no ending. There was nothing he could do to stop the beatings. He tried to cover his face as they pummeled him but unlike the other times, they didn’t stop. Over and over and over.
Chapter 2
The glow had faded and Cody, once more in the real world, couldn't move. What he'd seen was so painful he wondered how he could take any more sessions like that. The whipping, beating, and abuse broke his heart. He knew he had no choice, but what about his Fated Mate?Would he want to live with someone like me?Cody rose, still weak from his visions, as he heard footsteps along the path. Sitting down on a fallen tree, he waited to see who was coming.
Steel emerged from the woods into the clearing and stopped short. He expected to see Cody meditating, but instead found him staring up into the trees, apparently listening to the sounds of birds, squirrels, rabbits and probably a bear or two ambling nearby. But that wasn't what caught his attention, no, it was the look of sorrow and pain reflected in Cody's body.What the fuck is happening to Cody and why is he in pain? Oh, gods, please Fates, tell me Cody isn't going to die! Is that why he's rejecting his mate? Fuck!
Waiting to be acknowledged, Steel stood still while studying Cody.Here was someone who looked haggard—it was the only word he could think of to describe him. In all his years, he'd never seen any shifter as young as Cody look so old and weary. Steel couldn't stay still any longer and approached him, reaching out to offer comfort. For what? He wasn't sure but if there was ever a man needing reassurance, the shifter in front of him did. He placed a hand on Cody's shoulder and gasped after Cody turned to look at him. For there, in the eyes staring back at him, was all the sorrow, heartbreak and pain found in the world. Cody's misery pulled Steel in and, wrapping his arms around him in an encompassinghug, he tried to relieve Cody of the burden he was carrying.
For what seemed like hours, Steel gave what comfort he could while Cody gratefully took it in an effort to block the visions from his mind. Finally, Cody pulled back, surreptitiously wiping tears away.
“Jackson wants to see me, huh?”
“Yes, he does,” Steel said before adding, “Cody, is there anything I can do?”
“No. Yes, take care of Jackson and my brothers for me. I’ll be leaving for a while and I know they're going to worry.”
“What do you mean, 'leaving for a while’?”
“Let’s go see Jackson and Oracle. Might as well do it all in one meeting.”
~/~/~/~/~
Rudy knocked on Josiah’s door, then entered. His Alpha was in a rage and he was clueless about the reason. He thought about the discrete inquiries he made about the Blackwood brothers with fellow pack members but didn’t see how any of it could produce the absolute fury he heard in Josiah’s voice when he summoned him. He stood in front of his Alpha and waited. But not for long.
In a deadly calm voice, Josiah asked, “Do we have an enforcer by the name of Dylon Royd?”
Rudy knew this was not a good sign. Josiah never asked about who he hired as enforcers. “No. Why?”
“His father is looking for him. According to Mr. Royd, his son is an enforcer with the Silver Point Pack. Why does Mr. Royd think that?”
“Probably because his sonwasone of our enforcers but I let him go.”
“When?”
“A short time ago. Why all the questions? You never questioned me about my hiring and firing practices.”
“Do you know who Mr. Royd is?”
“No, not really. I never ask those questions before I hire someone. Never been a need too.”
Josiah stood, roaring at Rudy, “HE IS THE FUCKING VICE CHAIR OF THE HIGH COUNCIL, ASSHOLE!”
Rudy blanched.Oh shit! Fucking damn! Now what do I do? Lie…no other way to handle it.“Why is he calling here? His son left awhile back. He needs to call his son, not you.”
