Cody burst out laughing. “Only you would think that’s a bad habit, bro. But you have a point,” he said, then getting serious, “but did you forget? He is an enemy of our pack. How do you think Zane would feel if I accepted him?”
“Bro, nobody has the right to interfere with a Fated Mating. Zane knows that. As for the rest of your brothers, I think they’ll be rooting for you because the Fates are never wrong when they pair Fated Mates. We don’t know his story and he deserves a chance to tell it. Let’s hear it first and then we can talk about it again.”
Mystia spoke up, “He was new to the Silver Point pack and he did not take part in the massacre.”
“See Cody, there’s a lot you don’t know about Dylon,” Jackson said. “I have to believe he is a good man who was hoodwinked by our uncle. Please give him a chanceotherwise…and correct me if I’m wrong Oracle…the only other choice you have is for Dylon to die.”
Cody felt the pain rise in his chest at the thought of his mate dying but as he thought about it, wasn’t that what was happening to Dylon right now? He turned to Jackson and asked, “But that’s happening right now. Isn’t he dying? His injuries are really bad…hell, his face is a bloody mess. I can’t even speak to him because he’s still in a coma.”
Jackson said to Steel, “Would you please go and get Ian? Let’s see what he has to say.”
Chapter 3
Rudy looked across his desk at Bruno. “Where did you dump Dylon’s body?”
“North of here. We dumped it at night near the old Blackwood Pack house in a ditch alongside the highway. Nobody saw us, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Tonight, I want you to get the body and take it up the mountain and bury Dylon in the backyard of the house. I want it to be noticeable so someone walking around will know it’s a grave. Got it?”
“Sure.”
“And Bruno? Use as few men as possible and your most trusted ones. I don’t want a word of this getting out. Understand?”
“Got it. No problem. Tonight, it will be done.”
~/~/~/~/~
Ian was going over the latest test results for the shifter in his hospital and was satisfied with what he saw. Adding them to the man’s chart, he looked up as the door opened. “Hi Steel, are Jackson and Daniel okay?”
“Just great, thanks. Jackson needs to speak to you about Dylon.”
“Dylon?”
“Yeah, that’s your patient’s name, Doc.”
Ian quickly added it to the chart, then rose and said, “Let’s go, but first I need to tell Colton where I’ll be.”
That done, they headed to Jackson’s study where Ian saw Oracle, Mystia and Cody sitting in front of Jackson. Taking a seat, he tilted his head in acknowledgement of his Alpha.
“Ian,” said Jackson, “I run an informal pack and while I appreciate your act of deference, it isn’t necessary. Now, what’s Dylon’s medical condition?”
“He’s stable and slowly improving. However, his face is probably going to be a mess even with plastic surgery. I don’t think he’ll be able to shift anymore.”
Shocked faces stared back at Ian—a shifter who couldn’t let his wolf run free was unthinkable. Finally, Jackson spoke, “Are you sure? If I remember correctly, Colton told me your father was badly injured but he could still shift, right?”
“When my father healed, his bones had knitted together in his leg properly; however, the scarring of the muscle made his leg weak and so he could no longer be a fighter. But Dylon’s case is different. Every bone in his face is broken. And he can’t shift right now. They are already knitting together improperly. I’m keeping him sedated until I figure out what’s the best course of treatment.”
“Well, do you have a plan?” asked Jackson.
“Yes, Colton will use Raphael’s Power on Dylon. It’s the only way.”
“But I thought that was for shifters who are near death. You just told me he was stable.”
“Stable, yes, for now. But not for much longer. There’s only so much sedation I can give wolf shifters because they’re designed to shift and heal. Soon Dylon’s wolf will force him awake and Dylon will be in excruciating pain. We will have no choice but to kill Dylon, otherwise his wolf will become insane from it.”
Everyone heard Cody’s sob as he clutched his chest. “No, no, no…Jackson. You can’t let that happen. Please ask my brother to use his power to save my mate.” Cody stood, unsure of what to do. No, he knew what he had to do.
“Your mate?” Ian cried. “Why didn’t someone tell me?”
