“Bro, do you want a room? I mean the beds aren’t that great, but they’ll do in a pinch,” Colton said, smirking.
“I thought you said they were waiting for us?” Ian snickered.
“I thought they were. Maybe we took too long. After all, theyarenewly claimed.”
“I don’t think that counts. Look at us or, even better, Jackson and Steel.”
Cody’s mind began to register that someone was talking; it wasn’t he or his mate since their mouths were otherwise occupied. Pulling back slowly, he grabbed Dylon’s swollen lower lip and bit it before letting go and turning toward the annoying voices. “What do you want?”
“Hey,” Colton protested, “you wanted to see me and may I remind you that you interrupted my…”
“Eww, stop. Never mind. You’re right. We have some questions for Ian,” Cody said.
“Me? Are they medical ones? Is something wrong with one of you?” Ian asked.
“No, they’re about Tajikistan. You spent some time there, right?” Dylon asked.
“Yes, I did. Why don’t we go into my office where I have some pictures of the place,” said Ian. “This must be the day for Tajikistan.”
“Why?” asked Cody.
“Maximus talked to me about it this morning. I guess the peace conference isn’t going as smoothly as Slate hoped and Maximus wanted to ask me about what I knew about the Alphas.”
Cody and his mate rose, following Ian and his brother to Ian’s office. After he and Dylon were seated, he said, “Actually, that is exactly why I need to speak with you to find out about the Alphas. There are three of them, right?”
“Yes, Ulfric, Ordovic, and Arald. Life over there is not easy. The three packs share what little tillable land there is and there are endless squabbles about who should get what from the food that’s grown. I was told Arald is theAlpha keeping the peace…what little there is…between Ulfric and Ordovic’s packs.”
“Is that true? Do you believe it?” asked Cody.
“I have no reason to doubt it. The injured shifters always come from those two packs,” Ian replied.
“But you aren’t sure, are you?” asked Cody.
“No, and I’ll tell you why. Just before I left to come here, I treated Alpha Ulfric which was very unusual.”
“Why?” asked Dylon.
“Because the Alphas were always protected by enforcers…mmm…at least Alpha Arald was. It was the reason I figured the Alphas were rarely injured. However, it was a slow night in the ER and while I was dressing Ulfric’s wounds, we struck up a conversation about what his pack needed. He struck me as thoughtful and caring about his pack…something I didn’t expect because of what Arald always said about Ulfric and his pack. After he left, I thought about it for a long time before deciding I would ask him some more questions when he came back to have his wound checked.”
“Did you find out anything more when you saw him again?” asked Dylon.
“No, he skipped his appointment which is usual there. Then my replacement came early so I never had a chance to speak with him again. I take it you’re going there?”
Colton was startled, “What do you mean, Ian? You think Cody is going to Tajikistan? Why would he do that? Cody, Ian’s wrong, isn’t he?”
“No, he isn’t. But why would you think that, Ian?” Cody asked.
“I figure with your foresight and your questions, you know something and it requires you and Dylon to go there,” replied Ian. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Yes. If we are successful, I will be bringing back some very sick shifters. Would you consider delaying your trip to Scotland until we return? It won’t take us long and they’re going to need medical attention,” said Cody.
Ian looked at his mate and Cody knew they were talking via their mind link.
“Sure, we’ll stay. My parents haven’t decided what they want to do in Scotland yet, so no plans have been made. Is there anything we can do to help you get ready?”
“Actually, yes. These shifters have been abused both mentally and physically. What will we have to know to convince them to trust us, so they’ll agree to come with us?” asked Cody.
“Wow! Nothing simple like needing a band-aid,” Ian exclaimed. “First thing is the fragile state of their minds. They will shy away from you and probably cower if you move too fast. It’s not a reflection on you…just expectations that they’ll be hurt. Move slowly and speak softly. Fast movements and loud noises must be avoided at all costs. Get them here as fast as you can so I can assess their injuries, both physical and mental. A word of advice: some won’t believe you and will want to stay in familiar surroundings even if it is abusive. What you are trying to do is admirable but as I learned early in my medical career, not everyone wants to be saved.”
