“Your uncle has finally submitted his answer to the complaint. Other than denying everything, he is demanding it be dismissed since you haven’t produced an eye witness proving his pack was responsible for the massacre.”
“As I expected.”
“Well, yes. I’m assuming you don’t have an eye witness because you didn’t include it. My advice to you is to ask for the same number of continuances the High Council gave your uncle.”
“Why? It won’t produce an eye witness when everyone was killed.”
Nodding, Frank said, “I know. But it will give you time to figure out how to answer his demands. For what it’s worth, I believe you. But I won’t be able to help you. As soon as I get back, I’ll have to inform the High Council of my conflict of interest and recuse myself from the investigation. Once that happens, you and I cannot have any further contact while this is pending. Hopefully, it won’t extend to Lizzie because that would be very hard on her now since Dylon has found his Fated Mate.”
“As it would be on Dylon and for my brother who loves her like a second mother.”
Frank smiled, glad to hear how Cody felt about his wife. “The other suggestion I’m giving you is to use my son’s contacts at the High Council. I don’t know if he told you, but he was trained by the High Council’s elite fighting force and still has many friends there. His knowledge of the inner workings of the Council is better than mine and he can be of great help to you.”
“Thank you. But why are you telling me all this? You could have told Dylon. Why me?”
“Yes, I could have told my son but you’re the Alpha.”
Jackson snorted. “That didn’t stop you when you were playing ‘who’s got bigger balls’. So why me?”
Frank was silent for a minute before saying, “At every turn, you reacted differently from any other Alpha I have ever met. I’m amazed at the restraint you showed the night I ‘played my game’ and the next day in your study. Then there is your Alpha power. You know what I’m referring to…but you don’t show it off and make your members bow to you all the time. I believe you have hidden layers that even you haven’t discovered. I’m impressed with you and I’m eager to see what you do in the future. In short, you have earned my respect.”
“Thanks for the compliment and the advice,” Jackson said, smiling at Frank. “It seems we finished just in time…here comes Dakota, Lizzie, and Zane to make breakfast for us.”
Frank looked behind him and saw his wife smiling and joking with Dakota about being up so early. Chuckling to himself, he knew Dakota was in for a surprise when Lizzie made the breakfast specialty she learned at her class.
“What did you think of Chef Dragontlovi?” Dakota asked Lizzie
“Oh, I fell in love with him the first five minutes of the class…me and every other woman and I suspect a few men,” Lizzie responded, giggling. “It’s a good thing I love my mate otherwise I think the chef could have convinced me to stay in his kitchen forever.”
“I know just what you mean, I felt the same way when I had a class with him. I spent evenings doodling ournames together, sure he would ask me out on a date before the end of the year. I was heartbroken when I found out he already had a mate.”
Their voices trailed off as they entered the kitchen. Zane stopped in front of Jackson. “Please, bro, can I skip this morning in the kitchen? I have some work to finish up for Cody and Dylon and besides, Dakota has Lizzie to help him.”
Jackson chuckled. “A little too much sugar for you?”
“Oh, my gods, did you hear them? I will seriously suffer death by sugar if I have to listen to that all morning. I promise, I’ll add a day onto the end. But please bro, you have to save me. This is way too early for me to have to listen to doodling names and falling in love,” Zane pleaded, then stuck his finger in his mouth and made a gagging sound.
Jackson gave a short bark of laughter. “Okay, I understand. Ask Dakota if it’s all right if you work on the stuff you promised Cody and Dylon instead of helping him this morning. If he agrees, you are excused.”
“Thank you, bro, so much.” Zane said as he rushed to the kitchen, eager to get approval to escape.
Frank found himself laughing at Zane’s plea to skip the Chef Dragontlovi love fest going on in the kitchen. He would be the same way. Even the awards ceremony was a little over the top for him but he had to admit the food was fantastic. If that kind of food was in store for him from now on, then agreeing to go to San Francisco with Lizzie was well worth it.
~/~/~/~/~
Slate was ready to throw in the towel and admit defeat. Another day—another wasted day—without getting an agreement among the three Alphas. Whenever he gotUlfric and Ordovic to agree on how an issue should be resolved, Arald would throw a monkey wrench into the discussion with what Slate felt were unreasonable demands, and then Ulfric and Ordovic would clam up and refuse to participate any further. When he pressed them, both deferred to Arald.
He gave everyone time off from the next day’s scheduled meetings but when they resumed, he would insist on talking to each Alpha alone. It was supposed to have happened the first day but Arald asked that it be postponed until they could reach an agreement.Huh! That really worked out well, didn’t it? Fuck!He needed to clear his mind so he headed out to the rocky mountain behind the house where he was staying. A group of enforcers followed him and together, shielded by some heavy brush, they shifted. Slate headed up the steep rocky path, happy to let his wolf roam while he worked on the knotty problem of the peace conference.
~/~/~/~/~
Dakota and Lizzie came out of the kitchen after everyone had been seated at the breakfast table. Putting his hand up to stop the chatter, Dakota said, “I have a special treat. Today, I was Lizzie’s sous chef as she made breakfast for all of you this morning, including the signature breakfast dish she created in her class.”
“Thank you, Lizzie,” said Jackson, “I look forward to enjoying your cooking for a change, as will everyone else.”
A chorus of agreements rang out as Lizzie blushed. “Thank you all so much. We’ll be right out with everything,” she said. Turning around she gave Dakota a motherly shove toward the kitchen. “Come on, you heard them, let’s get the food.”
Dakota stepped aside and held out his arm, beckoning, “Ladies first.” After Lizzie disappeared into the kitchen, he turned back to his brothers and hissed, “I better hear only good things about her food or this chef will go on strike. You got that?” Dakota looked at nine heads bobbing in agreement. Then he turned and rushed into the kitchen.
