Kieran looked up at Logan with tears in his eyes. “I will never let anything bad happen to my friends again, no matter what I have to do. They are my best friends.”
Logan’s fork paused mid-air as Kieran explained how he’d helped everyone survive Arald’s cruelty and watched as the pain of remembering the suffering of his friends appeared on Kieran’s face. Without thinking, Logan set down his fork and reached out his hand, placing it on Kieran’s seeking to comfort him. “I’m sorry you went through that. I can’t imagine what it was like to be subjected to it day after day.”
Kieran nodded, then glanced down at Logan’s plate. He hadn’t mean to talk about the silly food game he played back then but somehow it just tumbled from his lips. Making a note to examine what caused him to do it later, Kieran slipped his hand out from underneath his mate’s and said, “Thanks, but I think you better eat or Dakota is going to take offense.”
Logan chuckled, “I think you’re right. The way Dakota has been lately, I don’t want to do anything that will provoke him to go on strike.”
Thinking Logan was serious, Kieran said, “Nope, cannot happen. Come on, eat! Chop! Chop!” as he clapped his hands to emphasize his instructions. While Logan finished eating, Kieran leaned back in his chair and looked around the design studio. Studying the drawings taped to one wall, Kieran recognized several of Cody’shome for boys. Wanting to see them better, he rose and walked over to them.Oh no!
Scraping his dish clean, Logan watched Kieran walk over to the wall. Curious to see his reaction, Logan sat still, waiting for whatever would come out of that sweet, sassy mouth. But the only reaction was Kieran’s body as it grew rigid. Logan asked, “What do you think?”
Turning around quickly, Kieran just stood there, trying to figure out what nice things he could say.Nice paper? Very detailed drawing? Oh, shit balls, I better say nothing otherwise I’ll hurt my mate’s feelings.Kieran decided to say nothing but just smile instead.Good plan! He’ll take it as a sign of approval.
Logan examined the fake smile Kieran had pasted on his face and was confused. Did he like the drawings?Oh fuck, I hope not.Not knowing what to do, Logan decided to go with the truth. Leaving the table, he strolled over to the drawings and pointed. “This is a perfect example of a bad design. It meets all of the requirements of the space, but it lacks life…the special touch that lifts a design from ordinary to extraordinary. I haven’t figured out what it is yet, but I will.”
Kieran exhaled quietly. He hated the plan, but without any design experience how could he tell Logan it was bad? Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. Don’t tell Cody, but I’m stumped. I’ve been drawing different plans for this for two weeks and they all end up looking like this. I’m missing something but for the life of me, I can’t figure it out.” Logan gazed at the drawings, tilting his head one way and then the other, seeing nothing other than what he had already drawn hundreds of times. Sighing, he wondered if Cody should find another designer for this project. Maybe hehad too much on his plate right now and that was keeping his mind from finding a solution. But he dismissed that thought. He wasn’t even close to giving up, and faith in his ability kept him trying. “It’s a dormitory so why should it be so hard?” Logan said, more to himself than to Kieran.
“But it’s not a dormitory.”
Logan looked at the plan and then at Kieran. “What? Of course, it’s a dormitory. That’s what Cody’s home for boys will be…a place for unwanted boys to live together until they reach adulthood. Why would you say it wasn’t?”
“DUH! Of course, it’s a place for them to live but why are you making it like a consolation prize? Why not like a fantastic lucky prize they won? They’re going to feel bad enough just knowing their parents rejected them so make them feel special instead. Why don’t you look at it as a fabulous new boutique hotel where the boys will feel pampered? I mean,this,” Kieran said, pointing to the drawings, “just reeks of what you’d expect from a designer who has no idea how special we are.”
Logan was looking at the drawings as Kieran spoke.Fuck! My pink-loving twink is right!Tearing the drawings off the wall, he rushed over to his drafting table, eager to get the ideas that suddenly blossomed in his head as Kieran’s words sunk in.
Seeing Logan lost in his work, Kieran cleared the table, putting the empty plates back on the cart and rolled it out into the hall. Looking around the studio, he saw Logan’s sample books—paint chips, fabrics, and everything a designer works with in messy piles around the room. Kieran started at one end, straightening up and organizing everything as he occasionally glanced at Logan reworking his design.
It was late in the afternoon before Kieran had finished, but as he stood there, he was pleased that the studio was now in order. Not wanting to disturb Logan who was still working, Kieran retreated to the sofa and sat down. Soon he was nodding off after the restless night of sleep he had, thinking about how to get claimed by his mate. Falling over to one side, he woke briefly, tucked a throw pillow under his head, and then slept deeply.
~/~/~/~/~
Dylon popped his head inside the door of Jackson’s study later that afternoon. “Hey, you wanted to talk to me?”
“Yeah, come in,” said Jackson as he closed down his accounting program and faced Dylon sitting across from him. “As you know Josiah’s complaint referred to the pups born in this pack which begs the question how did he know?”
“Whoa, Jackson, I don’t like where you are going with this. I never said a word. I gave you my promise and I kept it.”
Holding up his hand to stop Dylon, Jackson said, “Sorry it came across that way but, believe me, I know you said nothing. But in a way that’s the point. If Josiah didn’t find out from you, then how did he know it?”
Mollified that he wasn’t under suspicion, Dylon thought about his time at Silver Point Pack. “I never met Josiah, and Rudy never discussed you and your brothers except if it related to the kill order…hmmm…but…shit, I forgot about that.”
“Forgot about what?”
“One time, I was out on patrol and it was near the end of my watch. I had just done my circuit, so I was lying down under some bushes, thinking of shifting back when Iheard two hushed voices talking. One was the Silver Point Shaman, but I didn’t recognize the other, until later that night, as I thought over what I’d heard. It must have been Josiah because of the orders he issued to the Shaman.”
“What did you hear?”
“The Shaman warned of an Alpha who would give birth to a pup. Then Josiah asked how that could happen and the Shaman only said if it came to pass it would mean Josiah’s death.”
“What orders did Josiah give?”
“He told the Shaman to find out more and never to mention it to anyone or Josiah would tear him apart with his bare hands.”
“Anything else?”
Dylon thought for a moment, then shook his head. “That was all.”
