“Noooo, just that she had to talk to him.”
Jackson sighed.Oh joy! I get to be the harbinger of bad news.“Did Steel ever tell you what happened when he met me?”
Slate thought about Jackson’s question. “Not really…just that he found his mate.”
“Steel stopped to help me after I was robbed of everything and left naked on the side of the road. As soonas he got out of his truck, I knew he was my mate. Yet I hid that knowledge from him in order to protect my pack. After he dropped me off at a gas station, he left and I went home to my brothers. I kept it from them because I thought I was doing the right thing…putting my pack first. That’s when the pain started, and it grew worse until I agreed to claim your brother. The reason I’m telling you this is because Dakota is going through the same stuff right now and it will only get worse.”
Slate’s wolf howled, hearing their mate was in pain, and tried to surge forward, wanting to track him down. Keeping control, but just barely, Slate swore he could feel Dakota’s pain, clutching his chest as his own pain got worse. Thinking over what Jackson told him, he got the feeling there was more to this. “If Dakota is in pain, why did he run from me? He doesn’t have a pack to protect so why reject me?”
Rubbing his hands over his face in frustration, Jackson knew why but he couldn’t tell the man sitting in front of him.Sometimes being Alpha really sucks. Well, I better tell him the rest.“That’s a question you should ask Dakota. Slate, I’m going to tell you the same thing your mother told me when I told her why I had rejected Steel. She said the Fates gave me a choice of whether I wanted to be claimed or not…”
“You mean Dakota can decide he doesn’t want me as a mate?” Slate asked, hurt coming through his voice.
“Yes he can, just as you can reject him, but the pain won’t go away for either of you, it will only get worse…”
“What the fuck is that shit? Sounds like blackmail to me!” exclaimed Slate.
“Maybe, but the Fates gave that choice to each of you because the gift Dakota will receive has only been givento one other Alpha…me…and they want to make sure both of you are committed to each other.”
“So Dakotacanreject me!”
“Yes, he can, but there is a price to be paid for that choice.”
“A price? What kind of a price?”
“You or he would have to die. It’s the only way the pain will end.”
Stunned into silence, Slate sat still, frozen in a world that had gone crazy. His mind went blank as he heard his heart cry out in pain, and at that moment, his wolf decided to take matters into his own paws, surging forth, refusing to wait any longer to find his mate.
In a heartbeat, Steel was in Jackson’s study, shifting and snarling at his brother’s wolf. A warning howl echoed through the room as Steel’s wolf leapt between his mate and Slate’s wolf.
Before Jackson could use his Alpha power, Slate’s wolf turned, running through the open door, seeking his mate, wherever he might be. Ignoring the people in the great room, his wolf ran, looking for a way out of the house. Suddenly, his wolf scented fresh air and headed toward it, finding the front door held open by his father. Bounding through it, Slate’s wolf quickly picked up his mate’s trail and followed it.
~/~/~/~/~
Stewing over his failed plan, he sat nursing a beer in an out-of-the-way café in France, waiting for news. It was a brilliant scheme and took him a year to find those who would do his bidding, ignoring their morals in exchange for money. He had planned each step meticulously—it was fail proof—so he thought, but never figured one ofhis servants would blab. He would take care of her after he took care of the son-of-a-bitch who fucked up his plan.
Lost in past memories, he didn’t notice the man who stopped at his table until he heard his name. Looking up, he saw the shifter who claimed to have the information he was seeking. Shoving the wooden chair away from the small table with his foot, he said, “Sit. Keep your voice low. I’m not interested in everyone knowing my business.”
Slapping a large envelope on the table the rough-looking man sat down, and said, “Don’t worry, no one around here cares about what you do, they are only interested in the color of your money.”
“Did you find what I want?”
“Yup, do you have my money?”
“Of course, but I want to see it first.”
Sliding the envelope over to the man opposite him but keeping his hand on it, the seller growled, “Where’s my payment?”
“You’ll get it after I see what you have.”
“Nope,” the seller said, moving the envelope back.
“Wait!” Then the buyer looked around before pulling a small bag of gold from his pocket and, setting it on the table, reached for the envelope.
“Not so fast. This here is an exchange so slide it over.” Neither trusting the other, there was a flurry of hands reaching and grabbing what they wanted.
The buyer opened the envelope and removed the documents. Quickly scanning them, he grunted his satisfaction. Getting up, he murmured to the seller, “Nicedoing business with you,” before fleeing into the darkness.
