“No, it’s not, but I’m sure she has all kinds of justifications as to why it was necessary.”
“But his mother would contradict them,” argued Zane.
“Sure, if she wasn’t the High Priestess’ prisoner. But since she is, his mother could be pressured to sign anything…including that she willingly turned over her son to the High Priestess…if she felt it would keep David safe,” Logan said.
“Damn! There has to be something we can use. I know she’s done other illegal stuff, I mean, she wanted David to steal for her.”
“Did he?”
“No, he never did.”
“Well, let’s do some digging to find out who this High Priestess is and what she’s been up to and, for that, we need time. If Penn files the challenge, it’ll let you poke around and also give Dylon some time to come up with a plan to rescue David’s mother.”
“Agreed,” said Zane. “But something’s bothering me about the timing. This all seems too coincidental to me…David finds his Fated Mate, Michael tries to grab him, we claim each other and, in the process, we both end up with powers. Is that why she wants David back? Because she thinks he now has more powers that she can use for evil purposes?”
“That’s as good a guess as any,” Logan said.
Zane went on. “There are other things bothering me, like who killed Michael and why. From what David said, Michael was in partnership with the High Priestess. If that’s true, she’d benefit from his death; all the ill-gotten gains David was supposed to steal for them wouldn’t have to be split.”
“It appears you have a lot of research to do,” Logan said smiling. “It’s almost time to call Jackson. Go get your mate and Kieran. I want him here to provide support for David.”
“Fuckingbedammed, just when he was finally feeling safe, this bitch comes out of the woodwork.”
“Heissafe, Zane. We’ll all protect David because that’s what a pack does.”
“Yeah, I know, but…I’m still worried about my mate,” Zane said.
Chapter 37
Fionn nestled down in a pile of gold coins, soothing himself before using the portal to visit his father’s study in Scotland. Just the thought of going there had triggered his anxiety about being anywhere his father could find him—though that was no longer a possibility.Fucking asshole!Closing his eyes, his mind thought about Penn’s strange request and what it meant for him.Dammit, I should have asked him why he wanted it.Pondering the possibilities, Fionn’s fingers ran through the gold coins, absentmindedly lifting handfuls, then letting them slip through his fingers.
He frowned when his thoughts meandered to the relatives who were suddenly clamoring for custody.Relatives who couldn’t be bothered to visit me or my mother when she was dying!Opening his eyes, he gazed at his hoard and knew in his heart that was the only reason his relatives had come forward: with the addition of his mother’s inheritance and his father’s assets, Fionn would be one of the wealthiest dragons in the world.
Fire flashed in his eyes and wisps of smoke spewed from his nose at the thought of what his relatives would do if they ever were granted custody of him. Fionn knew his options were limited, but right now he had to rely on Penn to come up with a solution. Standing, he strolled through his hoard—touching, rubbing, and caressing it before finally calling for the portal and disappearing.
~/~/~/~/~
David was sitting between his mate and Kieran at the dining room table in the suite. He knew whatever this meeting was about, it certainly didn’t bode well for himbecause Kieran’s hand was on his thigh. Worrying his bottom lip, he watched as Logan sat down across from him. Then he felt his mate grasp his hand and hold it tight. When that finally happened, David knew he didn’t want to hear what Logan was going to say—he felt the beginning of another panic attack.
Waiting for Zane’s nod to start, Logan sat quietly as he thought about what Ian had disclosed about David after his surgery. He found it impossible to conceive how a shifter could survive years of being caned without being allowed to shift to heal properly, yet David had. Now he’d wear the scars for the rest of his life and Logan wondered how his brother was handling that fact.
Seemingly, better than Logan would have; had it happened to Kieran, his wolf would have hunted down anyone who’d done him harm. At some point, Jackson would want to know more about it, but for now, it was imperative for David and Zane to focus on the High Priestess’ demand.
Picking up the turmoil in David’s mind, Zane quickly lifted his mate onto his lap, hugging him tightly, wrapping his alpha scent around him, helping to stem the attack. “Shhh, babe, everything will be all right. I swear to you, no one will hurt you,” Zane murmured in David’s ear.
Leaning in, David’s head rested on his mate’s shoulder as he inhaled deeply, letting Zane’s scent calm him. “Thank you love, I’m better,” David whispered.
Giving his mate a gentle squeeze, then looking at Logan, Zane said, “We’re ready. Why don’t you start, bro?”
“David, our Alpha received an email from a lawyer representing the High Priestess demanding he turn you over to her immediately…”
“Noooo,” cried David, “I can’t go back there! Zane, please, don’t make me go!”
“Hush, babe, trust me, you aren’t going back,” soothed Zane. “I promise.”
“Zane is correct, David. The Pack’s lawyer is already working on the matter. The reason I’m even speaking to you about it is that the lawyer may have to talk to you before he files the challenge,” Logan said.
“I don’t understand…wait a minute, I’m an adult and my mother told me the Priestess can’t keep me a prisoner anymore,” said David.
