“No, love, don’t leave,” David murmured.
“I won’t babe,” Zane said to his mate. Then answering Ian, he said, “I’ll control my wolf.”
Ian heard his mate enter and walk over to the opposite side of the bed, waiting for him to speak. “David’s incision is healing nicely but he’s still experiencing internal pain. Normally, at this point, a shift would take care of it but he’s unable to shift, so let’s try your natural healer ability to see if that will work.”
“Sure,” Colton said. Then, eyeing his brother, he said, “Zane, please step outside for a few minutes.”
“No…I want him…”
“Sorry bro, I’m staying. I already promised your mate my wolf will be a good boy,” Zane said.
Logan moved behind Zane, resting his hand on the back of his brother’s neck, “Go ahead, Colton, I got this.”
Nodding, Colton moved to the other side of the bed, standing where Ian had been and began by laying his hand on David’s chest to feel the pain he was experiencing. Humming to himself, Colton started by slowly rubbing David’s body, concentrating first on his stomach, then moving his hands over the rest of him, massaging as he went. He could sense David’s pain beginning to recede and saw the scar from the surgery slowly disappear. Finally, removing his hands, he said, “I don’t sense any more pain. How about you, David, any soreness?”
“No. I feel great!” an astonished David said. Sitting up, he was surprised not to feel even a twinge. “Wow, that’s amazing! Thank you very much, Colton.”
“Yeah, thanks, bro,” Zane said, joining his mate on the bed. “Is there anything I should watch out for?”
“Nope,” Colton replied, disconnecting David from the different devices.
“Ahh, any restrictions on activities?” asked Zane.
Colton paused, looking at his brother, then smirked as he realized what Zane meant. “Ian, you want to field that one?”
“Take it easy tonight,” Ian said, smiling at David.
His cheeks turning pink, still unused to talking about sex with anyone other than his mate, David mumbled, “I will.”
“Good. If you’ll give Colton and me a few minutes to tidy up, we can then be on our way,” Ian said.
“No problem. C’mon guys, let’s wait out in the hall,” Logan said.
Zane helped David off the bed. Then, wrapping his arm around his mate’s waist, he escorted him out of the hospital room.
Chapter 36
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Jackson swore, after reading the email. Dialing Penn’s number first, he then forwarded it, hoping his lawyer would tell him the demand was all bullshit.
“Hi Jackson, what’s up?” asked Penn.
“I forwarded an email I received from a lawyer over in Italy who represents the High Priestess of the Convent of the Sisters of the Four Gods. She is demanding we return David right away since he is their spiritual leader.”
“Who’s David?”
“Zane’s Fated Mate.”
“Fated Mate trumps everything. On what basis…just a minute. Let me take a look.” Quickly reading the demand, he then opened his legal search window and entered the title of the statue cited in the email. Scanning it, Penn cursed to himself. “The law she is citing is very old, but valid. Without doing more research, I’d have to say she is within her legal rights to demand the return of David.”
“Even if he has been claimed by his Fated Mate?”
“I’m afraid so. The law states that there isn’t any cause that will prevent a spiritual leader from being returned and for now, that would include a Fated Mate.”
“How can that be? As far as I knew, a Fated Mate trumps everything.”
“In modern times, yes. But this law was written a very long time ago and has never been revised concerning Fated Mates, as many of the other old laws have.”
“How do we fight this?”
