Dumbfounded, Glenn could only stare at Sawyer. The power of the Blackwood Pack was far greater than he ever could have imagined and that was causing all kinds of alarm bells to go off in his head. If the High Council ever found out…holy shit!That thought quickly led him to wondering about Dylon’s father and what he knew. “Who else knows this?”
“My cousins, their mates obviously and my brother Hunter, who told me. My twin, Mac, is a doctor so he knows some of it…that’s it as far as I know,” answered Sawyer.
“What about Dylon’s father?” Glenn asked.
“I don’t know…Hunter didn’t say anything about him.”
“Are you going to get a gift, Sawyer?” asked Alex. “Is that the reason Oracle’s here?”
“I don’t know for sure, but after everything Hunter told me, I’m guessing she’s here for that reason.”
“Then let’s go and find out what the Fates have in store for you,” Alex said, eagerly.
“Wait!” Sawyer exclaimed, tightening his fingers around Alex’s. “I don’t know that I want to find out.”
“Why not?” asked Glenn.
“I-I-I…what if it screws up the mating of our animals. Alex’s dragon claimed my wolf, which is good because my wolf isn’t as strong as his dragon...but what if my gift makes my wolf stronger than his dragon? Won’t that screw everything up? Alex’s animals won’t be balanced anymore so he’ll be right back where he was before.”
“It doesn’t work that way, especially in this case,” Glenn said.
“Why not?” asked Alex, clearly worried about the possibility Sawyer described.
“As far as I know,” Glenn continued, “gifts from the Fates are for the human side of shifters. And in this case, since the Fates gave each of your animals a different mate, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t give a gift to screw that up.”
“That makes sense, I suppose,” Alex murmured, still not totally convinced.
“Look, why don’t we see why Oracle is here…maybe it has nothing to do with Sawyer and a gift,” Glenn said, trying to ease his mates’ worries.
Glancing at Alex, Sawyer asked, “What do you want to do?”
Sighing, Alex worried his bottom lip with his teeth, considering the options. Then coming to a decision, said, “Okay, I guess there’s no harm in finding out why she’s here.”
“I agree, sweetheart…knowledge always helps when making any decision.” Sawyer looked at Glenn. “Agree?”
“Agree.”
Chapter 34
Leading his mates out of the conference room, Glenn headed back to the living room, processing the information Sawyer told him. Glancing at his mates, he noticed the tension in their bodies, guessing Alex and Sawyer were nervous about the upcoming conversation with Oracle. But they weren’t the only ones. Right now, there was one mate whose rareness had already attracted the attention of a scumbag, but if Sawyer were given a rare gift like his cousins and brother, then it was only a matter of time before he’d also become a target. Seeking safety at the Blackwood Pack carried an unacceptable amount of risk. He waited until his mates sat down on the sofa, before claiming a place beside Alex. Grunting with satisfaction that his mate was now protected, he shifted his eyes to Oracle, waiting for her to speak.
Eyeing each of the three men sitting across from her, Oracle noted Sawyer’s reluctance, Alex’s nervousness and Glenn’s aggressive posture. “Sawyer, may I start?” asked Oracle.
“Uh, sure.”
“Very good. Do you know why I am here?” asked Oracle.
“Not really… Hunter told me about the gift he received and the ones my cousins got, so I’m guessing it has something to do with that,” replied Sawyer.
“Yes, it does. The Fates have given you a gift that will help you protect Alex.”
“He doesn’t need any gift,” growled Glenn. “Because we can protect our mate. Plus, I have friends who can help us if we need it.”
Placing his hand on Glenn’s arm, Alex murmured, “Please let her speak, mate.”
“What about you, Sawyer…do you want her to continue?” asked Glenn.
Hesitating for a moment, Sawyer wished his twin was here because he dearly needed some advice. What if the gift would upset Alex’s dragon? And if it did, how would it affect Glenn? The trouble was Sawyer just didn’t know that much about gifts given to shifters. “Before I answer that,” he said, “can I reject the gift? I don’t want to seem ungrateful to the Fates but…”
