“Ah,” Ricky looked at the alpha, a confused expression on his face. Shadow couldn’t hide his grin at Sparky’s antics.
Alpha Grant sighed. “He means PPS, a society made up of different paranormal members. They believe that there is a hierarchy with those who are the purest at the top of the pyramid.”
“Yeah, think of Hitler and the Nazis on steroids,” Falcon interjected.
“We could still just be dealing with a pair of rogue assassins who have hired out to Alpha Clifton,” Blaze stated for the first time in the meeting. Shadow was still amazed that their leader was so willing to give up command to the alpha. The one thing Blaze was known for was always being in control of a situation. But then, their team seems to have found a permanent home with this pack—at least he had. There was no way he’d leave his mate.
“How is the training going with the new recruits?” Alpha Grant asked.
Blaze sighed. “Not as quick as we’d like. Don’t get me wrong, Dakota has gotten us some great volunteers. But it takes months to train someone who either wasn’t trained to fight before, or fought so long ago their skills aren’t up to par.”
“Which is why we have to make alliances sooner rather than later.” Alpha Grant stood up from his chair and faced everyone in the room, “Father, do you think some of your contacts in the vampire and magi covens would be willing to provide us with a few warriors?”
Forest leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. “Hm, that’s hard to say, son. Most of them have pretty much gone underground after the Great War. They had no problem joining us to fight against the humans but to fight against other paranormals?” He left the rest unsaid.
Shadow knew that after the Great War ended, each paranormal group went back to the way it had been before. He hadn’t met a vampire before the war and hadn’t seen one since. The Fae had all but disappeared preferring their own realm to this one. Funny how they all seemed to have forgotten how living insular lives was part of the reason the humans had been so effective in trying to kill them off.
Of course, it was the rogues from each group who joined the PPS. It was this secret society that had started the last war with the humans by attacking them and trying to make them slaves. Which is why he hoped he was wrong in believing not only were they back but were growing strong again.
He glanced up as the alpha leaned forward, his hands on the table. “We need allies, or else our pack is at great risk,” he glanced at Ricky, “I believe we aren’t just a target because of our recent additions but also because of who we are—a sanctuary. We are everything that those who believe in keeping to their own kind hate.”
“Well, you can count Alpha Clifton in that group. He wouldn’t even let us fight in the war. He said mingling with other paranormals or even with those humans who joined us, in the end, was an abomination. Not to mention his view on same-sex matings,” Jake replied.
“Yeah, that’s for sure,” Ricky replied softly with a shudder. Alpha Grant sat back down and placed a calming hand on his mate’s back. Shadow couldn’t imagine the horrors that Ricky had lived through while under Alpha Clifton. Yet, the human had proven to be resilient. In fact, Tank told him Ricky would be a worthy warrior once he completes his training.
“I could contact a few shifters who have left the service and might be willing to relocate,” Blaze broke the silence that had fallen on the room. “Radar can help as he’s kept contact with most of them over the years.”
“I’ll have a list ready for you by this afternoon. I can think of at least five or six that have talked about re-enlisting. Who knows, maybe they’d be willing to join us instead,” Radar replied as he began typing on his computer.
“You should get some rest first buddy,” Shadow interrupted. “When was the last time you slept? I know you were on guard duty all last night.” Radar ignored him as he continued to work. Shadow glanced at Blaze who nodded slightly. At least he’d make sure their teammate got some rest after he completed his task.
“Run them by Jason. If they pass his background check, we’d be more than happy to hire them. Or, if they want, they can join the pack,” Alpha Grant stated as he glanced once more around the room. “We need to step up our offensive and get information as soon as we can. Whoever is behind this is calling all the shots right now. It’s time we start to take the fight to them.”
“Brady and I are leaving right after this meeting. I thought I’d concentrate on the west coast shifter communities before I head east. It’s going to take a few months to get to all my contacts, but I’ll stay in touch,” David said.
“I’ve already set up meetings with the vampire covens and magi covens I think we can trust. I agree with David though, this could take some time son,” Forest sat forward and looked closer into the camera, “especially since we have to make sure our enemies don’t get word of what we are trying to do.”
“Agreed,” Grant nodded. “I expect each of you to check in at least every 48 hours. Make sure you give Jason a list of where you’ll be using the secure channel he’s set up. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll send out someone to check,” the alpha paused to glare directly at David, “So don’t miss a meeting.” Shadow chuckled at the dark look the alpha gave his brother. From what he’d heard, David had a habit of being the joker in the family. However, from what he’d seen, the wolf was serious when it was required.
“Dude, just because I missed that one meeting—” David retorted.
“That’s Alpha Dude,” Grant replied calmly. “Just don’t be late. I’d hate to have to come rescue your hairy ass.”
Before David could reply, Falcon interrupted. “Alpha, I have set up meetings with my fae contact. It shouldn’t take too long to see what they know and try to get their help,” he glanced at Jake before he continued. “I’d also like permission to search for a fae healer who can help Sammy. I’ve seen him do some amazing things. It might be the only way to ensure she isn’t permanently damaged.”
“Thank you,” Jake said quietly.
Falcon shrugged. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Alpha Grant nodded his agreement. “Let me know if you need any help.”
“So, who is contacting the human government?” Ricky asked.
“We can’t contact the human government because they could see this as a breach of the treaty. Besides, as far as we know, humans are not be involved,” Alpha Grant replied.
“Why wouldn’t they be involved?” Ricky demanded as he stood and glanced around the room. The irate human placed his hands on his hips and returned his gaze to his mate. Shadow could see the explosion coming. Alpha Grant appeared to be in the blast zone. “Seriously, can you honestly tell me this PPS group won’t be a threat to humans as well as other paranormals? Or is it because you still think humans can’t fight—”
Forest interrupted, “If it is PPS, then yes, humans would be impacted, Ricky. However, my son is right to be concerned how humans would view what is happening right now. Remember, they ended the war on a guarantee that we could handle any rogue element within the paranormal community. To contact them now would be admitting we can’t.”
“And worse, it could generate fear about something we ourselves are not sure about,” David added.
“Humans are more than capable of fighting against us as well as with us,” Tank said quietly.
Ricky glanced around and sighed. “Okay, I get it. But I still don’t see why you’re not worried about humans being involved with whatever is going on. We have humans who believe in purity of the race too.”
“If PPS is involved, humans would never be allowed in,” Artemus stated.
“Why not?” Ricky asked. Shadow almost chuckled at the relief he saw on the alpha’s face as his mate sat back down. Although he was betting the conversation would be continued later behind closed doors. He was betting on Ricky to win the argument.
Alpha Grant glanced at his mate and pulled him close for a moment, “Because my mate, PPS views humans as being benea
th all paranormals. They have two uses, food or slaves.”
“Yeah, any humans who ended up under their control they treated worse than cattle,” Artemus shuddered slightly. “I remember coming across one poor soul who had been drained by the vampires in the group to almost the point of death. He begged me for a release from this life.”
“What happened to him?” Jake asked. Shadow could hear the horror in his mate’s voice.
Artemus sighed. “Sadly, his condition was past what I could heal, so I granted his request.”
There was silence in the room for a moment before Alpha Grant stood and faced them all. “You all have your tasks. It’s time to get the information we need to stop whoever is behind the recent attacks. There is more at stake here than just our pack. If we don’t get this right, it could affect our hard-won peace from the last war.”
Chapter 24
Jake sat beside his sister’s bed as she slept fitfully. While the medicine they were giving her to combat the poison in her system was helping, it was taking a long time to work. Doc Houston told him it was probably because small amounts of the poison still leached into her system from the bullet. At least she wasn’t having the convulsions they’d been worried about.
“I’ve moved our things to the new room the alpha provided for us and your sister. Ricky is watching the twins so we can get their stuff moved over next,” Shadow announced quietly as he walked into the room.
Jake couldn’t believe the alpha had been so generous. After the meeting, he had pulled them aside and offered them one of the largest set of rooms in the house. They located it on the first floor in the back of the house. There were three good-sized bedrooms off a main living area. It also included a small kitchenette and two bathrooms. Apparently, they had a nanny suite at some point in the home’s history.
“I’m sorry about the house,” Jake couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice. It had been such a wonderful surprise. He smiled as Shadow pulled him up into his arms. He turned to face his mate and noticed the understanding smile on his face.
“It’s only temporary, babe. It’s not safe right now for anyone to live apart from the compound, much less Sammy and the twins,” Shadow responded.
“Babe?” Jake looked up and shook his head.
“Well, I thought it was better than sugar plum, but if you prefer—” Shadow barked out a laugh as Jake slugged him in the arm before pulling from his arms.
“Listen, butter buns. If you’re looking for someone to play the little woman then you better look someplace else,” Jake replied without heat. In truth, he didn’t mind the nickname. But so far, Shadow had taken the lead in most things. He just wanted his mate to remember he wasn’t the good little wife in their relationship.
“Hmmm…would you prefer chocolate thunder?” Shadow walked forward and made another grab for Jake. The shifter managed to duck out of the way. Jake turned and smiled at the mischievous look on his mate’s face.
“Actually, I’d prefer to pitch for once instead of catching all the time,” Jake wanted to take the words back as quickly as he said them. What the hell was he thinking? He was just figuring out the whole sex between men thing. But then again, he wondered if Shadow would let him.
Shadow smiled softly and pulled him into his arms. “I’d love it if you topped. In fact, I’ve caught a few fly balls in the past and quite enjoyed it.”
“Wait, just how many balls have you played with?” Jake couldn’t help the jealousy at the thought of his mate being with someone else. Of course, he knew it was stupid, still…
A soft chuckle broke into his thoughts, “Believe me, none of them were as pretty as the ones I play with now. So, what say we get the twins and your sister moved to our new digs. I’ll ask Ricky if he could keep the wonder twins for a little longer so you can practice your pitching skills.”
Before Jake could respond, his sister moaned softly. He walked back over to the bed and saw her eyes slowly open. “Hey sis, how are you doing?”
Sammy blinked a few times before she finally looked at him. He helped her sit up slightly and held a cup of water to her lips. The doc wanted them to push fluids even though she still was hooked up to IV’s. “Thanks,” Sammy responded.
She looked over toward the empty cribs and frowned. “Where are the boys?”
“Don’t worry, Ricky is watching over them. It seems that Sandy has decided he likes being a big brother,” Jake responded. “Of course, that was until he watched the alpha mate changing a diaper. I gotta admit, I kind of agree with the squirt. It was gross.”
Sammy smiled softly as she settled back down onto the bed. She closed her eyes and sighed. Jake could only imagine what was going through his independent sister’s mind. “Don’t worry. You’ll be back to changing them in no time.”
“Will I?” She asked softly. “You don’t have to sugarcoat things for me, Jake. I still can’t move my legs, and I feel like I got hit by a truck. What happens if I don’t get better?”
Shadow came to stand on the other side of the bed. “If it’s okay with you, Jake and I talked about having you and the little rug rats move in with us. The alpha is letting us build a home in the new warrior compound.”
“I don’t know; it doesn’t seem fair. Especially now,” She gestured toward her legs.
“Look, sis, we always agreed we’d be there for each other, right?” Jake pushed a sweaty lock of her hair from her face.
“This is different,” Sammy had the stubborn look on her face that Jake remembered from their childhood. Before he could respond, she sighed again and glanced over at the cribs. “But I have to think of those two defenseless pups. I made a promise to their dying mother to protect them.”
She paused and looked at Shadow. “Maybe they would be better with the two of you anyway. Even if this hadn’t happened, I—I’m not sure if I’m the right person for the job. I couldn’t even keep them safe in the alpha’s house.”
Jake watched as his mate shook his head. “No one is safe until we figure out what your crazy ex-alpha is up to. Besides, we aren’t even sure if it was you, the dark elf was after. It could have been Alpha Grant. He is providing sanctuary to many of the people the bad guys seem to be after.”
“Dark elves, right?” Sammy asked. Her eyes began to slowly close
“A tale for another time,” Jake said as he pulled the covers up to her shoulders. “You need to rest. Shadow and I will take care of everything until you’re feeling better. For now, we’ll be moving to a larger set of rooms given to us by the alpha so we can help you and watch the pups.”
“M’kay,” Sammy muttered as she was pulled back into sleep.
“Do you think Falcon will be able to find this healer he spoke of?” Jake asked Shadow quietly.
“Radar is already working on the problem. Between the two of them, I’m sure they will find the healer,” Shadow responded as he walked around the bed to stand beside his mate. “Let’s get everyone moved, and then later tonight, we’ll see how well you can pitch, okay?”
Jake couldn’t help the slight blush that rose on his neck. It was times like this he was glad he had dark skin. Before he could walk away, his mate grabbed his hand and stopped him. “Don’t worry M&M, if you aren’t ready to pitch now, we can wait until you’re ready. Just know that it’s always an option.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Shadow sat on the back-patio steps. The night sounds lulled him as he gazed into the forest beyond. He thought about how much his life had changed. He went from having no family left to a sister-in-law, a mate, and two pups. He noticed a small mound of light brown fur just outside the tree-line. With all the security problems they were having, it wasn’t safe for the wolf to sleep outside any longer. Yet no one had been able to convince him to stay inside for long periods of time.
“Do you think he’ll ever be able to sleep inside again?” Falcon asked softly.
Shadow jumped slightly. “I swear one of these days I’m gonna put bells on you.”
Falcon chuckled before he stepped down to sit beside Shadow. He had a plate that contained a large steak on it. From the blood pooling around the plate, it appeared to be barely cooked. Nodding at the food, Shadow asked, “He’s not eating either?”
He’d been so focused on Jake and his new family he hadn’t been paying attention to his wounded teammate. He and Radar had been close due to their love of books. He should have reached out to him sooner.
“Radar only comes inside for meetings. In fact, he spends more time in his wolf form lately than human. Artemus says it should get better with time. I just hope whatever is brewing out there will give him that time,” Falcon stated softly.
Shadow nodded, “He’s strong. Eventually, he’ll bounce back. He has to because I have a feeling, we’re going to need him.” He turned to look at his teammate. “Will you be leaving in the morning?”
Falcon nodded. “At first light. Radar was able to find Fendris of the wood elves. I’ll be meeting him in Vegas. Apparently, he’s a silent owner of one of the casino’s there.”
“Well, that sounds low key,” Shadow chuckled. “Which one?”
“Circus Circus. He always was a sucker for carnivals, but I can’t imagine how he’s doing in an area where the cacti outnumber the trees.” Falcon looked at Shadow, “He may know where Basil can be located. Don’t worry; I won’t return until I’ve found a healer for Sammy.”
Shadow noticed the tense set of the shifter’s shoulders. As long as they’d been teammates, Falcon had never mentioned having a mate. But from the closed look on the man’s face, he doubted he’d get any more answers from him.
“Good Luck tomorrow, Falcon. If you need anything—” Shadow began.
Falcon chuckled. “I’ll call Tank.”
“Harsh,” Shadow grinned as he walked away. He saw his teammate calmly walk out to the lone wolf. He crouched for a moment and placed a gentle hand on the shifter before he placed the food on the ground and walked away. He smiled as he watched the wolf begin to eat. He’d have to make sure he did the same for their friend until Falcon returned.
Out of the Shadows Page 19
