by Sydney Addae
“A word, Sir?”
Silas turned and nodded to Lyle.
“Are there specific questions you want me to ask the young wolf?”
Silas nodded. “I will provide you with a list of questions in the morning.”
Lyle nodded. “What is your opinion of him?”
Silas hesitated. His thoughts returned to the conversation he’d had with the young man earlier. His mother had sat in the chair listening with earbuds to whatever was playing on her tablet. He was certain that was the only reason he’d been able to talk with the young wolf as long as he had.
“He has training, not pack training, so he might not be able to hunt with a pack. His father was in charge, but since his death, he and his brother have not chosen a pack. His father made sure they stayed on neutral territory and never had to declare an allegiance to anyone.”
“Do you think he’s open to having an Alpha?”
Silas shrugged. “I don’t know. This one has Alpha potential, although he hasn’t acted on it.”
“That’s good to know.” Lyle bowed. “I will see you in the morning.” He turned and left Silas alone with his thoughts. While he’d been with the young wolf, he’d tried to discover if there was something special about his mother. He hadn’t been able to pick up anything. Was she a rare treasured gift from the Goddess, or was she the first of many who could destroy his people? Her sons should not have been able to survive without pack. He could tell from her actions that she and her sons were extremely close. Even while he’d held the young man under compulsion, the thought of his mother being in danger had threatened to break the connection. It wasn’t correct to say the young wolf had no pack. A better interpretation was, he had no wolf-pack.
****
Silas sat behind the glass window in the training auditorium surrounded by at least thirty Alphas. Testosterone was high in the small classroom, but it provided them the opportunity to watch Lyle ask the young wolf questions.
Once the young wolf understood he wasn’t in the room for tests as he’d been told, he sat up, hopped off the gurney, and sat in a chair. Silas silently applauded the young man’s actions.
“My name is Tyrone Bennett, and I was born this way. My dad said it was because he and my mom had sex when he was just coming into his wolf. She got pregnant and we came along.” He shrugged as though it was no big deal.
“What’s the name of your father’s pack?”
“I don’t know. He never said. But I think he had gotten a bad deal or something. We never met his parents or spent time with them. He didn’t have anything good to say about packs or his family.”
“How did you keep this a secret from your mother? Or does she know you’re a wolf?” Lyle asked.
The young man tensed. Silas could tell the question bothered him. “Dad made us swear never to tell anyone, including my mom. He said there were others out there who would hurt us or hurt her.” His eyes narrowed. “No one hurts my mama.” He paused. “Sometimes I think… I think she suspects something is off a bit. Like during the full moon, my brother and I always took off. Over time our excuses got really lame. She’s smart, but she let it slide.”
Silas nodded, taking a liking to the young man. He answered each question openly and honestly as possible. When Lyle finished, he asked the Alphas through their link if they were satisfied.
“I have a request,” the young wolf said, startling everyone.
Lyle nodded.
“I want to see all the men who listened to our conversation, if you don’t mind.”
Silas spoke through their link. “That is fair.” All the men exited to the small classroom. Silas was the last to enter. He met the young man’s eyes and nodded.
“I understand this discussion was necessary. But I would like you to understand my mother and my aunt are here to make sure I’m okay. I have never told her about this part of my life. She’s going to be pissed when I do.” He shook his head and closed his eyes as though he dreaded that day. “But she loves me and I have to believe she’ll forgive me. I don’t want anything happening to her or my aunt. My mom’s a special woman with a large heart. My dad told me she had to be kept away from others like us because they would try and take her. I can tell all of you,” he stopped and shook his head. “Well not all, but most of you are mated and that’s not a problem, but some of the men working here have been giving her the eye and I can’t protect her as well as I’d like.”
Silas frowned. The idea that this woman had to be protected from unmated males was a problem, and one that shouldn’t be on the table. “Are you saying she attracts unmated wolves?”
“That’s what my dad said. Claimed he’d gotten into way too many fights. Although I suspect it was because his mate was a man and he rarely touched my mom.”
Silas felt the jolt of disbelief flow through the Alphas. He straightened. “Your father married your mother, had pups, and then turned her away to be with his mate?” How was that possible? Wolves could only breed with their mates; it had always been that way. This situation had serious repercussions.
The young man frowned in apparent concentration. “I think mom and dad met in high school. My dad had just hit his change and was out of it for a while. I don’t know about his relationship with his father, or why my dad was even around my mom at that time. They were just talking, nothing serious, but he lost control, they had sex and mom got pregnant. She was really young, sixteen. That’s where things get blurry. My mom’s parents were angry, but since both my mom and dad were underage, there wasn’t a lot they could do. But I think my dad’s parents disowned him or something drastic like that. He stayed in town, graduated early and as soon as he was old enough, he joined the military and married mom.”
There wasn’t a sound after that bizarre tale. Silas could only imagine how the wolf’s family had responded to the information that a human girl was pregnant by their son. They wouldn’t have believed it, but they should have reported it. That situation should never have been swept under the rug. He made a mental note to look into the life of this young man’s father to discover the name of his pack.
“That is not normal,” one Alpha said. Although his voice was gruff, he looked at the young wolf with compassion.
“No, it’s not. More importantly, what if this young wolf is not alone? What if there are some human females capable of bearing our young?”
“What if these women can be mates?” The silence stretched unanswered.
Silas walked over to the young wolf. “Tyrone Bennett, your mother and aunt are under my protection until you are well enough to reclaim that honor yourself. It speaks well of you to concern yourself of your female kin first. I will come by later today and you will introduce me. I ask that you hold off telling her of your dual nature, give us some time to discover more about this unique situation. Also, continue to hold it close to yourself, tell no one of your father’s concerns over his wife.” Silas paused. “You said your father connected with his mate before his death?”
The young wolf sighed, placed both hands on his head and laced his fingers through them. His dark brown eyes closed tight. Muscles bunched on his arms, and chest. “My father met Matt on his third tour of Iraq. Matt was there in a civilian capacity, but they recognized each other immediately.
“When my father returned stateside, he took my brother and I hunting like he normally did. Except this time, he introduced Matt as his mate. My brother took offense and fought both Matt and my father. I don’t think either man expected that. After my brother had wounded both men, he left. I stayed to help them get back to their car. My father begged me to understand the mate bond, but I had no point of reference. All I saw was my father cheating on my mom who had been faithful all those years. Everything changed after that. Whether it was guilt or what, I don’t know. But my dad stayed away from home more and more. He gave the lamest excuses. Mom put on a brave front, but I could feel her pain and embarrassment. Tyrese, my brother, hated what my dad was doing and lost all respect f
or him. Matt and dad got a place in the next county. For a while, he tried to be a husband and a mate.”
“Impossible, his wolf would never allow it,” one of the Alpha’s said.
“True, in the end he lost it. He didn’t want to hurt mom and he couldn’t leave his mate. He never returned from his last tour.”
Silas eyed the young man. “Do you think he lives? Perhaps he lives somewhere alone with his mate?”
The young wolf removed his hands from his head and crossed his arms. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I guess he feels he’s lived for everyone else, now it’s his turn to live for himself.”
Silas nodded, appreciating the young man’s honesty, although he had to know they would have been able to smell a lie. “He left his wife’s care to her sons. Under the circumstances that was probably for the best. She is free to continue with her life without a man who is committed to another.”
Although Silas had never heard of such a bizarre situation, he felt a pang of sympathy for them all. A mated pair had to be together or go insane. But the wife was supposed to be taken care of, especially if she’d never agreed to become the wife of an unmated shifter. The boys had divided loyalties and that should never be the case. It was a mess that should have never occurred.
“Thanks, Tyrone,” Lyle said, breaking the silence. “Your story stays between those of us in this room. We have a lot to think about and research. But we all wish you a speedy and full recovery. Our Patron has extended his protection, which means the protection of every Alpha who wears his crest. So be at ease and get well.”
Silas noticed the young man’s brow crease at the mention of the Patron. The Alphas left the room. “Who will take him back to his room?” Silas asked.
“I promised to call an orderly.” Jayden looked at Tyrone. “Do you need assistance to lie down?” He patted the top of the gurney.
“No.” Tyrone walked over and sat on top. He looked at Silas. “Thank you. I don’t know what a Patron is. I hope you can spare me some time to fill in some blanks in my education.”
Cameron hadn’t recovered well enough to be moved to Silas’ home yet, so he intended to be in the area a while longer. Perhaps he’d move Cameron and Tyrone to Jayden’s lands, where they could control security better. He’d think about that.
“Sure. Go now and put your mother’s mind at ease. You’ve been away for a while.” Silas touched Tyrone on the neck. The young man fell asleep. He backed up as the orderlies came in and wheeled him out.
Jayden waited, but didn’t speak.
“He needs to rest and we need the time to check out his story.” He glanced at Jayden and Lyle, who nodded. They left the room. Silas hoped Tyrone’s story was wrong, but he doubted it. No matter how he cut it up, he smelled trouble and it was headed in their direction.
Chapter 4
Jasmine stood as Tyrone was wheeled back into the room, and watched as they laid his limp body on the bed. The nurse followed and hooked him up to the IV.A hand rested on her shoulder. “He’s out of it, huh?” Renee said.
Jasmine nodded.
“You want to grab a bite to eat?”
Jasmine shook her head. “No. I’m not hungry right now. Go and get you something. I’ll be right here.” She retook her seat and stared hard at her son. There was a niggling feeling in the back of her neck that something was off. He looked drugged. She looked at the IV and realized that was a possibility. Leaning forward, she rested her fist beneath her chin and looked around the large room. Everything in this place was plus-sized, made for big people like her sister’d said. She chuckled at the absurd thought.
Her cell rang and she dug it out of her bag, checking to make sure the noise didn’t bother him. Her heart pounded with profound relief when she looked at the caller ID.
“Rese? Rese how you doing, sweetie?” Her throat tightened when she heard the deep timbre of his voice. Her boys were now men.
“I’m okay, Mom. I got your message, where’s Rone?”
“He just came back from some tests and he’s asleep now. But it was close for a minute.” She didn’t want to get into everything with him being so far away, but she knew he wanted to know.
“I know. It was…well, it was weird. I felt him leave. It freaked me out and almost cost the lives of some of my unit when I fell flat on my face. They said I was unconscious for five minutes.”
Her hand flew to her mouth in horror. “Oh my God,” she whispered, closing her eyes. This was too much. Both her sons had been at risk. She frowned. How was that possible?
He released a long sigh. “I’m being sent back for testing. My commander doesn’t want to risk me passing out again. I’ll be stateside, Bethesda in twenty-four hours. I had to wait to call you until I got clearance.”
Her heart ached for him. “Are they putting you out of the service?” She knew how much he enjoyed his work. She didn’t like it or understand why he courted danger, but she tried to be supportive.
“I’m not sure. The connection with Rone isn’t my fault or something within my control. But when he winked out, he took me on a ride with him. That’s never happened before. Maybe with these tests, they’ll figure out something.”
On one hand her heart ached for him, but on the other she was jumping for joy that he’d be here tomorrow. She’d have both her boys. “We’re at another hospital, one that specializes in the kind of trauma Rone had. Whatever they’re doing for him, it’s working. When we got here a few days ago, he looked like he was on his last leg. Now, he sits up, talks, and eats. I don’t know why that doctor at the other military hospital said it would take him months to recover.”
She heard his breath whistle through the phone. His silence concerned her. “Rese? Rese, he’s going to be alright. I’ll tell him you’re coming and that’ll cheer him up. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”
“Ma…Ma, I…”
“Yeah, baby?” She waved over her sister, who was holding a tray of food.
“I love you and can’t wait to see you.”
She smiled. “I love you, too. Your aunt just walked in, say hello.” She held the phone out to her sister, picked up a fried pickle from the plate and popped it into her mouth.
Renee squealed. “I can’t wait to see you, Boo. You sound good and have just made my day.”
Jasmine looked up and noticed a handsome man standing near the entrance. He wore sunglasses and his thick dark hair was brushed back from a widow’s peak. As he stepped into the room, her eyes roamed across his wide chest, flat, narrow stomach, and long thick legs. The short-sleeved shirt he wore stretched taut across his chair and protested at the large muscular arms that had to be pulling at the seams. He wore a tailored pair of dress pants and dark leather loafers.
A tingling started at the base of her neck, slid down her back, and settled in her core. Her face warmed when she realized he’d been watching her stare at him.
“Can I help you?” she asked, pulling her eyes to his face. High cheekbones, a straight nose, full firm lips and nice teeth. She couldn’t see his eyes, but was sure they enhanced his looks alongside everything else. He wasn’t pretty, he was masculinity personified. One hundred percent all man.
“I came to check on Tyrone. I met him earlier this morning and he asked me to stop by later to meet his mom and aunt.”
“Oh.” She looked at Tyrone who was stirring, but not fully awake, and then at the man who had to be almost six and a half feet tall. They sure grew them big out here.
“Sir?” Tyrone whispered, struggling to sit up.
All thoughts of sexy man flew out her mind as she walked to Tyrone’s bed and fluffed his pillow. The tall male followed.
Renee eyed him and pointed at his back. “That’s him. That’s the one,” she mouthed silently.
The man turned to look at Renee. She handed Jasmine the phone and walked to the other side of the bed. “How you feeling, Rone? Do I need to call a nurse?” Renee asked, avoiding looking at the handsome stranger.
“No, just a few ice chips,
please.”
“Sure.” She picked up the bucket, shook some ice into his cup and placed one on his lips.
Eyes closed, his head flopped back. “How long have I been out?”
“Just a couple of hours,” Jasmine said, looking over her shoulder at the silent giant. “You have a visitor, someone other than me and your aunt.”
His eyes opened and she could have sworn they flashed. But it happened so quickly she wasn’t sure. “Rone?”
He turned his gaze to her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m just waking from a deep sleep. I think the meds were too strong, I shouldn’t have been out that long.” Although he was talking to her, he kept looking at the guy behind her.
“Should I call a nurse, have her check it out?”
“No, I think I’ll talk to the person in charge to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
There was a grunt behind her. She spun around and the man looked down at her. Sticking out her hand, she introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Jasmine Bennett, Tyrone’s mom.”
He took her hand. “I’m Silas Knight, an administrator of this facility.”
“Why didn’t you just say that when were in the first hospital?” Renee asked, her tone testy.
He shrugged and released Jasmine’s hand. He stepped forward and spoke to Tyrone. “How are you feeling right now? Rested?”
Nodding, Tyrone looked at the man for a second or two. “But I might take the doctor up on the therapy tomorrow.” He said it as if it were an afterthought.
“What time tomorrow?” Jasmine asked, frowning. She didn’t know how much time Tyrese would have to spend with them and she didn’t want Tyrone to miss him.
“Uh…I don’t know.” He glanced up at Silas. “I guess I can ask the doctor in the morning.”
