by Sydney Addae
"He hasn't spoken or responded to anything since he left the clinic. I'm looking to see if it's physical or mental," Nionis said in a matter of fact tone.
Jackie bit into a piece of savory chicken and waited for Ramos' reaction. He didn't say anything.
Nionis dropped her hand, rubbed the child on his head and kissed his cheek. "It's going to be okay," she murmured. "His name is Sean. He saw his family... what happened to them."
"They would've killed him," Marsha said. "If he remained like this, not talking or eating, he would've been left behind to die or shot."
Jackie's gaze flew to Marsha, whose sympathetic gaze rested on Sean. "Who would've killed him?"
"We'll discuss that later," Ramos said smoothly. He looked at Nionis. "Can you reach him? Coax him out enough to eat?"
Nionis looked down at the child. "I'll try." Taking his chin, she drew his gaze to hers.
"What were you doing at the clinic?" Marsha asked Jackie. "You're too old to go there."
"Old?" Jackie smiled, stalling for time.
Marsha grinned. "That's not what I meant. It's just not normal for grown-ups to be there, that's all."
"My friend." She pointed to Nionis. "Had a, let's say vision or premonition that she needed to be there. I went with her."
"She gets those a lot?" Marsha asked watching Nionis' stare down with Sean.
"It's all relative. I've known her most of my life, so in that regard no. But lately, yes, she's had them a lot."
"Is she normally right when she has these?" Marsha asked.
"Yes." It didn't escape Jackie's notice Ramos allowed this conversation but stopped the one on killings. Looking at the children at the table she understood why.
"Would you like more, little one?" Ramos asked the small boy who finished his food.
"No." The boy pushed his plate away, scooted from his chair, walked to Jackie and raised his arms.
Smiling, she lifted him into the chair next to her. "I'm almost done eating." He nodded and relaxed into the chair.
"You have experience with young ones," Ramos said with a grin.
"Yes, lots of relatives with pups," she said after taking a sip of water.
He nodded, his gaze on Nionis and Sean.
"How are the other two, the ones who were unconscious?" Jackie asked remembering Antwan and Quinton carrying bodies.
Ramos sighed. "I'm not sure. Quinn's working on them. One may be beyond his abilities, or anyone's."
Jackie disagreed. Matt was the best doctor in the nation for half-breeds and her father, could repair the beast in half-breeds and full-bloods. Should she reach out for help? She wasn't sure. Rescuing pups was awesome but could the operation be improved, made more efficient? She needed more information, as pieces of the puzzle formed in her mind.
"Quinn's a doctor?" she asked. Surprised they allowed a human to work with the pups or on the grounds.
"Yes, he finished school, never took his boards," Ramos said with a bit of pride that made her wonder if he knew Quinn's family personally.
She nodded and looked around. "Where do we put the dishes?"
Ramos' smile widened as he pointed to a closed door. "The kitchen is through there. If you placed them in the dishwasher I would appreciate it much."
Jackie turned to the small boy who dozed in the chair next to her. "I will be right back, I'm going to put our dishes away."
His eyes rounded as his gaze flitted around the table. When she stood, he scooted off the chair and followed her. Jackie held out her hand to take Penny and Marsha's plates as well.
"Thanks," Marsha said handing her both plates.
Jackie looked behind her at the small boy and walked into the kitchen. It was larger than the one in her mom's private suites but smaller than the main kitchen in the compound. Two dishwashers book-ended granite covered island in the middle of the room. A large walk-in freezer and separate refrigerator stood side by side. Pleased they were equipped to feed large amounts of people, Jackie rinsed and placed the dishes in the washer. Maybe the ranch was legitimate. She hadn't seen anything to the contrary but it wasn't optimized and that bugged her.
"What's your name?" she asked her small companion hoping he would tell her this time.
"Craig." Yawning he raised his arms.
"Alright Craig, time for bed." She lifted him and returned to the dining area. "Everyone, meet Craig. He's sleepy." Her gaze met Ramos, who nodded.
Marsha and Penny stood. "This way," Marsha said walking from the table.
Jackie glanced at Nionis and Sean. When the boy nodded, Jackie thanked the Goddess Nionis had broken through his pain and communicated with him. "I'll be back," she told Nionis.
"Okay," Nionis said.
Down the long hall, a set of stairs led up to a level with several doors. Marsha pointed to a door. "Sean's the only other boy at the moment. He can sleep with us or in his own room."
"Yesterday, two boys were reunited with their den," Penny said, surprising Jackie.
"That's wonderful. I'm sure they were happy," Jackie said as another puzzle piece fell into place.
"Doesn't happen often," Marsha said. "But when it does it's really good... if the den's a good place." She glanced at Penny and then at Jackie.
What was that about? Jackie wondered.
"He's sleeping already," Penny pointed at Craig. "He can sleep with me so he won't be alone. It's hard being alone." She walked to a door, opened it and stepped inside.
Jackie followed. The pastel colored room held two queen sized beds, two chests, two desks, a large floral rug on hardwood floors and paintings of flowers on the wall.
Cozy.
Penny pulled back the covers and slid into bed. Jackie didn't push the teeth brushing or face washing rituals she and her litter-mates grew up with. Instead, she lay Craig on the bed, took off her half boots and got in beside him. Marsha sat on the other bed watching.
Craig curled into her. Penny pulled the covers over them and scooted closer to Craig in the middle. Within a few minutes the two were sound asleep, snoring lightly. Jackie listened to Craig's breathing, and worried about his future. What happened to the pups who weren't reconnected to their dens? How could Ramos support this kind of operation? Why didn't Alpha Gilbert know about the ranch in his territory? Were Ramos and Antwan a different type of rebel? What about Quinn?
Quinn.
Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes to shut out the vision of him driving, walking, talking to others and his scent. Earlier at the clinic, she'd lowered her control on her beast. Quinn's scent slammed into her and lodged in her chest making it difficult to breathe.
What the hell? The man didn't say two words to her after she refused to get out the truck. The truck? She exhaled as the enormity of her unprecedented actions tonight rolled over her.
What in the name of the Goddess possessed her to get into the truck in the first place? Renee would think she, Miss Logical Extraordinaire, had lost her mind. She hadn't calculated risks, or possible outcomes. No, like some inexperienced ninny, she'd hopped into a stranger's vehicle, without security riding point, and refused to leave.
A tidal-wave of possibilities rolled over her. She discounted the notions that she'd been hypnotized or hoodwinked by Nionis especially since she'd jumped in the vehicle before her friend. No doubt Nionis would have questions about that later. Maybe seeing the children hurt and being taken pushed buttons she hadn't realized existed. Raised in a home with high walls and sophisticated electronics for protection kept her and her siblings safe from what these children suffered but that didn't stop her feeling of kinship.
All her life she learned pack came first. Victimized, Craig, Penny, Marsha and the others hadn't experienced true pack ethics and that disturbed Jackie on a visceral level. Exhaling, she accepted that line of reasoning for her erratic behavior. It fit. Made logical sense. At ease, she rose from the bed, picked up her boots and left the room in search of answers. Jackie hadn't realized the teen had left the room.
Marsha sat in a chair with a book in the hall. She put the book down when she saw Jackie and stood with a smile. "This way." She turned, and headed for the stairs.
Jackie wondered at Marsha's role at the ranch. Was she involved with Quinn? Why did she think that? The idea caused her throat to tighten and stomach to clench.
It wouldn't be right for these men to become involved with any of the pups at the ranch. The pups were too vulnerable to say no; besides it would be changing one abuser for another. Although she didn't know Ramos or Antwan, Quinn's clean scent cleared him of debauching pups. By the time, they reached the dining area, Jackie was prepared to question the men's motives for taking in the pups. Ramos and Antwan sat at the table holding hands reminding her of their mated status, canceling her questions. Mates didn't, couldn't cheat.
Nionis and Sean sat across from them eating.
"He's eating," Marsha stated the obvious and left the room with a softly spoken. "Goodnight."
Everyone waved, or said goodnight as she left.
"Good," Sean said around a mouth of food. "Really good."
Retaking the seat next to Nionis, Jackie noticed how tired her friend looked. "You okay?"
"A little." Nionis took a sip from her glass. "It worked. I was in control, going in, searching, looking for the little boy in the shadows of his mind. For the first time, I'm beginning to understand this thing I've had all my life." She met Jackie's gaze. "I should have gone into psychology instead of sociology."
Jackie leaned into Nionis, and gave her a gentle bump. "No school could've taught what you learned tonight."
Nionis smile crept up her face until it reached her eyes. "True. Plus, this probably only works on dual-natureds, and I don't need a degree to work with pack. Not with something like this," she corrected.
Jackie wondered how Nionis had been able to read Quinn at the restaurant but decided to hold that conversation later.
"What do you say, Nionis?" Ramos asked.
Nionis straightened.
Jackie wondered what she had missed and watched the two men.
"The job on campus is important, I can't leave right now. And I agree it's not a good idea to come and go from the ranch often. Why not call me in when you have a case similar to Sean? I'll come and work with them, help you in any way I can."
"Or you can assist in processing on the front end," Antwan said.
"Each pup?"
He nodded. "Tonight's not the norm. Although we can house up to 25 pups at a time, we've never done that. Typically, we get a pup every two months, sometimes three or four months pass without any pups."
"What happens when the pups aren't reunited with their den?" Jackie asked.
"We train them to survive on their own and place them with dens when they're ready," Ramos said, his gaze flit between her and Sean.
Jackie nodded and lapsed into silence while processing this new puzzle piece. If pups were being placed with dens there would or should be records. She doubted Ramos registered the half-breeds in the national database which her brother, Tyrone, managed. How did these two know the quality of the dens they placed the pups in?
Sean scraped his plate and offered Nionis a timid smile. "All gone."
"Good pup. Time to sleep." She looked at Jackie. "Where's Craig?"
"In bed with Penny." Jackie pushed back her chair. "I'll show you."
Nionis stood, picked up their plates.
"Go ahead, put him to bed, we'll clean up here. Come down when you're done, I know you have questions." Ramos looked at Jackie as he spoke.
"Thanks," she said glancing at the clock on the wall. It was after four in the morning. They needed to get back home or call in their absence to their parents soon or all hell would break loose.
Quinn looked at the young half-breed on the table and cursed. He hadn't been able to save her. By the time they reached the ranch she had already lost a lot of blood. According to the nurse at the clinic, bleeding after her miscarriage had been the reason the child had been dropped off at the clinic by some shadowy person the nurse claimed not to know.
Since the half-breed wasn't responsive at the clinic, Antwan hadn't wanted to move the girl, but Quinn wanted to try. Despite the odds of success, he had to try. Within 30 minutes of arrival at the ranch, she died. His second loss in 10 years. "Sons of bitches," he cursed beneath his breath. Another life snuffed too young. She hadn't had a chance to live, to see much of the world. Where was the justice in this? Rage rolled through him as he stared at her unmoving on the table.
A whimper from the other bed drew his gaze.
Quinn tamped down his anger, and checked the equipment on the other girl. Same age as Marsha, but in her second trimester. Strong vitals, but her litter was in distress. He looked at the sonogram images again. Three pups moved, one didn't.
It might come down to the mother or her litter, he hoped not, but it would take a miracle to keep all of them alive. His stomach growled, he looked at the clock. Almost four in the morning. After making notes regarding both patients, he rechecked the equipment. A few moments later the pregnant pup, eased into sleep. Quinn left the basement and went upstairs to grab a bite.
When he entered the dining room, his uncle and Antwan sat alone at the table looking at each other. "Hungry?" his uncle asked through their link.
Quinn nodded, lifted the covers and frowned at the near empty platters.
"It'll just take a moment to fix you something," Antwan said standing.
Replacing the covers, Quinn headed into the kitchen. "Cereal's fine." He grabbed a bowl and the container of cereal.
"Are you sure, it'll just take a few minutes to make an omelet, I have everything ready to go," Antwan said firing up the burner.
Quinn poured milk over the flakes in his bowl. "Thanks, that sounds good." Bowl and spoon in hand he headed into the dining room, sat across from his uncle and ate.
"It's not your fault," his uncle said into the silence.
Quinn didn't respond.
"I've asked Nionis to help as a consultant."
Quinn's spoon halted halfway to his mouth as he met the older man's gaze. "The chatty one?"
Ramos smiled. "I suppose. Although if there was something of interest to the black haired one, she'd talk as well. Antwan said she refused to leave the truck, almost dared you to argue with her."
Quinn snorted but didn't take the bait. He had nothing to say about the stubborn woman with a soft spot for vulnerable pups.
"You don't mind about Nionis?" His uncle pressed.
Quinn shrugged. "This is your place, your decision who comes, goes."
"Nonsense," his uncle snapped. "I want your opinion."
"I don't know enough to have an opinion," Quinn answered honestly. "Just met her in town less than 24 hours ago. She asked too many questions."
"Were you human deep?"
Quinn nodded.
"Yet she knew you were dual-natured," his uncle said.
"I suppose, her questions leaned in that direction," Quinn said thinking back.
"She has a gift that allows her to see, which is why Antwan allowed them to come."
"See what?" Quinn leaned back as Antwan placed the omelet filled with meat and cheese in front of him.
"Different things." Ramos declined an offer for an omelet. "She worked with Sean."
"Sean?"
Ramos explained what happened an hour ago at the table. Just as he finished, Nionis and Jackie re-entered the dining room. Ramos stood. "Let's all go to my office as the walls are fortified for privacy. I believe we'd all like plain speaking," he said watching the ladies.
Tired, Quinn wasn't sure he wanted any part of a long conversation, until his gaze met Jackie's. Beautiful with a touch of steel and vulnerability. She looked confident, yet bewildered, a temptingly strange contradiction, impossible to resist. He took his dishes into the kitchen, placed them in the dishwasher and followed everyone into his uncle's study.
Inside, Jackie and Nionis sat in his uncle and Antwan's
two large, overstuffed leather chairs forcing the two men to sit on the long sofa on the other side of the room. Which left the chair at the desk as the only other available seat. Quinn opted to lean against the wall to watch.
"First, I'd like to welcome you ladies to the ranch," Ramos said and then launched into the history of the place, his ancestry and the people they helped over the years. Quinn glanced at the wall clock and hoped the old man would get to the interesting part like what were these two doing alone at night without those security guys?
Jackie asked a few questions, which his uncle or Antwan answered. Quinn stifled a yawn and tried to follow the hum of the conversation but exhaustion chased him.
"Quinn?" Antwan said. "Can you answer her?"
"What?" he said straightening against the wall.
Antwan pointed in the direction of the women. "She asked what happened to the girls we carried to the truck?"
"Who asked?" He looked at both women.
"I did," Jackie said, her voice and gaze challenging.
Reminded of his failure, his gaze steadied on hers. "I don't know names, but one died."
Jackie's hand flew to her mouth.
Nionis gasped.
Quinn explained the girl's condition when they arrived at the clinic and what happened after they arrived at the ranch. "The other is on support." He explained her condition and the problems she faced.
"Can you get help for her?" Jackie asked. "Maybe take her to one of the hospitals, see if they can do something."
Quinn wondered if Jackie understood the ranch operated beneath the radar and was unsanctioned in the pack. La Patron's lackeys would turn them in before he could ask for help. On the flip side, if the girl and the lives of her pups could be saved, it might be worth the risk. "I'd be open to looking into that," he said slowly looking at his uncle. "If they can help save the mom and her pups I'd go that route in a heartbeat."
"I may be able to help," Jackie said. "Tell me how much can be said to keep this place safe, what you're doing is too important to risk."
Quinn's gaze swung to meet her determined one. For a few seconds, they stared at each other assessing.
"On one condition," Ramos said.
"What?" Jackie asked looking across the room at his uncle while Quinn continued watching her.
