by Mary Rundle
“Cody is right behind you.”
Glancing quickly over his shoulder, Arald saw nothing. Snarling, he looked back at Dylon, “You fucking ass…” Arald’s voice trailed off as he lost consciousness and slumped to the ground.
“Well done, ma moité, well done.” Dylon quickly untied Slate’s men and then bound Arald. Striding to the door, he opened it. Once everyone was inside, he said, “You two, take this piece of shit while the rest of you take a pup and their blankets.” Then turning to Kieran, Dylon said, “Hi Kieran, the name’s Dylon. I need some food and water I can leave with this asshole until Slate can get back here and take control.”
“I can do that. Where are you putting him?”
“In the same luxurious quarters that he locked your friends in.”
Grinning, Kieran said, “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, everyone out,” Dylon said, but their mind link told his mate to stay. After the room was cleared, Dylon said, “Babe, show yourself.”
“Did you want me naked?” Cody asked as he appeared, smirking.
Growling, Dylon grabbed his mate’s face and kissed him long and hard, just so freaking happy to see Cody safe. Pulling away, he bit his mate’s lower lip gently before letting go. “Naked, yes, but not here.”
“How did he know who your father was?” Cody asked.
“Probably tapping Slate’s phone calls with Steel or Maximus. I’m sure it came up. What the fuck did you hit him with?”
Cody held up a club. “He must have brought this with him but after he got everyone tied up, he put it down on the floor.”
“Good job. Time to get out of here.” Dylon grasped Cody’s hand and ushered him out of the room just as Kieran was coming back with food and a jug of water. “Thanks, I’ll take that. While I lock up Arald, show the rest of these men where Slate and the others are. We’ll be along shortly.”
“Okay, don’t be too long. I’m not sure what’ll happen since Arald’s army has lost their leader,” said Kieran.
“Understood. We’ll be right behind you,” Dylon said, then speaking to the two men holding up Arald, “Follow me.”
Cody and Dylon led the way to the dungeon where Arald was shackled in a cell. Leaving the food within reach, they shut the door and bolted it, taking the keys with them. Once upstairs, they ran to meet up with Slate, Kieran, the pups, and the freed prisoners in the tunnel leading outside. By the time they got there, Slate had had already organized the men, pairing each weak shifter with two enforcers to help them get through the tunnel.
“They’ll go first,” Slate said, “followed by the pups—with you, me, Cody and the remaining enforcers bringing up the rear. My men told me what happened to Arald and I assume he’s securely locked up. Kieran gave us the clothes we left behind when my men and I shifted; I guess Arald didn’t want anyone finding them.”
“Let’s get everyone moving,” Dylon said. “This is going to take a while,”
Slate gave the signal and the march to freedom began. Walking beside Cody and Dylon, he said in a low voice, “That’s an amazing gift you got from the Fates, Cody. Steel told me you would be helpful, but wouldn’t tell me how. By the way, I don’t want you to worry about my enforcers disclosing your gift to anyone. Steel is arranging to have Mystia preform a mind wipe on them concerning what they saw you do here.”
“I appreciate that. It certainly came in useful here,” Cody said, “I knew about the prisoners and the pups, but I was expecting you to greet us when we landed and not the asshole. How did they capture you—in your wolf form, no less?”
Slate snorted. “I wasn’t getting anywhere with negotiating an agreement between the packs, so I gave them the next day off. To clear my head, I decided to go for a run with my enforcers. We came upon a trap, so I ordered the men to back up and once we were in the clear, we ran—right into the real trap. By the time we realized what it was, Arald’s men were shooting us with tranquilizer darts and the next thing we knew were waking up where you found us.”
“Yeah, Zane was the one who discovered Arald and his men were behind all the attacks plaguing the other two packs so we knew you were in danger. Arald had an auction scheduled in a couple of days and he certainly didn’t want you around to see that,” said Cody.
“It seems I owe my life to Zane,” Slate said, “I really have to meet him. Steel has been singing his praises for some time.”
“He’s fucking amazing,” said Dylon, “I don’t think even the High Council had all the information on Arald that he dug up.”
“What are you going to do about Arald?” Cody asked.
“I’ve been thinking about that. Once I get everyone to safety, I’m heading back with a fucking army to take over Arald’s pack. I bet Ulfric and Ordovic will want to talk then about what was really going on. If it’s what I suspect, I’ll gather the evidence and deliver Arald and the proof of his crimes to the High Council so he can stand trial for them. Maybe some of his victims will get a little justice.”
Dylon asked, “What about his army?”
“They’ll be held until I hear from the other Alphas and their pack members. If there is evidence the accused shifter will stand trial. Those that are innocent will be released with a standing injunction about returning to this area.”
“Won’t this take a lot of time?” asked Cody.
“Yes, but I won’t be here for most of it. Once I have proof of Arald’s crimes, he’ll be tried by the High Council and Dire Enterprises’ legal division will handle the rest of the cases.”
“Good, because I think your nephew wants to see you along with Jackson, your parents and my brother Carson,” Cody said.
“And what about Colton and Ian? Have they forgotten me so soon?” Slate asked teasingly.
Shoving Slate, Cody said, “Of course not. Hey, did you know Ian is pregnant?”
“What the fuck? Ian pregnant? No, my brother forgot to mention that to me,” said Slate.
“Yeah, but don’t blame him. There was a lot going on and they had just announced it,” Cody said.
“Nope, I get to give my brother hell over it. That’s my right.”
Laughter echoed around them and Slate joined in.
Chapter 38
Cody could smell fresh air, but they were still inside the mountain. The group was moving slowly with frequent stops to give the weakened shifters some rest. Each time they halted, Cody saw Kieran check on his friends to make sure they were all right before moving on to the pups. During one rest stop, Cody found himself and his mate each holding a wriggling, fussing pup. He smiled at the sweet face scrunched up, getting ready to let loose a howl. Tucking the pup under his chin so he could hear Cody’s heartbeat and humming softly while rubbing the baby’s back, Cody got the pup settled down.
Dylon followed Cody’s example until he too, had his pup silent. When he sensed his pup had fallen asleep, Dylon sat down on some rocks on the side of the tunnel. He buried his nose in the baby’s hair and inhaled his scent. Wow, my pup smells great. Do they all smell this way? Not ever having been around babies, he had no idea what to expect but it seemed as if his mate did. Well, of course he does. He has his nephew.
You are only partially correct. I had eight younger siblings not including Colton and Carson who are younger than me. I had lots of practice. Cody sat down next to his mate as they conversed through their mind link.
So, you like pups, huh?
Yeah, I do. I never viewed it as a chore and was always happy to help Jackson with our younger brothers and siblings. As far as I was concerned, it was a lot better than doing dishes, or other chores. I still miss them so much.
I know you do. But the Fates gave you Daniel and soon you’ll have Colton and Ian’s pup to spoil.
I know, I can’t wait. Oops, time to go. If you haven’t guessed it, Slate is bossy.
Bossier than Steel?
Definitely! Just watch.
Resuming their march, Cody and Dylon kept the sleeping pups in their arms for the rest
of the way. Finally, the rag-tag group of shifters stumbled out into the fresh air. Looking around, Cody remembered seeing this in a vision and knew they were safe.
Kieran was again checking on all his friends and the pups. Once he was satisfied they were all right he turned to Slate, saying, “We need to get to a safe and warm place. The sun will be setting in a couple of hours and it gets very cold up here in the mountains. I got you out of there so what’s your plan to get us out of here?”
Slate’s jawed dropped at Kieran’s attitude. Turning to Cody he asked, “I’m missing something here. Where’s the gratitude?”
Cody chuckled softly. “I think he’s spot on. Kieran did save you by showing me where you were and where to find the keys to unlock your shackles, not to mention showing us a way out of there without anyone losing his life.”
“I got this Slate,” Dylon said. Retrieving his phone from a pocket, he dialed Steel’s number. “Hello…hello, Steel? Can you hear me? Okay then, we need you to send the helicopters I requested.”
“Did you get everyone out?” asked Steel.
“Give me the phone,” Slate grumbled. Then picking up where Dylon left off, he said, “Bro, everyone is out but I need some helicopters right away. According to my rescuer, the sun will be going down soon, and it will get too cold for the pups and the others to be on this mountain. I see a flat area that can serve as a landing pad. How soon can you get them here?”
“Zane found the opening to the tunnel using satellite photos so I moved the helicopters close by. As soon as Dylon emerged from the tunnel, Zane picked up his phone signal so I ordered the choppers airborne. You should see them in about 10 minutes.”
“Thanks,” Slate said, “We’ll be ready. I’ll talk to you when we get everyone settled. Where are we going after we land?”
“I’ve made arrangements for everyone at a hotel close to the airport. See Turk when you land. I’ll talk to you later. Oh wait, Jackson wants to know if Cody and Dylon are all right?”
“Yeah, they’re fine. They can call you from the hotel. I see the choppers. Talk to you later.” Slate hung up and handed Dylon his phone. Turning to Kieran, he asked, “Does all that meet with your approval?”
“Yes, thank you very much,” Kieran said before turning to Cody and Dylon. “Do you want me to take the pups now?”
“Uh uh, they’re sleeping so let them be. We’re fine,” Cody said. He watched as the young man continued to make his rounds, offering a hug, a pat on the back, a smile while wrapping the old and ragged clothes of one of his friends tight in an effort to ward off the cooling air. What an extraordinary shifter! The Fates were right, I had to save him. As far as Cody could see, Kieran never put himself first during this entire rescue even though he’d suffered the worst abuse of any of them.
The noise of the helicopters grew louder as they came closer. Two finally set down while the others hovered above waiting for their turn. Cody saw Kieran help the oldest and weakest shifters in first before picking others to join them. Once filled, the chopper took off and Kieran moved to another and loaded all the pups except the two in Cody and Dylon’s arms. Cody chuckled softly as Kieran ordered Slate around. Finally, Cody, Dylon, the two pups, Slate, and a handful of enforcers stood before Kieran awaiting orders since Slate had long ago given up any hope of remaining in command.
When the last helicopter was loaded with the remainder of the group, Kieran climbed in, and after taking one last look around to make sure he’d missed no one, he sat in the last remaining seat and smiled. I did it! I saved all my friends and the younglings. I promised them I would and I did. Smiling to himself, he looked forward to sleeping in a bed again instead of a cage. Wow! I’m free! I’m finally free! Glancing down at his torn and shredded clothes, he wondered if his rescuers would let him buy a new pair of pants, a shirt and some shoes. He needed them to get a job, after which, he’d pay his rescuers back.
He was sure Cody would lend him some money. He’d been so relieved when he felt the presence of him down in the dungeon. Kieran wasn’t sure at first if it was a friendly spirit but figured he had nothing to lose. The auction was only a few days away and he didn’t want any of his friends sold like he’d been. So, he took a chance and showed the spirit all the prisoners, even the new wolves in the south dungeon.
The day he found the tunnel leading to the outside, he looked at it as a stroke of luck and he had been tempted many times to escape with the pups and his friends. But he always came back to the same problem—what would they do once they got outside? He knew his friends wouldn’t be able to walk very far carrying the pups, so he did nothing, waiting for an opportunity. It was only by chance he’d heard Arald talking to his head enforcer about someone flying in to rescue the newest prisoners and his order to kill them. As soon as he heard that, he figured time had run out for some of his friends. Finding the spirit was like salvation—and a very welcome surprise.
Slate took charge when they landed, getting everyone checked into their hotel rooms and ordering food. Then he sent Turk and his men out to buy new clothes for everyone including diapers for the pups. He asked Kieran about what the pups would need and, in the end, Slate put the pups, Kieran, Cody, and Dylon in the presidential suite and made sure there were enough cribs. When his men came back with a truck load of supplies, he sorted it out and dumped all the baby stuff with Kieran.
Now alone in his room, he called his brother.
“Hello?”
“Hi bro. Well, we’re here, everyone fed and clothed, Arald is locked up in a cell in his fortress leaving me with a shit mess on my hands.”
“I know. I’m working on getting everything set up so you can go in with a strike force and take control of his army. Get some rest and we’ll talk again in the morning,” Steel said, then added, “Are you okay? He didn’t harm you, right?”
“No, I’m fine—just tired and pissed at that fucking asshole. I can’t wait to hear the stories of the other two Alphas now that Arald won’t be part of the conversation anymore.”
Chuckling, Steel said, “Go get some rest. Glad you’re okay.”
~/~/~/~/~
In the middle of the night, Cody was awakened by the sound of some unhappy pups. Getting up, he was drawn to the room where the howling was coming from. Standing in the doorway, he saw Kieran trying to comfort two pups without much success. “What’s the problem?” he asked.
“I don’t know. They won’t settle down and I’m afraid they’ll wake the others,” Kieran said, leaning over one of the cribs.
Moving closer, Cody felt it—the life threads of the two pups— twins—seeking out his chest and latching on to his heart. The jolt woke Dylon who rushed in to see what was happening to his mate. Glancing at Cody’s heart, he saw two, new, very thin life threads embedded in his mate’s chest. Looking up at Cody’s face, Dylon saw a smile of pure radiance as his mate realized what the Fates had given them.
“They are ours?” whispered Dylon.
Cody nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak as he walked to one of the cribs. As soon as the crying pup saw Cody, he stretched out his arms, wanting the comfort of his father. After picking him up, the pup stopped howling and smiled as he grabbed Cody’s nose. Laughing, Cody said, “You are going to be a real heartbreaker when you grow up aren’t you?”
As Dylon stood watching the scene unfold, he felt a jolt as two, tiny, life threads embedded themselves in his heart, finally completing the circle. Walking over to the other pup, he picked her up and cuddled his new daughter. Looking over at Kieran, Dylon said, “These pups are ours. Given to us by the Fates. We’ll take care of them now—you can go back to bed.”
Kieran smiled at Dylon. “They have been waiting for you. These are twin Tundra wolves. Arald killed their mother and father because he claimed he had a buyer who wanted twins, and these were the only set he could find who were the right age. The buyer was coming in two days’ time to pick them up.”
Growling at the news their parents had been killed so
his pups could be sold, Dylon felt murderous rage overcome his body. And just when he thought he should set his daughter down so as to not hurt her, Dylon felt cool water rushing through his body, quenching the fires burning within him. Looking for the source of the water, he looked down and saw his life thread had turned to a brilliant Caribbean blue, courtesy of his mate.
Kieran said, “I’m very happy you found each other. I’m going to bed; the rest of the younglings will be up soon and I need my beauty sleep.”
Dylon and Cody held their pups, until they fell asleep. Laying them gently down in their beds, Cody tucked the blankets around both before tiptoeing out of the room with his mate. Once back in their beds, Cody whispered, “Can you believe it, babe, our own pups. We’re a real family now. I’m so happy, I could burst.”
“You know my mother is going to go wild when she finds out she has, not one, but two grandpups. They will be so spoiled.”
“But they’re our spoiled pups. Can you believe it?”
“Did the Fates show you this in a vision?”
“No, I had no idea until their life threads went into my heart,” Cody said. Then a thought hit him. “You do want them, don’t you?”
“Oh, my gods, yes—a thousand times—yes! I mean I wasn’t thinking of having pups, but when I found out the Fates had given them to us, all I could think of was how right it felt.”
Cody snuggled with his mate, listening to his strong heartbeat. Then another thought popped into his head, “What are their names? We need to decide on names!”
Dylon smiled. “Ma moité, tomorrow. Let’s ask Kieran if he knows the names their parents gave them and if not, I’m sure we can come up with two perfect names.”
“Wait until my brothers find out about them! I wonder what they’ll be betting on this time. Shit, we need a nursery for them. Crap, Logan is doing one for Colton and Ian. I wonder if Lizzie would like to help us set one up until Logan can give our son and daughter one of his masterpieces.”
