by Mary Rundle
“You won’t be able to stop her. My mother is a force of nature when she sets her mind to something. And if it’s for her grandpups? Better stand back because you’re about to see Hurricane Lizzie at work.”
“Hurricane Lizzie?” Cody said, giggling, “Does she know you call her that?”
“No, and you better not tell her,” Dylon said, sternly.
“Oh, I don’t know. I think it will come in handy at some time.”
“Are you threatening me?” Dylon asked, tickling Cody’s sides.
Laughing so hard, his mate could only gasp, “No…no…I won’t…Promise.”
Stopping, Dylon gathered Cody into his arms and held him against his chest. “I love you, ma moité, I will always be there for you and no matter what you need, I will be your everything now, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives together. We are one and we will always be one.” Lowering his lips to lightly touch Cody’s, Dylon whispered, “I will be your light in the darkness, your anchor to this world, and your port in the storm so you’ll always find your way back to me.” Then he pressed his lips against the ones belonging to the one who filled his life with joy and happiness.
Chapter 39
The first thing Dylon noticed when he woke the next morning was someone missing from his bed. Glancing at their shimmering silver life thread, he chuckled. His mate was already up taking care of their pups. Unfuckingbelievable! I’m a dad! Holy shit! I don’t know anything about being a dad to a daughter—a son, maybe—but a daughter? Not a fucking clue. Deciding his daddy duties required helping his mate with their pups, he rose, slipped on his jeans and padded barefoot to the room where Cody was already changing their daughter. Coming up behind him, he kissed his mate’s neck before saying in a sleep roughened voice, “Good morning, ma moité. How’s our daughter feeling today?”
Cody felt tingles of desire racing along his spine as he listened to Dylon’s voice. Turning his head, he leaned over and bit his mate’s lower lip before soothing it with his tongue. “She’s doing fine, all changed and ready for her bottle. Your son is waiting for you to do the same for him,” Cody said, smirking.
“Aahhh, changing him? Like…with a diaper?”
“No, with a wand! Of course, with a diaper—you do know how to change a diaper, don’t you?”
Dylon sheepishly shook his head. He had mastered every form of martial arts at the Universal Paranormal High Council Elite Fighting Force School, yet here he stood, failing his very first test of being a dad. Luckily, Cody took pity on him, and after putting their daughter back in her crib, he moved to the other one. Carrying his son over to the dresser he’d rigged up as a changing table, he placed their son down in the cradle of blankets he’d made. “It’s very important you keep a hand on his chest like this while you are getting the supplies ready,” Cody said, showing Dylon where to place his hand.
“Why?”
“So he doesn’t roll over and fall. Pups this age are learning to roll over and they try to do it all the time. When we’re home and I have a proper changing table, you won’t have to do this because he’ll be strapped in. Now grab a diaper from the stack and set it down next to him. Place yourself in front of him, so you can use both hands to unsnap the onesie at the crotch and then pull it up until it clears the diaper.”
Dylon followed the instructions and smiled when he’d managed all that. Fuck! This wasn’t too hard. “Okay, now what?”
“Pull on these tabs…yeah like that. And then the diaper will fall open so you can remove it by grabbing your son’s ankles in one hand, lifting his bottom up and pulling the soiled diaper out with the other hand.” Cody watched as Dylon, the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, focused on coordinating his actions.
“I did it!” exclaimed Dylon as he dropped the used diaper on the floor. As he lowered his son’s legs, he was suddenly soaked as his son peed all over him. Dylon’s jawed dropped. “Did you see what he did to me? What the fuck? Couldn’t he wait until I got the new one on him?” Grabbing the new diaper, Dylon opened it and held it over his son’s crotch. Using his other hand, he grabbed another and started soaking up the piss on his son’s body before moving to his arms and chest. Glancing at his mate, he found Cody shaking with laughter. “Very fucking funny,” Dylon growled. “Why didn’t you warn me that was going to happen?”
“What? I didn’t know he was going to do that.”
“But you knew it was a possibility, right?”
“Well, it has happened to me maybe once or twice, but it was a long time ago.”
“Uh huh,” Dylon said with a bit of sarcasm. “What’s next?”
“Let me get a wet washcloth and a towel to clean him off and then you can diaper him. Just a minute.”
Dylon glanced at the retreating back of his mate before turning his attention back to his son. “Hey Buddy, we need to have a talk. I understand it’s fun to spray with your fire hose, but no can do that on me. There is a time and a place for having fun with it—like in the woods against a tree—you know to see how high it can spray? Trees are really handy for that kind of stuff—oh, I know— and writing your name on a boulder—cool shit and the best thing about it is it dries so no one knows you were there…well, maybe another wolf. That’s not important right now…what is important is you know there is a time and place for having fun with your fire hose and spraying your daddy isn’t one of them.”
Cody leaned against the doorway and listened to the last part of Dylon’s first lecture to their son. Right then, if he had any doubts about his mate embracing parenthood, they were dispelled by the sweetness of Dylon’s conversation with his son. Pushing off, he walked over to his mate and son, smiling goofily as he tucked away this memory in a special place in his mind. After washing and drying his son, Cody helped Dylon finish the diapering just as Kieran came in with their bottles.
“Is everything all right in here?”
“It’s perfect,” Cody replied as he took the two bottles. Then giving one to Dylon, he picked up his daughter and sat in the chair to feed her as his mate did the same with their son.
“Yeah I can see that. Anything else you need?”
“No, I think we got this…Wait, do you know their names? The names their parents gave them?” asked Dylon.
“Don’t you want to give them new names?” asked Kieran.
“We’d like to use the names their parents picked for them. I know it’s not much but at least they’ll grow up knowing their names came from their birth parents who loved them very much,” Cody said.
Smiling, Kieran, thinking the Fates picked the perfect parents for the twins, said, “The girl is Jessica and the boy is Jake. When they arrived, their first names were embroidered on their t-shirts.”
Cody and Dylon looked at each other smiling, before saying together, “Jake and Jessica!”
“I love them,” exclaimed Cody. “Perfect names for our perfect babies!”
“Do you know anything else about them?” asked Dylon.
“Other than they’re Tundra pups, no. When Arald brought them to me, he’d gotten rid of everything except their clothes. He insisted I burn those the next day. He didn’t want anyone to trace who they belonged to.” Kieran said.
“When are the buyers coming?” asked Dylon, an idea forming in his head.
“Tomorrow.”
“Kieran, would you do me a favor and get Slate,” Dylon said.
“I don’t have to. He’s on his way. That was the other thing I came in to tell you. Oops, that’s him,” Kieran said as they heard knocking on the door to their suite. “I’ll be right back.”
Kieran came hustling back in the room with Slate behind him. “I told him you wanted to see him,” he said to Dylon.
Slate walked in and stopped short. “What’s this I hear about you feeding your pups? What does Kieran mean ‘your pups’?”
After Dylon explained about Jake and Jessica, he said, “Kieran said the buyer for the twins will be arriving tomorrow—as I will i
magine the rest of the buyers. Is that correct, Kieran?”
“Yes, Arald had me prepare rooms for them. They’ll be coming all day tomorrow as the auction takes place the next day… uh, was supposed to but now obviously won’t,” explained Kieran.
Slate saw what Dylon was getting at and it was a great idea. But first he needed some background information. Sitting in a chair across from Dylon and Cody, he said, “Kieran, can you tell me where the shifters in the cells came from?”
“Most of them came from the other two packs. Arald would pick a dude and threaten to kill his family if the guy didn’t agree to be sold by Arald. A couple of shifters came from Canada, but the rest belong here with their families. I know they’re worried about them and are eager to get them back—but they won’t return if Arald is still running things. And the shifters would rather be sold to keep their families safe. Are you going to stop Arald?”
“Yes,” said Slate. “What about the pups? I know about these two, but did Arald kill their parents just so he could sell them?”
“Oh no,” cried Kieran, “Most of the pups were also taken from the members of the other two packs. He only killed Jessica and Jake’s parents because no one here had twins that were the right age.”
“What? Arald forced pack members to give up their pups so he could sell them?” Slate’s voice thundered through the room, causing Jake and Jessica to let out a wail.
“Stop it Slate! Lower your voice because you’re scaring our pups,” Cody demanded.
“Sorry,” Slate said, contritely, reining in his anger.
“Members were given a choice to either hand over a pup Arald wanted or be killed. Most of the pack members handed over their pups because they had other pups to care for at home. Only a few, who had no other pups to care for, stood up to Arald and he killed them. Those pups should go to their dead parents’ relatives. I took care of all the pups and tried to figure out a way I could save them.”
“I think you did an amazing job, Kieran—far better than most others would have. You should be proud of what you did because in the end, you saved everyone, including shifters from the other two packs.” Then turning to Dylon, Cody said. “Dylon, Jake has finished his bottle and he needs to be burped. Put him up like I’m doing with Jessie and pat his back, gently, until he burps.” Then he looked at Slate. “What is Dire Enterprises going to do about this?”
“Before I answer, why did you want to see me, Dylon?” Slate asked.
“We have a golden opportunity to capture the potential buyers. If we set it up right, we’ll be able to record them talking about who they want to buy and for what amount. Granted, it’s not the same as if money exchanges hands, but the sentence for having intent to buy a shifter carries a minimum of fifty years. Now we know someone wanted twin pups. That’s a start. If the buyers arrive throughout the day, we’ll have time to talk to each about what they’re planning to buy, lock them in the cells after we have their statements recorded so by the end of the day, all that will be left to do is transport them to one of the High Council’s jails.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. We can use the meeting room—it’s wired for video. First, though, I have to round up Arald’s army and lock them up. Last night, Steel told me of your gift, Dylon, and I could use you today. Can you help me?”
“Absolutely.” Turning to his mate he asked, “Cody, do you want to come with us or stay here?”
“I’ll come with you. Kieran, would you please take care of our pups until we return? If all goes well, we’ll be back by early afternoon.”
“Sure. Just take care of those assholes once and for all.”
“I promise,” said Cody.
“As soon as I have everything ready, I’ll let you know, guys,” said Slate. “Kieran, the manager of the hotel knows to give you whatever you want. Please let your friends know they can eat in their rooms or in the restaurant downstairs—their choice. I’m leaving a squad of enforcers here and they have orders to obey you without question. Anything else you can think of you might need?” he asked.
“Oh no, everything is fine. Thank you so much for all of this. My friends and the pups are very happy they’re free,” answered Kieran.
Slate nodded, then left. Kieran also left to give Cody and Dylon some time alone with their pups.
“Well, ma moité,” said Dylon, “one more mission before we can head home with our babies. You okay with everything?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to leave them, but we need to return the rest of the pups to their families along with the shifters. Then and only then, we will be free to go home and spoil them.”
“Until the next mission, eh?”“Until the next one. But I know we’ll be okay—I will be okay—because I realized listening to Kieran, when we fulfill a mission, we bring happiness to shifters who are in the depths of despair. And that’s worth all the pain. So yeah, let’s go kick some ass so we can take our babies home.”
~/~/~/~/~
In the end, there was only token resistance from the remaining enforcers who hadn’t fled when Arald had disappeared. Sensing something had happened to their employer, they’d left the night before to escape any repercussions of their actions. Faced with the overwhelming numbers of enforcers Slate brought with him, the rest of Arald’s army surrendered quickly and without a fight. After a brief meeting with Ulfric and Ordovic, most of the day was spent ferrying Kieran’s friends and the pups back to their families.
Dylon used his strength to break through the front barricaded door of Arald’s fortress. He and Slate quickly locked up the remainder of Arald’s enforcers in the other empty cells. When Arald saw them looking at him through the small barred window of his cell, he let out a stream of profanity that echoed off the stone walls of his prison.
Then Cody, Dylon and Slate made sure the recording equipment was working in the peace conference’s meeting room. Chuckling to himself, Slate turned to Cody and Dylon. “You know I have a perfect record in negotiating at peace conferences. With Arald locked up and his army either gone or behind bars, Ulfric and Ordovic’s packs will have the peace they wanted all along. Ha, Steel won’t be able to lord anything over me now.”
“I’m sure he’ll agree with your assessment especially after you tell him about your stay in the dungeon,” Cody said, smirking.
And yup, there was the universal sign of agreement—Slate’s middle finger.
Chapter 40
Returning to the hotel, Cody and Dylon were eager to cuddle with Jake and Jessica before their bedtime. Entering their room, they saw their pups on the floor, trying to roll over on a blanket. Laughing, Cody sat next to Jake, urging him to do his first roll but when Jake saw Cody, he raised his arms wanting to be held by his father. Picking him up and cuddling Jake close to his chest, Cody hummed “Puff the Magic Dragon” to his son for the very first time. Spit bubbles and a smile was proof— to him at least—that Jake loved the song as much as Cody did when he was little. Glancing at Jessica, Cody saw her now in Dylon’s arms, laughing, while he tickled her belly and made cooing sounds. Finally, all was right in his world.
“Are you taking Jessica and Jake home now?” Kieran asked, watching Cody and Dylon playing with their pups.
“What?” asked Dylon, when Kieran’s voice finally registered in his mind.
Kieran sighed. “I asked if you were taking the twins home.”
“Yes. I’m not sure when. Slate will be here shortly so we can finalize the plans for tomorrow,” Dylon said, then, hearing several knocks, added, “Speak of the devil.”
“I’ll get it,” Kieran said, jumping up to open the door. “Slate,” said Kieran, giving him a hug, “Thank you so much for taking care of my friends and getting the pups back to their families!”
Slate awkwardly patted Kieran on the back. “Uhmm, sure. You’re welcome.”
Stepping back, Kieran led Slate to the living room and after sitting down, he asked, “What’s going to happen to Theodore and Norman?”
Confused, Slate a
sked, “Who are Theodore and Norman? I thought the pups were Jake and Jessica? Wait—Jessica’s a girl. Who are you talking about?”
“My friends—Theodore and Norman—the shifters from Canada. The ones we rescued who are in their room at this hotel—you know—that Theodore and Norman. Where are they going?”
“Back to Canada. Why?”
“Because they can’t go there. They’re gay like me and were caught kissing. Their parents gave them to Arald because he promised to get the gayness out of them. If you send them home, who knows what’ll happen to them this time,” Kieran said, his voice rising. Turning to Cody, he pleaded, “Please don’t send them there. They can come with me. If you’ll lend me some money, I’ll get a job and take care of them. I’ll make sure they go to school and keep them safe. Please, don’t send them back to Canada.”
“Kieran, calm down, nobody will send them any place that’ll put them back in danger, I promise,” Cody said watching as Kieran took a deep breath. “Let’s start over, shall we?” After seeing the young man nod, Cody asked, “You said they were from Canada and I can tell they aren’t wolf shifters so what kind are they?”
“Ghost Bear Shifters,” said Kieran.
Dylon’s jaw dropped. “Ghost Bear Shifters? Are you sure?”
“If you’re asking if my friends lied to me,” Kieran said indignantly, “No they didn’t. Why would you think such a thing?” Turning to Cody, he said, “I get it, he’s your mate, but I don’t like anyone insulting my friends. Would you tell him to behave himself?”
Chuckling, Cody said to Dylon, “You heard Kieran. Behave yourself or I will tell Lizzie and she’ll take you over her knee.”
Dylon said, “I wasn’t implying that at all. It’s just that Ghost Bear Shifters are very rare. The High Council hasn’t found any for years and they were beginning to think Ghost Bear Shifters were extinct.”
“Well they aren’t, but that doesn’t change the facts. You can’t send them back. Their parents will give them away again or worse, sell them like I was sold to somebody who will abuse them just because they’re gay,” Kieran said angrily.
