“That’s where the viable DNA is…at least that’s what I’ve read,” Zane replied.
“So that means I can’t just cut a few of his strands of hair,” Dylon said.
“Ouch!” exclaimed Zane, smirking.
“Hopefully Wes is right about him,” Dylon muttered.
“Hey, maybe Remy can use magic to get a sample of his hair,” Zane said.
“Worth a shot,” Jackson said. “I’ll speak to Remy and let you know. In the meantime, maybe you can use your knowledge of the High Council to find out what other powers a Ghost Bear Alpha has.”
Nodding slowly, Dylon said, “I have a buddy at the council who might know…I’ll call him.”
“Good,” Jackson said. “Hopefully, my theory will be correct…”
“If it is, will Norm replace the current Ghost Bear Alpha?” asked Zane. “And what about Theo and Smokey…will they all leave the Blackwood Pack?”
“Maybe…but before that can happen, there has to be absolute proof Norm is the rightful heir,” Jackson replied.
Dylon thought for a moment before saying, “We might not find complete proof…meaning there will be some loopholes in the theory which can’t be filled because of a variety of reasons…like missing or non-existent records.”
“I realize that,” Jackson said. “But hopefully, there will be enough evidence to create doubt about the legal right of the current Alpha to hold that position. If that happens, it’s possible the Ghost Bear Alpha will make a deal to leave Theo and Norm alone if he can remain in power. Though I doubt he’s smart enough to do that. But one step at a time…first we need to gather the proof. So go see what you can find.”
Nodding, Dylon stood, then said, “One other thing…does Norm know about your theory, and if not, are you gonna tell him?”
“Not yet, but I plan on telling him soon,” Jackson said.
Nodding, Dylon said, “Good luck.”
Jackson watched Dylon and Zane leave his study before leaning back in his chair and thinking about what he had just set in motion—the unmasking of an Alpha driven by greed and power. He knew how dangerous it was to do that after what happened when he filed his legal complaint against Josiah. Although necessary, it had put his brothers in even more danger than before, since it disclosed their location. But, as difficult as it was to do, it was worth it in the end because it gave all of them their lives back.
But if that would be the same for Theo and Norm, Jackson wasn’t sure. Even if Norm was the rightful heir, the current Alpha would continue hunting both him and Theo until he got what he wanted—making sure that Theo and his cub were no longer a threat to his remaining in power. And that was the problem in a nutshell. What if Wesley wasn’t correct about the Power of the Alpha? What if Norman didn’t possess it? What if there was another reason the Ghost Bear Alpha sent Theo and Norm away?
Too many questions and not enough answers, Jackson thought, as he swiveled his chair and stared out the window at the morning sky, letting its beauty wash away his doubts. He would concentrate on what he knew and find the answers to the rest—there was too much at risk to do otherwise.
~/~/~/~/~
Sorting through his files, Mac selected the ones pertaining to Theo, Norm, and Smokey before shoving them into a satchel. Then, moving over to the bookcase in his office, he pulled out several others and handed them to his mate, “Here, put these in there too.”
“What about your laptop?” asked Ollie. “Won’t you need it?”
“Go ahead and add it,” Mac mumbled while studying the titles of the rest of his books. Not many of them dealt with Ghost Bear pregnancies, but he picked some that dealt with premature births since that was the closest thing to what Theo might experience. Handing them to Ollie, Mac paused and looked around the room to see what else should go with them to the Silver Point Pack. But before he could decide, someone knocked on his office door. Looking up, he called out, “Come in.”
Slate pushed open the door and stepped inside. “Mac, Steel told me you’re in charge of the medical facilities at Tristan’s.”
“Yeah,” Mac murmured, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Though I’m not sure what’s needed there yet, since I haven’t seen their clinic. From what Jackson said, it’s not in good condition.”
“It’s not, but my crew is already at work over there, making sure the building, electrical, and plumbing are all up to code,” Slate said. “Luckily, it’s actually better than some of the other clinics we’ve redone, so we’ll be ready to get to work by the end of tomorrow.”
“Hey, that’s great news!” Mac exclaimed.
“Here,” Slate said, handing a file folder to Mac. “My foreman took some pictures of the interior for you, and I’ve included, for your approval, a list of equipment and supplies proposed for the current clinic. There’s also the list Colton did for the hospital in Mexico that Dire Enterprises built, and I thought they’d be helpful for you to review for the new clinic and hospital at Silver Point.”
“Thanks,” Mac said. “I haven’t thought about any of that yet with everything going on with Theo and his parents.” Opening the file, he flipped through the documents, pausing to examineeach photograph before handing them to Ollie. Slate was right; the current clinic would work for the foreseeable future since it was bigger than he’d first thought. Then, carefully examining the next document, he nodded to himself in agreement with most of it. Looking up at Slate, he said, “That’s good, but I may want to add some other items once I get a handle on the medical needs of the pack members.”
“Sure…that list is only a starting point.”
Then Mac looked at the lists Colton had made and was immediately impressed at how complete they were, but once again, there were a few omissions. Making a mental note to speak to his cousin about it once he and Ollie got settled over at the Silver Point Pack, Mac glanced up at Slate. “Again, it’s good, but I’d like to see the floor plans for the new hospital and clinic before giving final approval.”