“That’s not what I have,” Ollie muttered.
“What is it then?” asked Jackson.
“I have the gift of ‘Silent Zephyr’…according to the oracle who told me the gods had given it to me,” Ollie said softly.
Confused, Jackson looked at Mac for a moment and, by the puzzled look on his face, realized he was also at a loss.At least we’re in the same boat.Shifting his gaze back to Ollie, he said, “I haven’t heard of Silent Zephyr, but it includes a form of invisible speed, right?”
“I guess you could say that,” Ollie replied. “But it’s more than that, cause the gift allows me to fit through a crack so small that only wind can penetrate it.”
“That’s how you got through the gate,” Jackson muttered.
“Yes, once I transform into my zephyr form…”
Staring incredulously at his mate, Mac asked, “You can turn into wind?”
Nodding, Ollie replied, “That’s one way to describe it.”
“And that’s why you disappeared from view and ended up at the front door without the cameras seeing you,” Jackson murmured, leaning back in his chair and studying Ollie before asking, “How long have you had this gift?”
Shrugging, Ollie said, “Since my parents died.”
“Do Theo’s parents know?” asked Jackson.
Shaking his head, Ollie replied, “No one knows…well, other than you two.”
“Why did you keep it a secret?” asked Mac softly.
Ollie grinned. “Why do you think? Can you imagine how people would react if I told them I could become the wind? Do you understand how weird that sounds?”
“He’s got a point,” Jackson said to Mac. “Even now, with all my brothers and cousins’ gifts, Ollie’s is one I’d have found hard to believe without seeing him or, to put it another way, not seeing him…in the video.”
“True,” Mac muttered, rolling his eyes. “I just don’t understand why I never heard of it…especially since I did extensive research on gifts the Fates and gods can give to us once I got here.” Then he turned to Ollie and asked, “Did the oracle who told you about the gift tell you anything else…like which god it came from?”
“No…but I didn’t ask either,” Ollie said. “Mainly because I thought it was someone playing a joke on me, but when she assured me it wasn’t, I guess I was kinda speechless and, by the time I thought to ask for more information, she was gone.”
Raising an eyebrow, Mac looked at Jackson. “Do you think our Oracle knows about the Silent Zephyr gift?”
“Possibly,” Jackson murmured, reaching for his phone. Sending Oracle a text, he asked her to come to his study as soon as possible, and after getting a reply, he said, “She’ll be here shortly. While we wait, tell me, when are you guys planning to claim each other?”
~/~/~/~/~
After leaving Jackson’s study, Hunter headed to Mason’s office, intending to find out what had caused his brother’s pain the last time they were together. He expected Mase to brush off any concerns he voiced, but his brother wouldn’t be able to ignore Jackson’s order about the physical. He gave a quick rap of his knuckles before entering the room, returning his brother’s smile before he claimed a chair.
“What are you doing here?” asked Mason, setting down his pen. “I thought you were gonna go over the proposal with Fionn regarding his investment.”
“I had just started, but then Alex called and told Fionn he had an emergency and needed to see him,” Hunter explained, quickly holding up his hand to avoid being interrupted. “Before you ask, it has nothing to do with his pregnancy. Other than that, I have no idea what was so important that Alex wanted Fionn to come immediately.”
“Oh, well, that’s good. At least Mac won’t have to deal with Sawyer’s extreme behavior regarding Alex.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Hunter said, smirking. “Of all of us, he was the last one I ever thought would crack. He was always so carefree and confident that, no matter what the situation was, it would always turn out all right.”
Chuckling, Mason said, “I’m getting a kick out of it. It’s about time our brother faced a challenge that requires something other than his athletic ability.”
“As hard as it is for Sawyer, it’s worse for Mac since he has to deal with him, and all I can say is thank goodness Mac has Jackson to back him up,” Hunter murmured.
Instead of replying, Mason quietly observed his brother for a moment before asking, “You never wanted to follow in our father’s footsteps and take over as Alpha after he died, did you?”
Shifting his gaze away from his brother, Hunter stared out the window, focusing on the leaves fluttering in the light breeze. He finally said, “I spent my childhood learning everything about being an Alpha.”