“No…not totally,” Jackson said softly. “I know how stressful it can be when there are gaps that haven’t been filled…but I also know how much of a relief it is when some questions have been answered…even if it’s not what you want to hear. It’s because of that I agreed to help Ollie and Mac rescue your parents.”
“Thank you,” Theo said.
“You’re welcome,” Jackson replied. “But I want you to promise me that regardless of what you learn, you won’t let it destroy the life you have with your mates because that is your future…and in the end, that’s all that really matters.”
Theo nodded. Then his eyes shifted to his mates as his fingers intertwined with theirs. “That’s an easy promise to make, Alpha. Golden Sun and Eagle Feather are part of me, and no one will ever be able to separate us.”
“Good,” Jackson responded, seeing the love flow among the three of them. “I’ll let Dylon know he should talk to you. In the meantime, there is something else I need to discuss with the three of you…it’s about the arrest warrant for Norm and Theo. I spoke to Penn about it and came up with a plan to get it rescinded, but until that happens, both of you are at risk.”
Smokey glanced at Norm, then turned his gaze back to Jackson. “I thought that’s why you sped up the rescue mission. What changed? And why do I get the feeling I’m not gonna like it?”
“What are you talking about?” asked Theo, clearly confused.
“Honeybunch,” Norm murmured. “We were gonna tell you, but then Mac told us not to upset you, so we decided to wait.”
“Tell me what?”
Smokey looked quickly at Norm before turning back to Theo. “The guy Ollie fought was a bounty hunter who had an arrest warrant for you and Norm.”
“I gathered that,” Theo said, frustrated, “but what I don’t know is why? We’ve committed no crimes.”
“Uhm…well…” Smokey’s voice trailed off as his eyes connected with Jackson.
Seeing the plea in the Grizzly Bear’s eyes, Jackson said, “Theo, the arrest warrant claims you and Norm stole a number of valuable objects from your parents, which resulted in them filing a complaint with the Alpha.”
Theo’s eyes widened, then as it sank in, he slowly shook his head. “That’s impossible…I never stole anything, and Norm wasn’t ever in our house, so he couldn’t have done it. Why would my parents say such a thing?”
Chapter 24
“Maybe they didn’t,” Norm said quietly, trying to give his mate hope that Theo’s parents weren’t involved, though he was sure they were. After all, they had sent Theo to Arald’s.
“Why would the arrest warrant say it if they didn’t?” asked Theo, his voice barely above a whisper.
Before Norm could reply, Jackson said, “I have my doubts about their involvement, considering your parents are currently chained up in the Alpha’s basement.”
Theo’s eyes brightened. “You think they didn’t accuse me of stealing from them?”
“Yes…but there are a number of possibilities why they might have done it,” Jackson replied. “And until they’re here and free to tell their side of the story, I won’t know for sure.”
Nodding, Theo said, “I got that…but I can still hope.”
“You can,” Jackson said softly. “Just remember, your first duty is to the cub you’re carrying, which means keeping calm…even if you discover your parents have joined forces with your former Alpha.”
Theo’s arm cradled his small baby bump while staring at it for a moment. He’d been through so much with Norm, and somehow, they had survived. Now, absolute happiness was within his grasp, and he vowed silently to the life inside him that no one would ever prevent him from achieving it. If that meant finally accepting his parents’ role in sending him to Arald’s, he would do that and then cut them out of his and his cub’s life. Looking up at Jackson, Theo said, “My cub…and my mates will always come first in my life, and I swear to do everything necessary toprotect them from anyone who wants to harm them…even my parents.”
“Good,” Jackson said, “because I’m sending the three of you to stay with Tristan and Heath for a while.”
“No fucking way!” growled Smokey.
“Why?” asked Norm. “Theo needs to be close to Mac and the hospital, which he won’t be if we leave here.”
“Norm’s right,” Smokey snarled.
Jackson held up his hand, and when the room grew silent, he said, “According to our attorney, Penn, Theo and Norm have to turn themselves in and unless the judge grants them bail, they’ll have to remain in jail until trial—which poses a huge risk for the safety of Theo’s cub. Since that’s totally unacceptable, the only other option is for the three of you to disappear while Penn works on getting the arrest warrants rescinded.”
“What’s the likelihood of that happening?” asked Norm.
“50-50,” Jackson replied. “Of course, if Theo’s parents swear they didn’t file a complaint with their Alpha and that neither Theo nor Norm had stolen anything, then those odds go up in our favor.”