Smokey snorted. “And what happens if they don’t? We can’t stay away for six months or more.”
“I know that,” Jackson replied. “But it buys Penn time to get the case dismissed without Theo and Norm sitting in jail.”
“Okay, say we stay with Tristan,” Norm said. “What happens if Theo needs to see Mac? We can’t come back here since that could put us at risk.”
“I’ve already thought about that,” Jackson said. “Tristan has previously accepted my offer for Mac to stay temporarily at his pack to provide healthcare to those members who desperately need it since Josiah was too busy lining his own pockets to take care of his pack’s welfare.”
“Yeah, but what about the medical stuff Mac needs for Theo…like the ultrasound? They don’t have any of that stuff there,” rumbled Smokey.
“Whatever Mac needs to set up a clinic and operating room will be provided by Dire Enterprises within the next few days. Mac and Ollie will join you after they get back from the mission to free Theo’s parents,” Jackson assured him.
“You want us to go today?” asked Norm.
Nodding, Jackson said, “The sooner the better. Even though the bounty hunter who tried to kidnap Theo is locked up, there’s no way to know if he’s acting alone. And since I have to assume your former Alpha knows you’re here, the quicker you leave, the safer you guys will be.”
Smokey exchanged glances with Norm and, after seeing his nod, turned to Theo and asked, “What do you think…should we go?”
“If we go before my parents are rescued, I won’t get to talk to them,” Theo said softly, glancing at Jackson.
“Once I clear them of any wrongdoing, Zane can set up a meeting for you and your parents by computer. However, until I resolve this mess, I won’t allow any in-person visits because I can’t risk your former Alpha finding out where you and Norm are.”
Theo’s shoulders slumped as he realized the danger he and his pooh bear were in. It took him a moment, but finally he looked at his mates and said, “We should go.”
“Okay,” Jackson said. “Tristan should be here shortly. In the meantime, go pack, then see Zane. You’ll get new phones and computers from him that can’t be traced.”
“Will we be going back with Tristan?” asked Norm.
“No, Remy will transport you once Tristan tells him where you’ll stay,” Jackson said. “That way, if the bounty hunter has someone waiting outside the front gate, he won’t see you leaving here.” Just then, Jackson’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. Slipping it out of his pocket, he glanced at it before looking back up. “Tristan and Heath are here. I’ll tell you when I have everything arranged.”
After Jackson left the room, Smokey said, “I know we agreed to go, but we don’t have to go to Tristan’s. There are other places we could go that have better security.”
“Where would that be?” asked Norm. “It’s clear we can’t stay here.”
“We could go to LA and stay with Ghost…no one will break through his security,” Smokey said. “Or we could go to my friend’s house up near the Arctic Circle.”
“But what about Mac? Theo needs to be close to a doctor,” Norm said. “I don’t think we should risk it. I’d rather stay close to here just in case Mac needs to consult with Ian.”
Theo shook his head before grabbing his mates’ hands and placing them on his baby bump. “It doesn’t matter what any of us want…the only thing we need to think about is what’s best for our cub, right? And as much as I’d like to stay here, that can’t happen given what’s facing us. So my vote is to go to Tristan where our cub will have Mac to look after it…agreed?”
Leaning in, Norm first kissed Theo and then Smokey. “I do…but I also think Smokey has a good point, so we should keep our options open in case our former Alpha finds us. It would be good to have a back-up plan, and staying with Ghost seems the best option…as long as there is a doctor close by.”
“I’ll talk to Ghost…maybe he knows of a doctor that would help in case we need to move there,” Smokey replied.
“Yeah…I’d rather go to LA than the Arctic even though I have two bears who would keep me very warm,” Theo said, giggling.
“Then it’s settled,” Smokey said. “Let’s go pack.”
~/~/~/~/~
Ollie was gobsmacked. He did not know that so many gifts could be bestowed on paranormals. Shapeshifting, invisibility, empath, natural healer, waves of solid energy, seer, ghost walking, shadow voice, power of Hercules, the most powerful Shaman on earth, a white dragon, the leader of all magic users, and the list went on. And then there was Jackson and Dakota’s ability to get pregnant—something he found hard to accept until Mac swore he was telling the truth.
With all those gifts at Jackson’s command, it finally made sense to Ollie why Mac insisted they ask the Alpha for help. Now, for the first time since discovering his aunt and uncle locked up, his confidence about rescuing them grew stronger. And with that, the stress and fear he’d felt about it slowly faded from his body. Suddenly, a thought popped into Ollie’s mind. “Are you going to get a gift?” he asked.
Shrugging, Mac said, “Don’t know, but I doubt it. Ian didn’t when he mated with Colton.”
“That’s not true. He found out he was the King of the Scottish Wolves.”
“That’s not a gift…at least not one with extra powers.”