“Why?”
Rolling his eyes, Ollie said, “The odds of one person meeting his mate are astronomical, but for it to happen to three people—and all in the same place—is simply unheard of.”
“Well, technically, Sawyer met his mates in LA,” Mac said, smirking.
Snorting, Ollie said, “Doesn’t count since he wouldn’t have been there if you hadn’t come to the Blackwood Pack.”
“You make a good point,” Mac said, laughing.
“I usually do,” Ollie grinned. Then, dropping the smile, he looked up at Mac and said, “I know we’re going to the Silver Point Pack to take care of Theo, but I really believe the best medicine for him is to spend time with his parents.”
“I agree.”
“But last night you said Jackson wouldn’t allow it.”
“No, I said until Jackson knows who sent Theo to Arald’s, he won’t let Wesley and Heather get close to him. That’s why it’s important that we do everything possible to help them regain their memories of that night.”
“But what if we can’t...even if we discover which drug caused them to forget that night?”
“Then we’ll just have to figure out something else,” Mac said, keeping an idea he had to himself for the moment. “Becausefailure isn’t an option…Theo’s life and the life of his cub depend on us doing our job… right?”
“Absolutely,” Ollie said, sitting up on the edge of the bed. “Maybe if we’re lucky, the test results will be back.”
“Otherwise, it’s time to see if Ian can help.”
Rising, Ollie headed for the bathroom, grinning as he yelled, “Last one in the shower has to suck dick.”
Laughing, Mac got out of bed and slowly followed his mate, knowing this was one time he’d be happy if he lost.
~/~/~/~/~
Cain followed the Alpha Mate through the great room, into the kitchen and out the door to the back porch, where Steel stopped at the stairs going down into the backyard. Standing next to him, Cain glanced up at the Alpha Mate before following his gaze. There, in front of them, lay a large, fenced-in rectangle of bare ground.Theo’s garden!
The fresh scent of recently tilled soil filled his nose and triggered the few joyful memories he had of his childhood. Closing his eyes, Cain allowed them to fill his mind, retreating to the one time he’d been truly happy. Even now, in the early morning light, he could feel the heat of the afternoon sun on his back as he planted seedlings alongside his foster mom. It was the first time he’d felt loved since his parents abandoned him, and he remembered hoping he would finally be adopted. And he almost was—until his foster dad fell ill and he was sent to another home. It was then he realized that hope was useless because life was cruel and luck didn’t exist.
So consumed was he by his thoughts, it took Cain a moment to realize Steel was speaking to him. Opening his eyes, he glancedup at the Alpha Mate for a moment before murmuring, “Sorry…what did you say?”
Pointing to a container sitting next to the back door, Steel said, “According to Theo, those seeds need to be planted, so you should get started soon. He left a plan showing where they go, but if you have questions, see me.”
“I’ll be with Theo, so why can’t I ask him?” Cain was confused. He was supposed to help Theo, but the Alpha Mate made it sound like he would take care of the garden by himself. If it were true, he wasn’t sure he could do that and the other chores Jackson would give him.
“Theo isn’t here right now, so it’ll be your responsibility. Is that gonna be a problem?”
Is it?Cain didn’t think so, but…“Does Theo know about this?” he asked. The last thing he wanted to do was to make a shifter angry at him—he’d learned that the hard way in the paranormal prison.
“Yes, and it’s fine with him,” Steel replied.
“What about Jackson? Is it okay with him?”
“It was his idea,” Steel murmured.
Cain nodded as he stared at the garden and visualized how it would look several months from now—full of life and beauty—just like the one he and his foster mom had planted. Grinning, he headed down the steps and walked over to the garden gate, pausing for a moment to take it all in. Then, opening the gate, he stepped inside, his feet sinking down into the rich soil. Bending down, he grabbed a handful of it and squeezed. Opening his hand, he noticed that the soil had clumped firmly together, yet when he touched it with a finger of his other hand, it easily brokeapart.Perfect!Looking over his shoulder at Steel, Cain asked, “When can I start?”
“Today…after breakfast…if that’s okay with you.”
It was. Actually, he would’ve liked to begin immediately except for the fact that Sofia would soon arrive with his breakfast. And that thought reminded him of the schedule she had made for him and the need for it to be changed so he could spend time each day in the garden. Excitement bloomed in him as he shook the soil off his hands and headed back to Steel. It was turning out to be a very good day—something he’d never expected when he woke up in the library this morning.
~/~/~/~/~