3 comments/ 3512 views/ 11 favorites BirthRight Ch. 04-06 By: SydneyA Chapter 4 Jasmine stood as the orderlies wheeled Tyrone into the room, and watched as they laid his limp body on the bed. The nurse followed and hooked him up to the IV. A hand rested on her shoulder. "He's out of it, huh?" Renee said. Jasmine nodded. "You want to grab a bite to eat?" Jasmine shook her head. "No. I'm not hungry right now. Go and get you something. I'll be right here." She retook her seat and stared hard at her son. There was a niggling feeling in the back of her neck that something was skewed. He looked drugged. She looked at the IV and realized that was a possibility. Leaning forward, she rested her fist beneath her chin and looked around the large room. Everything in this place was plus-sized, made for big people like her sister said. She chuckled at the absurd thought. Her cell rang, and she dug it out of her bag, checking to make sure the noise didn't bother him. Her heart pounded with profound relief when she looked at the caller ID. "Rese? Rese how're you doing, sweetie?" Her throat tightened when she heard the deep timbre of his voice. Her boys were now men. "I'm okay, Mom. I got your message, where's Rone?" "He just came back from tests and he's asleep now. But it was close for a minute." She didn't want to get into everything with him being so far away, but she knew he wanted to know. "I know. It was... well, it was weird. I felt him leave. It freaked me out and almost cost the lives of my unit when I fell flat on my face. They said I was unconscious for five minutes." Her hand flew to her mouth in horror. "Oh my God," she whispered, closing her eyes. This was too much. Both her sons had been at risk. She frowned. How was that possible? He released a long sigh. "I'm being sent back for testing. My commander doesn't want to risk me passing out again. I'll be stateside, Bethesda in twenty-four hours. I had to wait to call you until I got clearance." Her heart ached for him. "Are they putting you out of the service?" She knew how much he enjoyed his work. She didn't like it or understand why he courted danger, but she tried to be supportive. "I'm not sure. The connection with Rone isn't my fault or something within my control. But when he winked out, he took me on a ride with him. That's never happened before now. Maybe with these tests, they'll figure out something." On one hand her heart ached for him, but on the other she was jumping for joy that he'd be here tomorrow. She'd have both her boys. "We're at another hospital, one that specializes in the trauma Rone had. Whatever they're doing for him, it's working. When we got here a few days ago, he looked like he was on his last leg. Now, he sits up, talks, and eats. I don't know why that doctor at the other military hospital said it would take him months to recover." She heard his breath whistle through the phone. His silence concerned her. "Rese? Rese, he's going to be alright. I'll tell him you're coming and that'll cheer him up. Don't worry, he'll be fine." "Ma... Ma, I..." "Yeah, baby?" She waved over her sister, who was holding a tray of food. "I love you and can't wait to see you." She smiled. "I love you, too. Your aunt just walked in, say hello." She held the phone out to her sister, picked up a fried pickle from the plate and popped it into her mouth. Renee squealed. "I can't wait to see you, Boo. You sound good and have just made my day." Jasmine looked up and noticed a handsome man standing near the entrance. He wore sunglasses. His thick dark hair was brushed back from a widow's peak. As he stepped into the room, her eyes roamed across his wide chest, flat, narrow stomach, and long thick legs. The short-sleeved shirt he wore stretched taut across his chest and protested the large muscular arms pulling at the seams. He wore a tailored pair of dress pants and dark leather loafers. A tingling started at the base of her neck, slid down her back, and settled in her core. Her face warmed when she realized he'd been watching her stare at him. "Can I help you?" she asked, pulling her eyes to his face. High cheekbones, a straight nose, full firm lips and nice teeth. She couldn't see his eyes, but was sure they enhanced his looks alongside everything else. He wasn't pretty. Two words came to mind, masculinity personified. One hundred percent all man. "I came to check on Tyrone. I met him earlier this morning, and he asked me to stop by later to meet his mom and aunt." "Oh." She looked at Tyrone who was stirring, but not fully awake, and then at the man who had to be almost six and a half feet tall. They sure grew them big out here. "Sir?" Tyrone whispered, struggling to sit forward. All thoughts of sexy man flew out her mind as she walked to Tyrone's bed and fluffed his pillow. The tall male followed. Renee eyed him and pointed at his back. "That's him. That's the one," she mouthed. The man turned to look at Renee. She handed Jasmine the phone and walked to the other side of the bed. "How you feeling, Rone? Do I need to call a nurse?" Renee asked, avoiding looking at the handsome stranger. "No, just a few ice chips, please." "Sure." She picked up the bucket, shook a small amount of ice into his cup and placed one on his lips. Eyes closed, his head flopped back. "How long have I been out?" "Just a couple of hours," Jasmine said, looking over her shoulder at the silent giant. "You have a visitor, someone other than me and your aunt." His eyes opened and she could have sworn they flashed. But it happened so fast she wasn't sure. "Rone?" He turned his gaze to her. "What's wrong?" "Nothing. I'm just waking from a deep sleep. I think the meds were too strong, I shouldn't have been out that long." Although he was talking to her, he kept looking at the guy behind her. "Should I call a nurse, have her check it out?" "No, I'll talk to the person in charge to make sure that doesn't happen again." There was a grunt behind her. She spun around, and the man looked down at her. Sticking out her hand, she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Jasmine Bennett, Tyrone's mom." He took her hand. "I'm Silas Knight, an administrator of this facility." "Why didn't you just say that when were in the first hospital?" Renee asked, her tone testy. He shrugged and released Jasmine's hand. He stepped forward and spoke to Tyrone. "How are you feeling right now? Rested?" Nodding, Tyrone looked at the man for a second or two. "But I might take the doctor up on the therapy tomorrow." He said it as if it were an afterthought. "What time tomorrow?" Jasmine asked, frowning. She didn't know how much time Tyrese would have to spend with them and she didn't want Tyrone to miss him. "Uh... I don't know." He glanced up at Silas. "I guess I can ask the doctor in the morning." Jasmine eyed their visitor and spoke. "Good. Rese called while you were out." "He did?" A light flared in her son's eyes. Jasmine nodded, so pleased with his response she forgot the stranger. "Yeah. He should be here tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" Tyrone beamed. Then he frowned. "Are you sure? How'd he get leave?" His eyes slid to Silas and then returned to her. Hesitating, she bit her lip, not wanting to talk family business in front of a stranger. "We'll talk about that later," Renee said. "Silas, do you know how long they intend to keep my nephew here? Can he be transferred to St. Louis and receive treatment there?" "That is something we can discuss with the doctor in the morning. I'm not exactly sure what therapy is planned for Tyrone, so I cannot say." "Thanks." Renee nodded and turned back to Jasmine, her brow raised. "Something smells good." Tyrone lifted to see over the footboard. Jasmine looked back at the tray with quite a few goodies on it. "Your aunt brought back lunch, but none for you until the doctor clears it." His face fell as he slumped back on the bed. "Tomorrow. I need real food to get better." She and Renee laughed. Silas smiled. He had a nice smile, Jasmine thought. "Mom, Aunt Renee, I wanted both of you to meet Silas Knight. He's the top man in charge." Silas looked at her and then Renee. "If you need anything or have any concerns, feel free to come to me." "How do we contact you?" Renee asked. With an economy of movements, he handed Jasmine a card, nodded at Tyrone, and walked out the room. When she could no longer hear his footsteps, Jasmine sat on the edge of the bed and held Tyrone's hand. "Now that's a man." Renee blurted. Both Tyrone and Jasmine stared wide-eyed at her. "What? Because I prefer women don't mean I can't appreciate a good-looking man. I do. I just don't want to do more than look." "Okaaay," Jasmine said, turning from her smirking sister and looking down at Tyrone. "Rese is being sent stateside for testing. When you..." She couldn't say died. "Went under, he fainted in the middle of a tense situation." Tyrone's eyes widened. "It... it caused a problem for his unit." She swallowed hard, feeling him tense. "So he's being sent back for testing and to see if he can still serve in the military." She watched as his eyes closed tight. His head fell to the side away from her. Wary, she sought Renee to get her take on what she'd said. Her sister shrugged. "They've always been close. I imagine this separation has been hard for each of them. Maybe they have to serve together." Jasmine shook her head. "Rese is Marines." Her sister frowned. "Rone is Army." "Oh. I got it. Can't mix the two." Renee brushed Rone's cheek. "It's going to be okay, your brother will be here tomorrow and the two of you can work it out." She looked at Jasmine. "With Rese here, chances are they'll both have to do some psyche stuff." Jasmine nodded, she hadn't thought about that. But it didn't matter, there was no place other than right here she needed to be. She'd paid off her house. Her few bills were on automatic bill pay. Her car remained safe in her garage and her mail sat at the post office. Plus she had great neighbors who looked out for one another. "Probably, but we'll get it all worked out." Tyrone turned and looked at her for a few moments. He squeezed her hand and lifted up on the bed. "Ma," he whispered and fell into her arms. Rubbing his face and back, she whispered. "It's going to be okay, Rone. You'll see. Things have a way of working out. You'll see." She kept rocking him until his tense muscles relaxed, and he kissed her on the cheek. He reached for his aunt. She leaned over him and held him close for a while. "Your mama's right, Rone. Things always work out in the end. We don't understand everything, but we have one another and we stick together." He nodded. When he looked up at her again, his eyes were uneasy. With the threat of his brother being put out the service, and him as well, he had a right to be troubled. So she let him be. But her gut churned in apprehension. They'd always been able to fix problems by meeting them head on. As a single parent for the most part, she'd had to think outside the box and many times, create a whole new box. But this was the government and her influence was non-existent. Her husband had spent almost twenty years serving Uncle Sam, but she had never met any of his unit or any of his friends. He'd kept her separate from his career. They'd never lived on base. From the very first, he'd always rented a house far away from town and base. She pulled herself from the dark muddle of yesterday. "That's right, Sis." Chapter 5 Silas moved down the hall, deep in thought. There was something about Jasmine Bennett that attracted his wolf. Not only did that surprise him, it pissed him off as well. The attraction wasn't just superficial, not that she wasn't an attractive woman, she was quite beautiful. Smooth, creamy fair skin, a nice firm body, and an even nicer smile. She was a little taller than her sister and her breasts and hips were larger. He closed his eyes to stop dissecting her. She was a sexy statuesque package with curves in all the right places. Her body and face would attract any human, but shouldn't pull a wolf, especially his. And that was the problem. His wolf had stirred and sniffed, curious of her unique smell. Tyrone had picked up the energy and asked him what was going on through their link. Silas had no idea and waited to see what his wolf was going to do. While they were in the room, his wolf seemed content to watch, but the fact that a human stirred his wolf for the first time in centuries concerned him. Jayden met him at the door of the conference room. All the Alphas had waited to hear his report. He sat and looked at the earnest expressions in the room. "We have a problem." Silence greeted his announcement. "My beast stirred and observed the woman. That has never happened before with a human female. I understand Tyrone's concern. She will draw the attention of unmated males." "How has she survived this long?" one of the Alphas asked. Lyle opened a file. "Her husband always made sure they lived in neutral areas where there weren't any packs. She was a housewife, didn't go out much unless it was for her sons. The home she lives in now is in an area without a pack. She travels to St. Louis once a year and stays with her sister who is a lesbian living with her lover Mandy Ashford. I doubt they go places where a male would catch her scent." "Talk about the protection of the Goddess," another Alpha said. "My thoughts exactly," Silas said, looking at the alphas. "We have to be very careful with her. No harm can fall her way." "What about the sister?" Silas thought back. "My wolf ignored her. I don't know if that means she does not attract wolves or that my wolf showed interest in the more dominant of the two. Tyrone's mother is strong." "Strong?" "Very strong willed, like an alpha bitch," Silas said, paying her the highest compliment. The men nodded. "What next? We know Tyrone didn't lie, and he has asked for protection of his mother and aunt, which you granted. Do we search for the father to get answers? Or put out feelers to see if this has happened before? Or just assume she's the one gift from our Goddess?" Jayden asked. "I want this contained," Silas answered. "No one talks about it or asks questions yet. We can't afford to put any humans at risk. We have a full functioning wolf, born and raised by a human. Can you imagine the fallout? A lot of wolves would begin looking at humans again to breed." He shook his head. "I want this muzzled. But keep your ears and eyes opened. I agree with Tyrone, the father and his mate are probably in another state or country, living together. We'll keep him dead as long as an emergency doesn't arise." Jayden held up a file. "I have the information on his father's former pack. You were right, they tossed him out once he stood by the girl he impregnated. He refused to say she was lying. The pack is in Oklahoma. Should we contact them?" Silas thought for a few minutes. "Not right now, but it's good knowing the history of the twins. And by the way, Tyrese will be here tomorrow. Seems when Tyrone died, he pulled his brother down with him. It was right in the middle of a mission. He's being sent here for evaluation." "His military career is over," one of the Alphas muttered. "Pity Uncle Sam can't see the value of having two connected twins working for them." Silas smirked. The alphas smiled as they nodded. "I see them as a tremendous asset to our nation, but we'll see how the evals turn out." He looked around the room. "Who's on watch tonight?" One of the alpha's spoke. "I've got two men in the hall and two stationed outside to follow them if they leave." Silas nodded. "Good." He waited until everyone had left, and walked back toward Tyrone's room. The closer he got, the more his wolf strained and whined for contact. There was no answer, or response. That should have upset his wolf, but he didn't sense that. When he reached the hallway, he nodded to the guards. When he started down the hall he'd had no intention of entering the young wolf's room, but found himself striding forward. He sent a silent greeting to the man on the bed, informed him about the guards, and wished him a good night. "Thank you, Sir," the wolf said through their bond. Silas nodded and glanced around the room. He'd heard the woman's sounds of sleep when he reached the door, yet he needed to see her for himself. His wolf quieted until he left the room. With each step, his wolf whined and became agitated. Silas stopped and looked back toward the room. His wolf eased up, it was obvious that he wanted to return. Deep in thought, he and his security detail left for Jayden's pack lands to spend the night. **** "Welcome, La Patron," Jayden and his mate, Maureen, greeted him as he entered their home. He nodded, kissed her cheeks and clapped Jayden on the shoulder. "It has been a long time Maureen, but you are still as exquisite today as you were thirty years ago when you married this scamp." She blushed to the roots of her dark brown hair. Green eyes and a pert upturned nose graced strong, high cheek bones in an oval-shaped face. "Thank you, La Patron." She bowed in submission. "We have prepared your rooms," Jayden said, stepping back and waving to the staircase. "Your things are there already." "Good," Silas said as he followed the couple through the long hall. "Where are your pups?" he asked, not scenting the children. Maureen glanced back at him. "They are at a sleep-over birthday party next door but will be back in the morning. You get a night's rest without them climbing all over you." She smiled. Since the couple knew how much he enjoyed playing with the pups, he nodded. "I will see them before returning to the hospital tomorrow. I have a surprise for them. He didn't give gifts to his hosts though he always brought a gift for their children. It was important for the pups to know him as someone who looked out for them and not a mysterious old man who ruled from afar. "They will enjoy that. Thank you for honoring our home with your presence and let me know if you need anything." Maureen dipped her head and walked off, leaving Silas and her mate in the suite of rooms set aside for him. "On the surface this seems like a small thing," Silas said. He pinched the bridge of his nose before moving to the desk in the corner of the room. "But I sense a lot more." He sat at the desk and booted up the laptop from his briefcase. "If you think there's more, there is more. I trust your instincts." Jayden said with confidence as he stood near the desk. Silas wished he was as confident as the Alpha sounded. A niggle of worry slid through him at the anomaly. A human who gave birth to his kind presented all types of challenges. The need to get a handle on the complication buffeted him. "I'm going to check a few things." He typed in a variety of pass-codes until he reached an encrypted site. Very few beings knew the site existed, a series of wards guarded its access. After running numerous searches, he came up empty. Frustrated, he blew out a breath and raked his hand through his hair. "Damn." Jayden watched, but remained silent. "So far nothing," Silas said, leaning back in his chair. There had been no predictions, no forewarning, no myths or legends that mentioned humans being able to procreate with wolves. Jayden nodded. "We will continue the search for information. An unmated bitch with the ability to breed and no connection to pack is not a good thing." Jayden nodded. "I agree. Add to that she has no idea what's going on, and that could be a door for human authorities to enter." Outside of Tyrone's mother, Silas wasn't that concerned about the humans right now. He was curious of the underlying reason for a human breeder in their midst. He'd lived too long to believe in coincidences. "What if I missed the call about Cameron?" He stared at Jayden trying to make sense when there was none. "Why weren't the twins flagged when they joined the military? Are they that good at hiding?" BirthRight Ch. 04-06 "Only Alphas and you are that good," Jayden said. "That's my point," Silas said, tapping the desk. "They've no training to use that skill, yet they have lived twenty years avoiding detection." "I'm sure it was because of the severe injuries we discovered them at all," Jayden said. "We need to see what capabilities these wolves have. Secure lodgings for the twins and their mother on your grounds. They will need to be our guests for a while longer. I want security on them at all times. There are still too many unanswered questions and we need more time to uncover the mystery." Plus he suspected their connection was unique and wanted to watch them further. "Yes, Sir." Silas stood and stretched, ready to be alone with his thoughts. "I'm going to make arrangements to send Cameron to my home; Jacques will take care of him as well as the Alpha trainees a little longer while I work on this problem. Go to sleep; we'll start fresh in the morning." Jayden nodded and walked toward the door. "Rest well." "You too." Silas watched the door close behind one of his favorite Alphas. Jayden suffered abuse as a pup. Cast aside by his pack because he lacked a finger on his left hand. It was obvious to Silas the man had the heart of a warrior, but his paw caused him problems at times. Not that it stopped others from following his leadership. By the time Silas met Jayden, the pack leader had over twenty wolves following him. Impressed with the man's integrity and desire to insure his pack received the best he could give them, Silas offered him the opportunity to train as one of his Alphas. Jayden's man's first concern was for his pack during his absence, as it should have been. Silas installed the beta as temporary leader while Jayden went through months of training required to be a La Patron Alpha. Silas had never repented of his decision. Before preparing for bed, he rebooted the laptop, there was one other site he wanted to check. While waiting for it to come online, he stripped off his shirt and laid it across the brocade covered chair. He glanced at the mirror across the room and grimaced. It had been a long day, and he looked like a wet mutt. No doubt Jacques, his personal servant, would be horrified to see the five o'clock shadow on his angular jaw. He rubbed the scratchy surface as he realized the blinking cursor awaited his next instruction. He typed in the website, pleased with the number of hits. He chose the first and read the contents, even going so far as to verify the footnotes. Two and a half hours later, concern had turned to dread. As he continued reading, the dread magnified into fear. The ancient strategy slapped him in the face, infuriating him. The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left.26 When the plants came up and began to ripen, the farmer's servants could see the weeds. 27 The servants came and asked, "Sir, didn't you scatter good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?"28 "An enemy did this," he replied. His servants then asked, "Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?" 29 "No!" he answered. "You might also pull up the wheat. 30 Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I'll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I'll have them store the wheat in my barn." Furious with the possibility that an enemy had set a nefarious plan in motion to infiltrate and weaken the wolves with half breeds he opened the window and leapt to the ground. The moment he touched the soil, his paws dug into the cool earth. The need to reconnect with nature thrummed through him. He ran through the complex and out into the forest surrounding the compound, the dark blue-black coat of his wolf almost invisible in the night. Anxious, his wolf recognized the inherent threat to his pack and wanted to attack. The man in him realized the need to allow his wolf the freedom to run, but cautioned the cunning beast of the need to plan as well as protect. They'd get in front of the threat before things spiraled out of control. After a long, exhilarating run, Silas returned to the house. Jayden had left the back door opened. Still in wolf form, he padded up the stairs to his room. Once in the room, he shifted and closed the door behind him. A shower was his next order of business. Afterward, he walked downstairs to make sure he secured the door and discovered all traces of the debris he'd tracked in from his late night run was gone from the floor. The softness of his bed called out to him as he retraced his steps, and he fell into a troubled sleep. Chapter 6 Jasmine walked into Tyrone's room, well rested, yet uneasy over the speed of her son's recovery. Her sister may have a point, she thought, looking over her shoulder at the large man in the hall who watched her and then turned when he noticed she'd seen him. Was he following her? She frowned at the idea and walked inside the room. The doctor stood at the bed talking with Tyrone in quiet tones. When she entered, her son smiled at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Bennett," the doctor said, reaching for her hand. "Morning." She placed her bag in the lower drawer and turned to face them. "You look pretty," Tyrone said. "Thanks, hon." She placed a kiss on his brow and looked at the doctor who watched them. "What's next for him?" she asked with a touch of apprehension. The doctor's brow furrowed as though he hadn't expected that question. After clearing his throat he looked down at her. "I was just discussing that with Tyrone. I'm pleased with the progress of his healing." His face pinked. "Although he needs more rest for a complete recovery," he rushed, almost as an afterthought. She eyed him and looked at her son. "I have him scheduled to move to a rehab complex in the city for more treatment, and—" Jasmine's hand flew up in the air. "Hold up." She pointed at the doctor, who appeared shocked at her interruption. "Seven days ago, my son stopped breathing, was in critical condition. The doctor told me it would take months for him to recover and now, he's been here, what - five days, and almost looks like he did before he left for this last deployment." She inhaled, pulling her thoughts together. "Now, I don't want you to think I'm not grateful." She shook her head. "I am, but something's not right. Tell me right now what treatment you've given him that has him like this." Her stomach quivered with nerves. She prayed they hadn't done experimental procedures on her boy. "Mrs. Bennett, the treatment I used on your son is a patented process unique to our hospital. It works when the recipient is in top condition and can heal on his own with therapy." He crossed his arms and looked down at her. "I assure you, Tyrone has received the best medical care in the country for his situation." She crossed her arms. "Explain why the doctor at the other hospital said it would take so much longer for him to heal." He shrugged, nonplussed. "I can't answer that. But I will tell you we use cutting edge technology here that many hospitals in the area don't. And I am an expert in my field. We have done nothing wrong here." He finished his tirade in a huff. Exasperated that he'd put her on defense, she backed off, unwilling to apologize for being a concerned parent, but recognizing the need to mend bridges. Instead of addressing the specifics of Tyrone's care, she ventured down another path. "Is this place expensive? Will the Army cover the cost?" No one had asked her for any information on him and that struck her as strange. His face tightened. "Mr. Bennett has already talked to finance and admissions. From what I've read, his financial arrangements are current." She looked at her son. His clenched jaw stopped the next remark from leaving her mouth. Had she gone overboard? Embarrassed him? She wasn't sure. "Sorry I'm late," Renee said, strolling into the room. She stopped and looked between the three occupants in the room. "What happened?" Jasmine glanced at her son. The muscle in his forehead jumped. "Nothing, the doctor was just saying he wants Rone to go to another facility to finish recuperating." Renee eyed the doctor and then walked over to her nephew. "Rone, honey?" He opened his eyes half-mast. "Hi aunty." "Hey sweetie. How do you feel? Are you up to moving again?" Worry clear in her voice. Tyrone nodded. "I feel good, but I need to get stronger. Food, exercise, and time should do the trick." Renee patted his shoulder as she glanced at Jasmine. "When did you want him to begin?" she asked the doctor. "By the end of the week, he should be ready by then." "Will there be a place for my sister?" Renee asked. "I'm leaving later today, things came up and I need to get back to Missouri. My other nephew will need to crash there as well." The doctor nodded, a pensive look on his face. "Living quarters are available for those using the facility because people come from all over the country." There was a thread of pride in his voice. "I'll check on what's available and get back to you." He made a point of looking at Tyrone when he said that last bit. Jasmine stewed as they discussed her son's next move as though she weren't standing in the room. They want to play this card? She fumed as she listened. "Okay, when's Rese getting here?" Renee asked, looking at Tyrone and then at Jasmine. Tyrone shrugged. "I don't know, do you, mom?" It was on the tip of her tongue to lash out, but she resisted and shook her head instead. Rather than explode over her treatment, she picked up her purse, hefted it onto her shoulder and left the room without a backward glance. She'd made it to the lobby, when her cell beeped. Inhaling, she spoke in a calm tone. "Hey, baby. Where are you?" she asked Tyrese while pushing open the heavy glass door and then walking into the gardens. "I'm just finishing up my debriefing. I'm waiting for my driver and then heading over there. How's Rone?" "He seems to be doing better, the doctor wants to move him to another facility for therapy and stuff," she said, wondering what he thought of the move. He knew better than anyone how serious Tyrone's injury had been. "He does? Hmmm. What do you think about that?" She released a long pent-up breath. "First off, I'm surprised by how fast he's healing. Don't get me wrong, if I never see him look the way he did that first day, I'm okay with that. It's happening so fast. When I asked the doctor about it, he got offended and Rone acted like I'd embarrassed him." "For real?" The surprise in his voice was a soothing balm to her injured feelings. It had always been the three of them against the world. She understood they were able to make their own decisions, but there had always been respect and love between them. "Yeah." The sadness in her voice must have translated through the phone. "Mom, you know he'd never do anything to stress you out. He's going through things right now, don't let it get to you." She looked straight ahead at the wild array of brilliant colors in the garden, inhaled the multitude of fragrances, and allowed the sweet smell ease her pain. "Hmmm." "Where are you?" "What?" "Where are you right now?" "I'm at the hospital." "With Rone?" "No." "Okay. Tell me, where you are?" "Sitting in the garden." "Garden?" "At the hospital. It's pretty, and it calms me." "Okay. I'm in the car now and should be there in about..." he paused. She heard him talking to someone, ten more minutes. I want to see you first. Can you wait for me in the garden, please?" Jasmine looked up at the cloudless blue sky. Throughout most of her marriage, her husband ignored her. The one thing she'd counted on keeping her sane was the connection with her sons. Now that appeared to be waning. A shaft of pain lodged in her chest. "Yes, I'll wait. See you soon." Weary, she disconnected, and pulled a stick of gum from her purse. "What the hell happened to me?" she murmured. She'd met Davian in high school, they'd become friends. One night he'd been in pain and had come to see her. He couldn't speak, he hurt so bad. Something clicked inside her and all she wanted was to ease his suffering. Instead of following her parent's rule of no company when they weren't at home, she'd allowed her friend to come in for just a few minutes. He'd looked terrible. Sweat dripped from all over his body. One minute he'd been hot, the next cold. It baffled her, and she had no idea what to do. She held him as he cried, jerking in pain. Later, his breathing normalized and when he could speak, he thanked her. She'd pushed away, but he'd grabbed her hand and kissed her. At first, she'd struggled, but the timid boy who'd been her closest buddy turned out to be real strong. One thing led to another and the next thing she knew, she'd cried out in pain and tried to push him off her. He moved a few more times, grunted, and rolled off. She'd scrambled away from him and demanded he leave. He started crying and apologizing as she pushed him out the door. Two months later she told him she was pregnant. Her life had been one of duty and doing the right thing. Davian never loved her, and she didn't love him either. But she'd been pregnant with twins. It hurt her parents. They wanted her to give her children up for adoption. Davian's parents had been assholes and disowned him when he owned up to his kids. It had been hard in the beginning. She'd never made it to college like she'd dreamed. The constant moving and living in the boonies kept her from making lasting friendships. Now, at thirty-six, she was alone, and that sucked. Tyrese Bennett hung up the phone and ground his teeth in anger at his brother. The one person they'd both swore would never be hurt in this charade was their mother. She'd suffered years of neglect and emotional abuse from their father. Although they'd promised their old man to never expose their wolf nature to anyone, keeping that bit of information from their mom hurt the most. His dad had been adamant that they keep her in the dark for her own safety, but he'd never bought into that explanation. Heaven help them if she ever discovered they'd kept the fact their father had found his mate, and had lived the last few years of his life with Matt. Tyrese had hated the way his father treated his mom and vowed to never give her cause to be sad again. Now she sat in the gardens of that hospital upset because she had no idea her son was a wolf with serious healing capabilities. He reached out to Tyrone through their link. "What'd you do to mom?" "Hello to you too, bro." "Answer me." Tyrese wasn't in the mood to play games. Tyrone knew how protective he'd become of their mother since his dad had proved how much of an ass he could be. "She was questioning the doctor over my care like I was an idiot just laying here. I didn't say anything to her—" "You're an ass." "Of course I am. And you are?" "Think for one moment how she feels. You were dead. Get that? Dead a week ago; now you're ready to go jogging. She doesn't understand your wolf abilities. Humans do not heal that fast." "Damn." "Yeah. If she's upset, I swear I'm gonna fuck you up." "Too late, that's already happened. I'll send Aunty to find her so I can apologize." "I got this. I'll see you later." Tyrese disconnected their mental link as the car pulled beneath the hospital portico. "Thanks, man." He passed the driver a few bills as he exited the car. Striding inside to the information desk, he ignored the curious glances. "Hi, which way to the garden?" "Which one? We have three," the lady at the counter said, as she pulled a map from her desk. Pointing at the diagram, she spoke. "This is the largest, and it's near the cafeteria." Her finger roved the sheet. "And the other two smaller ones are located here and here. Just follow the map and signs, you shouldn't have any problems." He took the paper and noticed she'd written a phone number on the front. He sent her a wink and a smile, with a promise in his eyes to get back in touch. It had been a while since he'd indulged himself between a woman's thighs, and she looked hot. "I need to talk with you. Come to my office." Tyrese stumbled as an unfamiliar voice entered his mind. At first he thought he was hearing things. He looked up and then around, searching for speakers. When he didn't see anything, he shrugged and continued toward the cafeteria gardens. "I'm not going to ask you again. Come into my office, now." This time there was no way Tyrese could misunderstand. Someone had just spoken to him through a similar link he'd used to speak to his brother a few minutes ago. Curious and half afraid, he followed the thread. "Who are you?" "La Patron. I need to speak to you before you speak with your mother." At the mention of his mother, Tyrese balked. "My mom? What does she have to do with this?" One moment he was standing in the middle of the hall, the next he was on all fours in wolf form. He yelped. His paws all but slid over the concrete floor as the feeling of being dragged forward ran through him. His wolf followed directions that led him up a series of stairs into a room where two men sat at a conference table. "Close the door," a large man with green eyes said. Tyrese's wolf turned and nudged the door closed. When finished, he sat on the floor wagging his tail, much to Tyrese's disgust. This was the first time in years he'd had no control over his animal. That someone else, someone he didn't know, had control, pissed him off and scared him. "Come take a seat, we have much to discuss in a short amount of time. Right now your mother is enjoying the gardens, but I don't know how long she plans to stay." The man waved to a chair at the table. Tyrese wanted to say she waited for him, but he couldn't speak. A moment later, he lay naked on the floor in human form. Because he hadn't called his wolf, the words he normally invoked to insure his clothing reappeared when he reverted back to human were missing. "There are clothes on the chair. Get dressed." Tyrese stood and walked backward to the chair. As he dressed, he glared at the man who'd just blown his theory that he and his brother could handle anything life threw at them. "I think you know who I am, would you mind explaining who you are and what do you know of my mother?" Tyrese took a seat at the table. "I'm Silas Knight, the Patron. This is Jayden - Alpha of this area. You and your family are guests on his pack lands and owe him thanks. I don't know how much you know or understand about pack dynamics, but while in his territory you show him respect." Tyrese understood and nodded. "Alpha Jayden, my thanks for the care of my family." Jayden nodded. "La Patron promised your brother he would protect your mother and his aunt. I serve him." Tyrese was pleased Tyrone had taken care of the care of the women who mattered most to them. He looked at the Patron. "I owe you my gratitude." He bowed from the waist. "It was important to do so," the Patron said, leaning back in his chair while looking at Tyrese. "Let me be clear, young wolf. I control the Alphas in this country. The well-being of the wolf nation is my number one priority. I have extended my protection to your family to allow me time to study the unique occurrence of your birthright." Tyrese froze. He'd known sooner or later his father's fears would be realized. He'd hoped it would be later. "First off, a human female gives birth to two pups. They all live healthy lives. She is not the mate of the wolf who impregnates her. There is no emotional connection to stop her from becoming impregnated again from another wolf. We have an untenable situation here. Wolves mate for life. Period. The human element upsets the balance." BirthRight Ch. 04-06 For the first time since his forced change, Tyrese recognized the seriousness of the matter. "How can we explain the unexplainable?" "You can't. Perhaps now you understand why I cannot allow the three of you to leave here until we have more answers." Tyrese couldn't believe the nerve of the man. "What? Why? We've lived like this for years with no problems." The older man shrugged. "Your mother has been fortunate a wolf has not taken her to bed and bred her full of pups. No one knows of her capabilities. Nor are we sure of yours. By the end of the week, your family will move to Alpha Jayden's facility for further treatment. During that time I will watch and assess you and your twin's level of competence. The two of you are the first hybrids we've come across and we need to understand more about you." With each word, Tyrese' anger escalated, yet the men remained composed in their seats as the older one continued telling him that they were in effect his prisoners. "No," Tyrese said, the calm tone of his voice in direct opposition with his feelings. "Did I forget to mention the only other alternative is that I'll kill all four of you in the next few minutes if you disagree?" The words, spoken in a nonchalant manner made them all the more menacing. Tyrese blew out a stream of air. "I thought you offered my mom and aunt protection, what happened to that?" "I offered protection until your brother could retake the job himself. His test results from this morning relinquished me of that duty." "What kinda place is this? You threaten to wipe out innocent families if they don't do what you say?" He shook his head. "Damn, the old man was right about packs after all. They're a bunch of -" "Watch it young wolf. You're granted a small amount of leniency because you don't understand pack life. But if you live past today, you will learn, and learn it fast. You're speaking of things you have no knowledge. But you do not ever disrespect the pack, any pack. Is that clear?" Tyrese hesitated. A whip of power lashed across his chest, tightening until he took sips of air. "I will not ask again," Silas said in a low voice. "I understand," Tyrese choked out. The tightness disappeared. He gasped for air, certain he'd fallen down the rabbit hole. "Good. The first thing you need to do is convince your mother it's in everybody's best interest for her to go with her sons to therapy. All three of you must go." "My aunt?" "At this time she is not of interest. Based on her preference, and the fact she's had a hysterectomy, we do not fear she'll be used as a breeder." "Breeder?" Tyrese shook his head. "How long will we stay as your guests?" His sarcastic tone appeared lost on the Patron. "Until I am certain you pose no threat to my people." Dread filled Tyrese. Tyrone tried to contact him through their link and he blocked him. "And my mother?" The man shrugged. "We shall see, young wolf. I feel no real threat from her. We believe that any bitch who breeds wolves is a gift from the goddess." Tyrese released a breath he'd been holding. "So she's safe." "It depends on how you interpret that. One thing for sure, her activities will be curtailed for the immediate future. And you and your brother need to convince her that staying at the complex longer is a good thing. Just because we won't physically harm her, does not mean she won't suffer if she tries to run away." Tyrese closed his eyes. His mom was going to shit bricks.