“We don’t know. That’s a feckin’ great hole ripped in the tapestry of the story, right? Maybe Faegan put a failsafe in place to kill someone one or the other of them loved. Or maybe the Prime was just tired of fightin’ and they ran. Perhaps she begged Faegan to accept a dowry and let them disappear and tell whatever story he wanted. Who knows?”
“Maybe they ran and ended up abandoning their baby on a church’s doorstep because Faegan’s men were almost on them and they were afraid the baby would be killed?” Dewi numbly asked. “Maybe Faegandidcatch up with them and kill them after they did that. Or maybe Faegan’s men killed them but couldn’t stomach the thought of killing a baby, so they lied and said they killed it but instead left it there. Could have lied and said there wasn’t a baby at all.”
Badger slowly nodded. “Aye. Any of that’s possible. They’da known the babe wouldn’t be safe wi’ ’em as long as Faegan was alive.”
“But…that wolf was a Prime Alpha, you said.”
“Prime’s aren’t immune to death, Dew. Ye know this. Doesn’t take another Prime to kill ’em, neither. Just a well-placed bullet or blade or bolt from an arrow. Hell, a car wreck or plane crash. Lookin’ the wrong way before crossin’ the street. Long life and good healin’ abilities doesn’t mean death-proof.”
She thought about her father…and Endquist. “Yeah.” Dewi focused on breathing for a moment. “But…that could mean your uncle’s still alive, right?”
He slowly nodded. “Perhaps. But I find it difficult to believe a Prime Alpha with a claimed mate, and who’s alive, wouldn’t come back to try to find his infant child.”
“Being a Prime doesn’t mean he’s not an asshole,” Dewi said. “Case in point, Endquist.”
“The rumors spoke of the wolf having a mate bond with Faegan’s sister. Cunt or not, a Prime Alpha wolf with a mate bond would likely want his child. For his legacy, if nothing else.”
“Ooorrr the Prime Alpha wolf might have already been dead when she abandoned the baby,” Dewi said. “Which could be why she ran, because she was alone and afraid she couldn’t protect her.”
“Frankly, of all the most likely options, my money’s on that one.”
Badger didn’t speak again for a long moment as Dewi struggled to process all of the possibilities.
“So what happens,” she finally managed, “when you have the only known female Prime Alpha wolf make a baby with someone who’s one quarter corgi shifter and one quarter Prime Alpha wolf?”
“I dunno,” he gently said. “But I guess we’re gonna find out, ain’t we? That’s only three generations back on that side.”
“Did some witch put a curse on us?” she only half-joked.
He laughed. “Come on, you know that’s a bunch o’ bollocks, lass. No such thing.”
“Oh, my god, I’m going to need a spreadsheet to keep track of all this now.”
Badger chuckled and held up the tablet. “Yer in luck! On the one hand, technology sure makes it easier to keep track.”
“Yeah, but it makes it harder to conceal who and what we are,” Dewi said.
“I dunno. With AI now, someone grabs a video of something, we just claim it’s faked. That it’s AI. What’ll people want to believe, truly?”
“You have a point there.” She sat back in her office chair and unfocused her vision as she stared at the wall behind Badger.
She needed a moment to…process. “Worst. Birthday gift. Ever,” she teased.
He chuckled. “Could always be worse, lass. Ye know that.”
“True.”
He gave her another moment. “I think we need to start by telling Ken.”
“Why?”
He arched his good eyebrow at her. “Because he has a right to know.”
“I meant why start there?”
He sighed. “I will tell him for ye.”
“Really?”
