“Genius,” Lucassaid.
I balked at his answer. But of course he’d find it genius. I looked at Liam, waited to see his reaction, but besides a slackening of his stance, he didn’t utter a singleword.
“Not the reactions you were expecting, are they?” Franksaid.
To think my father had had to answer to him as aboy.
“Do you also find it genius?” I asked Liam, loathing how desperate I was for him to sayno.
He blinked but didn’tspeak.
“I don’t think the pack could’ve dealt with more girls,” Lucas said, which made Frank’s lips quirkup.
I wanted to whack the smile off his face and almost swung the yellowed fossil into his cheek, but I held myselfback.
“At least,” Frank said, serious again, “we don’t kill off female embryos like they do in the other packs. Because that’s what happens in the other packs. Women interrupt pregnancies when they find out their offspring isfemale.”
“Not thePines.”
“Eventhe Pines. Why do you think there aren’t as many females to males in their pack? They just cover it up better than the otherpacks.”
“That’s alie.”
“No, Ness. It isn’t alie.”
I wanted to growl, and Idid.
Frank held out his hand. “Last chance to stay in thiscontest.”
Shaking my head, I slapped the rancid stick against his palm. He could have his evil gender selection tool back. If I became Alpha, I’d destroy it. And if I didn’t rise to the top, I wouldn’t have to worry about the damn thing, because I would no longer be part of the BoulderPack.
“Did Callum not drink it, Frank?” Liam asked. “Is that why he hadNess?”
I held mybreath.
“He drank it,” Frank said, “but it made him sick. We believe that’s why it didn’t work onhim.”
I released the captive air, hating how much relief Frank’s explanation broughtme.
“Aw, man…” Lucas grumbled. “I had a bet going that Ness wasn’t aBoulder.”
“You bet that my mom cheated on mydad?”
“Lucas,” Frank chided him. “Not only is that inappropriatebut—”
“Oh come on, Mr. McNamara. Wasn’t that one of the reasons Heath didn’t accept Ness’s pledge? Because he wanted to spare her the heartache of uncovering her heritage through a communicationglitch?”
“What are you talking about?” I all butsnarled.
“If you’re not a Boulder,” Lucas said, “you won’t hear theAlpha.”
Silence caked the warm breeze. I tucked a long tendril of hair behind my ear before remembering the hand I used had been the one to clutch the pack artifact. The lingering stench made my eyeswater.
“Do you also doubt my lineage, Mr. McNamara?” Iasked.
Frank hooked a finger into his black bowtie and tugged as though it were on too tight. “Your mother was a goodwoman.”
A non-answer.
