Atticus’s folks gasped, and their faces blanched of color.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“As I said,wewouldn’t because we have a family to love and protect, but who knows what others will do.”
Peregrine and Corvin shared a glance before heading for the door, leaving it open as they scuttled down the hallway.
Dad dusted off his hands. “I’m guessing we won’t see them again.”
“Oh, they’ll rear their heads again if we discover Eira has a wolf inside her and they once again try to claim her as one of them.”
Rawling placed a protective hand over our daughter. “Never. She’s a Blakesley and a Hinson.”
Father tapped his lips. “I’ve been trying to think where I’d heard the name Blakesley.”
My mate’s eyes lit up. “Where? Someone at Sombertooth? Human or shifter? Can you get in contact with them?”
Father put his hands on my mate’s shoulders and sat him down, saying he didn’t mean to get him wound up. “It was when we were at school. Rawlins was in a play where his character was a Paul Blakesley.”
“Oh.”
Shit. Rawling had his expectations hyped, only to have them crushed seconds later. I took him in my arms. There was no history or extended family stretching back generations, just a made-up name, perhaps on a whim. That had to hurt.
“It’s okay. I’ve learned that families are complicated, and Rawlins was no exception. He hid so much of himself, I guess, and wanted to keep me hidden too.”
“I wonder if he and Charlie knew you were Peregrine and Corvin’s and, knowing what they were like, wanted to distance you from them?” Father said.
“Maybe.”
My folks left with the instructions that they’d make a short list of the manny candidates, but we’d have to do the hard work of interviewing them.
“Perhaps Rawlins gave me a new name because he thought I might be a hunter.”
I rubbed my eyes, wanting to block out the conversation. Enough of hunters. I thought we were done with them.
He tugged at my shirt. “But if I was or still am, could I have made Atticus a hunter when he donated blood?”
At least I could swat that argument away. “Atticus has a wolf, so no, he couldn’t be a hunter. Also, if he was hearing voices, he’d be yelling, “Who the fuck are you? Piss off out of my head.”
Rawling looked at me, and we giggled. The image wasn’t pretty, but laughter chased away the demons, or in this case, hunters.
Atticus
I’d snuck up behind the latent outside the dining hall. “I’ve been a shifter all my life, so I am the superior brother.” I’d been dying to tell him that, but Phelan had kept me away from the guy.
He and Phelan were here for the first time with the kid, and when they walked in, students were crowded around them making stupid sickening sounds at the baby.
Everyone at school had heard Rawling was my twin, damn it, and that Jack’s bear scarred me. I couldn’t hide my facial wound,but I could have lied and said I battled a dragon. Instead, I wore it proudly because I survived a bear attack and lived to tell the tale, though everyone whispered behind their hands when I passed.
Rawling swung around, and I recognized his expression ‘cause I’d seen it before. But where? My wolf sighed, telling me I knew exactly where. But he was wrong. I didn’t look like that.
“You know what? I’m going to show you who’s superior.” He handed Phelan the baby. “Look after her. I’m going to shoot something.”
Huh? That fucker was going to try and end my life? No way. He had no wolf to back him up.
“Having a pissing contest isn’t going to help,” Phelan told him.
“But it’s going to feel so good when I whip his scrawny ass.”
