“Great, now I’ll look at everyone with suspicion.” Bardoul rubbed a hand over his face and mottled his skin. “And Eira…”
Phelan was out of his seat and confronting Bardoul, but Jack shoved him back. “Save your pissing contest for outside.”
My mate sat, and I placed my hand in his, anchoring him to the stool. We shared a glance. Our daughter was everything to us, and we’d give our lives to protect her. He didn’t have to demonstrate his love by maiming Bardoul.
“Rawling’s heart stopped after giving birth and losing a lot of blood.” Holden was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “But Phelan saved him.”
Memories flooded back of me opening my eyes and searching my mate’s face, not knowing if our baby was alive. Phelan almost crushed my hand while his other one dabbed at his eyes.
“But unknowingly, he may have saved him in other ways.”
“How so?” Bardoul was responding better to Holden than me.
That wasn’t surprising because my ex was a neutral party, he was older, he had been a TA, though he no longer was, and he was a tiger. Despite wolves being at the top of the shifter hierarchy, a tiger could easily kill a wolf.
“My research tells me that if a person harboring a hunter dies—and Rawling did die—the hunter perishes even if the person’s heart restarts.”
Bardoul gasped and hugged his knees. “Are you saying?—?”
“Mmmm, even if Rawling was a hunter, he no longer is.”
No one said anything.
We all looked at Bardoul. If he wasn’t convinced, I’d be outed as a human and a possible hunter and we’d need to pack our bags and leave.
“But one more thing that none of you know.” Holden sent me an apologetic glance. “I also discovered the hunter gene is only passed down through the alpha.”
Oh my gods. I didn’t give a shit about me, but this was clearing Eira of any hint that she was a hunter. Phelan hauled me to my feet, and we hugged while our tears spilled over one another.
“Our little girl is safe,” I sobbed and ran into the bedroom and kissed her.
I would have preferred to take her into bed with me and let the others argue amongst themselves, but I had to see this through to the bitter end.
Bardoul held up his hand. “There’s one person who can confirm this.” He explained how it was Channon’s grandfatherwho warned Channon and himself about me. “Let me make a call.”
He went outside, and while I would have liked to put my ear to the door, or had my shifter friends listen in, Phelan dragged his chair beside mine and we held one another.
“What’s taking so long?” The grandfather either had to agree with the story or not. It wasn’t complicated.
Bardoul entered, and I searched his face, but his expression told me nothing. He’d be great at poker.
“Channon’s grandfather says Holden is correct. If the hunter was present, it’s dead.” He looked at me and clasped his hands. “And you can’t have passed the gene to Eira.”
Was this finally over? I kept saying and thinking that, but around every turn, there was a new hurdle.
“And I have more good news.” Bardoul put the phone on speaker.
“Hey, everyone.” Channon’s face popped up on the screen. “I appreciate you being honest, Rawling, and I thank you and Holden for your research.”
I’d missed having Channon at school and hoped we could communicate now that I was no longer suspected of being a vicious killer.
“My grandfather says I can return to Sombertooth.”
Jack and I clapped, and Bardoul was almost in tears that his bestie was coming back. Holden got up to leave, as he had to prepare a presentation, and I saw him to the door.
“Thank you. You’ve given me my life back, just as Phelan did,” I whispered, hoping my mate wasn’t listening. “I appreciate it, considering our former relationship.”
He told me he was seeing Riley and hoped we could be friends moving forward. I wasn’t sure that was possible, but we’d see.
