21

I called Aaron the next day and told him about the baby and our decision to keep it.

“Are the fae pressuring you?” Everyone asked the same question and it was a good one. I reassured him. “Uncle Charles would have been very happy. Garrett is a lot like him, personality wise. He was quiet and intelligent, but there was never any doubt about how much he loved his family, especially Garrett’s mom. She was full of energy and adored music. He looks like her when he smiles. He smiles a lot more these days, thanks to you.”

“Sometimes you look like brothers when you smile. What happened to your parents, Aaron?”

“They were traveling back to Ireland for a visit with Mom’s relatives and their ship sank.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago and they were lucky compared to Garrett's clan.”

“How’s Gabriel doing?”

“Gabriel is alive, but limping from all the beatings he’s taken during training with Franklin. Still, he doesn’t complain, even when I make him muck out the stables. We have a pack meeting tonight and he’ll be meeting a good portion of my original pack. He’ll also have a chance to meet some of the unmated females.”

“You think there’s a chance he can make a life for himself?”

“Yes, a good chance.”

“I still want him punished for what happened to Sinc. I can’t help it.”

“If you saw what he goes through with Franklin, you might feel better. He’s broken a few ribs and a wrist, but he heals quickly. He wasn't properly trained in pack law, but I've observed that he's bright and eager to learn.” Aaron hesitated. “I was going to call you later today. The trials will begin on Friday at nine in the evening. I’d like you, Sinc and Kaera to testify. Of course, Gabe will also be testifying.”

“Sinc and I will be there. I'll have Liam tell Kaera's family.”

“You’ll stay overnight at my house. Cathy will love talking to you about dealing with an infant.”

“That would be really helpful. Why didn't you adopt children before now?”

“My first mate, Jeannie, died ten years ago in a car accident. She never wanted kids and I never pushed her. We were happy the way things were. I met Cathy five years ago and she told me she’d always wanted children. We've only been mates for three years.”

“I can't wait to meet little Sammy.”

“He's a handful. Gabriel’s asked me if he could call Sinc.”

“That’s up to her. She's staying with me. I’ll have her call you later, okay?”

“Sure. We’ll have to get together more often once the baby comes. Our boys can grow up together like Garrett and I did. You take care of yourself, Jackie. Don’t go getting into trouble like you always do.”

I laughed. “I’ll do my best. See you Friday.” We said goodbye and ended the call.

Sinc hobbled into the kitchen using a cane. I got her some coffee, scrambled eggs, sausages and toast and sat down to join her. Liam had left the food warming in the oven and was somewhere straightening up the house using his spooky fae magic.

“I spoke to Aaron. The trials begin on Friday. Do you feel up to going?”

“Yes, I want to be there.”

“Gabriel wants to know if he can call you.”

She watched me as she chewed her eggs. “What does Aaron say about how he’s doing?” I told her exactly what Aaron had told me. She kept watching my face. “And how would you feel if I said I’d like him to call me?”

I looked down at my plate and started buttering a slice of toast, trying to avoid her scrutiny. “You’re the one who lost her foot. If you want to talk to him, you should.”

She could tell I wasn’t happy. “I’ll tell him no. I don’t know what I was thinking. He would have let all of you die.”

Okay, so now I felt bad. She seemed to want to him to call. “He thought his mom was going to be killed…”

“Garrett would have died too, if he hadn’t kept his nest at home,” Sinc argued, trying to convince me she didn’t want this.

I put my toast down and looked her in the eye. I wanted to understand. “Just tell me why you want to talk to him.”

She looked out the window and sighed. “He’s all I have left of my childhood. The good parts.”

“You still have your parents.”

“I spoke to Aaron two days ago. He thinks Jake will be executed.”

“And your mom?”

“I don’t know. Maybe Aaron will take her in.”

“You have a house, Sinc. A house she paid for.”

“She should be with a pack.”

“Or her daughter.” I understood what it was to grow up without a mother.

“Jackie, she chose the pack over me.” Sinc was angry, but I'd chosen to play devil’s advocate because I didn’t want her to lose out on a chance to reconcile with her mom.

I thought again about Adele. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Bridgett about her. I tried once more to persuade my friend to reconsider. “You might want to try to talk to her without Jake around. She still loves you.” Sinc shrugged, trying to act as if she didn't care, but I knew by her expression she’d at least think about it. That's all I could ask.

“Ethan’s coming over in an hour. He’s driving me to the doctor. What are you up to today?”

“I’m going house hunting with Liam.”

Liam and I set out with excited expectations and we weren't disappointed. The third house we saw was perfect. It was only a few miles away from ours with a beautiful view of the coastline, a large garden in fairly good shape and a large, modern kitchen. The owner had no problem accepting a down payment right then and there, especially since Liam was paying cash.

“Faerie warriors get paid pretty well, I see.”

“Living fifteen hundred years has its benefits. Investments eventually pay off.”

“You could just glamour her into giving you the house.” I shrugged and tried to keep a straight face.

He looked at me in shock. “Jacqueline, you can't honestly think I would steal...”

“You're so easy to tease.” I gave him a playful shove.

He tilted his head and smiled. “I have a long memory. Be prepared for payback.”

I’d taken lots of pictures, so after Sinc looked them over, the three of us talked well into the evening about what needed changing, the colors that might work and several other design ideas. Liam was so happy, making the most of connecting to his inner human. According to Liam, Kellaine would be joining him at the house whenever she could get away from her duties in Faerie, and was also looking forward to helping decorate.

The vampires piped in with some ideas, including a huge flat-screen TV and a pool table. Ethan and Kyle told me over the phone that Liam should get an industrial sized barbeque and put up a basketball hoop in the long driveway. I promised I'd relay the message when I saw him the next morning. Whether Liam planned on it or not, some evenings the team would be stopping by to hang out with their fae buddy. Even Charlie got in on the plans, squirming around in my belly, reminding me that it might be wise to leave some extra diapers with Liam.

Later that night, we took Flynn hunting for the first time. I didn’t shift because of the baby, but I came along to watch and follow them through the lines. I’d asked both Lord Argon and Lord Caelen about the advisability of me traveling through ley line magic while pregnant, but they’d agreed that since the baby was half fae, it wouldn’t present a problem.

It took Flynn awhile to feel comfortable enough around us to let his lion loose. What a lion he was! His magnificent mane crowned an enormous head with amber eyes and a dangerous mouth full of sharp teeth. His powerful body towered over the rest of the felines as they greeted each other with the usual sniffing of faces.

Flynn was being cautious with the others, conscious of the difference in his size and maybe afraid to hurt anyone. Kyle got him into a more playful mood with a cuff of his spotted paw and a nip at his ear. Flynn whacked him upside the head and he went flying a few feet across the clearing, ending up sprawled in the dirt. He bounced up and had Flynn chasing him a minute later. Soon they were flicking their tails and pouncing playfully like enormous kittens, Ethan's large cougar joining the fun.

Garrett’s cheetah was faster than the other felines so he ran ahead to locate the Roosevelt Elk grazing between two large boulders. We let Flynn have a go, then helped him refine his technique after the first one got away. Eventually the cats were all feasting on elk, teasing Flynn by getting close enough for him to bat at them, then running away like sensible felines. A serious swipe of his paw could send you spinning into a tree. Not wanting to feel completely left out, I started a small campfire and roasted a few small pieces of elk so I could enjoy their successful kill right alongside the rest. Garrett curled up next to me and I lay back on his soft spotted fur, relaxing as he purred.

After he'd finished eating and cleaning the blood off of his face with his paws, Flynn stood watching me for a moment, then loped a little closer. I sat up and Garrett's cheetah rose to his feet, growling softly, not sure of what Flynn wanted. Having learned my lesson on numerous occasions I pulled in power and waited. When he was about ten feet away, he crouched and crawled to me, letting all of us know that this was not an aggressive encounter. When he was close enough for me to touch his head, he waited, twitching his tail in what I'd learned was a playful way.

Because his extremely sharp teeth were only inches away, I reached out very slowly with my hand. He licked it gently then put his giant head down on his paws and sighed contentedly. I laughed. “You're welcome.” I gave his ruff a scratch. “We're glad you're with us.”

By the time we got home again, we were exhausted, but also elated because Flynn had finally seemed to accept his new fate. Rob came by the next morning to take Flynn back to his house. He'd be brought before the Shifter Council next week and Rob needed to prepare him for the meeting.

The few days that followed Flynn’s first hunting excursion passed quickly with all of us taking care of a variety of errands. Sinc and I helped Liam pick out furniture for his new home, Garrett and I had an appointment with my snow leopard OBGYN, Dr. Connors, and I took a secret trip to the art store with Sasha. The vamp villa was going up in record time, because Lord Argon insisted on helping out with a serious dose of fae magic. Sasha’s studio was already partly finished. The look on his face when he’d reviewed the plans was priceless and I think he just caught himself before he reached out to kiss my hand in gratitude. Twenty-first century, Sash, c’mon!

The day arrived for the Los Altos Pack trials, so Garrett, Sinc and I traveled the lines to the Greenway Pack Territory. This was the first time I’d been to Aaron’s home and I noticed right away how different it was from the Los Altos property. Quentin’s pack had lived on the central grounds, taking up about one third of the total property span. Here, ninety-five percent of the acreage was natural, unpopulated forest. There were only six buildings on the grounds, all of them modern. Aaron’s home, Franklin’s home, a kind of dormitory for other assorted weres, the doctor’s home with an extension which served as an office and clinic, a school and an extremely large meeting hall with a huge kitchen attached. The buildings were set in a cluster, three hundred yards back from a main road, which got you into the center of the nearest town in fifteen minutes.

“The rest of your pack lives in town?” I asked after he’d pointed out the buildings.

“Yeah, or right outside. I can’t see having them hanging around me all the time. They have jobs and lives of their own to lead. We can connect mentally, so if there’s a problem I usually know before they do. I make sure to keep in touch if I haven't heard from them in a while. It’s kind of a hoot ’cause they never know if I might show up at their front door. Keeps them on their toes.” He winked. “Plus they can’t lie to me ’cause I know right away when they try.” I laughed at the mischievous glint in his eye. He cared about his pack as if they were part of his family, something missing in Los Altos.

Aaron had insisted on Sinc using this really cool motorized wheelchair he’d gotten for her, feeling that the walk was too far from building to building. She wasn’t happy about it at first, but the more she used it the more she started having fun with it. She’d be doing wheelies soon. She asked Aaron, “Is Gabe here?”

“You want to see him?” Aaron glanced at Garrett.

“I do.” When I noticed her gaze shifting to me, I shrugged and took Garrett’s hand. Aaron squinted in concentration and Gabriel walked out of the bunkhouse a minute later.

When he saw the three of us standing in front of Aaron's house, he hesitated. There was a change in his expression as he concentrated on a mental message from Aaron, then he walked, limping slightly, the rest of the distance. He faced Garrett and myself first. Bruises were evident around his face and forearms.

“Mr. Cuvier, Mrs. Cuvier. I'm grateful you agreed to give me this second chance with Aaron's pack.” He snuck a quick glance at Sinc. “I’m not without blame in what happened to your team. I’d like to apologize for any part I played in the attack.”

It sounded like a bunch of memorized bullshit to me, but Garrett was smiling. “Thank you, Gabriel. We—”

“You should suffer the way Sinc has.” Everyone stared at me, but I didn't give a damn. My friend was crippled because of this young wolf and his family.

“Jackie…” Sinc sounded upset but Gabriel and I were staring at each other with complete understanding.

He took a closer look at Sinc’s leg where the foot had been removed just above the ankle, then returned his gaze to meet mine. “I'd accept that punishment without protest, Mrs. Cuvier.” He was telling the truth, so I nodded and leaned against Garrett. I wasn't about to take him up on his offer, no matter how angry I was.

Gabe crouched next to Sinc and took her hand, speaking softly. “I can’t make up for what happened to you. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me someday. I’m trying to turn my life around.”

Her response was shy and sweet. “I’ve already forgiven you. Kyle and I are working on some ‘bionic woman’ prosthesis prototypes. I'm gonna be fine.” The look she gave Aaron was cold. “I’m glad to see he can still walk.”

“Franklin’s been holding back, but now that Gabe is getting stronger I’ll give him free rein.”

Gabe met Aaron’s teasing gaze with a smile, then lowered his eyes. “I’ll train with Franklin to the best of my abilities, alpha.”

“Testifying tonight will be tough for you. Take a break, then join us for dinner at my house at six thirty.”

“Thank you, alpha.” He grinned at Sinc and turned away to get cleaned up for dinner and the trials.

I scrutinized Sinc’s face as she watched Gabe walk back toward the large brick bunkhouse. They’d been promised to each other as mates. He'd probably been her first lover and it occurred to me the loss of her parents wasn’t the only pain she’d suffered when she’d been kicked out of the pack.

“When is Kaera arriving?” Aaron asked Garrett.

“Both sisters will be here by eight.”

“Did any of you want to see Karl, Quentin, Katrina or Jake before their trials?” His gaze swept the three of us but Garrett and I shook our heads and turned toward Sinc.

“Is my—my mother here?”

“Sharon is staying with Franklin and his mate, Gloria. She’s been excused from any blame in the bombing and the kidnapping and has helped with organizing the placement of the rest of the pack, since she knows all the individual families. We’ve placed five families with Bridgett’s old pack. Their alpha, Fred, visited me yesterday and told me he would accept new members if they were cleared by the council and they didn’t put a financial drain on his existing pack. They’d have to pledge loyalty to him of course. I’ve set him up as manager for one of my construction firms in the Gasquet area. Apparently, he’s been working construction jobs for the last five years, and the club certainly can’t support his entire pack. He’s an interesting young male with a shitload of natural power.”

Aaron continued, “You know about his mom being a witch, right? His sorcerer abilities never manifested themselves the way Karl's did. I think they're latent. He's been raised by pack law, so he's not likely to turn to dark magic. Brownlow wasn't like Quentin. He tried to do right by his pack—until he fell under Kennet's influence.

“And my fa…Jake?” Sinc asked.

“He’s in a holding cell now. He tried to escape, but he hasn’t been hurt.” Sinc nodded and looked toward Franklin’s house. Aaron smiled. “She’s probably looking out the window. She knew you were coming. I’ll take you over.” She nodded, but still looked wary.

Garrett took my hand. “We’ll take a walk, if that’s okay, Aaron. I'll show Jackie the grounds.”

“Sure, knock yourself out.”

He walked beside Sinc in her wheelchair as they headed toward Franklin’s large, but unassuming home. When they reached the steps, Aaron lifted her up as if she weighed nothing at all, Sinc managing to grab her cane at the last second. Sharon opened the door and after only an awkward couple of seconds threw her arms around her daughter. I was very happy to see Sinc relax into the hug and not pull away.

Garrett and I walked west toward the school and the meeting hall. Children were playing outside in the schoolyard, so we paused to watch them swinging on the enormous swing set, some playing volley ball or jumping double-dutch off to the side.

Garrett put his arm around my shoulders and drew me closer, kissing my cheek and whispering, “Today is an anniversary of sorts. I spoke to you for the first time in the Solo Island cabin three months ago today.”

“And you made note of the date?” I laughed.

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I'd waited a long time to speak to you face to face. You were perfect; an angel glowing in the last of the firelight.”

“I'd just gotten out of bed. I was a crazy mess and so nervous. You were my first vampire.”

“I fell in love with you that night.”

I smiled as his warmth washed over me. “You have low standards.”

“You still don't know the effect you have on me.” He kissed the corner of my mouth.

“We've come so far, so fast. Another three months and you’ll be all—been there done that—nothing much left to do. It's kinda boring around here.” I smiled, but part of me wasn't kidding.

He slid his hand to my lower back and then smashed me up against him. Some of the kids looked at us and giggled. “Mon ange, you are as far from boring as it is possible to be. I have many ideas as to how we can spend our years together.” He kissed me sweetly and quickly, not wanting to get too serious in front of such a young audience.

My body still managed to tingle. “I feel like I’ve lived these past months on the spin cycle. As long as it’s you I’m tumbling around with I guess it’s okay.”

“You guess?” He was nuzzling my ear now and there were a few kids up against the fence watching more closely.

“We have an audience and I think they’re a little too young for this kind of an education.”

He smiled at the kids. One brave little boy, probably around seven asked, “You a vampire?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see your fangs?”

“It's probably not a good idea.” We crouched down next to the fence and Garrett whispered, “I wouldn't want to scare the others.”

The boy nodded sagely. “I thought you smelled different. And you, lady, are you a shifter?”

“Yes, I am. How did you know?”

“I’m a really good smeller. What kind? I can't figure it out.”

“I'm a cheetah.” I leaned closer and took in a whiff off my own.

“Wow, that's sooo cool. My teacher says cheetahs are rare.” He looked over toward the meeting hall. “Are you here because of the bad wolves? The ones who used blood and blew people up?” His curly blonde hair fell into his eyes so he pushed it back.

“We’re here for the trials, yes.”

“You should never do that, ya know. Never use blood for bad magic or blow people up.” He looked very serious, like he was teaching us a lesson.

Aaron had silently made his way back to us. “Excellent advice, Joel. How are your classes going?”

“I like all of them except history, alpha. Why do I have to learn about a bunch of American humans who fought a bunch of English humans when I’m gonna be a wolf one day?”

“Because our race of wolves might have been wiped out of existence if those American humans hadn't won their war. And anyway, it wasn’t only humans fighting.”

“Really?”

Aaron put his hand on Garrett's shoulder. “My cousin Garrett and I could tell you all about some shifters and weres who fought right alongside the humans.”

“Cool.” He ran off to tell the others.

I stood again and turned to Aaron. “He’s a good smeller, huh? You know he’s a shifter, right?”

“I figured and was hoping you could confirm it. Can you tell what kind?”

“I smelled sage. He’s a lion.”

Aaron laughed. “Well that explains why he’s so big for his age. He’s only five.” He’s extremely bright and I could use a genius on the payroll, but if he doesn’t want to stick around here, I believe I know a team of shifters who might be able to use him somewhere.”

“I’m sure Jackie will be happy to add Joel to her collection.” I elbowed Garrett in the side and he tried to look contrite while Aaron laughed.

Dinner was delicious and never-ending. Catherine, looking spectacularly beautiful even in casual clothes, was the perfect hostess. Besides our crew and Gabriel, she’d invited Franklin and his mate Gloria, Sharon, Sinc’s mom, and Dr. Kruper, whom I’d never met. He was on the shorter side and slightly chubbier than most wolves, but he put you instantly at ease with his warm laugh and his twinkling eyes. He asked me how I was feeling and wanted to know what it was like to go through a pregnancy that usually took nine months in only two and a half. I explained since I’d never gone through the usual kind, I had no frame of reference, but it did seem like my belly was growing larger by the hour.

The fae sisters arrived just in time for dessert and even in that they held true to form. Brina ate gooey chocolate cake while Kaera munched on a plain cookie. I opted for the gooey cake myself.

After dinner, we walked to the meeting hall where the trials would be held. Kaera, Brina, Garrett, Sinc, Gabriel and I were given seats in the first row. Some of the key members of Aaron’s pack, along with a few of the Los Altos Pack members who were still awaiting their new pack assignments made up most of the audience. The other two representatives of the Western Pack Council sat at the central table raised up slightly on a long platform. Aaron sat in the center.

Karl was the first to be tried.

When he entered the room, I noticed right away that he’d lost weight. Liam explained to me when a sorcerer or a witch uses blood with their magic, they become addicted to the power and suffer a kind of withdrawal when they no longer have access. Aaron had told us that Karl had refused to eat solid food, only taking a few energy shakes and a minimal amount of water. Besides his two guards, he was accompanied by his lawyer, another wolf. The man carried a briefcase and a sour expression, either because he knew his case was a tough one or because Karl had been giving him a hard time. I’d have put money on the latter.

One of the WPC members read the charges, then asked us to testify as to what we remembered on the day of the bombing. Kaera and I gave as much detail as we could, but it was Sinc’s testimony as to how Gabriel behaved that afternoon that seemed to interest them the most. When Sinc was helped down from the stand, having to use her cane to get back to her seat, the room was respectfully quiet. All of the wolves understood the significance of a shifter without a foot, especially a species known for its ability to climb.

Gabriel faced his brother and told the court about all the times he’d suspected Karl of using blood magic. He spoke about the disappearances of other children who'd never come back and the recent kidnappings as well. He talked about how the pack had prospered financially from the spells Karl had used and how the alpha, his father, had given up leadership in lieu of his powerful younger son. He’d watched the codes and laws that pack wolves lived by to protect their families and the supernatural and human community ground into the dirt by a bloodthirsty young man and a greedy pack leader. Finally, he told them about the threat Karl had made on his own mother’s life.

Karl took the stand in his own defense. No one else stepped up to defend him, not even his father who had the right, even though he was in custody.

He was allowed thirty minutes to speak and plead his case. I tapped into the lines to keep an eye on the amount of power he’d pulled up, but it was within normal levels. He started to talk, and what he said surprised us.

“Esteemed council members, I thank you for allowing me to speak before you roast me on the spit.” He looked at his lawyer who wasn’t meeting his gaze. “Phil, I'm sure your advice was sound, but I'll never grovel.”

His gaze then locked on Gabriel. “I’ve wondered why you haven’t seen fit to visit me even though you’re living here on the grounds. I didn’t enjoy listening to you just now turn traitor to your family in order to save your own skin. While you sat around mooning over your lost love these past years, our father and I built up the pack’s wealth and power, meaning that when you eventually took over as alpha, you'd have been respected and feared. Not that you deserved that position. You were a great disappointment to Father—and to me. I can't believe I used to look up to you.”

His gaze passed over Garrett and moved to Sinc. “Sinclair, I'm sorry to see you were injured and won’t be hunting for a while. I’m sure you and your little gay leopard will come up with some kind of nifty device which will roughly work as well as the real thing. But I can’t imagine this little setback will affect your future success. You are even more beautiful than I remember. I almost stole you for myself on my thirteenth birthday. You must remember that day. We’d had a party in the backyard and you and Gabe were on the swinging chair on the porch holding hands and laughing about something. I came through the gate in the rear with blood on my hands. You asked me if I was hurt. So sweet. But I lied and said I was with an older wolf who’d gone hunting and I'd tagged along. Actually, I’d just tortured and killed the neighbor’s dog and had tried to twist a spell to bind you to me.” He sighed in resignation. “It hadn’t worked, damn it. That was when I realized I needed to use human blood. A few weeks later, before I’d killed my first human whore, you changed into your lovely snow leopard, so that was that. I couldn’t convince Father to let you stay, no matter how I pleaded.” He laughed. “Gabe thought I was trying to help him get you back.”

Sinc was trembling, so Gabe put his arm around her. “Ah, it looks like you might win the princess after all, brother. I wish you well.”

He turned his attention to me. “Jacqueline Crawford Cuvier. What a surprise you turned out to be. A healer cheetah, so rare. And then there’s that other little gift. I know quite a lot about demons as I’ve called upon several to help me out here and there.” His voice got deeper and he leaned forward. “I wish I’d known your true name. I would have summoned you and had some fun.” He huffed in exasperation. “It’s such a pity you don’t yet know how to use those powers, because when the archdemon summons you, and believe me, she will summon you to their realm, you’ll wish you had something up your sleeve a little more powerful than what you’ve used so far.

“They’ll want to examine you, especially now that you’re pregnant with a half fae. You’ll be a fascinating morsel, as will your baby son. I wish I could be there but, alas, I’m afraid I’m scheduled for my own barbeque.”

Garrett sent to me as he squeezed my hand, “They can’t summon you, my love.” Unfortunately, I knew that if I’d been assigned a summoning name and my grandmother got hold of it, I could be summoned, just like Karl said. I snuggled a little closer to Garrett, feeling shaky and needing the comfort.

Karl sneered at Kaera and Brina. “You’ll have your temporary revenge, bitches, but this isn't the end.”

He looked at the row of judges. “I confess to all of it. I’m guilty of killing human whores and human children, no great loss to the world as far as I’m concerned, but if you feel it’s a crime then sentence me as you will. Death is just another swinging door. I'll be returning shortly.”

Aaron asked. “Who else knew about the children and the spells? Who set the bomb?”

“My father and Jake were complicit in the bombing but had no power to stop the kidnappings or the blood magic spells, short of turning me over to the council. Of course if they'd done that, people they loved would have died. My mother is innocent of everything except loving a morally weak alpha and a natural son who inherited her gift, but twisted it in a much more interesting way. I have nothing else to say.” He sat on the stand calmly as if he’d just pleaded guilty to shoplifting and not torture, kidnapping, and murder.

Karl was returned to his cell and Quentin was brought in. He sat at the defendant’s table and looked down at his hands the entire time, too ashamed and cowardly to look anyone in the eye. Gabriel testified against his father the way he had Karl and it was very difficult for him. Quentin was also sentenced to death, because it was proved he knew about the kidnappings, murders and Karl’s use of blood magic and yet didn’t come to the WPC with the information. He was also instrumental in the decision to set off the bomb. His death would be the usual one for an alpha. He would fight Aaron who would end up ripping out his throat. There was no doubt that Aaron would win against him, but at least this death was an honorable one for an alpha wolf.

Jake was found guilty of attempted murder and for assisting Karl with the kidnappings and turning a blind eye to the use of blood magic. He was sentenced to meet his death the same way as Quentin, only he would fight against Franklin. He hugged Sharon before he was led away, but he never looked at his daughter. I wanted to kill him myself.

Katrina was found guilty of not calling the WPC when she suspected her son might be involved in something criminal. Because she had no concrete proof and was threatened with physical injury when she asked questions, she was only sentenced to a lifetime of community service. She would be required to use her powers as a witch to help various packs assigned to her by the council. Aaron told her she would be able to live with or near her son, Gabriel, in whatever pack he was assigned to as long as she continued to fulfill the requirements of her sentence. She cried as she thanked the judges for their mercy.

Quentin’s and Jake’s executions took place that evening, and the results were as expected. A representative of each Greenway Pack family was there to witness the executions of a powerful alpha and his second, both of whom chose to ignore the law. Aaron explained to me that he required at least one member of each family to attend so they'd understand no one was above the laws that were in place to protect the group. No one cheered or placed bets on the outcomes of these battles. It was a somber affair, both skirmishes ending in a flash of fangs and claws and a wash of blood.

Karl was sentenced to die as Aaron had said he would be, the sentence to be carried out in a clearing far from the main population of wolves at two a.m. No one was required to be there except for the judges, their betas, Gabriel and Katrina. Kaera, Brina and Lord Argon, who'd joined his daughters as the fire was being lit, represented the fae and Garrett stood next to them, representing our team. I stayed at the house with Sinc. I had no desire to see another male burned to death, even if he’d been responsible for murdering children.

The next morning Catherine spent a couple of hours with me, lending me books on caring for a newborn and talking about what a wonderful transformation occurs when you bring a child into your family. She let me feed Sammy, change his diaper, hold him and play with him until I felt comfortable and not so awkward. The reality of the situation was finally starting to sink in. This was a forever decision that Garrett and I had made.

I was afraid and confessed all my biggest fears. “What if I’m a rotten mom? I might not know the right thing to do. Maybe he’ll look like Kennet and I won’t be able to love him.”

Cathy was a practical, intelligent female. “If he looks like Kennet, he'll also look like Liam and Aedus and Lord Caelen. He’ll look like a fae, and some of them are your close friends, aren’t they? He'll look like a mixture of amazing races and he'll be his own unique, perfect self.”

I felt better. “Thanks, Catherine.”

“Call me Cathy. You can pay me back by babysitting once in a while when Aaron and I go to San Francisco for a long weekend. Your house is on the way.”

She said it with a straight face, but I had to laugh at her chutzpah. “Sure. We can do that.”

We left through the lines that evening after dinner. Sinc decided to stay on for a few more days, and since Aaron offered to have Franklin drive her back whenever she wanted to leave, we didn't see why she shouldn't. She said she wanted to work things out with her mom, but I knew spending time with Gabe was also part of the equation. If Sinc and Gabe hooked up in a permanent way, Aaron's plans for him might fall apart. I was pretty sure that packs weren't led by alphas with shapeshifter mates. Although I wasn't too thrilled with Gabriel and what he'd done, I was happy to see Sinc smiling again. It meant she'd be recovering a lot faster and that was really all that mattered.