Chapter 107

“Wait, what?” I gasp, shocked.

“Oh yeah,” my mom says, her own eyes going far-off as she apparently remembers this long-lost, incredibly important and interesting detail. “I forgot about that…”

“You knew!?” I’m scandalized – mom and dad, they’re so perfect for each other. The idea of dad being mated to someone else...

God, I can’t even imagine it.

“Of course I knew, baby,” mom says, leaning closer and tucking a strand of my bloody hair behind my ear as Cora stands up and begins to fuss with the IV, apparently remembering suddenly that I’m coming off the edge of death and need some fluids. “Dad and I don’t keep secrets. Plus, I knew her.”

“Real piece of work,” Cora murmurs, shaking her head as she reaches for my arm.

“What!?” It’s all I can say in my shock as Cora hooks me up to the IV, helping me get on the mend in her own non-magical way.

“It wasn’t at the same time, like you and your boys,” mom says, turning her head consideringly. “He rejected her and then was single for a long time before he met me. Which, I mean, thank god – I don’t think I’d have been able to handle that. I’d have been so jealous, and she’d probably have tried to kill me. I mean, more than she eventually did.”

My face screws up in shock and confusion as I stare at my mother, but she just waves a hand, dismissing it.

“Speaking of the jealousy,” Cora says, sitting down next to me and taking my wrist so she can check my pulse. “How are your boys handling it?”

“Um,” I say, looking between them. “They…aren’t. Because they don’t…know about each other.”

Mom and Cora’s faces are twin pictures of shock and then delight before they burst into scandalized laughter.

“You little minx,” mom says, leaning forward to prod me with the tips of her fingers. “How the hell did you manage that!?”

“I didn’t manage it,” I murmur, not really liking the implication here that I’m doing it nefariously and for my own good. “It was…I didn’t want anyone to find out, at first, that I was a girl. And then I…it took a while to get to know them, and to decide I could trust them.”

“Wise,” Cora says, nodding as she slips a stethoscope out of her pocket and slips it around her neck. “And Rafe and Jesse?”

“Um,” I say, because…well, this one is a little more nefarious, I guess. “Rafe knows about Jackson. Jesse knows about Luca.” My mom and my aunt grin at me again, but I just shrug and sigh.

“Well, how are you feeling about it, baby?” my mom asks, leaning forward and taking my hand. “It must be a lot, in addition to your studies.”

“It is a lot,” I say, my shoulders slumping in relief to hear her voice it aloud, to have her understand. “It’s scary! And they’re both so great, but…” I bite my lip and shake my head, looking down at my lap, “it’s really confusing.”

Mom begins to murmur comforting things about how of course it’s confusing – it’s bound to be – but suddenly the door flies open again.

This time, broad shoulders fill the frame and I blink because…

Well, for a second, as embarrassing as it is, I did think it was Jackson.

But my eyes fill with tears the moment that I realize that it’s my dad.

“Dad!” I croak, suddenly completely overwhelmed with emotion as I try to pull myself up, to move to him, to get immediately to his side.

Because I mean, I love my mom – endlessly, in every atom of me. But my dad…

“Baby,” he groans, striding across the room and scooping me up off the bed even as I scramble for him. He groans again when he ducks his head and presses his cheek to mine, as I burst into tears and wrap my arms around his broad shoulders.

My dad holds me tight for a long, long few moments, and Cora and my mom stay quiet, letting us have this time, understanding the bond between us.

He takes a shuddering breath before raising his head, looking into my face. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

I nod, sniffing. “Just a little overwhelmed, pops,” I murmur, which earns me a smile. “Mom fixed me up good. I’m fine.”

Dad growls deep in his throat as he lowers himself to the bed with me still in his arms, clearly not ready to let me go but ready to join the conversation. Cora, smiling, goes and closes the door before untangling the IV chord and laying it out neatly. Then she sits down on the edge of the bed opposite my mom. The poor overloaded bed gives a desperate little creak, but we all ignore it.

“I’m going to kill your brother,” dad says, shaking his head as he looks me over, frowning at the blood all over me and narrowing his eyes as he gives me a suspicious sniff. But if he smells Jackson or Luca, he doesn’t say anything.

“Go easy on Rafe, dad,” I murmur, raising a hand to run it fondly over his stubbled cheek. “It was all Jesse’s idea anyway.”

Mom and Cora laugh at this but dad continues frowning, not ready to joke. “I could have lost you, Ariel,” he whispers, his voice tight. “Do you – do you know what that would have done to me?”

“Don’t, dad,” I say, shaking my head, my lip trembling as tears start to threaten my eyes again. My dad – he’s so strong, so steady – seeing him emotional like this? God, I can’t handle it – not at all. “I’m perfectly fine – nothing happened –“

“But it could have happened,” he whispers, devastated even by the thought of it. “It almost did – Ariel, from what Jesse said, you almost died –“

The tears start to slip down my cheeks and my lips turn down in a desperate frown, because I hate that I did this to him – hate that he was this worried.

“Easy, Dominic,” mom murmurs, reaching out a hand and placing it softly on dad’s knee. “Don’t make the girl feel guiltier than she already does. She’s had a rough day.”

Dad glances at mom for a moment and then heaves a deep sigh, forcing himself, I think, to move on from it.

“Well,” he says, giving me a steady nod as he takes a deep breath. “At least it’s all over, now.”

I nod, agreeing, likewise grateful that the Examination is done but then I go rigid in my dad’s arms, looking up at him with suspicion. “Dad,” I say slowly, “what do you mean by that?”

“I mean that we can bring you home now,” he says, giving me a steady nod. “Where you’ll be safe and sound –“

“What!?” I gasp, staring up at his face. Instantly I drop my arms from around his shoulders. “You’re – you’re taking me home!?”

“Well of course we’re taking you home, Ariel – the fuss with your ex-fiancé is all cleared up, you don’t have to be in hiding anymore –“

“No!” I protest, shaking my head vehemently and wiggling hard until dad lets me go, staring at me in shock. “Dad, I’m going back to the Academy! I mean, unless I didn’t pass the Examination? Were we too late!?”

Dad just stares at me in shock and confusion as I turn to the door, suddenly desperate to know. “Did I slow Jackson down too much?” I ask, my voice getting squeaky in my panic. “Did they – did they say I failed because he carried me across the finish line? I don’t know the rules –“

“Jackson?” my dad asks, and then he leans towards me, sniffing suspiciously again. “Who the hell is Jackson? What happened, Ariel –“

“Was. I. Late?” I ask, my voice sharp as I turn to stare at my dad, my lips a thin line.

“What?” my dad asks again, completely baffled.

“Um,” Cora says, interjecting awkwardly. “Ariel, if you’re asking if you made it across the line within the top 60% of candidates…you did…”

I huge rush of air leaves my lungs and relief sweeps through me, because at least Jackson is getting through –

But me? Are there rules about how healthy you have to be when you cross? Do you have to do it under your own power?

“Ariel,” my dad snaps, his voice harsh, “are you saying – my god, you can’t be serious – you want to go back to the Academy!?”

“Of course I do!”

He stares at me for a long second before his face turns cold. “Absolutely not.”

I gape at my father as he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Dominic,” my mother says, and I whip my head to see her frowning at him, clearly taking my side. “Ariel is at the Academy for more reasons than just to hide from that horrible fiancé – she’s been working really hard! She’s –“

“It’s out of the question,” dad snaps, slicing a hand through the hair like that’s the end of it. “My daughter is not going back to an Academy of Alpha males who clearly want her dead –“

“Dad!” I protest.

“No!” he shouts, his voice booming out, carrying with it his Alpha command. “You were shot with a crossbow, Ariel! No daughter of mine is going to be at that school – it’s too dangerous for you! It is male-only for a reason!”

My hands curl into fists in my side as I glare at my father, my jaw set.