“Mine!” Bast moves in front of me, his voice carrying the kind of authority that makes everyone, even Dave, pause. The word reverberates through our bond, and something wild and possessive unfurls in my chest. All my life I’ve belonged to theMathairs, been their weapon, their tool. But this—this is different. This claiming comes with protection, with acceptance. The fierce pride in Bast’s voice makes me want to stand taller,makes me feel like someone worth defending rather than a thing to be used.
“Your mate?” One of Dave’s men spits on the ground. “She’s a fucking assassin—”
Bast’s growl cuts through the air like a blade. “Choose your next words carefully. Anyone who disrespects Bridget answers to me.”
“Bast.” I touch his arm. “It’s okay. They have every right to—”
“No.” He turns to face me, his eyes blazing gold. “They don’t. You’re pack now. Mine. And they will show you respect or deal with the consequences.”
His conviction floods our connection, a tide of certainty that nearly overwhelms me. This unflinching support, this absolute acceptance—I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like this except my sister.
My throat tightens thinking of Brianna, still trapped in Salem.
The standoff breaks as more vehicles arrive. Liam and Gen pull up, followed by Finn and Emma. More familiar faces emerge next—Lila and Rachel. Then Lawrence, his presence carrying its own weight of complications. More cars roll in behind them, filled with faces I don’t recognize. Each new arrival makes me want to shrink closer to Bast.
He hugs me closer a second later like he read my mind. “This is the first time Lawrence will have met his daughter, Emma,” Bast whispers into my ear.
Oh. Wow.
The next few minutes are chaos as everyone converges on Aiden’s front porch. Rachel and Lila rush to embrace Emma, but I’m transfixed by Lawrence’s reaction. He stands frozen, staring at Emma with an intensity that makes my chest ache.
“Emma.” Lawrence takes a hesitant step forward, then stops, as if afraid she might disappear. His hands clench and unclench at his sides.
Emma pulls away from Rachel and Lila, turning to face her father. Complete silence falls on the entire group.
“I…” Lawrence swallows hard. “You look just like your mother.”
Tears well in Emma’s eyes. “She told me about you. Stories, when I was little. Before…”
“I should have been here. Should have protected you both.”
“You both made the choices you had to,” Emma says softly.
Lawrence takes another step closer, his hand lifting as if to touch her face before dropping back to his side. “May I…?” The question hangs in the air, vulnerable and raw.
Emma nods, and suddenly they’re embracing. Lawrence’s shoulders shake as he holds his daughter for the first time.
I have to look away. It would be easier if I could hate them for having this chance, but all I feel is a bone-deep ache—for the mother I barely remember and for the father I never knew.
The spell breaks as a large, unfamiliar man appears in the doorway. “Inside,” he commands. This must be Aiden. He certainly has the commanding presence of an alpha.
But before we can move, Lila gasps, her hand flying to her mouth as she stares at Emma. “Oh my goddess… Meredith’s magick. It’s all around you.”
“What?” Emma’s hand goes to her stomach again. “What do you mean?”
“A baby,” Lila breathes. “Meredith’s power…she gave it to your child. That’s why it was missing at her ceremony.”
The air leaves my lungs in a rush. In all my years of training, all the secrets theMathairsguarded so jealously, I’ve never heard of anything like this. A witch channeling her entire powerinto an unborn child—it should be impossible. The kind of control that would take, the sheer force of will…
“How is that possible?” Emma asks.
“Your mother was very powerful. Her control of magick far exceeded anything any of us could ever hope to master.”
Meaning Meredith Banfield was the equivalent of aMathairherself.
Lawrence steps forward, his expression intense. “Do you know the gender?”
Emma shakes her head. “Not yet. It’s too soon.”
