Eventide of the Bear (The Wild Hunt Legacy #3) (49 page)

Vicki leaned in. “Calum is letting Alec run with this so everything will get brought into the open. Once the Cosantir invokes the God, there’s not much talking. Judgment is swift.”

Judgment.
The word sent a chill through Emma. She sent up her own invocation to the Mother of All.
Please, don’t take Minette from us.

Two females helped Genevieve to her feet. It appeared as if her covey had decreased. Emma spotted her other two followers kneeling beside Candice at Bree’s feet. Shoulders were hunched, heads bowed. Any movement netted a growl from a pack member.

“Genevieve, come here, please.” Alec said, voice level.

Gaze averted from Emma, Genevieve walked over.

“Shifters.” Alec’s raised voice quieted the room. “By Daonain tradition, a cub is placed with her mother, especially since litters often have more than one father. We must remember, however, that tradition is not law.”

The noise rose.

He waited until he could be heard again. “This female here has been proven to be untruthful and she has lied about another shifter.” His nose wrinkled. “Does she wear human perfume to conceal the scent of her lies?”

Whispers ran around the room.

“I know all the mothers here would understand.” Genevieve clasped her hands over her breasts, and tears brimmed in her eyes. “He’ll steal my baby from me. Please don’t let him take my cub.”

The female was dodging the whole issue of her lies. And the mothers in the room looked concerned. Emma wanted to hit her again.

“We should ask which of these two parents is most capable of caring for the cub,” Alec said calmly.

The room grew silent again.

“When did Minette leave your care, Genevieve?” Alec asked.

She named the date and straightened her shoulders. “I’ve been searching for her ever since.” Her face crumpled. “I’m so sorry for creating a scene. I-I just want my baby. I want her safe from him.”

When frowns appeared, Emma felt Ryder stiffen. Shifters protected females and cubs. Tears were appallingly effective.

“Ryder and Minette arrived in Cold Creek a week after that date. Am I right?” Alec asked Ben.

“Right,” Ben said.

“Did you see any signs of abuse?” Alec asked.

Ben tried to recall his first sight of the cub. “She was several pounds lighter than now and—”

“He’s Ryder’s littermate. Of course he’s going to lie for his brother!” Genevieve shouted. She turned to the people in the bar. “Please, just tell him to give me my baby.”

Alec frowned. “Cahirs in the North Cascades Territory don’t lie. But let’s call an impartial witness. Is the healer here?”

Donal moved forward. “Aye, Alec.”

“Did you see Minette when she first arrived?”

“I did. She was very underweight. She also had healing bruises on her face and hands and back. I’d say most of them were far older than a week. She was also unable to speak and terrified of her shadow.”

“Her condition improved while she was living with her sire?”

“No question about it.” Donal’s silver eyes iced when he looked at Genevieve. “If you feel this one needs to be starved a bit to show her what hunger feels like, I’d be delighted to do so.”

The mood of the crowd swung back. The healer was respected—and everyone knew tactfulness wasn’t part of his personality.

“She’s my little baby, and I didn’t have any money for food. You can’t blame me for being broke.” Genevieve turned to Alec, her beautiful face appealing. “I need to stay with her. You wouldn’t keep her from her mother, would you?”

Emma heard Ryder’s growl before Ben stated, “You’re not getting anywhere near her.”

“You don’t have anything to say about it,” Genevieve said. She turned to Alec, laid her hand on his chest, and rubbed her breasts on his arm. “The Cosantir makes those decisions.”

Alec chuckled and stepped away. “Wasting your time, wolf. Wrong prey.”

“Genevieve is right, however. I believe all the facts have been aired.” The interruption came in a deep, clipped voice as Calum moved out from behind the bar. His dark face was as remote as Emma had ever seen it.

Scowling, Genevieve turned her venom on the intruder. “What’s it to you, you—” Her voice strangled in her throat when she met Calum’s gaze. A blind person could see the power crackling off him, and she must have just realized Alec wasn’t the guardian of the territory.

Emma had a feeling the female wouldn’t attempt the breast-rubbing technique with this obviously pissed off Cosantir.

“Donal stated the child was underfed while in your care.” Calum’s gaze ran over Genevieve. “It seems you didn’t stint your own portions or attire.” He turned to Shay. “Does the wolf pack fund single mothers?”

Shay smiled slightly. “The pack provides cub-sitting so mothers can work. In addition, Angie gives free meals to cubs and mothers for dishwasher services at the diner.”

Genevieve’s mask slipped for a second to show her fury. Then she said smoothly, “Oh, but my home is in Deschutes Territory. I can give little Minette a far better life there where we both have friends.”

“And where you can receive money for possessing a cub.” The Cosantir turned to Ben. “You were seen talking with Amanda Golden—the realtor. Are you putting your house on the market? Did you and Ryder plan to leave everything, take the cub, and run?”

Gasps sounded around the room along with loud protests from the construction crew.

Emma noted the past tense. Because there would be no running now, would there?

Ben’s lips compressed at the incriminating question. But a cahir didn’t lie to the avatar of his god. “Aye.”

Calum’s glance landed on her. “Emma? You’re respected here as our bard. As a teacher. Did you intend to go with them?”

“Yes.” She showed her wrist and smiled at the lifemating bands. “I go with my mates—and our cub.”

“Felicitations, bard.” Alec’s pleased grin earned a reproving look from his brother.

“Well, honestly.” Genevieve crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up. “I don’t see what the big deal is. They were afraid and planning to steal my child.”

Joe Thorson put a foot up on a chair. “I see the point you’re making, Cosantir. Ryder, his brother, and lifemate want the cub enough to give up the life they’ve made here.”

“Leaving isn’t the only sacrifice they were willing to make,” Zeb said in his harsh voice. He gave Genevieve a dark look. “That so-called mother fled into her cabin, leaving her child outside with a hellhound.”

Genevieve glared at Zeb.

The uproar in the tavern increased. For all he looked like he’d terrify demons, Zeb was held in awe and respected by the community.

“She sure did.” Shay rose to sit on his table. He pointed at Emma. “The bard almost lost her life saving the cub from the hellhound. Ryder attacked the hellhound to keep it from ripping her apart.”

Emma realized the entire tone of the tavern had shifted. Sympathy for Genevieve had faded to nearly nothing.

“But…but, I was afraid.” Genevieve held her hands out to the crowd. “You would have been also.”

Calum said something to Alec before turning to answer Genevieve. “Everyone is afraid of a hellhound. The question is who were you trying to save—yourself or a cub?”

The male standing beside Genevieve dropped his gaze and moved away from her.

Calum crossed his arms over his chest. “I think it’s clear where the cub is better cared for and better loved.”

A hum of agreement ran around the room.

Calum continued, “However, the bond between a mother and child can’t be ignored.”

Genevieve nodded vehemently. “Yes. See?”

“So. Has anyone ever seen a well-loved child willing to be parted from her mother?”

As Calum’s keen gaze swept the crowd, Ryder saw the shifters shaking their heads. No one volunteered an exception.

“Excellent. We shall allow Minette a choice in her future.” The Cosantir motioned to where Alec was crossing the tavern with Minette in his arms.

Calum plucked Minette from his brother, set her on her feet, and went to one knee in front of her. His hand cupped her little chin. “Cub, should I send you to live with your mother?”

He paused.

Minette’s forehead crinkled with worry. Thumb going into her mouth, the cub looked at Genevieve.

Genevieve held out her hand. “Come here, baby. I love you, and I’ll take care of you.”

Bitterness rose in Emma in a foul cloud of darkness. Why would Calum do this? Minette couldn’t stand against her mother influence.

But Minette was shaking her head. She backed away until she could hide behind Ryder’s legs like a terrified puppy.

Genevieve stepped forward.

Emma felt her hand close in a fist—and she stepped in front of Ryder at the same time Ben did.

Genevieve stopped dead.

Calum spoke. “Ryder, ask Minette if she wants to live with you.”

Ryder knelt to face his cub. He had to clear his throat twice before he could speak. “Kitten, do you want to stay with me?”

“Daddy.” Without any hesitation, she burrowed into his arms.

As he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging tighter than a burr. His eyes were wet before he closed them and rested his cheek on the top of the cub’s head.

Emma heard his whispered, “Thank you, Mother of All,” before he took his place between Emma and Ben.

The entire tavern filled with cheers.

It was over.
By the God, the cub was safe.
Ben’s eyes burned as if he’d peeled a sinkful of onions.

“Nice job, Cosantir,” Alec said to his brother, then motioned toward Minette. “But I hope it’s all right if the greedy cub demands more than one parent.”

The cub wanted Genevieve, too? Dismayed, Ben looked at Minette.

Not Genevieve.

The cub had her fingers wrapped securely around Emma’s braid—and her other hand was fisted on Ben’s shirtsleeve. The kitten was claiming all three of them as her own.

Laughing in relief, Ben put his hand over hers. So little. So beloved.

“Indeed, I do believe her wishes are quite clear. Herne agrees as does the Mother.” The Cosantir turned to Genevieve. His eyes darkened to the deepest of blacks with the presence of the God. “The bond between you is broken.”

Ben saw Minette jolt.

Genevieve staggered back, and her hand pressed her chest at the cleaving of the mother-child bond. “You can’t…”

“You abused one of the Mother’s precious cubs.” The Cosantir’s expression turned to granite. “Last night, your greedy, vindictive actions caused the death of one of
my
shifters. If you are within my territory by morning—or ever again—I will find you and send you back to the Mother.”

Genevieve’s face went white at the promise of death. Her mouth opened and closed, and she fled the tavern, abandoning her male companion without a backward look.

The Cosantir’s gaze took in the male who now stood alone. “Jeffrey, you came to the rescue of your female, Genevieve, but abandoned another female and child to the hellhound.”

“I did.” The shifter bowed his head. “I…I let her push me into the cabin. I wanted to come back out, but she shifted to wolf and stopped me.” The lad pulled up a sleeve to show oozing marks from a bite. So he had tried.

The Cosantir waited silently for…Ben didn’t know what.

And then he did when Jeffrey pulled in a breath and turned to face Emma. “A wiser male wouldn’t have listened to Genevieve. Wouldn’t have been pushed around—or cowed by a bite. I’m sorry, bard.”

“I understand,” she said softly.

Ben felt her shiver. Donal had healed her body, but…Ben could only imagine what she’d felt when left out in the dark and cold with a cub, left to face a hellhound. His mate had a soft heart. Ben did not.

“You have summed it up well, Jeffrey.” Calum’s face softened slightly. “I will not banish you, but you will leave this territory. After three winters, you may return and we’ll discover if you have acquired some wisdom. The Mother has given you gifts. Endeavor to prove worthy of them.”

The stiffness drained from the young male, and his eyes gleamed with sudden tears. “Thank you, Cosantir. I—I will return at the appointed time and show you that your mercy is justified.” Head bowed and without a glance at the front door through which Genevieve had disappeared, Jeffrey moved toward the back of the bar and the portal leading into the wilderness.

As he left, Ben discovered his heart held sympathy after all. Jeffrey wasn’t the first male Genevieve had almost destroyed. Thank the God that Ryder had learned and was back where he belonged.

Next to Ben, Ryder whispered to the cub, “I love you, kitten, forever and ever.”

With her arms around his neck, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

So fucking little. But not alone any longer. It was time to make the changes clear.

“May I hold the cub?” he asked his littermate.

“Our cub,” Ryder corrected, even before knowing what was on Ben’s mind. He passed her over, kissing the top of her head as he did.

Gripping Minette around the waist, Ben lifted her over his head.

To his delight, she showed no fear, but beamed down at him.

“This is the cub of my littermate.” His voice boomed through the room. He turned so all the shifters had a chance to see her. “I say she is my cub as well. Her heart and body and soul are mine and my mates’ to guard as long as life shall last.” He lowered her to kiss her forehead.

Her little hands patted his face before she planted a kiss on his big nose.

He laughed and shouted, “Have I witnesses?”

The room shook with the voices of his clan. “Witnessed.”

The Cosantir smiled slightly. “Let it be so.”

Joy surged through Ben, and he couldn’t keep it from his face. As he held Minette in one arm, he gave Ryder a bear’s smack on the shoulder. “We share, bro. Aye?”

Emma’s cheeks were wet with tears as Ryder gathered her in one arm and pulled her between them—the place their lifemate belonged. “Aye, brother. By the God, aye.”

‡