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“You’ll soon discover Kyr is a law unto himself,” Aaron told him. He switched his attention back to Alice. “Did he find anything?”
“Yes, and no.” Alice sipped her coffee. “We confirmed there is about a ninety-five percent chance that you and Marshall areanima vinculum.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” Marshall asked.
“Again, yes and no,” Alice said. “The bond has only ever been between shifters, which is why we aren’t one hundred percent sure you are soul bonded.”
“Are you sure there’s no shifter blood in you?” Vaughn asked, leaning forward in his seat.
Marshall shook his head. “No. Both of my parents are human, as are their parents.”
“And you’re sure you’re not adopted?”
A snort of laughter came from the table where Saint and Sam were finishing up their food. The room turned in their direction.
“Sorry,” Saint apologized. “Marsh is a carbon copy of his parents. There’s no chance he’s adopted.”
“It’s true,” Marshall agreed. He lifted his hips to pull his phone from his pocket, and Aaron couldn’t help but watch the flex of thigh muscle. Marshall tapped at the screen and then passed the phone to Aaron. Their fingers brushed, sending a tingle of warmth through Aaron.
He glanced down and saw a picture of Marshall between two people who could only be his parents. Saint was right; Marshall was a mix of both of them. He had his father’s height and dark hair and his mother’s eyes, nose and bright smile.
They had obviously taken the picture before Marshall got sick and Aaron drank in the tall, muscular frame. A faded t-shirt stretched across Marshall’s broad chest, showcasing well-defined muscle. The picture made it easy to see how much tone Marshall had lost over the last two years.
“Saint’s right. You’re definitely not adopted,” Aaron agreed, reluctantly handing the phone back to Marshall.
“So, what now?” Marshall asked.
“How much shifter DNA would Marshall need to have for the bond to work?” asked Sam.
“We don’t know yet,” Darcy responded. “I’m going to hit the books again shortly and keep looking.”
“I can get a DNA test done,” Sam said. “I’ve got a contact at the lab in Stone City who owes me a favor. I’ll see how quickly they can push it through for me.”
“Does that mean you want more blood?” Marshall asked.
Sam gave him a lopsided grin. “Nah. You’re good. I got plenty yesterday.”
Aaron grinned when he heard Marshall’s murmured,thank goodness.
“While we’re waiting for Alice, Darcy, and Kyr to finish their research, why don’t you show Marshall around the grounds,” Vaughn suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Alice agreed. “But I suggest not telling people that you and Marshall are mates. If anyone asks, stick to the original reason Marshall is here and that Sam is looking into his health issues.”
A tingle went up Aaron’s spine at her words. He eyed the old lady, and she met his gaze keenly.
“You know something,” he stated.
“Maybe. I haven’t seen anything definitive yet, but I know the fewer people that know the full situation, the better.”
“I’ll let the twins and Kyr know not to say anything,” Josh said, pushing to his feet.
“And I’ll let the Elders know,” Vaughn said, nodding to his son. He’d known Alice long enough to trust her when she spoke, and Aaron was more than happy to follow his lead.
With the plan for the day sorted, the group broke up. Aaron nodded towards the door. “Shall we?”
Marshall nodded, and together they made their way from the room.
Marshall followed Aaron back to the main entrance of the pack house, although calling it a house was a bit of a stretch.
