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Finvarra nodded at him when he spotted me approaching, stepping away to speak to a group of scary-looking unseelie who were dressed in black and armed to the teeth.
Lorcan looked at me. He had such kind eyes. They were a pale blue, with the tiniest lines when he squinted into the sun.
“Are you okay?” he asked me.
“I should be asking you that, I think.”
He dismissed years of torture with a wave of his hand. “You look so much like her.”
My mom. My mouth trembled, and Lorcan got to his feet. “May I hug you?”
I nodded, my throat suddenly so tight I couldn’t speak. He was thinner than Eachann, likely from years of a nutrient-deficient diet. But his heart pounded beneath my ear, racing in a way that told me he was just as nervous as I was.
Strangely, it was that knowledge that steadied me.
“My brother told me you were a brave, beautiful woman. And he was right. I’m sorry I couldn’t escape with your mother all those years ago. I can’t regret the lives I saved, but… More than anything, I wanted to see you take your first steps. I wanted to hear you talk for the first time. Wanted to teach you to read…” He trailed off.
Tears were rolling down my cheeks now. “We’ll never get that time back. But we have plenty of time now. I’m mated to the werewolf Alpha, which means I’m gonna live for a lot longer than I’d thought.”
Lorcan stiffened, and I eased back.
“Eachann didn’t tell you that?”
“No. The Alpha is the werewolf who was with you when you freed us.”
“Yeah.”
“Does he make you happy?”
“So happy,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I never imagined I could be this happy.”
He smiled at me, those tiny lines appearing next to his eyes. “Then I’ve gained both a daughter and a son.”
Twenty-Five
Evie
While I’d been talking with my father, Nathaniel had left to organize our team, ensuring the kids had trusted people with them and everyone was getting the medical attention they needed.
“What will happen to all these people?” I asked when I finally saw him next.
“I’ve chartered a plane. We’re taking most of them back to Durham.”
I blinked. “Durham?”
He just nodded. “I get anyone paranormal. That means the smallest amount of paranormal blood. A lot of the kids have parents here. They were just downstairs in the cells or elsewhere in the lab. I’m lending them a slice of my territory. We’re going to build some cabins so they can recover there.”
My heart melted. “I love you.”
He leaned down and nuzzled my temple. “Finvarra agreed to lend some of his people to help with the build. Apparently, they’re pretty good at using their power to construct buildings.” He angled his head at Finvarra, who was walking past.
Finvarra just nodded.
Nathaniel glanced around. “Where’s Kyla?”
I cleared my throat. “Uh, she had to do something.”
He tensed, studying my face. “She had to do what, Evie?”
