Page 114 of The Beta's Heart

“Okaaay,” I said slowly, my eyes wide as I wondered where he was going with this. I remembered learning my blood type during biology class in sophomore year, but had no idea what he was implying.

“Son, a man with an AB blood type is very,veryrarely the father of a child with an O blood type.”

“What?” I whispered.

“In simplified terms, Seymour would have passed on either an A or a B allele to any and all of his offspring. Since you have neither, the evidence would suggest you’re not his son. However,” Dr. Myers lowered his chin to give me a serious look, “therearedocumented cases where it’s happened, so I can’t ethically rule it out.”

I slammed back in my chair with a dropped jaw, feeling as if a giant hand had just whammed me in the chest. I’d always just assumed his wolf had gone feral or insane, allowing him to abuse Mom and me; I never once suspected they were chosen mates.

“How much of a long shot would it be for him to be my father?” I asked after I took a minute to process this revelation.

“Less than your odds of being struck by lightning twice, which is about one in nine million. It does happen, though, beta, which is why I won’t rely solely on your blood types to make that call.”

“Man, I wish there was someone still alive from Dark Woods who would know the answer.” Blowing out a heavy breath, I shovedmy hair out of my eyes and let my hand keep going until it rested on the back of my neck.

“You should have brought Peri with you. I knew this would be difficult to hear, and you could use her support right now.”

“She’s at home waiting for me.” Hearing what I just said, I sat up and smiled a little. “Mymateis atour homewaitingfor me.”

“That’s right, son. Go be with her and leave the past alone. We’re at a standstill with this mystery, anyway, at least until we find more clues.”

Thanking him for his time, I headed home, anxious to wrap myself up in my sunshine girl, but stopped at the ice cream shop since I’d promised River a treat for his good work. As I allowed him to ascend to eat his ‘nana’ cone while we sat in the car, I couldn’t stop thinking of what Dr. Myers had said about needing more clues.

I wasn’t eager to do it, but I knew where I had to go to find some. I only hoped I didn’t uncover more truth than I could handle.

#

Peri

The summer sun cast a warm, golden glow over the forest path as River and I set out for a walk. The trees whispered gently in the breeze, and the earthy scent of pine filled the air. I looked down at my baby, his gray fur ruffling in the breeze, and felt a surge of affection for him.

This had become our nightly routine. River and I would walk through the woods before dark, then Ty and Dove would spend time by the firepit after dinner and before bed. Since we were invited to a barbecue this evening, I’d had to move our walk up several hours, not wanting to break the pattern that we all enjoyed.

“Ready to go, River?” I asked, smiling as he bounced eagerly beside me.

Yes! Walkies!

As always, his excitement was infectious, and I laughed, feeling my own spirits lift, which I greatly needed after hearing what Ty had shared with me about his appointment with Dr. Myers.

I, too, had believed Seymour James’ wolf had either faded back to the Goddess or gone off the rails, allowing the man to act the way he did. Now, Ty was confused and hurt as to why his mom would have kept it a secret if Seymour wasn’t his dad, and I was at a loss on how to cheer him up or soothe his pain.

Mate!River yelped, drawing me out of my head.Come, mate! Keep up!

“All right, all right, I’m coming.”

We walked along the path we were making through our woods, River darting ahead to sniff at every interesting scent and explore every nook and cranny. His curiosity was boundless, and it was one of the things I loved most about him. He poked his nose into the tall grass, his tail wagging furiously, indicating he’d discovered something.

Mate! Come see!he called, his voice filled with excitement.

I hurried over, expecting to see some small woodland creature or a particularly fascinating rock. Instead, he proudly held a stick in his mouth, his eyes shining with pride.

Look! Best trick!

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s a great stick, River. What are you going to do with it?”

He dropped the stick at my feet and looked at me.

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