Page 25 of Bone Collector’s Mate

I started to cry, unable to finish my question, and he held me close, telling me he didn’t know. But we’d find someone who did.

We both knew how babies were made, and I understood wolves and what shifter babies were like and how they grew up. But unlike me, Noir didn’t have that information. Until he met me, he didn’t even know bone collectors could have mates.

“Noir, are you alive?”

It felt like a no-brainer. Of course, he was. I could see him. I could feel his breath. I could listen to his heartbeat. But when you were having his baby, it felt important to have a concrete answer, and he gave me one.

“Yes.”

“But you said…”

“I know. I do live somewhere between life and death, but I live there. Live.”

“I hate that that scares me. You don’t scare me, but you’re connected to death, and we’re having a baby. What if they’re connected to death too? Or…or…” I couldn’t even say it. What if they were incompatible with life?

That couldn’t be… Fate wouldn’t be that cruel, but the lack of knowledge was giving my brain free rein to wander into terrifying places.

Thankfully, my wolf didn’t share any of my fears. He just kept rambling on about babies, and mates, and packs, and feeling safe. He would know better than me. Right?

A knock on the door ended the conversation.

“Come in.”

“Papa?” Benji opened the door. He came in straight to me. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“I did.” Please don’t have him ask me what about.

“I have bad dreams sometimes, but you told me they’re not real.”

“That’s right, sweetie. They’re not real. They’re just our sleeping brains figuring out things our awake brains couldn’t.”

And what my awake brain couldn’t figure out was very real.

Benji wanted a glass of water, and Noir got up to get him one.

When he came back, he said, “This is Whisper Grove. If there’s anywhere someone would have the answers, it’s here.”

He was right. We just had to figure out who.