Chapter 239

Eamon’s POV

When I heard what happened at the obstacle course, I rushed to the scene, fear making my heart race. I had no idea what would be waiting for me when I arrived there. If Cara would even be alive.

I was too nervous to answer my phone on the way, afraid that Ryan or Aidan or Colin would tell me that it was too late and there was no sense in coming to see the tragic end.

I knew well the ravine Cara had fallen down into. It was a deep and treacherous drop from the top ledge of the cliff. There shouldn’t have been any way anyone could have survived that.

Yet, when I arrived, fear and trepidation filling every square inch in my chest, Ryan was there, already waiting for me.

“She’s fine,” he said before I could even open my mouth. He must have taken one look at my face and been able to tell how nervous I’d been about everything.

I heard Ryan’s words, and I still didn’t understand. “What do you mean she’s fine? How can she possibly be fine?”

“She shifted as she fell,” Ryan said. “Her wolf blocked the fall and healed her. She said she didn’t even feel any pain. We thought it best for her to go to the hospital though, just in case, and get checked out.”

“Yes,” I said. “Yes, that’s good.”

“Alaric went with her,” he said.

“Good.” I still couldn’t believe it, but Ryan wouldn’t lie to me. He had to be telling the truth.

I let myself breath, my body slumping as relief washed over me. “She’s okay.”

“She’s okay,” Ryan confirmed.

I paused a moment, allowing that feeling to linger for a minute. When I opened my eyes again, it was with anger rising in my heart now.

With Cara safe, now was the time to turn my attention to how this near-tragedy occurred to begin with.

“Did you see what happened?” I asked Ryan.

“I did,” he said. “You won’t be shocked to learn that Lilia accidentally bumped her and sent her flying right off the cliff.”

“Lilia…” Hearing her name made my anger unfurl, as I no longer felt any need to hold it back. “No accident then.”

“I suspect not,” Ryan said. “But she’s a good faker. She has most of the other contestants convinced, from what I can tell.”

“This is enough evidence to bring forward to the commission again,” I said. “I’m heading to speak with them now, before they have time to develop some kind of PR shield.”

“I’ll go with you. I except Aidan and Colin will want to come as well.”

“The more the better,” I told him. “I’m done allowing this competition to terrorize our sister.”

An hour later, the commission had an emergency meeting in the hotel ballroom, to house my brothers and me, and to hear our complaints. I imagined they started preparing for this meeting even before I made the call.

They had to be preparing some kind of PR cleanup for this egregious ‘accident.’ By now, I’d seen the footage. There was no way Lilia hadn’t bumped into Cara on purpose, tripping her with an outstretched foot. Lilia even had to hobble a bit to actually pull it off. It wasn’t a natural maneuver that anyone could make while running or walking.

As we were let into the commission, I lead with way, with Landon flanking my right and Colin on my left. The twins came in last. Aidan was already volatile, fists clenched like he was ready for a fight.

There wouldn’t be a physical fight here, but a verbal one.

The head commissioner was standing as we came in.

“Alpha Eamon, I know you are upset, and that is understandable. But we must approach this with a level head,” he said.

“My head is plenty level,” I told him. “You have to remove Lilia from this contest.”

“We can’t do that. The girl has proclaimed her innocence.”

“We’ve all seen the footage,” Landon said. “You can’t just pretend that isn’t damning, despite what Lilia says.”

“And then there’s the matter of her connection to Melinda and the exiled elders,” Colin added. “That should have been more carefully considered when their actions were brought forward. Alpha Alaric was nearly killed, not to mention Cara. Again.”

“While it is unfortunate that Cara has continued to find herself in these circumstances –” the commissioner started.

“She doesn’t find herself in these circumstances,” Aidan snapped. “You’ve allowed foxes into the henhouse, commissioner. Now you are trying to say the chief fox is innocent.”

“I’m not saying she is innocent,” the commission said. “I’m saying she deserves a benefit of the doubt, as much as any other contestant.”

“But the footage is clear,” Ryan said.

“I’m not unsympathetic to what you’ve almost lost today,” the head commissioner said. “And if your sister had been hurt, perhaps we would have a different discussion. But the fact of the matter is, your sister is fine, Lilia says it was an accident, so I don’t see any reason to push forward with any of these matters.”

“Lilia failed this time, but she might not the next,” I said, my annoyance high. This man seemed determined to keep Lilia in the competition to an unfair amount, as if he had some personal investment in it.

But how could that be? For what advantage could that possibly garner him?

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But we will not punish someone before they’ve actually committed a crime.”

“She’s committed so many crimes!” Aidan said.

All of my brothers seemed ready to fight, but I held up my hand, stopping them. I could see now that there would be no convincing the commissioner, no matter what we said.

There was definitely something else going on here, and I fully intended to find out what.

But I wouldn’t discover anything here.

“Let’s go,” I said to my brothers. That shocked them.

“Go?” Landon asked.

I looked at him, and then at each of them in turn. “Go.”

Cara’s POV

At the hospital, I was sent to a room and looked over by Richard, Ruby, and Grayson in turn. None of them see anything wrong with me.

“It’s incredible,” Grayson said. “Like nothing I’d ever seen before. Not only can we now detect your wolf, but we see she is growing stronger all the time. And to protect you from such a fall.”

I was afraid to hope, nervous after my last not-so-great diagnosis. Yet Greyson seemed more positive this time than he had the last. It was in his very demeanor. He was intrigued, with a spark in his eyes and a hint of a smile on his lips.

“Your wolf, even with her present dim presence, is already healing your earlier condition. It might take some time yet, it won’t be an overnight fix. But at this rate, you should be healed in no time,” he said. “Remarkable. Tell me. Was it the old soulmate bond that brought your wolf back?”

He looked at me like a puzzle he was eager to finish, but he was respectful too. His curiosity felt entirely educational. He wanted to learn so that he could help others.

That was why I told him so easily.

“It was love.”