CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
“Are you okay, love?” Rev asked.
Hallie’s eyes slowly blinked open. It took her a moment to remember what had happened. “Was that real? Did I really turn into a tiger? Or was it just a dream?” she asked.
“It wasn't a dream, love. It really did happen,” Rev said.
“Where is everyone? Where did they go?” Hallie slowly sat up and looked around the room.
“My mom left and took everyone with her. She figured it was best, for now, to give you a little bit of time and space. That way, you have the time you need to come to terms with everything that has happened in the last few hours.” Rev took a seat on the couch next to her and pulled her into his arms.
She loved the feeling of being snuggled up against him. His heat and scent enveloped her. She also loved his earthy, woodsy smell. Though it was much more pronounced now than it had been.
“Care to tell me what the hell happened out there before I passed out?” she asked, not beating around the bush. She needed answers before she went insane.
“You shifted into a tiger, love. That’s exactly what happened.”
“No shit, Sherlock. I meant how? How did none of this ever happen until you bit me? Did you infect me, or contaminate me, or something?”
Rev laughed at her questions.
She did not find the situation funny. She was quite freaked out by all of it.
“I’m serious.”
“I know, and I’m sorry for laughing, love. I did not infect or contaminate you. All I did was tap into the magic you were born with.”
“Then that witch, Muriel, must have done something.”
“Actually, she did, but not what you are thinking. Muriel simply removed a spell that had kept your shifter magic bound so no one would know who or what you really are,” he explained.
“I don’t understand. Any of this,” she sighed, desperately wishing she had the slightest clue as to what the fuck was happening.
“You once told me you were fascinated by big cats, felt connected to them, and that’s why you became a zoologist.”
“Yeah, so?” she asked, not knowing what that had to do with anything.
“I think it was your repressed magic, pushing you into the path that you took, knowing where it would one day lead you.”
“Huh, maybe. So what did your mom mean when she said something about my pattern. What was that conversation about?” Hallie remembered Rev being just as freaked out as she had been.
“Well, it’s an interesting thing. Tiger stripes or patterns are unique. They are passed down between families. Your patterns are quite unique. In fact, patterns like yours have only occurred in one family. Ever.”
“You’re kidding? So who is my family?” she asked, hoping she might finally be able to meet her real parents.
“Richard and Lamira were your mom and dad. They were the last true king and queen of our kind.”
Her heart sank. Bile once again rose in her throat. “Were?” she asked weakly.
“Yes, love. I’m sorry to tell you, but they were killed. The community thought you had died in your mother’s womb. Somehow, you survived. My mom went to find out what she could from the elders. To see if anyone knows how you survived or who put the magic spell on you. She’ll text me as soon as she knows anything. Also, Brad texted me. They raided the jaguar outposts. They are all in custody. So, you don’t have to worry about them ever bothering you again.”
Hallie nodded and laid back. She placed her head in Rev’s lap. His fingers danced over her scalp. The soothing motion helped to calm her already frazzled nerves. A tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another until it turned into a full-blown sob.
“Shh, love. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. I promise,” Rev said, trying to console her.
Hallie knew that, eventually, everything would be okay, but it hurt knowing she had just found her birth parents, only to lose them again. For an instant, she had allowed herself to hope. Allowed herself to be filled with a joy that she would soon lay her eyes on those who had created her.
But that all came crashing down when Rev told her they had been killed before she was even born. That she had somehow managed to survive in her mother's womb. To say it was shocking was the understatement of the year.
In a matter of hours, her life had been irrevocably altered in ways that she could have never even imagined possible. The changes to her life, both physically and mentally, weren't bad things, but there were things she needed to adjust to. That she had to find a way to not only live with but somehow accept.
When she was done crying her eyes out, she found she was completely and totally wiped out. The day had definitely taken a toll on her in more ways than one. Rev must have somehow sensed her mood and asked. “Do you want to go to bed, love?”
“Yeah, I really do.” It was the best damn idea she had heard all freaking day.