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Spike didn’t take his eyes from Jordan Myka saw the pulse in Spike’s neck, the hard beats pressing under the Collar

Sharon waited, her fingers playing with the clasp on her cigarette case Myka waited too, for Spike to deny it, to tell Jillian to prove it, to bail the hell out of there Men didn’t like suddenly to be told that they were fathers, didn’t want to be held accountable for whatever grew froher Jordan’s paws and hung down fro around Spike’s wrist

"My cub," Spike said "My cub" His voice rose to a deep roar that shook theacross the room "My cub"

"Yes," Jillian whispered, then her eyes drifted closed, and she slid back into her ain She slipped away around two in the o, because he’d been sent to the waiting room with Jordan while Myka and Sharon stayed with Jillian Spike was alone with Jordan now, the other people who’d been waiting having gone home or to sleep elsewhere in the hospital

Jordan slept in Spike’s lap on top of Spike’s wadded-up sweat jacket, the boy back in huain

Holy Mother Goddess, he had a cub

Made total sense for Spike to take the kid back to Shiftertown Jillian’s mom would never be able to hide the fact that Jordan was Shifter, and she wouldn’t kno to raise a Shifter cub anyway And if so a Shifter, humans would step in and take him the Goddess knehere

No He’s mine!

Wherever this protectiveness had come from, Spike didn’t care Jillian had been smart to send for him Spike could take Jordan home, watch over him, raise him, and keep him from harm Sean Morrissey, the second-in-command of Shiftertown and its Guardian, had access to a database he called the Guardian Network, and could futz birth certificates and paperwork and it Sean was talented with that stuff If huone, they’d see hiistered Shifter with Spike as his father Jillian, with her interest in Shifters, had probably known that could be done

He had a cub

In spite of the tragedy--Jillian had been a sweet little thing, and far too young to pass--Spike’sto spread into a smile

That is, until Myka walked in, a scowl on her face

"She’s gone," Myka said curtly

Spike touched his chest, which had constricted with pain, then lifted his fingers to the sky "The Goddess go with her"