The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper novel Chapter 236

Chapter 0236 

I thought my heart was going to fall out of my chest when Angel suggested leaving to protect the packs. No fucking way is my girl leaving me. I was thankful that Clint agreed with me and helped her see that what she wanted to do was not helpful in the long run. 

When she promised not to leave, I felt better. I won’t be completely better until this is done, but for now, my Angel is safe and we have a good plan. 

As we sit down, I address Rik and Cara. “I have something else we need to discuss. Eli Gunnar.” 

“What about him?” Rik asks and begins eating. 

“It turns out that he didn’t kill my mother.” Everyone at the table stops and looks at me. I feel Angel take my hand under the table. 

“You believe him?” Rik asks. 

“I believe Angel and Alessia, and they say he’s not lying.” Everyone’s focus turns to Angel and I can feel her discomfort through the bond at being the center of attention. 

“They can smell deceit.” I clarify. 

“It’s actually more like a taste.” She says quietly. 

‘Make sure you tell Ailduin about that. It’s not one of the gifts that he told us about.” Clint says. 

“So, if he didn’t kill your mother, who did?” Anders asks.. 

I proceed to tell them the entire story going back to when Eli’s brother was killed, through the time that my mother helped him, to her death. 

Anders and Clint look at each other. 

“What?” I say, moving my head back and forth between them. 

“We never believed the story either. Honestly, until Eli kidnapped Cara, I thought he was completely innocent of everything. Had I known he was so close by, back then, I would have offered him sanctuary here. He was just a child.” Anders says. 

“He was twelve.” My kindhearted mate clarifies. 

Anders nods at that. 

“So, what is it that you want to do with him?” Rik asks me. 

O HIS BONGOS 

I look at both him and Cara. “I’ve been punishing him for over six months. Some of that was for what he did to Cara, but mostly it was for my mother.” I turn and look at Angel. She gives me a gentle smile and squeezes my hand. “I want to let him go.” 

Rik looks back and forth between me and Angel. “Just like that?” 

“Yes. My reasons for punishing him are done, but that’s why I wanted to have the conversation with you two as well.” 

“Where is he now?” Cara asks. 

“He’s still in my cells.” 

“Bring him up. Let me talk to him.” She says. 

“No!” Rik’s response is instantaneous and not unexpected. It would be mine too if I were him. 

Cara turns to look at him and something passes between them. I watch as Rik clenches his teeth and Cara leans over to gently run her fingers over the ticking muscle in his jaw. “What he did was wrong, but his heart was in the right place. Let’s hear him out. He can’t mark me now. I’m safe from him.”