Chapter 24

Gemma was shocked and slumped against Marx.

Otto replied, “Can you prove that she is your daughter? After all, Hana was married to Brace Rocks, not you.”

“Hana has been my lover for many years, Brace was sterile and a shitty lover, so she turned to me. Gemma and Grace are my children, as is Max. I claim my children since their mother is dead.”

“No, you can’t do that,” Marx cried.

“Yes, I can. Get your pet mage to touch the kids and me, and she will tell you that I’m their father,” Stone proclaimed triumphantly.

Otto shook his head, “You may well be their biological father, but our laws are set that whoever is married to the woman can claim the children as his, and so they are. Brace gave the girls his name on the birth record, and Marx gave Max his. By our law, they are the fathers of the children.”

“No, no, no, they are mine and Hana’s, and I want them back. They are mine,” screamed Stone.

“Look, Elder Stone, that’s not how the law works. The best I can do is offer Gemma the chance to select who she wishes to go to. Because she is over fourteen, she can select a husband. If you claim parenthood, she can agree to select you as her guardian or even one of her other relatives.”

“She is my child and should be given to me,” Stone ground out.

Otto turned to the sobbing Gemma, “Gemma, what do you wish to do?”

“Marry Marx. Mother had already agreed that I could. She told lots of people that I was going to be his second wife. We were going to wait until I turned sixteen, but because I became an orphan, as both of my parents are now dead, then I can marry him now.”

“Marx, do you wish to honour the agreement you made with Gemma and her mother?” Otto asked.

“Yes, I love Gemma,” Marx said as he hugged the distraught young woman.

“Then it is agreed. Do you wish to exchange further vows?”

“No, no, no. I don’t want her marrying the bastard Shifter’s son, no, no, no,” screamed Stone.

A knife appeared in his hands, and he ran at Marx screaming. Marx couldn’t duck or move out of the way because he was holding Gemma.

‘Zap.’

The ionised air made the hair of many stand on end. They all saw Elder stone Arch up on his toes. The knife dropped from his hand as he slumped to the ground.

Jax walked over to him and prodded him with her stave. None of them had even seen her produce it. She knelt down and rolled the man onto his back, and put her hand on his chest.

She looked up at Marx and Gemma, “Sorry, but his heart gave out. It was only supposed to stun him, not kill him.”

Jax turned to look at the well-dressed older woman who came over to stand over the body. Dora looked down, and then to the shock of those around her, she spat on the dead man.

“Cheating bastard deserved it. He corrupted that young woman before Brace got to marry her. That boy did love her too. I thought she was safe once she married Max after this shit got rid of Brace.”

“He was too chicken shit to go near Hana with Max and Jax protecting her. I’m sure he sent Sir Varis’s men after Jax and Max. He was a bad man,” she finished and turned and walked away.

Jax stood and walked over to Gemma. She touched her arm and said, “Gemma, he wasn’t your father. He was Grace’s and little Max’s biological parent but not yours.”

“Does that mean I have to give Grace up,” Marx asked.

Otto shook his head, “No, she is under fourteen and had been entrusted to your care. Once she turns fourteen, you can offer her up for marriage or keep her until she does.”

“Good, she stays with us until she wishes otherwise. Do you agree, love?”

“Definitely, I would have it any other way,” Gemma smiled at Marx.

“Then it’s settled. We stay together as a family,” Marx replied and then kissed his bride.

That got him lots of cheers.

Jax cremated Stone and put him in an urn.

She took it to Dora the next morning. Dora proceeded to empty it into a trash can and dropped the urn in after it before dusting her hands.

“I’m finally free of that man. I’m grateful that I’m over forty as they won’t try and force me to marry again. As his widow, I get to keep the house until I die, so that is something.”

“What about money coming in?” Jax asked.

Dora smiled, “Not a problem. Sally has offered me a full-time job instead of part-time like I was working before. I’m good with doing the books and taking orders, so I’m very happy.”