A few feet away from Hank, Eric shifted into his human form. Ivy found some happiness in the fact that he was bleeding in far more places than Hank. Maybe he’d get an infection and die.

Sebastian crouched down to speak to Charlie. “Why did you come into the circle, son?”

Uncertainty bent Charlie’s mouth. Ivy understood that look. He knew he’d done something wrong, he just didn’t know what. He looked at his hands when he spoke. “Aunt Birdie told me they were fighting.”

“So you came to see them?”

Charlie nodded.

Sebastian leaned down farther, trying to make eye contact. “Who did you come to see?”

Charlie pointed behind him at Hank and Eric. “I wanted to see my dad.”

In any other moment, Charlie calling Hank dad would have melted her into a puddle of mush. But in this moment, the word cut through her like a blade. Charlie had just sealed their fates.

Sebastian stood, and Ivy braced herself for the inevitable announcement that would disqualify Hank and rip her son from her life forever. The vampire stared at the two men, then pointed at Eric. “Is this your son?”

Eric glanced around as if realizing what was being asked of him. He hesitated, then shook his head, his smirk horrifyingly victorious. “No.”

Sam swore softly.

Ivy’s heart hurt to hear Eric’s denial, but it was exactly what she had expected.

Sebastian pointed at Hank. “Is this your son?”

Ivy held her breath. There was no way to answer the question without Charlie getting hurt. She grabbed hold of the women on either side of her and prayed for a miracle.

Hank looked at Charlie. A muscle in his jaw twitched, and his gaze went oddly liquid. He smiled at the little boy. “Yes, he is.”

Then he opened his arms. Charlie ran to him, and Hank wrapped him in a hug.

Pain tore through Ivy, erasing the joy at seeing them together like that. For a moment, she felt lightheaded, then the dizziness passed, and she focused on her two men. She wanted to run to them, to hold on to both of them, to fight to the death to keep Charlie at her side.

As if sensing that, Bridget and Delaney took her hands and held her in place.

“Not yet,” Bridget whispered.

Sebastian raised his hand. “I rule that the boy has crossed the line and is on the side of Hank Merrow.”

“That means I win,” Eric announced. He looked so pleased with himself that Ivy shifted into half-form long enough to snarl at him.

He jerked around to look at her, the smile vanishing off his stupid face to be replaced by a look of uncertainty. And maybe a little fear.

Good. He should be afraid. Because if he tried to take Charlie, the only way he was leaving Nocturne Falls was in a body bag.

Sebastian’s gaze landed on Ivy briefly, his eyes full of warning. “By the rules of the challenge, Hank Merrow is disqualified.”

Birdie started to cry.

“However,” Sebastian continued. “Eric Prescott’s challenge was predicated on Charlie Kincaid being his son. Prescott’s words to the contrary invalidated that challenge. Furthermore, as adjudicator, it is within my right to make a judgment concerning the challenge so long as the second adjudicator agrees with me. And I say that there is no rule that can force me to grant custody of this child to the man who is unwilling to claim him as his own.”

He looked at his brother. “Do you concur?”

Hugh nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Good job, honey,” Delaney called out.

Sebastian crossed his hands through the air. “This challenge is over. Hank Merrow is the winner. Charlie belongs with him.”

Eric stared, mouth open, body rigid with shock.

Ivy started laughing uncontrollably as chaos erupted around her.

Bridget was jumping up and down. Birdie fainted.

Sam whooped and headed toward Eric. He pointed at Prescott. “You are so done.”

Ivy laughed harder, happy that her brother would be the one to deal with her ex.

Hank threw Charlie into the air with a loud, happy howl. Delaney was running toward her husband. That was a great idea. Ivy took off toward Hank and Charlie, reaching them a few seconds later.

Hank put Charlie on his shoulders and pulled Ivy into his arms. “We did it.”

She was too happy to speak. She clung to him, one arm around him, her other hand on Charlie’s back.

From the edge of her peripheral vision, a burst of movement caught her attention. Sam yelled, “Ivy,” at the same time as she moved to get a better look.

Sam was on the ground, his hand on his belly where red bloomed from a long gash. Eric flew toward them, a snarl on his lips and the flash of metal in his hand. Silver. It registered as a blade a second too late. He sank the knife into Hank’s side and whipped it out again just as fast. Then he grabbed Charlie’s arm and yanked him away from Hank.

The impact staggered Hank, but it was the silver that dropped him to his knees. Blood welled from the wound.

Charlie screamed, “Mommy.”

Ivy froze as panic, fear and anger incapacitated her. Her brother and her husband were bleeding and poisoned, but her son was in the hands of a maniac.

Eric held on to Charlie, brandishing the bloody weapon in front of him. “If you think I’m going to accept the ruling of the two vampires you happen to be buddy-buddy with, you’re dead wrong. I won the challenge. Charlie’s coming with me.”

Charlie was in danger. There was no more thought needed. Ivy leaped, shifting into her wolf mid-air, and attacked Eric with her motherly instincts driving her.