I was the Beta’s daughter. That would make me of Brandon’s pack.
According to Keith.
“What else is in that journal?” I demanded. “Keep reading.”
Was it real? No idea. But it would make sense. My wolf was white, but my dad’s was black and my mom’s was russet brown. Plus, I didn’t look anything like my dad.
I couldn’t be sure.
I needed more.
“Say the magic word,”
“Please,” I said impatiently, wanting to rip the book from his hands.
“Actually it was poptarts, but sure,” Keith shrugged and began reading again.
“‘I named her Amelia, for purity. Marvin doesn’t suspect anything, he’s too busy with Albert. I pray to the Moon Goddess he doesn’t find out.’”
Cheating for wolves was almost impossible. Actually, it was impossible.
Keith flipped a page and cleared his throat.
“‘I asked Julia about it. He told me an old story about a young female wolf who had two mates. At the end of the story, she chose her second mate. The moral was ‘if you fall in love with two people at the same time, choose the second one, because if you loved the first, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second’. I had two mates. Did the Moon Goddess hate me that much? How was that even possible? It sounded too crazy to be true.’”
Another pause. I sat down in an empty chair, trying to think this through.
It wasn’t impossible to have two mates. It probably happened once in a hundred years.
Something didn’t feel right.
“‘Griffin paid me a visit and asked- no forced me to hand Amy over. Of course, I refused and told him that she was my daughter. But he was persistent. He kept saying how she belonged to his pack but if I gave her up, everyone would know that Marvin wasn’t the father. And I loved her too much.’”
Mom. . .
“‘The guilt was consuming me. It felt like torture, everyday I kept this from him. Like a bomb ticking inside of me, ready to burst.’”
“Keep reading.” I commanded, needing to know how this tragedy ended.
“That’s it.” He showed me the journal, and the next pages were blank.
“There has to be more.” That couldn’t be the end!
“Amy, she didn’t write anything else.” He said quietly, flipping through the journal again.
A wave of sadness hit me.
“How am I suppose to believe that?” I asked finally, my voice trembling.
Keith shrugged, not saying anything to sway my thoughts.
“Where did you find that?”
“It was on your mom when she died.” He said curtly.
“And how did you get it?”
“Is that really important?” Keith laughed nervously. I frowned, my suspicion growing. Most of the time, people didn’t laugh because they thought something was funny. Rather, people laugh to fill silence or awkwardness.
And sometimes to cover something up.
“Yeah, it is really important.”
He didn’t say anything. But I knew my best friend.
“Tell me or so help me, I will break your neck.” I threatened, wanting answers. Answers would tell me who I was.
Keith gulped.
“Brandon gave it to me.”
“How the hell did he-” I almost forgot that small little detail. He was there the night my parents died, because he was the one who killed them.
But then something else occured to me.
“Wait. . . He knew?”
“He knew?” He echoed.
“He knew that I was from his pack?” My anger grew.
“Seems about right.” He was taking this so lightly!
“When did he find out?”
“I don’t know. Since. . . forever?”
“This is too crazy!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs, utterly lost. I put my head in my hands, running my fingers through my hair and exhaling loudly.
I was actually part of Brandon’s pack and the Beta’s daughter and Keith’s half-sister because my mom cheated on my dad because for some reason she could break the mate bond and Brandon knew all of this time?!
Crazy.
And we were in the middle of a war right now.
“Did you know?”
“No. I found out a week ago.”
“And you’re sure that’s my mom’s?” I squinted at the journal. It looked like an ordinary journal to me.
“Smell it.” Keith held it out to me and I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not a dog.”
“Oh, uh, sorry, I-I just thought-” He stammered nervously and I couldn’t help but grin. Keith was always careful not to offend me, probably thinking that if he did, I would phase. And he was right.
“I’m a werewolf.” I said proudly, standing up to take it. I inhaled and there it was, my mom’s scent. Honey, lavender and sage. It was the strongest scent, overpowering any other one that might be there.
“Yeah, that’s my mom’s.” I nodded.
I crossed my arms, trying to warm myself. I had gone cold with shock.
“What was he like? My real dad?” I asked curiously.
“He was very loyal, he was very protective of us. Especially me, since I can’t phase. He would break the nose of any wolf that insulted me.” Keith smiled at a memory. I wished I could’ve met him.
“How did he die?” His smile faded.
“Hunters.” My eyes clouded over. Keith then added, “It was a long time ago. Like, after I was born.” Eighteen years ago.
A new thought crossed my mind. “Have you ever heard of two wolves breaking the mate bond?”
“Actually no. . . my mom died the same night as my dad.”
“Oh.”
“It’s the way things go. Mates die together.”
Then I started laughing. I laughed so hard that my stomach was starting to cramp up, tears in my eyes.
Keith looked at me like I was crazy.
“All this time, you were my brother.” I wiped my eyes, feeling weird. We were compatible but I never thought we could be related.
“Half-brother.” He corrected.
“I just can’t believe I didn’t figure it out before.” I sighed. What a small world.
Suddenly, the door shot open, causing me to jump. Keith barely moved from his spot near the window.
It was Jason, and rage blazed in his amber eyes. His face was cut and bloody, his shirt torn to reveal golden skin.
He comes and stalks over to the window, making sure the curtains covered the window. He didn’t want me to see what was going on outside.
“What’s happening?” I asked and the look he gave me made me go silent. A very cold glare that chilled me to the very bone.
“Just stay here.”
“Why can’t I go out-”
“Your Alpha’s orders.”
“Don’t pull the Alpha crap on me-” I wasn’t some helpless girl. Why did everyone always see me as helpless?
“Your Alpha’s orders.” Jason repeated. Did I mention that I honestly loathed him?
I made my move when he started to turn around from messing with the curtains.
I lunged at Jason, trying to pin him to the floor and hopefully make my escape.
It was a dumb mistake.
Come on, Amy, what were you thinking going against this guy? My wolf snorted.
He lifted me off of him like I was a rag doll. Jason kicked me in the stomach and threw me across the room. I see he was in the war mood. Well, two can play at that game.
I stood up but he was already there. He grabbed me by the hair and I swung at his head. I missed.
Jason discarded me onto the ground and loomed infront of me.
“Brandon told me to do whatever I needed to do to make sure you stay here.” Jason smiled without humor.
Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.
Something hit the back of his head and Jason collapsed onto the ground, head first. I hoped he felt that in the morning.
In Keith’s hand was a broken lamp.
“You owe me.”
“I just need to go to Brandon.” He was the only one I needed to talk to.
I quickly shut the door, going to look for answers in the middle of a damn war that was now turning into a siege.