MARCID

-11-

"So,how many brothers do I have?Clearly there is more of you than Easton and you."He nodded."There is seven of us."My jaw dropped."What?!"

"I'm the oldest.Then Rex,Gio,East,Rea,Romeo and Matteo.Romeo and Matteo are twins though."

Now,it genetically makes more sense that I had twins.Sorin's older siblings were twins.My older siblings are twins.It makes so much more sense!

"Wow.But...how could you be so sure that I am a pure La Luna Vitale?""Because mother was pregnant with you when she was sent away.But she couldn't tell our father."

"That made her hate you,Maria.Even you couldn't keep help her keep her title.I knew my father never wanted a daughter.He still doesn't,probably why our mother gave you up and hated you more."

"Wow,how reliving.I have another set of parents that hate me."My mocking face faded and I rolled my eyes."How fucking fantastic."He sighed.

"I was only 12 when mother was sent away.I'm 33 this year.Andreas is turning 13 in a few days.Maybe you'd come to Italy with me."I could feel the yearning he had for his sister.

I could see that he loved me.

"Enzo...I'm going to be honest with you."I texted Sorin that I was telling Enzo and just Enzo for now.If I trust the rest,I'll tell them too.

"Now that this is out of the way...Enzo,I have two three year olds.In a few months,they'll be four.I don't think I can leave them and come to Italy with you.I also don't want you to tell anyone."

He got nervous.He started rubbing the back of his neck."Oh,you're going to hate me for this."He groaned."Guys?"All seven of them ended up standing in front of me.

Then a text came to Enzo's phone from Andreas.While I was still in shock,Andrea came with another boy and a beautiful blonde.

"E-E-Enzo?Wh-What is going on?"Everybody's eyes on me were deadly except the gorgeous woman."I'm Natalia.Call me Nat or Lia.Doesn't matter.Nice to meet you Maria."

I shook her hand in shock."I got all of our brothers here along with your nephews and sister in law.Easton came over."I swear I didn't know.When mother forbade us from ever mentioning your name..."

I shook my head."No.Don't explain.This entire thing just explains why I never hated you while I hated every guy that ever flirted with me."We both stepped away in disgust.

"Oh my God!I flirted with my baby sister!"Romeo and Matteo,I'm assuming,came over to me and hugged me."Hey."I smiled at how they spoke in unison."Hey,guys."

Rex looked at me with fury."I want a DNA test."I nodded."Sure."I took a strand and gave it to him."Take it."Enzo took my hair out of my hand."No need."

He gave Rex an envelope."You think I wouldn't check.Mother is a liar,I had to!"Rex's face changed."Come over you little white thing."He pulled me by my wrist and hugged me.

With his acceptance and Lorenzo's they all hugged me again.I lastly turned to Andreas."Enzo,he's taller than me!""I'm 5'7!"I rolled my eyes."I hate that I'm wearing flat shoes right now!"

Andreas leaned down."Nice to meet you,zia Maria."I hugged him back."Zia means aunt by the way."I scoffed and backed away."I figured that much.How dumb do you think I am?"

"A lot?""Andreas!She's your aunt!"I smirked."Just so you know,I graduated from high school when I was 15.Started college at 16.Graduated college when I was 18.During this period,I raised two babies and helped my friend raise hers."

I winked at him."I'm more than just a piece of ass,Andreas.Get used to it."

I spent the rest of the day with my brothers,my nephews and Natalia.We mostly walked at the shore line.It was great.

They all came to the manor to drop me off.Natalia and my nephews too.I called Sorin as the car stopped."Sorin?""Hey mommy!"

I heard Asher's voice at the phone."Asher!Baby,what are you doing with daddy's phone?!""Daddy forgot it in our room when he left to check in with uncle Xan!"

I smiled."Asher,baby,do you remember how I told you that I had another brother?And that I found my own mommy too?"Ava snatched the phone."We remember,mommy!"

"Good.Now,turns out I have more brothers and they all want to meet you two!You two have two cousins too!And I'm sure my sister in law would love to meet you too!"

Natalia giggled."I do."I smiled."What do you two say?If you want to meet them,go to your daddy and tell him I'm outside."I heard their running footsteps and Sorin got the phone.

"You're outside?How many brothers do you have?"I sighed."Seven brothers,two nephews and a sister in law?"I could imagine his face.I really can.

"And do you trust them?"I looked around me."I do."He sighed."Let them in.Dinner is ready according to Lux.I was about to call you but twins hid my phone!"

I giggled."Sounds like them.We're coming in."I hung up and turned to the limo full of people."So,the dinner is ready?Come inside.Twins want to meet you,Sorin is fine as long as I trust all of you.Which,weirdly,I already do."

"Then,we shall come inside."Twins got me in between them and the rest walked  all around us.The door opened by Lux."Raven!Bitch,you could've called me!"I rolled my eyes.

"Oh,you're just jealous that you know I hugged them today and I didn't hug you!"She crossed her arms."Oh,you're going to forgive me in a few minutes.Just hug me."

She hugged me and whispered."If I wasn't with Xander,I sure would jump on one of those."She backed away."You whore!Go back inside!""Not my fault!"

We all went inside and twins ran at me.They tackled me on the ground."Hey mommy!!!""Hey!Let's meet your uncles and nephews and my sister in law!"

I picked them both up."Asher and Avalon Einar.But Ash and Ava for short.Twins meet your uncle Lorenzo,Rexford,Giovanni,Easton,Reagan,Romeo and Matteo.Cousins Andread and Gianni."

"Any my sister in law,Natalia,Gianni's mother and Rexford's wife."Twins waved at them all.Lorenzo stepped forward."He looks exactly like you,Einar.And she looks exactly like you,Maria."

We nodded."Yeah,they do."Sorin's voice was cold and distant."Is there something I don't know about?"

"We don't really get along well with Hunters nor Silver Daggers."I nodded."I'm not going to ask why but you all better get used to it.He's the twins' father and you are all my brothers.My other family."

Dinner was full of dangerous tension.We ate in silence.Giovanni jumped into the silence."Why do you even love him?"I looked at Gio."Because he makes me feel.I was numb for too long and he made me feel after almost a decade."

Romeo and Matteo chuckled."Girls are all emotional.How could he make you feel?You sure it's not something else?"I nodded."If any of you noticed,I barely talked today.I asked but I never talked."

I sighed."None of you know anything about my emotional state.Believe me,I've been numb since I saw-"Then I remembered about the twins."Whatever."

Once the dinner was over,I tucked in the twins with Natalia and Lux.Elijah was all tucked in by Xander.Then the guys moved out to the back porch.

≪ Sorin's POV ≫

"She doesn't know,does she?She wouldn't be this calm if she knew."I rolled my eyes."I made a mistake.I loved her like a sister and things happened."

"Would you still love Maria if she was left to your custady instead of Whitlock's?""Raven is not Hayley.Hayley was like a sister to me."

"How well you protected your sister,Einar."Easton's anger towards me was getting worse and worse.We played nice out in public but we will never be friends.We never could be.

I was in middle school.There was a federal operation planned to bust our house.Then Hayley died.I got shot too but I survived.Hayley...

Hayley was the little sister I never knew I wanted.

I acted as if I was in a coma.Like my brain and my heart died,yet I was living.I blamed my father for it.Ever since then...

Ever since then,La Luna Vitale family and Einars family don't mix.Probably why Jolanda left Raven to Whitlocks.