The Chef's Sick Mate (Book 17 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 25

Gen stared back at her sister. How long had she been a werewolf? And this guy with her was one too? What the heck was going on? Had their father made her a werewolf too? And what about Ana's boyfriend? Gen frowned, realizing how absolutely confused she was. 'Are you sure?'

'Positive. You smell that woodsy smell?' Jules asked her. 

'Yes?' It smelled like she was out in the woods, her favorite place to be anymore. 

'That's the smell of a werewolf,' Jules told her. 'If you ever smell that scent, then you know a werewolf is nearby.'

Gen sucked in a small breath, her mind reeling from all of this. She could plainly smell that scent on both her sister and her boyfriend. 'So, they know I am one now too?' Gen asked. She couldn't believe her sister was a werewolf. How long had she been one? How had she become one? And why hadn't she said anything the last time Gen had seen her. 'Wait. Was she one the last time we saw her?'

'No. She wasn't,' Jules responded. 'I would have told you, Gen. She most definitely was not. This is the first time I've smelled other wolves.'

'But you're sure?'

'Yes, it's just something I know,' Jules confirmed. 'I'm not sure how I know it, but I do.'

Now she felt even more confused. About both Jules and her sister. She wasn't even thinking about her boyfriend. Did people just randomly become werewolves? 

'No,' Jules said. 'You have to be born a wolf.'

'Then how? How did my sister and I become werewolves?' Gen asked her.

'I don't know. This is a complete mystery to me, Gen,' Jules admitted. 

"Ana! It's so good to see you! And who's this?" Her mother walked into the room and gave Ana a big hug before her gaze flicked to the man with her.

"Good to see you too, Mom. This is Aidan," she said with a warm smile, turning to the man with her. 

Gen's gaze darted back up to him. 'Jules, do you think that's my sister's mate?'

'I'm not sure, but probably. Without looking out, I can't tell. Depends on if Ana is wearing his mark,' Jules said. 

Gen frowned as she eyed her sister. She couldn't tell either. Her gaze darted over to Aidan, but she didn't dare stare at him for any length of time. 

They all settled down in the living room and Ana became serious. "As you both know, I have been investigating what happened to Dad." She stopped and Gen bit her lip. She knew what was coming. "I'm sorry to say that he's passed away."

Melissa drew in a sharp breath as Gen's heart clenched. She'd had a feeling that was what had happened to her father, but it still hurt to hear it confirmed. She breathed out slowly as sadness swept through her. She wanted to ask a million questions, but she'd wait and let her mother speak first. Melissa was the one who had been in love with Coleman, even though they'd split apart. There was no doubt in Gen's mind that her mother wasn't still in love with her father. 

"You're sure?" Melissa whispered. 

Ana nodded, and Gen watched Aidan take her hand, concern in his eyes for her. Her gaze landed on the mark on his neck, and she bit her lip. Her sister had found her mate. 

"Dad was involved in some bad things, Mom. Terrible things that he would have gone to prison for. It resulted in him getting killed for it," Ana said quietly, her gaze darting back and forth between her mother and Gen. 

Gen felt slightly sick at her words. Her gaze darted to her mother and saw the sadness in Melissa's eyes. She watched a tear fall, and Melissa reached up and brushed it away. 

"He just couldn't help himself," Melissa muttered. "I'm not surprised. This was the reason why I couldn't stay with him. I didn't want something happening while he was living with us. I had to protect you two." She rubbed at her face and turned to Ana. "What about his body?"

"It was burned. I can't go into details, Mom. I'm not at liberty to. It's so complicated," Ana said softly.

That didn't surprise Gen either, even though she had questions. Tons and tons of questions, though she couldn't ask most of them in front of her mother. Or could she?

'I would talk to your sister alone first before you do that,' Jules cautioned. 

'I won't do it in front of my mom. Especially right now,' Gen replied. 'But can I ask her in front of her boyfriend?'

'Yes, that shouldn't be a problem,' Jules responded. 

"So we can't even bury him?" Melissa asked.

Ana shook her head. "No, that's not possible, Mom. I'm so sorry."

Gen's gaze darted over to her mother and then back to her sister curiously. She saw the tears in her mother's eyes. Melissa looked to be on the verge of losing it. Her heart ached for her mother and her father as well. She brushed a tear away from her own cheek and watched her mother stand.

"I apologize Ana. I need some time alone," she said softly.

Ana stood as well and hugged her mother. "I completely understand, Mom. I'm not leaving for a while yet. Aidan and I are going to get a hotel room close by and we'll be back in the morning too, if that's okay."

"Yes, I'd like that." Melissa disappeared from the room, leaving Gen alone with her sister and her boyfriend, or mate, or whatever he was. 

Gen brushed at her own tears as she sat there, staring at the floor, while Ana didn't say anything. She was glad her sister wasn't pushing her into talking right now, but instead gave her some time. This was way too much to take in. Way too much. She'd wanted to ask her father questions as well and she'd been excited to tell him she felt better. That would never happen now. 

She finally had her emotions under control, and her gaze darted up to her sister. Aidan had his arm around her, and she was leaning into him, taking the offered comfort. 

"Ana, we need to talk. I need to ask questions," she said quietly, hoping her sister realized what she meant. She didn't care if she did or not, she needed to talk to her. She was so lost about this werewolf thing. If it wasn't for Jules, she wasn't sure what in the world she would have done. 

Ana lifted her gaze to her then looked at Aidan for a long moment. She suddenly nodded. "Let's go outside. Mom doesn't need to hear this. Yet."

Gen stood up and grabbed her jacket, then followed her sister and her boyfriend out the back door. She closed the door firmly behind her, then turned back to look at her sister. 

Ana looked the same and if it wasn't for Jules telling her that her sister was now a werewolf, she'd never know. Ana was standing close to Aidan, and warily studying her sister.

"How did this happen?" Gen asked her, hoping Ana would know what she meant. Her gaze darted back to Aidan. He looked much calmer than Ana did, like this was an everyday thing. Maybe for him it was, and he needed to be the one she questioned. Thought she hated to admit she was a little bit intimidated by him. 

'We should be,' Jules told her, which did nothing to calm Gen down. 

"When did Dad give you the blood?" Ana asked her. 

Blood? What blood? Coleman had never given her blood. Gen frowned. "What?"

Ana glanced at Aidan, looking a bit confused. 

He turned to look at her. "Did your father give you a drink? Something that was out of the norm? Probably about four months ago?" 

Her lips parted and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell them no, but that wouldn't help. She'd been right. Aidan seemed to be the one in the know. Maybe he had been born a werewolf. "The last time I saw him he brought a drink with him. He didn't say much about it, just asked me to drink it. It wasn't very good, but he didn't say what was in it. He gave me blood?"