New Age Werewolf Series Book 2: Hunter's Daughter, Alpha's Mate

Part 41: Elizabeth's Journal

I was in a daze.

"Kyros?" Leilani's voice sounded far away. "Kyros, talk to me. You okay?"

"Let me get this straight," I whispered. "My mother was once with a wolf named Antonio Fontana, and she was his mate first--"

"And your father stole her from him, killed him," she whispered back, finishing the soft declaration, and shaking her head. "not knowing she was already with child."

"And she had to beg to keep Asa alive?" I shook my head, looking at the diary pages. "She begged to save her son."

"You are Payton Kincaid's first born son, the rightful Alpha," she said, laying a comforting hand on my cheek. "but you are not your mother's first born."

"So, she put him as my protector, my servant, my playmate," I shook my head. "and my father agreed to it because it also kept her in line." I felt my eyes fill with tears. "This is sick."

"What is it?"

"My father and mother always seemed distant from each other," I confided. "they presented a united front to all, but there wasn't much warmth between them." Things suddenly began to make sense. "She always made time for Asa, saying it was because he was an orphan. She always celebrated his birthday in some way.  We had a little party every year for him-just Mom, him and me..." I shook my head. "Goddess, that's why Father didn't want him to be my beta!" I closed my eyes and our arguments replayed n my head. "When Asa fell for his mate, who was human, it was just the perfect excuse to get him out of the way--"

"You have to tell him."

Minutes later, Heather brought Asa to us.

"Uh, why are we in a closet?" Asa asked. "Is there trouble?"

Lani lifted the diary to him, opened to the date of his birth. I wasn't ready to speak. "I found this today. Kyros never opened it. You need to see this."

Asa sat and began to read. When his hands began to shake, I realized he knew what he needed to know.

"I'm so sorry," I ground out. "I am so sorry, brother--"

"Nothing to be sorry for," Asa was angry. "Your father did this, and I won't hold you responsible for that." He took a deep breath. "I'm not an orphan."

"We both are...now," I told him. "As you know, I've decided to bring non-full breeds into the pack. Would you...consider being my third in command, being in charge of them?"

"Wouldn't they report to their own territory leaders?" Asa asked.

"Yes, yes, but I want them to know we are here to safeguard their rights and interests," I told him. "Who better than...my brother?"

"You trusted me with her, you did, that night," he said, eyes glistening. "you knew I would protect her as I did you even before you asked. You are an alpha I will serve, brother or no, but I'm glad we are." He offered his hand. "Your father would have loved if we never banded together. My pleasure to prove him wrong."

"Thank you, Asa," I told him, shaking his hand. "Go tell your mate."

We all rose and Asa turned to go, but then turned back and hugged me, and then Leilani.

"See you tomorrow at the gathering," I told him with a small smile. Leilani picked up the box with the A on it, and handed it to him.

"Wow, okay." He laughed softly, nodding his thanks, and left us alone.

I sat back on the closet floor, looking around the closet. She put my baby box in front of me. "What?"

"Show me."

"What, you've gone through it!" 

"I--" she stammered. "I only saw the blanket on top, really. I was more into your mom's box--"

"Right." I felt so damned vulnerable, I didn't like it. But then I looked at my mate. Here she was, lost both parents, no siblings, and drawn to me, but trying to connect with me in a very...mate-like, human kind of way. She looked sad. She'd always been vulnerable. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Having the courage to find out, to look in here," I said softly. "It was painful when she died, so I just put everything away. She asked me to forgive her after she gave me the box, and I told her I did, but I didn't know what for. Now I know. Now I have a brother, he's always been like family and now I know why." I kissed her forehead, her nose, and finally her lips. "Let's see what Mom kept, here...."