I was telling Nonna about my mother when Richard walked through the door. He crossed the room in three strides and kissed Nonna on the chin. An apology kiss, I realized.
"John Hudson," Alpha Adrian Blackwood called out, his voice carrying the weight of his authority. John moved closer to congratulate the Alpha and his Luna on the successful pack gathering.
He pressed a light kiss to my temple, then Nonna's, before greeting the other wolves in the room. The formal dinner that followed was incredible. Alpha Blackwood's estate was everything Nonna had described and more.
On the drive home, I could not stop talking. "I finally met him. He was exactly how you described him, Nonna. So approachable for someone of his rank."
"I told you he was different," Nonna said with a smile.
I reached over and touched Jack's hand. He glanced at me, his amber eyes softening. "Alpha Blackwood asked if we had met before. I feel the same way, but I cannot remember where."
"You went viral after saving my life," Jack said, keeping his tone casual. "He probably saw your photos online and felt like he knew you."
But something bothered him. I could feel it through our bond, faint as it still was. Who was my father? When Alpha Blackwood's Luna asked about my mother, I saw something shift in his expression. Something I could not name.
And now that I thought about it, Alpha Blackwood and I shared similar features. The same nose, the same jaw line. Even with his beard, I could see it. Could he really be my father?
Back at the Blackwood estate, Adrian paced his bedroom. He had held himself together during dinner, presenting the strong Alpha his pack expected. But alone with his Luna Jane and his brother Derick, the mask crumbled.
He had to find his daughter. Wherever she was, whatever it took. He left the bedroom and walked to the guest room where Derick stayed. He knocked once before entering.
"Starting tomorrow, I will help you search for her," Derick said before Adrian could speak. "We will find your daughter."
Adrian nodded, his throat tight. "Will she forgive me, Derick? Twenty years. I have not seen my daughter in twenty years. How can I live with that?"
He had not known. That was the worst part. Susan never told him. From the moment they were together that one time, she had hidden everything. When Derick finally revealed the truth, it shattered him.
"Why would Susan keep this from me?" Adrian's voice cracked. "Did she hate me that much? Or was it because I was already mated to Jane?"
"It is not your fault," Derick said firmly. "You did not know about her. Your daughter cannot blame you for something you did not know."
"But I am to blame." Adrian sat heavily on the sofa, his head in his hands. "I am the Alpha who did not even know his own child existed. What kind of father does that make me?"
"Stop." Derick's command held Alpha authority of its own. "When we find her, we will explain everything. I hope she will forgive you."
He paused, then continued more carefully. "The only problem I see is if she learns you left her mother for her best friend. That you broke Susan's heart to be with Jane. I cannot promise she will accept Jane and Richard easily."
Adrian swallowed hard. "Susan and I were never truly together. She loved me, but I did not love her that way. We were friends, nothing more."
"Then I met Jane," he continued, his voice softening. "That was when I understood what love really felt like. What I felt for Susan was friendship. What I felt for Jane was everything."
"I told Susan the truth. I did not lie to her. When I confessed my love for Jane, she had already fallen for me too. I tried to be honest about my feelings."
"But I made one terrible mistake." Adrian's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I slept with Susan after I was already mated to Jane. We already had Richard. But Susan asked me, and I said yes."
The room fell silent. Derick had known Susan's love for Adrian bordered on obsession, but hearing this confirmed it.
"She did not force me," Adrian said. "She asked, and I could have said no. I should have walked away. But I gave in. I let her have that one night. I should not have, but I did."
The silence stretched between them. Adrian wiped his eyes, his shoulders shaking.
"Can you take me to her grave tomorrow?" Derick asked quietly. "I need to ask her forgiveness. I am going to break my promise to her by bringing her daughter to you."
"I do not know where she is buried." The admission brought fresh shame. "I never visited her grave."
Derick stared at him. "But you were in the Northern Territory when she died. You and Jane never paid your respects?"
"We were there," Adrian confirmed. "But Jane and I did not attend Susan's funeral."
Derick could not hide his shock. They had not even given her that final goodbye?
"You did not," he repeated, disbelief clear in his voice.
Adrian stood and returned to his bedroom. Jane slept peacefully, unaware of his turmoil. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers over himself, staring at the ceiling.
I woke the next morning still buzzing with excitement from the dinner. The bed beside me was empty, as always. Jack never stayed. Every night he left for his study, and every morning I woke alone. He would not even hold me through the night.
I showered and dressed, trying not to let it bother me. When I came out, Jack was already in his suit, looking perfect as always.
"Good morning, my love," he said, crossing the room to kiss me. My skin tingled where his lips touched mine.
"Good morning, darling," I replied.
I was still getting dressed when he spoke again. "I am leaving early today. I have meetings with the European pack leaders."
I nodded and kissed his jaw. His scent wrapped around me, making my wolf stir. Jack had this effect on me, this magnetic pull that left me wanting more. But he always pulled back. He would kiss me and walk away, showing no interest in taking things further.
His brother John was completely different. Two brothers, two opposite approaches to desire. It frustrated me more than I cared to admit.
At the Blackwood estate, Richard came downstairs for breakfast. His father was not there. His mother sat at the table, her food untouched, her expression distant.
"Mother, are you alright?" Richard asked.
"Nothing is alright, Richard," Jane said, her voice hollow. "Nothing in this house is fine except you."