Damon
The entire situation went completely haywire when this mysterious individual emerged from his tent. A sudden silence fell upon us as we laid eyes on him – a perfect replica of Alpha Roman, the ruthless leader of Blood Rose Pack. It sent shivers down our spines, and an odd tension descended upon us like a dense fog.
This guy had this eye patch covering his left eye, the only thing setting him apart from my father. Confusion was written all over our faces, but things got even more confusing when this stranger rushed straight at me. Without hesitation, he wrapped me up in a tight hug, tears pouring down his face like I was some lost treasure he finally found after searching for so many years.
Then, he said those words, slicing through the confusion like a sharp knife. "Finally, I was able to hug you… my son!" he blurted out, his voice trembling with relief and emotion. I nudged him, almost causing him to stumble to the ground. My head was spinning, as if desperately trying to create some distance between me and this utterly bewildering situation.
The others nearby made a move, seemingly wanting to step in and resolve things, defending their leader. However, a single glance from the Alpha Roman look-alike froze them in their tracks. The atmosphere thickened even more, and I started firing off questions inside my head like a wolf gone mad. Who was this guy, and why did he resemble my father so closely? Why did he refer to me as his son? What in the world was happening?
We all got quiet as he took this deep breath, gearing up to spill the beans.
"I am Roman Sanford," he declared, his words carrying the weight of a profound revelation. "The true alpha of the Blood Rose Pack."
Instantly, the disclosure hung in the air, upending everything I had believed about our pack and my family.
"Impossible! Is this some kind of joke?" Ashford exclaimed, his disbelief reverberating throughout the surroundings. His brows furrowed in confusion as he added, "Alpha Roman was leading everyone at Blood Rose. How could someone fake that?"
A sigh escaped the man, the gravity of his story evident in his eyes. "The man was an imposter," the look-alike explained. "He was my twin brother, Romin. He managed to deceive everyone, steal my identity, and take control of the pack."
“Liar! I had never heard about my father having a twin!” I shouted. But the man just smiled bitterly and began to share his version of the truth with all of us.
“That’s because Romin erased me from our pack’s history and made sure no one would talk about his twin brother again.”
And then, Roman solemnly began to disclose his version of the past to us. "We were born as twins," he revealed, "but fate dictated that I would emerge first, securing my destiny as the future Alpha of our pack." Though our physical similarities were striking, a single feature became our defining difference—a scar on Romin's left eye, something he claimed to have gotten while playing outdoors when we were still a child.
"As we matured," Roman continued, "Romin became my trusted warrior leader as I became the alpha after our father died. Then, I found my mate, Carissa.”
“Mom…” I whispered upon hearing the name of the she-wolf that gave life to me in exchange for hers. He heard my faint whisper and smiled bitterly.
“Carissa and I got married and forged a new chapter of our lives together. A few months after we got married, she got pregnant with you, welcoming the next generation of our lineage. However, amidst these moments of newfound joy, the shadow of a looming pack war cast upon us, making me and Romin embark on a journey to secure our pack’s peace and safety. My brother and I fought relentlessly to defend our lands and vassals. Then one night changed everything.”
“Romin sneaked into my tent and deliberately slashed my left eye while I was asleep, robbing me of my left sight completely. To my disbelief, I saw Romin smirking, lifting the eye patch he had been wearing all his life, revealing that the scar he bore all his life was nothing but a premeditated plan to assume my life and identity."
“Then what happened?” Ashford asked.
“You probably already guessed it. My left eye was still bleeding, and his face no longer had the one thing that made him different from me. So, what happened next? Well, I managed to run away when my own men were chasing me for trying to hurt the fake Alpha. I reached the Blood Rose Pack, but a tough new reality was waiting for me. Romin successfully fooled everyone, assuming my role and duping everyone into accepting his false claim. His legitimacy hinged on the absence of the scar associated with him, exploiting the scar he had infiltrated on me. I was cast out by my own people and was forced to live alone.”
I was stunned, and my mind was reeling. I couldn't grasp the depth of deception that had tainted my family. "Why didn't anyone suspect the fake Alpha?" I asked Roman, my voice shaky.
"Some did," he replied, his gaze heavy with regret, "but Romin made sure to silence them, permanently."
"Even my mom?" I questioned, my heart sinking.
Roman nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, Damon. Romin killed her to maintain control and erase any traces of his deception."
“No… Not my mom,” I exclaimed as tears streamed down my face. All my life, my cunning uncle led me to believe that I was the one who caused my mother’s demise, but in reality, it was he who led her to her death. Anger surged through me, and I clenched my fists. The betrayal cut deep, and the truth was more painful than I could have imagined.
“So that’s the reason why he never loved me,” I declared bitterly. Now, I understood the depth of his hatred and the reason why he wanted to sire a new heir. I was never his son and would never be his son. The weight of this truth changed the course of my fate because now, more than ever, I felt the need to avenge what he did to my father, my mother, and me.
With that, I walked to the man who led me to the truth of my identity and hugged him. “Oh, father!” I exclaimed, pouring my heart out in that hug. Dad hugged me back as happiness poured over us. We remained in that position, making up for the lost years that we lost because of Romin. We only pulled away when another group approached us to give their report.
“We found him, boss,” one of his men exclaimed. And behind him came Alexei, whose face mirrored the devastation he felt deep inside.