“Jeanne, Rex,” Ryker greeted with warmth filling his voice.
“M’lord?” Rex asked, “why are you back so soon? Did something happen to Molly’s child?” Child? As in one? I glanced at Ryker, my heart aching because I knew he meant Matty. He never told them about me? Tears burned my eyes, and the vampire lord shushed me while pushing me into Dakota, who hugged me.
“I still can’t believe he resurfaced,” Jeanne added with a soft sigh of relief. “We looked after you brought the news Molly died in that accident, but no one could tell us what happened to him. How do you lose a toddler like that?” So, they searched for Matty. Good, I’ll be happy to tell him that. It will help him open his heart to these people who want to love him. The tears in their eyes and the sorrow emanating from them informed me they loved mom, which helped ease the pain in my soul.
“What. Is. That?” Dakota demanded in a voice full of angry grief. Following his gaze, I stopped breathing. Jeanne and Rex turned to look too, their eyes filling with alarm while their cheeks paled.
“Rex was my lawyer, and he’s damn good, especially for a human. I sent him to negotiate with a neighboring pack for something I desired, which is unimportant. Imagine my surprise upon receiving a phone call that informed me he was a werewolf’s mate. Regardless, I grew fond of him since I took him in as a stray when he was a young boy, so I investigated. As I approached the address he gave me, Rex rushed out to place a tiny bundle in my arms. I’m sure you realize that was Jax. Even though Rex wasn’t his biological father, he adored the pup, and I couldn’t help but love the tiny thing too. So, even though I loathed to do so, I released Rex from the contract binding him as my lawyer. However, he insists that he still helps from time to time.”
“And three years later, my ex stumbled across a human with a toddler in tow,” Jeanne added with a slight smile. “He and our daughter adored the duo and ensured the little girl never felt unloved or unwanted.”
Twins. Jax was a twin. I couldn’t stop staring at the picture of them hugging with identical grins full of trouble. Hell, they were identical period, other than one of them was a girl. So, I was related to Jax by blood, but not Matty. How the hell did I end up with mom? I have the family genes since my looks match theirs, so it’s impossible for anyone to convince me Jax’s twin wasn’t my mother.
“So, what brings you here, Ryker? And why did you drag poor Dakota along? I’m sorry, dear, but Jazzy was an alpha while Jax was an omega. We didn’t want any packs trying to force her to be something she wasn’t, and the pack my ex lived in already had an omega, so they didn’t need Jax. They would have tried to mate him off to the highest bidding alpha if he stayed. Groomed him his entire life for it. Jaz was always miserable because no one would accept her alpha status since she was female. Jax said her misery ultimately led to her death,” Jeanne sighed. “We wanted to tell someone, my sister doesn’t even know, but feared what they might force upon Jaz. She was such a free spirit that anyone telling her what to do would have killed her. So, even though I mourn her every day like I do Jax and Molly, I’m happy she was herself all of her life.”
“You asked where Jax went during the summer when he was a pup, and we told you we thought it only fair his biological father got to see him too. Well, that was only half the truth. He and Jaz spent the entire time together at a house in the middle of nowhere where there weren’t any packs. He, Jaz, and Molly had so much fun together that they looked forward to the summer months all year. Pol told his pack he wanted Jaz to spend time with her mother, so no one bothered us. Jeanne and Pol were set up by their parents, but couldn’t fathom living together all their lives. So, when I ran into Jeanne, well, Pol stepped aside to wish us well. I was happy for him when he met his mate as well. Once the twins were older, they continued to meet for the summer until Molly met her husband. Then they stayed in her apartment whenever they wanted to be together,” Rex explained while I stood there, numb. Does anyone know I exist?
“Jazzy stayed with Molly for almost the entire last year of her life. I’m still uncertain how she died, only that Jax buried her before he told us she passed,” Jeanne added with a heavy sigh. “Poor Molly was beside herself and didn’t want any of us to visit her. Even when she had her baby, she didn’t want any visitors. I fear she was full of guilt, but we didn’t want to upset her more. She still called us and exchanged cards, but visited none of her family. Jax snuck away to visit her all the time, however, so we weren’t too worried.”
Tears filled my eyes once the numbness wore off. So, it was my fault that mom isolated herself from her family. But why? Why did she do that? Why did they hide me? I understood why Jax’s sister was kept
