Samara kept Stephen pinned with a stare, and Kellen couldn't miss it.
"Stephen?” he asked. “Have you and Leo lied to me about some?—"
"You're an alpha." Stephen shoved himself back in his chair, as if expecting a physical attack.
Kellen’s mouth gaped for a moment. "What are you talking about? We're all omegas..."
"No, we're not." Stephen looked up at his brother, his blue eyes sad and earnest. "Leo and I figured it out in the first ten minutes we had alone together in that church. If I had told you that I was a beta, you wouldn't have built the pack we have become."
"We're not a pack. We've always?—"
"Let you lead us." Stephen's voice became louder, drowning out Kellen's objections. "You said you wanted us to become brothers, take control of our own lives, explore the world outside of our wolf shifter packs. Leo and I were tired, lonely, and confused about why we were sent to kill each other. You gave us clarity, if not an explanation. You offered us a way out of the life we were living, and we chose to grab hold and go on this journey with you."
"But we've always?—"
"Yes, we have. We've always made decisions together. You have always listened to us if we had ideas or suggestions or random thoughts. That's what a good alpha is supposed to do, a strong alpha."
Kellen shook his head, as if he disbelieved everything Stephen said. He slid closer to Grace. "Tell him he's wrong."
"He's not." Grace took a sip of wine before looking at her son. "I'm an alpha. Your father was an alpha. He is the true alpha of the Riverstone Pack, and he died trying to protect us."
All the blood drained out of Kellen's face. "Why? Why did you let me think I was an omega? I could have?—"
"What? Challenged Josiah? You were only five years old," Grace snapped, but immediately closed her eyes, appearing to get her emotions back in check.
"Not until I was older..."
"He never would have let you grow up if he'd thought you were an alpha."
"But how could he not know? He must have seen you and my father together. He had to know I was your son."
"I think the protection spell made him...not forget but kept the information from triggering his anger and violence. It's the only explanation."
"It certainly didn't work at the campground."
Grace raised her hand to her throat as if feeling the chain around her neck. "I suspect it wasn't that strong of a spell. Not enough to make us invisible to Josiah, just strong enough to keep his head turned away and keep us alive. I can't imagine any sorcerer placing anything so strong into the hands of a woman who'd never cast a spell before."
"And you never saw this sorcerer again?"
Grace shook her head.
"I can't do this right now." Kellen pushed his seat back, looking as if he were going to bolt, just like Leo.
"Wait." Grace reached out for Kellen, forcing him to stop. "If you're going to hate someone, hate me. Stephen and Leo assumed you were an alpha by your behavior, but they didn't know for sure."
Samara pulled one of Kellen's hands into hers. "You can also hate me. I'm the one who forced Stephen to tell you. I thought it was important that you know, but if I made a mistake?—”
Gaze settling on her, he shook his head. "I can't hate you. Any of you. I just don't know what to do with this...knowledge." Kellen left the table, almost running out into the parking lot, heading toward the tree line.
Was he trying to leave her, the way Leo had left? She rose and ran after him. "Kellen, wait!"
He pulled up short just before he reached the promise of shelter under the tree canopy. By the time she'd reached his side, he'd bent over, his fists rubbing his eyes, breath heaving.
"Kellen, look at me." She touched his back, letting him know he was safe with her. He straightened up, rolling his shoulders as if testing some new inner strength he'd found. He stared into the forest instead of at her.
"Please don't do this Kellen. Don't disappear into the forest. I love you. We love each other. We have a future together."
He stood there like a stone, silent and hard.
