Silence fell.
“There are people here who were here back then. I’ll find out.” Erik got his phone out and quickly typed something.
Dean drank his beer. Silas was completely engrossed by whatever Luca was showing him on the computer. He and Luca clearly liked each other already and were getting on well. It made Dean happy to think that Silas had found a friend, if not a relative.
Erik’s phone softly pinged. He took it out of his pocket, glanced at it, and quickly turned the screen to face Dean.
Dean read the text messages displayed. Erik’s simply said. ‘What was Luca’s mother’s name?’ The reply was just one word.
‘Delilah.’
Dean swiftly drained the rest of his beer. He held Erik’s gaze.
“Do we tell them?” Dean asked, feeling a little faint.
“Tell us what?” asked Silas, looking up from the computer screen and pinning Dean with one of his death stares.
Dean swallowed. He looked at Erik but the alpha just shrugged, abandoning him. Dean took a deep breath.
“You are brothers,” he said calmly.
Silas and Luca just stared at him.
“Your mother was called Delilah,” clarified Dean.
Luca’s green eyes flicked to Erik. Erik nodded.
Slowly, Luca turned to Silas, his green eyes huge. “Silas Northstar is my frigging brother?” he squealed in clear delight.
Silas grinned, a happiness in his eyes that Dean had never seen before. It nearly moved Dean to tears. Suddenly Luca was flinging himself at Silas and the brothers were hugging. There was laughter and tears and Dean had to discreetly wipe his eyes. He swore he saw Erik do the same, so it was all good.
Dean wondered about Delilah and her heritage. Who was she? What was her bloodline? She had born two kick-ass sons. It was an intriguing puzzle.
Conversation flowed then, as the brothers caught up on whole lifetimes spent apart and identified things they had in common, which appeared to be many. From magic skills to favorite foods. Dean lost track of time, but after a while the conversation slowed.
Silas suddenly gave Luca an intense look. “I guess this means I can tell you why I’m really here.”
Luca gave him a surprised look, but merely nodded keenly.
“I need your help in finding… your nephew,” said Silas solemnly.
Chapter fifteen
Silaswasgladhehad let Dean drive the van, it meant he could let his mind wander and there was a lot of wandering to do. In the space of a few weeks, he had discovered he had a son and a brother. An instant blood family.
Not that long ago, he had been all alone in the world. A lone wolf. Hunted, hated, feared. No pack, no friends, and certainly no family. He had been convinced his life would always be like that. That his destiny was to be lonely forever. Now he had a mate, was Alpha-mate of a large pack, Grand Master of the Council and now he had a son as well as a brother. It was like some crazy fever dream come to life.
He thought back to the day Silvanus had ordered him to give Thom a sample. It had been embarrassing as hell. Thom had been so nice about it, explaining that it was perfectly normal and that all alphas wanted to check the omega they were buying was healthy and had all the right hormones to get slick and be enthusiastic during sex. Silas had been so young and it had all seemed so plausible he had never questioned it. Never would have questioned it if Aaron hadn’t come forward.
Young Silas had simply trotted up to his bedroom and done as he was told. He had trusted Thom, for fuck’s sake. The healer had always been kind to him when tending his injuries anytime Silvanus had been too vigorous in beating him. The betrayal really stung. He was glad Dean had dealt with exiling Thom. For the first time in his life, Silas had felt more hurt than filled with a desire to eviscerate. Dean was definitely making him soft. Not that anyone would ever know.
At least people still hated and feared him. That was comforting. He hadn’t had to lay his supervillain dreams entirely to rest.
Silas turned his thoughts to the mission on hand. Luca had proved to be incredibly useful. His father had not only been a coven master but a crime boss, and while Luca had been winding down that side of his inherited operations, he still had a hell of a lot of useful contacts.
One of which had given the address they were headed to. A cabin in the ass end of nowhere where apparently the guy that had run the foster home now lived. The foster home Cora had given Ash to had turned out to be dodgy as hell. Missing pups, mysterious accidents. The whole place had burned down a couple of years ago, with all its records. Hopefully, the slime ball they were about to visit would have some answers.
Absolutely no one seemed to know where Silvanus had gone to collect Ash for the attempted magic transference. For all intents and purposes, the alpha had just appeared at the pack house with the pup and then disappeared with him again, as if he had never existed.
