Chapter Six
Dom’s hand shook as he pushed it through his hair. This conversation wasn’t going to go the way he wanted it to. He could just tell. Keeland was going to freak out and split. Dom would never see him again. He could feel it in his gut.
The creature that lived inside of him was snarling, wanting nothing more than to sink his teeth into Keeland and claim the man for all eternity. He didn’t understand the very human need to ask permission first.
Dom figured maybe he could start at the beginning and then Keeland would understand why this was so hard for him. Maybe he wouldn’t freak.
It was a hope, anyway.
“A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was adopted.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Dom’s smile was rueful. “My adopted father left long before I was old enough to remember him, and my adopted mother was a drunk. Knowing they weren’t my real family was no big loss.”
“What about your biological parents?”
“They were killed not long after I was born, murdered.”
“I’m—” Keeland plopped down on the couch and drew in a heavy-sounding breath before resting his elbows on his knees. “Man, I’m sorry, Dom. It had to be horrible to find out you had other parents out there, only to learn they were dead.”
Dom nodded, swallowing the lump in his threat. “I don’t think I’ve really thought about it yet. There’s just been too much going on to really think about it.”
There was an ache in his gut every time he thought about what he would never have, but there wasn’t much he could do about it except stop whoever had killed them.
“There was good news, however. I found Gabriel, or rather, he found me.”
Keeland’s eyebrows lifted. “You didn’t know Gabriel before a couple of weeks ago?”
“No, I always thought I was an only child. Turns out, I wasthe second born of quadruplets.”
“There are four of you?”
Dom chuckled as he nodded. That had kind of been his reaction too. “So far, we haven’t been able to locate the other two, but we’re looking for them.”
“Wow.”
Dom walked over and sat in the chair kitty-corner from Keeland. He clasped his hands and let them dangle between his thighs. “I need you to keep an open mind. What I’m about to tell you is kind of wild.”
“Okay.”
Dom drew in a fortifying breath before speaking. “My birth family is from a country a long ways from here. We’ve been the ruling family there for centuries.”
“Ruling family,” Keeland said. “Like royalty?”
Dom swallowed tightly at the disbelief in Keeland’s voice. “Yeah.”
