“Wait…back up a minute…I have siblings?”
“A half-brother and two half-sisters…all younger than you,” Reeve answered.
“Are they here?”
“No, but your mother’s parents still live in the pack.”
“My mother’s…my grandparents…I have grandparents?” Tristan asked, shocked. “I didn’t know…”
“Would you like to meet them?”
“Uh…my mother never told me,” Tristan murmured, cursing himself for not asking her before it was too late. “Did you…”
“No, I didn’t know they were your grandparents until I saw your birth record and the name of your mother. I knew there was a family by the same last name in the pack so I asked one of my men to check it out and he confirmed it.”
“My father kicked my mother out…I never thought…”
“They’re eager to meet you.”
Grandparents…I’m not alone.It took Tristan less than a moment to decide. “I’d like that very much.”
“Good,” Reeve said. Then, pointing at the empty plate he asked, “Are you finished, or would you like…”
“I’m done,” Tristan said, pushing the dish away. “Thanks for the food…it sure beats what I had on the way here.”
Pushing back his chair, Reeve paused for a moment before asking, “Is there somewhere you have to be right away, or can you spend a few days here?”
“I’m free, why?”
“A couple of reasons…I’m sure your grandparents would like to spend some time with you…and it would give you a chance to consider my offer.”
Smiling, Tristan replied, “I’m good with that…I also want to meet my siblings, especially my brother to make sure I’m not stepping on his toes if I decide to take the Alpha position.”
“I can arrange that, too,” Reeve said, rising. “Ready?”
“Sure am,” Tristan said, grinning. Nothing had turned out the way he thought it would, but now it didn’t seem to matter.No sireee! I’m a very lucky fucker!
~/~/~/~/~
After leaving his sisters’ bedroom, Kahn read the text from his mate in disbelief.I have an older brother?He repeated it several times to himself, and then out loud, getting use to the sound of it. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Deep down, he’d always known he wasn’t cut out to be the Alpha, regardless of what his father thought. Temperamental and insatiable in his need to create, he’d soon realized those attributes would hinderhim from being a good Alpha. He was never like his cousin, Jackson. Even when they were young, Kahn could see Jackson’s unselfishness and he envied his cousin for it. It was the one trait a good Alpha had to have above all others, because the pack always came first. And with Kahn, art always came first.
Quickly typing out a reply, Kahn’s finger hovered over the send button for a moment, before pressing it. He’d have to tell his mother, of course, but decided not to say anything to his sisters for a while; they had enough to deal with at the moment and there would be plenty of time after they moved into their new home. Kahn descended the stairs slowly, thinking about what his mate had revealed. The sudden appearance of his older brother was a miracle and now all they had to do was wait to see if Tristan would lead the pack.
Smiling, he walked into the kitchen, sniffing with anticipation at the wonderful aroma coming from the oven. “You’re gonna spoil Reeve, Mom.”
“I’m just making sure he knows how much I approve of your mating.”
Reaching over, Kahn snatched a slice of tomato. “Did you send the money?” he asked before biting into his catch.
Nodding, Elenor said, “I did, and Patty confirmed she got it. She’s on her way over with the paperwork and the keys. I asked her to make a set for you and also for each of the girls. I want to move in as soon as possible but I’m not sure about what to do with the rest of our things at the pack.”
“I can ask Reeve tonight. According to the lawyer I spoke to, the High Council has no rights to any items belonging to you or the girls. However, I’m not sure what that entails exactly, other than clothes, jewelry and stuff like that.”
“Well, I don’t need any of the furniture since my condo comes with that, but the girls might want their beds, chests and desks,” Elenor said, before asking hesitantly, “How did it go with your sisters?”
“Good. Everything’s cool now and they wanted to know how soon they could see their new bedrooms. Right now, they’re already looking for decorating ideas,” Kahn said, keeping his answer upbeat. He didn’t want his mother to know his sisters had sworn never to mention their father again, to punish him for what he did. He hadn’t bothered to tell them their pact was meaningless, but at least they understood why it was impossible to go back to their old house. Looking around, he asked, “Can I help?”
Pointing to the bowl on the counter, Elenor replied, “You can do the salad.”
