And beside him, another man. Identical, yet different. Frowning, as if the weight of the world sits on his shoulders. Nose slightly crooked, a tiredness in his aura. Fewer tattoos, a wolf's paw printed on his powerful right pec. His eyes are brighter, a cool sage. Neither man has a scar on his face.
Suddenly, a lost memory rushes forward. "Brother…" I gasp and look up at Doc. "I can't believe I forgot. He said… he said,my brother will take care of you."
That night, everything that happened… I shoved it into a box and stuffed it down deep. I haven't taken it out, spread it open to look at. I haven't dared.
What else have I forgotten?
All this time, I was so wrapped up in what he did, I forgot about what he said… Not that it matters, or makes it okay. But, brother?
"His twin?" I croak.
Chapter 16: Orion
God, how I want to lie. For the truth to be anything other than what it is. Mona looks directly at me when she asks about Silas, having no clue the weight of what he's done, what she's telling us.
She's so beautiful. Vulnerable but strong. Fierce and lovely. So many opposing things, I can hardly be in the same room as her without wanting to devour her, to explore every inch of her.
"Twins. Yes," I rasp.
My head is suddenly pounding. If Doc notices me spiraling, he doesn't comment, which I appreciate. His focus should be on Mona.
Doc adds, "I don't know why Silas would have done this to you. But I'm certain it was him, not Grayson, who attacked you that night."
"So… does he live here?" Her voice sounds so small. At such odds with the defiant lift of her chin as she tries to brave through.
Doc shakes his head. "No. Not anymore. In fact, Silas hasn't been seen in four—"
"Five," I correct.
"I guess it's been almost five years now. He… Well, we thought something happened to him. He just disappeared one day, like all the others."
"What others?" she asks.
"There's been a series of missing shifters over the last several years. Some of us assumed Silas was one of the lost ones. Mona, there's something else we need to discuss. I'm not sure how to tell you this, but you see, wolves cannot be made. He, Silas, couldn't havemadeyou. Wolves, shifters—we are only born. It is impossible to bite a human and make them a wolf. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Doc, I'm telling you, he bit me, then I became a wolf. I am not making this up." She pins him with a glare.
He holds up his hand in a placating manner. "No, no, that's not what I'm saying. Gosh, this is only leaving me with more questions than answers, and I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this. But it is impossible for you to have been human. I don't know how, but I suspect Silas woke something dormant within you. I don't know how your wolf was suppressed for so long, or why. You're how old?"
"Twenty-five."
Twenty-five. Jesus. I cough into my hand. "Sorry. Throat," I wave at my neck absently. Doc's eyes twinkle. I appreciate the levity, not that anything could take my mind off what happened to her and how she ended up in this situation.
I wonder at what point I should tell my new mate I'm a hundred and fifty.
"Don't mind him. Anyway, Mona, you could not have been human before the attack."
"So you're saying…"
"I'm saying you're not human. You never were."
I don't know what I expect when I look at her face, but annoyance wasn't on the list. She's got her head tilted down, eyes pinning Doc, lips slightly pursed. I try to rub her back, but she pulls away and hops off the bed, begins pacing the room. Doc and I just watch.
"I wasn't born like this. I wasn't," she argues. "No, no, no. I've been sick. Nearly my entire life, I was always sick. You see? It's not possible. Wolves can't get sick. I figured that out after I turned. I heal crazy fast now. After he bit me, I felt the best I've ever felt in my life. I stopped taking my medication. I was strong. I could run, I couldbreathe."
"What medication?" Doc sits straighter.
She shakes her head. "I don't know. Whatever my dad gave me. Does it matter? I know I was sick, that I can't fake. After I changed, I was healthy. It's the only part of becoming a wolf that was good for my life. That, and getting Beep."
