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“Alex—” Talia starts, giving me an almost sheepish look before turning back to her brother.
“Oh, I know your feelings had nothing at all to do with Ryan Grey,” Topher says, and my eyes fly over to him. He looks his sister up and down and sighs, giving her a sad smile. “Your issues are because my mate gave birth to a female wolf, and you did not.”
“Oh, Talia,” Lyle says, his voice cracking as he reaches over to take his mate’s hand. Her eyes fill with tears, and she hangs her head in shame.
My heart goes out to her, but I make no effort to reassure her.
“Our mother is a dick, and we’ve told you that numerous times,” Alex says. “She’s never ever going to find you worthy. You’re doomed, either way. Get therapy. Get help for your insecurities.” He sits back in his seat, seemingly unbothered as Lyle comforts his mate, and I’m genuinely surprised by his cold attitude. “But do not ever behave this way again, sister of mine, or you’ll find yourself unwelcome in our home.”
Alex never raises his voice, his tone is always calm and pleasant, even his demeanour is relaxed. He’s so authentic, though, as he speaks, you can’t look away. The charisma combined with the absolute certainty that he will do this has Talia sighing and giving in.
“Mum loves us,” Talia says before sighing heavily. “But I know that our relationship isn’t healthy. I’m not…” She rubs at her face, sitting back in the seat. “As far as I’m aware, the rogue sightings are all bullshit. Nobody has actually seen one.”
Iris clenches her jaw, ignoring the look from each of her men. Whilst Talia’s “given in”, Iris has not, and I’m very concerned. Based on the tension each of my men are all carrying as they eye her, I know that they are, too.
“They haven’t?” Topher asks his sister, raising an eyebrow. The two eldest siblings from their own multiple sets start chatting back and forth. No anger, no hostility, no threats. They’re just calm.
My eyes widen, shock filling me, as I see how with that one action, they’ve all relaxed.
“Siblings,” Ben whispers to me with a knowing smirk.
“Only child,” I mutter back, in awe that this argument has now just dropped.
They were vicious towards each other, and now, they don’t even seem upset as they just adapt. It’s weird, and I can’t even begin to understand it.
“No,” Kyle confirms, finally finding his voice now that the siblings are no longer at each other’s throats. “There have been claims, but nobody has ever actually confirmed it. The scents, however, do exist.”
Iris is silent, as are her men, but based on their bright eyes, I’m wondering if they’re maybe communicating amongst themselves.
“And my dad thought it was better to not fucking tell us.” Topher glares at the table, his anger burning away inside him.
“If it helps, I don’t think many people know,” Kyle says.
“No, I don’t think it does,” Ben says with a sneer. “Because we’re not just anyone, we’re the future alphas and should be filled in on this sort of thing. Fucking idiot that you are.”
Kyle doesn’t bite, but I reach under the table to kick Ben’s leg. I missed and hit Seb instead. He doesn’t care.
Topher’s feelings are a lot less concerned now that he’s heard this, though, and I don’t understand it. He’s more relaxed, more focused, but also seems to have some form of understanding regarding these rogue sightings. Well, smellings?
He’s come to some realisation, I just don’t know what of.
“Let’s take this inside,” Alex says, and the rest of the table nod. Iris and her three mates don’t make a move, though. “We’ll break it down properly with who has seen what and when.”
“I’ve got the information,” Kyle says.
“I’ll clear this up whilst you guys talk,” I murmur, and Seb hangs back to help me, as everyone else heads inside. My boobs are aching a little, and I’m exhausted. The nights are long when I’m waking up numerous times per night with my tiny infant, and after socialising a lot tonight, my social battery is drained.
I really don’t want to be part of another heavy conversation. Especially this one, that, well, I don’t have to be involved in. I’ve got nothing to contribute and don’t really understand half of what they’re saying. Instead, I can hide out in the kitchen washing up dishes as they figure it out, and then, hopefully, I can go to sleep.
“Our parents are fucking dickheads,” Topher snarls, glaring at Alex. The twins and their mates left only ten minutes ago or so, and my men have lost any little bit of calm that they possessed.
Well, Topher has. He’s furious and has barely taken a breath to pause in his tirade of why.
Ben escaped quickly to go to the toilet. I hope he’s not actually in pain from the dinner, but I don’t blame him for running from this conversation. Seb just walked out and didn’t say where he was going, but I’m not concerned about him, either.
I heard him enter my bedroom on the baby monitor, so he’ll be sitting with Phoebe, likely just keeping an eye on her, to keep her safe, with the concerns about the rogue scent thing.
The information shared by Kyle has really rattled them, but, from Topher’s kick off here, he seems to think that it’s just Ethan. Alex agrees, but neither man is sure how he’s doing it or what’s going on with his scent. Whilst they’re not too concerned about the pack’s safety, they are concerned about Phoebe and I.
