Chapter Six
Against his better judgment, Rafe entered his office flanked by Gus, Reider, Lucas, Brenna, and Erin. He’d wanted to talk to the woman alone, but Gus had refused to leave his side, as did the others. They all had a stake in the game.
He might as well let them play.
He could have ordered them to wait outside, but he didn’t. Gus was his uncle and had known his father better than anyone, except for Grace. And he wasn’t about to drag his mom into this clusterfuck.
He wanted to find out every detail about the girl who claimed to be his sister, before he spoke to his mom about the situation. He’d seen the look of agony on her face, felt the ache in her heart, and had no desire to cause her additional pain by having her sit through the interrogation.
As for the others, it made sense for them to be present as well. Considering Brenna and Erin were half wolf, half witch. Rafe also knew, in this instance, their mates weren’t about to leave their sides. There was no point arguing otherwise.
Rafe nodded for Lucas to close the door when everyone was inside. He moved to stand behind his desk, not trusting himself to be too close to the woman who claimed to be his sister. Not that the desk would stop him from attacking her or ripping out her throat, but it would hopefully slow him down enough for someone else in the room to intervene.
Not liking a single motherfucking thing about the current situation, Rafe waited a few moments before speaking. His eyes roamed over the woman, bile burning the back of his throat. He needed to clear the negativity seeping from his pores before he unleashed an emotional tirade against Adalyn.
It wasn’t like Rafe to lose his cool, though it had happened on a few rare occasions. He needed to stay calm and get to the facts, but when faced with the prospect that his father had been unfaithful to his mother, well, all bets were off.
“Speak!” he barked at Adalyn.
She stood defiantly before him, parking one of her hands on her hip. Her mouth sputtered open. A look of shock plastered to her face.
“Speak? Really? Like I’m some sort of mutt?”
Rafe felt a tic in his jaw. His fists clenched and unclenched.
“Choose your words carefully, woman. You’re on thin ice as it is.”
“Is this how you treat those who come to you for help? Or is your attitude reserved solely for me, brother?”
As he feared, Rafe bounded over his desk in a flash, his hand wrapping tight about the woman’s neck, wanting to squeeze the life out of her.
“How dare you call me brother or insinuate that my father would have willingly had anything to do with your mother.” Rafe spat the words at her through clenched teeth.
Gus and Lucas rushed to Rafe’s side, pulling him away from the woman. His emotions had indeed gotten the best of him.
* * *
Adalyn rubbed her throat in a bid to restore the much-needed oxygen she’d been deprived. “If you don’t believe me, ask your wolf.” Her voice scratchy and raw, she paused before continuing. “He can tell you who I really am. Or are you too angry to deal with the truth?” Emerald sparks danced at her fingertips. Her normally docile personality suddenly vanished, instantly replaced with the inner bitch who she normally kept on a tight leash.
It was a side of herself she didn’t like. A fundamental part of her personality she’d wished many times over that she didn’t possess. But it was there, nonetheless, and ready to take on her long-lost brother. She had known from the moment she felt the dark majik brewing in her body exactly who she’d inherited it from. Her ability to annihilate another living being with the mere flick of her wrist.
She was done being pushed around. Done hiding her true identity.
Adalyn glanced to her side, taking in the women standing beside her brother. Much like her, they were both hybrids: witch and wolf.
“You can accept them?” She motioned to the two women who were glaring daggers at her. “But not me. Even though I’m family?”
Rafe growled. “Stop saying that you are family. I know nothing about you.”
The older of the two women stepped between Rafe and Adalyn and cleared her throat. “Rafe, may I have a moment with Adalyn?”
Rafe backed off, nodding to Brenna. “I’ll allow it.”
Brenna held her hand out to the girl. Wisps of majik swirled around her hand. “Your majik seems familiar to me.”
“Grandmother told me about you,” Adalyn whispered. “She said you were nothing like my mother, and when I found you, to trust you.”
Brenna’s eyes narrowed. “You are the daughter of my sister.” A statement loaded with more truth than either of them wanted to admit.
