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I can’t help but smile at his spirit. “Just stay hydrated, Parker.”
“Now you sound like my wife.” He chuckles, using the beta term for his life partner. “You better head on up. Your father is in quite the mood. He stormed in here with a woman so fierce, I swear her glare could incinerate him on the spot.”
My heart sinks at his words, the last vestige of hope that my father hadn’t found my mother dissolving. “Thanks, Parker. Have a good day,” I whisper, my feet carrying me across the plush red carpet toward the elevators.
As I press the button to ascend, a knot of anxiety forms in my stomach. My father’s unpredictable moods are challenging enough, but the presence of this woman, likely my mother, adds a layer of complexity I’m not sure I’m ready to face. The elevator doors close, and as I ascend, I mentally prepare myself for whatever awaits me in my father’s lair.
It had to be that card—the one my mother sent to congratulate me on our pairing. As the elevator dings open, I step inside, pressing the button for my father’s floor. Mythoughts swirl chaotically, the realization that my father found my mother because of me gnawing at my conscience.
Lost in my turbulent reflections, I barely register the presence of another person until a voice startles me. “I don’t recall you ever being this unaware,” a man comments, abruptly hitting the emergency stop on the elevator.
The elevator jerks to a halt, jolting me back to reality. My gaze snaps up, meeting eyes that are eerily familiar yet different. He stands a few inches taller than me, his hair brushing his shoulders, and he looks like he’s walked off a movie set rather than being in this elevator. His green eyes twinkle with unexpected mirth.
“Excuse me?” I manage, my voice a whisper as I struggle to place this man who looks so hauntingly familiar.
He shakes his head, his thick beard brushing his chest. He’s a mountain of a man, rugged and utterly out of place. “How can you not recognize your own father? Really, Dev? I’m disappointed.”
My heart plummets, my face draining of color. Disbelief paralyzes me. It’s been over fifteen years since I last saw him. I’m left speechless, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly as I absorb the shock.
His lips twitch, clearly amused by my stunned silence. It’s in those eyes—my eyes—that I finally see the undeniable truth.
“I bet you’re here to rescue your mother,” he states casually, crossing his arms and leaning back against the elevator wall. He seems completely at ease with having stopped the elevator. “Can I tell you a secret?”
My voice fails me, and I can only nod, still reeling from the revelation.
He inches closer, a conspiratorial glint in his eyes. “Your mother... She’s not who your father thinks she is.” His words are a whispered bombshell dropping into the silence of the elevator.
Confusion mixes with my shock. “What do you mean?” I finally find my voice, although a tremor runs through it.
He smiles a knowing, enigmatic smile. “Let’s just say your mother has always been a few steps ahead of your father, and now it’s time for you to catch up.”
Who is my father, really? And my mother—what secrets does she hold? The man in the elevator, my father, just revealed a mystery I didn’t even know existed. Now, I must confront what lies ahead with a new perspective, one that changes everything I thought I knew about my family.
“Excellent. Your mother chose to get caught,” my father reveals nonchalantly.
“She did what?” The shock that gripped me melts away, replaced by disbelief.
“You found a mate, yes?” He continues, not waiting for my response. “Your mother regretted missing out on your life. She decided enough was enough, hoping the world had changed enough that your… father wouldn’t ruin our lives again.”
“Father holds a grudge,” I murmur, an understatement if there ever was one.
“Yes, he does. Even so,” he murmurs, shaking his head, “I think breaking the bond with him is what shattered him completely.”
Broken bonds... A thought strikes me, connecting to something Seraphina mentioned about Thea finding her fated mate but him choosing another. Was this what finally broke her too?
“Why are you here?” I ask, my mind racing. “Why would she believe...” I trail off, shaking my head in disbelief. “You need to get out of here.”
He waves off my concern. “Hush. Theo and Clara have been dying to meet you,” he says, throwing out names as if I should recognize them. “Your mother knew what she was doing. Yourother father is around here somewhere, and your siblings are at the hotel next door.”
My back slams against the elevator wall as the weight of his words hits me. Am I hyperventilating? Yes, I think I am.
“Head between your knees, boy,” my dad instructs, pressing on my shoulder, guiding me down. “Breathe.”
Bent at the waist, I struggle to draw breath after breath, my body trembling uncontrollably. Through the bond, I sense Ashton’s concern, a distant anchor in the storm of my emotions.
“Slowly now,” my father coaxes, helping me back up. “I hope you have a plan because, frankly, I’m worried you don’t.”
His words are a jolt, pulling me back to reality. I straighten up, steadying my breath. A plan... I need a plan. My father’s unexpected appearance, the revelations about my mother, my siblings next door, it’s a lot to process, but one thing is clear—I can’t afford to lose control. Not now.
