Page 69 of Crescent Warrior

He jumped to his feet too, wondering if he would have to protect himself, but the man grabbed him into a hug, smothering him as he tightened his arms.

“My boy,” he whispered, pressing kisses to his hair.

Alex stilled, frozen in confusion and pain. His heart was achingly full at the feeling of unconditional love pouring from this man, but there was no way any of this was true. His mother, while cold and unfeeling, would never have kidnapped him. Plus, he didn’t have a twin.

He glanced over at Michael, who was watching them with a kind of tired longing in his eyes. When Vincenzo pulled away, reaching for Michael next, he saw him tentatively reach for him as well.

“I don’t know why she didn’t keep you, cucciolo,” Vincenzo whispered against Michael’s forehead as he pressed a kiss there, “But it wasn’t your fault.”

He squeezed him tight and Alex felt tears filling his eyes as Michael’s eyes slid shut.

“I’ve missed you, son.”

Alex watched in shock as a tear slipped from Michael’s eye.

“Your mamma will be so happy,” Vincenzo murmured as he pulled Alex into the hug with Michael. “My Elisa’s heart hasn’t been whole since you were taken.”

Alex felt his throat tighten with emotion. After all this time, would he finally have a real mother? Someone who would love him?

Shaking his head, he pulled away, fighting to push logic to the front of his mind. This story seemed very convenient. They appeared here, and then, somehow, met a Werewolf who was able to bring them into the fold? He needed more proof than that.

“Do you have any pictures of my mother?” he asked, quietly.

“Of course,” Vincenzo murmured with a frown and Alex’s heart clenched with fear.

What if this is true? What if my mother’s the reason I’ve lost almost half of my life?

He waited patiently as Vincenzo pulled his own phone from his pocket, tapping the screen only once before turning it to face Alex. Confused, he saw a beautiful woman staring back at him with a smile on her face, cuddled in Vincenzo’s arms. They both seemed happy, but there was a hint of sadness in their eyes.

“Who’s that?” he whispered, seeing his own eyes staring out of her face. He always knew that he didn’t look anything like his mother, but he assumed that he took after his father. Now, his belief was shaken.

“Your mamma,” Vincenzo said, his voice confused. “You wanted to see a picture. This is my Elisa.”

“No,” he shook his head, but he was unable to look away. “My mother. The one who raised me.”

“She’s not your mother,” Vincenzo hissed, shaking his head angrily. “She’s a kidnapper who stole you from us. But I do have a picture of her.”

He was clearly holding back from saying more, scrolling through his phone.

“We used it to search for you. You were both too young. We knew no one would recognize you, but her? Her face, I’ll never forget it.”

He held his phone up to Alex, who was startled to see his mother in the background of a family picture, watching Vincenzo and the beautiful woman, each cradling a bundle of blankets in their arms.

It was an older photo that was digitized, but the faces were clear. Her smile seemed to be forced, but that was her. As Alex’s world crashed around him, he felt himself stagger.

Michael caught him, helping him into a seat. Vincenzo reached out a comforting hand, but Alex pulled away from him. The flash of pain in the Werewolf’s face was hidden quickly.

“I’m sorry, but this is insane. This isn’t… possible.”

Vincenzo nodded, going to the kitchen and turning on the faucet, filling a glass of water.

Alex looked at Michael while he was gone, searching his familiar face. “We can’t be twins. We look alike, but not that much.”

“Fraternal,” Carlo said, looking between them and shaking his head. “Lombarto and Layland were fraternal. Barto took after Elisa and Lay looked exactly like Vin.”

Adele seemed flabbergasted, her gaze shooting between Michael, Alex and Vincenzo as if searching for the truth herself.

“It seems insane,” Michael murmured, reaching out to squeeze Alex’s shoulder.

---