Page 68 of Crescent Warrior

Her legs trembled as she continued forward, struggling to stay upright. She prayed to anyone who was listening that she could make it outside with the little dignity she had left. When she did, she inhaled the clean scent of her old home, unable to move forward.

She already knew she would go straight to Dru in the absence of her parents. She glanced back, seeing him standing in the open doorway, his eyes beseeching her to stay. Ignoring him and ripping her own heart out, she strode forward.

“Do you know your parents?"

Vincenzo asked as they all sat around a table, waiting while Carlo brewed coffee, giving them the stink eye over his shoulder. Adele was watching them suspiciously, but no one could detract from Vincenzo’s stalwart hopefulness.

“I know my mom,” Alex said quietly, glancing at Michael who was silent. “But I never met my dad. She left him when she ran with me.” He wasn’t ashamed of his story.

In fact, he was impressed that his mother had the strength to leave at all. He knew that it couldn’t have been easy for her to move to an entirely different continent, with no support or family to help her raise a baby.

That was why she was so cold, hardened to the cruel world. It didn’t stop him from praying and hoping that she could soften toward him. She had never once told him that she loved him, treating him like her most tedious obligation.

“I didn’t know my parents,” Michael muttered, surprising everyone in the room with his input. He focused on Vincenzo after that, narrowing his eyes. “Why?”

Adele cleared her throat, bringing their attention to her, reaching out to pat Vincenzo on his back. They had already called their mysterious alpha and he was already on his way to Greece from their home in Italy. These three were a tracking unit that was sent to search for more Werewolves. It looked like their alpha had been searching for a long time and was eager to meet them.

He was bringing a contingent with him, including Vincenzo’s mate, and Alex felt his excitement rising. If he was somehow related to this pack, then they would be able to help him get his mate back. He just knew it.

Selene was his, whether she was brainwashed or not, and he would prove it to her one day. For now, he sank into his seat as Carlo brought cups to them. Alex’s eyes were on Vincenzo.

“Who are Layland and Lombarto?”

Adele glanced at him quickly, with censure, as if he was asking about something deeply painful.

Vincenzo’s smile was wide. “My sons. My twins.”

Alex’s eyebrows almost met his hairline and he searched his gaze, wondering why the two other Werewolves in the room were stock-still, watching Vincenzo with sadness in their eyes.

“You said they were our age?” he recalled, grasping details as he was trained to do.

He was an excellent detective, able to sniff out details that no one else could. Now that he realized he might have always been a Werewolf, he understood that he may have been using some of his gifts in his job. Focusing on Vincenzo, he watched as his smile widened.

“Exactly your age.”

He glanced at Michael, who was already looking his way, his eyes wide and questioning.

“Is there something you’re implying?” Alex asked directly, eyeing the Werewolf carefully. He nodded, reaching out his hands to both of them.

They didn’t take it, at first, but eventually, Alex gave in, unable to deny the hope in his face. Michael followed his lead.

“I think you are my sons,” he whispered, shaking his head as they both yanked their hands back simultaneously. “My mate and I… Our twins were stolen in the night by a nursemaid we hired. We tracked her as much as we could, but when she crossed the ocean, we couldn’t follow her anymore. She took them and was gone.”

Alex turned to stare at Michael, whose eyes were wide with trepidation and disbelief.

“I told you,” Alex cleared his throat, “that I have a mother.”

He watched fury flare in Vincenzo’s eyes and braced himself, shoving his hand out in front of Michael to protect him in case the male lashed out, but instead, he growled, “Do you have a picture of her?”

Confused, Alex nodded, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Glancing down at his screen, seeing Selene smiling shyly up at him from his background, his heart clenched and he silently remade his promise to her that he would fight for them until he had her back.

Going to his photos, it took him a while to find one of his mother was in, since she didn’t attend many events with him. Meanwhile, Adele reached out, giving Vincenzo’s shoulder a squeeze of silent support. Holding the phone out toward him, he watched as the Werewolf’s already furious face became a snarl of hatred.

“That bitch.”

Yanking his phone back, Alex instinctively cradled it close to him, trying to protect his mother from the harsh words.

“Hey!” he started, but Vincenzo stood, reaching out to him.

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