Page 84 of Gift from the Nexus

“Yes, and I’m sorry. Her other blood that I tested is coming up inconclusive, and I figured it’s because she’s the first of her kind, or something along those lines, but that time, I ran them only to check for gifts and elements.” He pauses, looking at me with a mixture of sadness and hope, and it makes my stomach bottom out.

“It’s okay, I’m not mad you reran my blood. Well, I am a little bit, but that’s beside the point right now. Please just say what you have to say, Jamie,” I whisper-shout, growing even more anxious as this is dragged out.

“Instead of gifts, this time I was looking for matches to see if we could find your bloodline,” he says quietly, passing the paper to Oakly for her to read.

My gaze tracks Oakly’s every move. From how she quickly snatches the parchment, to how her eyes scan the words rapidly. To finally, how she gasps, her other hand flying to cover her mouth as she looks at me with tears welling in her eyes.

“Say it, Oakly. Please.”

“You have a brother.”

Vaguely, the voices of all the men in the room going back and forth register, but I can’t make out the words they’re saying.

I don’t even know if they’re talking to me.

Cold dread seeps into my very being, freezing me in my place, and I can’t take my eyes off my sister. My sister born from a bond, who just informed me, I, in fact, have a sibling that was born from blood.

The thought has my stomach turning and I forcefully swallow the bile down.

If I have a brother, that means my mom wasn’t Franklin’s only victim, and I can’t process that. I can’t fathom. I don’t want to. It’s hard for me to picture any woman being with Franklin willingly because he’s so dreadful, so evil.

Then reality dawns on me…

Jamie doesn’t have blood samples from people outside of the E.F. members and students who’ve donated willingly.

“Oakly.” I force her name through my mind, hoping she can hear me because I don’t trust my voice to work.

Her eyes snap back up to mine from the parchment. Wide and startled. I guess all that hard work Gaster and I put in on themind connection was never going to work without yet another emotional push to force its cooperation.

“Who?”

“Are you sure, Willow? You don’t have to worry about this right this second,” she says shakily.

Her words quiet all the men around us and the lab falls into an eerie silence. Everyone waiting for me to answer, but I still can’t get my voice to work. All I can muster up is a very unsure nod.

“Lyker Quinn is your blood brother,” she whispers.

Suddenly, my body weighs a ton. It’s so heavy, I can’t seem to hold myself up and strong arms wrap around my waist as my knees fail me. Rather than keeping us standing, fire and snow surround me as Draken lowers us to the ground, and he muffles my sobs as he turns my head to bury my face in his neck and purrs.

All the gut-wrenching visions I’ve seen of him filter through my mind. I watch time and time again as he dies. The horrid, sickly feeling I’d get every time I thought about it now makes more sense.

I wasn’t watching a stranger die.

I was watching my brother.

Draken knows me well enough to know what’s about to happen when I lean to the side. He doesn’t miss a beat pulling my hair back from my face as I get sick and cry harder. All my guys immediately come to my aid. Rubbing my back, pushing water through me, and just being here for me. I even feel Oakly and her entire Nexuses close by, waiting, silently supporting me while I lose my shit.

Again.

I’d like to pretend this was a joyous moment for me. All I’ve ever wanted was a family. People to love and for them to love me.But right now, my heart just breaks. It breaks for Lyker. For his mother. For myself.

“It’s going to be okay, princess,” Corentin says gently as he tilts my chin up. I lock onto his soft whiskey eyes, begging for the grounding he can give me while I try to catch my breath.

“Is it, though? It was one thing when I learned what Franklin did to my mother, but now, I have to explain to someone who’s alive and well, what he did to theirs. He’ll have to look at me when I tell him. He’s going to hate me,” I whisper.

“He won’t hate you because it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault and you don’t have to tell him anything anytime soon if you don’t want to,” he says firmly.

Blowing out a shuddering breath, his words sit like a stone in my gut. I do have to tell him. Franklin couldn’t possibly know about him, or he wouldn’t have let him out of his clutches. As much as he raved about a son, Lyker would’ve been a gift. So what if his mom is still out there? What if she gave him up to keep him safe? He’s grown now. The Alpha of a pack. He has the means and support to protect her now. Get to know her.

---