Page 107 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

At least, this should be a happy entry, but the very first sentence didn’t make sense to me.

The witch who attended my birth to help heal my mother is the same attending my wife to help birth my son and daughter. I’m so thankful for this because birthing an alpha from our pack is hard enough, let alone another child right after. Never has the same witch assisted with two generations of alphas, but becauseof this unique circumstance, stronger magic is warranted. I only hope that everyone comes out of this healthy and unscathed.

I stopped reading, completely baffled. Was this even my dad’s journal or was it someone else’s? But the handwriting was unmistakable. Needing for things to make sense, I continued.

Surprising us all, my daughter, Sterlyn, was born first. For the first time in our history, the alpha heir will be a female. If that isn’t a sign that change is coming, my son, Cyrus, dying shortly after birth was. The witch tried to revive him with her magic, but she wasn’t successful. If it wasn’t for our precious little girl, we’d be falling apart right now. Even though the death of our son will always linger, our little girl will pull us through. She’s special. We can already feel it.

I had a brother, and my parents never told me. The realization settled over me, making my stomach turn. The feelings I’d been holding off swept over me like a tsunami. Nothing made sense, and I couldn’t help but question if I even knew my parents at all.

"What’s wrong?" Griffin asked with alarm.

I’d been trying to keep my emotions in check—not wanting to distress him—but I couldn’t any longer. Even if I tried pushing them back, it wouldn’t work. The force of my reality crashed over me.

My body grew numb, and I felt like I was suffocating from the turmoil coursing through me. The two odd feelings warred with each other as I seemed to drift out of my own body. I dropped the journal and rocked in my seat, wishing the pain of my injury would take over. That pain I could understand—but not whatever was rooting inside me, taking control.

Sterlyn.Griffin almost screamed.Come back to me.

His words might’ve been in another language because I couldn’t process them. All I could focus on was this deep, dark void.

My body jarred and a breeze hit my skin, but I still couldn’t shake the feelings inside. I was trapped in my own body, and I didn’t know how to break free…or if I even wanted to. If I did, I’d have to filter through these raging emotions that were colliding inside me.

Cold water pummeled my body,forcing me back to the present. I groaned and tried to jerk away, but strong arms had me locked in place. My head rested against a muscular chest, and the scent of myrrh and leather comforted me. I blinked, finding myself in Griffin’s arms under the showerhead in his bathroom instead of in the Navigator.

How did I get here? He must have carried me.

The familiar light-gray tile almost seemed too bright in the room.

"That’s cold." My teeth chattered. "What the hell are you doing?"

"You went into shock," he rasped, and kissed my forehead. "You scared the shit out of us. I didn’t know what else to do."

"Us?" My mind tried to catch up. It had been only the two of us in the vehicle.

"Yeah, Killian and Sierra are here. We were at a loss about how to snap you out of it, so I told them I would try this. Killian wasn’t thrilled about not helping, but no one but me gets to see you in the shower," Griffin growled. "I told them we’d be right out. They’re getting cleaned up too."

The reminder that I had a member of my family out there that I didn’t know hit me hard, making the emotions that had been held at bay by the shock of the water stream back inside.My eyes burned with tears, and my throat had dried, but I wasn’t able to hold them back any longer.

I almost wished I could recede again as I had in the car, but the protective barrier wouldn’t lock back in place. Instead, the feelings coursed through me, and a large sob broke free.

"Baby, what’s wrong?" Griffin asked, as he gently put my feet on the cold tile floor. "I don’t understand…what happened?"

Not able to verbally speak, I used our mate link to fill him in on the information I’d learned. When I was all done, my soul felt fractured.All this time, Dad didn’t tell me anything. It had to be because he didn’t think I was strong enough to handle it, and he obviously was right. I feel broken.

I may not have known him, but I know that’s not true.Griffin leaned back and cupped my face in his hands.You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. He may have been waiting to tell you everything, thinking you all had more time. No one would expect your pack to be decimated.

The cold water turned warmer as it ran down my body. His touch comforted me, and I remembered that Dad had told me there were things he needed to share with me in due time.Maybe, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not at the end of my rope.

Then lean on me.He stepped closer to me.I’m here to be your rock and your strength. Let me take care of you in a way that you’ve been able to do for both Killian and me.

I nearly laughed.All I’ve done is put you two in danger. In fact, it would probably be better if you’d never met me.

That isnottrue.His words held such conviction and his eyes locked with mine.Killian and I were going through the motions. We’ve both been floundering since the loss of our families, then you came along and gave us purpose. He views you as a sister, and you’re the love of my life…my soulmate. You’ve made him happier than he’s been in years, and I’m the happiest I’veever been. Without you, I’d never become the man my father envisioned. And now, not only do I want to become that, but I want to be even more for you.

But…I still couldn’t get past everything they’d gone through.

No buts.He kissed me firmly.You are stuck with us—especially me—and we have your back. The same way you have ours.

His warm lips ignited something inside of me—a deep, aching need. He was the light in the dark. My life vest in the raging sea. He was my happiness when I almost lost hope.

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