Page 190 of Dream Mates
With my biological mother’s identical twin.
The woman I’d calledmomknew. Everything she did to me wasintentional,which made it all the more devastating.
Especially since I’m sure she wasn’t trying to stop me from becoming an omega for altruistic purposes. Like the fact that I obviously didn’t belong in that world and might develop some interesting biology.
Was that why I hardly went to actual doctors once I hit my teens and instead saw church people with questionable business practices or her friends who sold essential oils?
Nate’s hand ran up and down my blanket-covered back. “Go ahead and cry, Grace. Just go ahead and cry.”
The door opened, but I didn’t look up.
“She really needs her alpha,” the professor said softly. “Also, I’m pretty sure Thora Silvers is her mother. The Rosalind that Grace mentioned previously is most likely Rosalind Silvers, Thora’s identical twin. There might be some mix-up in the records.”
“Noted,” the nurse said. “Grace, are you sure that your birthdate is correct?”
Shit. “Um, it might be a year off.”
“Nate, I’m so glad that you’re all right,” a male voice said. “We’re all so worried. Some of the children are here. I just came from them. They're really scared, especially the little ones. The nurse said that you didn’t want them in here with you? What could be more important than the children?” Hurt dripped from his accented voice.
“I didn’t want them herethis second, Harry,” the professor said quietly. “I wanted to talk to you first. Also, another child has had her world upended, and she needs a breath. Creed, Mercy, and Hale will take care of the littles for the moment.”
His concern for my comfort made me cry harder.
“Oh. Is this… so she’s the one?” Harry said softly. “We know this for certain?”
“A genscan has been run and yes. We also know that Grace has been lied to about her parentage, things in her record are probably fake, and I’m not even sure I want to know what she’s been told about me. Considering that she came here for a conference and not to find me, it’s a lot for her.” The professor stroked my hair in a way that reminded me of my dad.
“I just wanted to see the particle cutter,” I sobbed. How badly could this backfire for me, considering Rosalind wasn’t in my file and I hadn’t exactly stayed with my backstory?
“I bet the particle cutter was really amazing. How was the simulator that Marquess has? And the CeCe they’re building over at the Collaborative? I heard Ina’s presentation was really good,” he soothed. “I may have pumped the children for information. Creed didn’t give me much, but Verity sang like a siren. I confess that this morning I listened to the first two chapters of the book she said you were reading. Very spicy.”
Lifting my head, I looked at him through tear stained eyes. “It’s for book club. I was going to finish it today, on the beach.”
He started reading the book? Damnit. What did I even do?
“Grace, this is my husband Harry. Harry, this is Dr. Grace Ellington,” Nate said gently.
“Hi,” I sniffed, taking the tissues Lark handed me. A very handsome, lithe man, a little taller than Nate, stood there. His trendy glasses slid down his light brown nose. He had a very trim dark beard and mustache, and short, dark, curly hair.
He also was much younger than Nate, probably not much older than Spencer. Also, not an alpha. Beta maybe. I was still trying to figure out all the smells in this world.
Harry smiled. “Hi.”
“Is anyone else here?” the professor asked.
“Pippa’s in the waiting room. Esme’s at home in case we need to get Dare or Chance. Verity’s at the lab. Zain’s running interference. Adriana, well, she was here but she punched someone and has been exiled to the parking lot,” Harry explained.
“Adriana punched someone?” Nate kept running his hand through my hair as I sobbed.
“According to Pip, Adriana yelled at some guy in the lobby, they had words, she punched him, then was thrown out,” Harry said. “I think he was famous. But you know I don’t know these things. Yeah, they let me see Pip really quickly before coming to you.”
Spencer. Adriana punched Spencer. That wouldn’t end well.
“How many kids does your family have?” I recalled that there were a lot of kids in the photo Creed had shown me.
“Nine,” the professor said. “You make ten. The other three are Zain and Esme’s. Oh. Twins run on both sides of your family. Fraternal on my side, identical on your mother’s. I don’t have a twin, but I have two sets of fraternal twin siblings. My family is also very omega-heavy. Most of my brothers and sisters are omegas.”
“Twins.” I sucked in a breath. “I will take identical twin girls that look like my mate Evan. Or those fraternal twins that have different daddies, then I can get Evan and Wes their kids in one pregnancy.” Little girl Evans. They’d get away witheverything.
