Page 70 of Rejected Wolf's Secret Baby (Rejected Moons 4)

I look at her.

“Dad chose Brandon for you,” she said. “I was there when he decided. Deidre argued against it.”

I shake my head. “That’s not what happened.”

“That’s not what Deidre told you. But she lied. She didn’t want you or me mated at all. She was angry when Dad mated Pat to David. I didn’t want a mate, and when you came of age, Deidre tried to tell Dad that it was wrong for you to be mated when I hadn’t been. She was trying to make sure neither of us brought a threat to Lonnie into the family.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Yes I can. I overheard them talking about it. And I would have told you, but you ran off, and I never knew you’d spent all this time thinking Brandon was Deidre’s choice.”

“Why would Dad choose him for me?”

“Dad always thought he had potential,” Kayla said. “That’s what he said to Deidre.That young man has a lot of potential. Deidre hated that. She hates anyone but Lonnie having potential.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” I ask.

Kayla shrugs. “I thought you knew.”

“Dad never told me.”

“Dad’s never been a great communicator. But you could tell, couldn’t you? Hell, I figured you knew when Dad chose him to be your mate that he had seen potential in him.”

“But to feel that way so strongly that he would say it to Deidre…”

“So you have to talk to him,” Kayla says. “Lonnie is lying to you now, just like Deidre was back then. Give Brandon a chance to tell you the truth.”

I hear a knock at the door and break away, my heart in my throat.

No one in my family would knock.

It has to be Brandon.

He knows.

42

BRANDON

Alicia’ssisteristheone who answers the door. Her face is a mask.

She must know that I know. Lonnie said she was part of the conversation he walked in on. And seeing how serious she looks is half the confirmation I need—she’s always been so excited to see me, so eager to push me and Alicia together. Now she looks like she wants me to leave.

“I need to see Alicia,” I say before she can speak.

I’m not going to participate in an assault, but I’m definitely not in the mood to be polite.

“I’ll talk to him,” Alicia says, appearing in the doorway.

I’m surprised. I thought she would be angry with me—I thought shewasangry with me—but she doesn’t look angry. She looks tired and sad.

Kayla glances over her shoulder. “Are you sure? You don’t have to. I can get him out of here.”

“I’m not leaving,” I say.

“Go into the bedroom, Kay,” Alicia says.

A meaningful look passes between them. Then Kayla nods slowly and turns away.

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