Page 128 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

“Liam and Annie will send some of their warriors too,” I explain, relieved to have my oldest brother’s support. He has trained his warriors hard and whipped them into shape. They are going to be a great help.

The plan is to assemble a few groups of warriors, with lesser numbers but with good skills, and have them spread out to surround Blood Snow while a main group will attack it directly.

Dad nods contently. “What about you, Jace?” he wants to know.

Jace takes his time to answer. He looks torn. It’s obvious he wants to join our fight, but there is also something else in his eyes. “You know I would never back away from a fight,” he says earnestly. “And I assure you I’ll provide you with my strongest warriors. Anthony and Henry will lead them.”

“You won’t join?” Dad asks curiously.

Jace smiles. It’s a genuine and honest smile. “Janice is pregnant,” he says.

“WHAT?” Dad exclaims. “’Goddess, Jace, congratulations!”

“We have known about it for a few days. You know, we thought it’s impossible, which is why this came as such a surprise. A true gift from the Goddess,” he explains. “I thought about everything a lot, but I think my boys are ready to fight in my place. They are doing well, and I know they will be a great support to you and Finn. In this situation, I can’t leave Janice alone.”

“Don’t worry, Dad.” Henry nods. A rare, gentle smile curls his lips. “You can count on us. We'd prefer that you stay with Mom.”

Mom smiles at Jace. “I’m so happy for you and Janice.”

“Yes.” Jace chuckles. “After all these years… We thought she couldn’t conceive…” He pauses, nervous when he realizes what he almost admitted to. His eyes trail to the twins, but the boys are better actors than I gave them credit for because Henry pretends to read an important message on his phone while Tony uses this moment to talk to Mom. “I mean… we thought she can’t conceive anymore, but… well…”

I can see my father’s gaze becoming slightly nervous, but help comes from an unexpected source.

“Right, it’s great?” Anthony beams. “I’m hoping for a little sister. One annoying brother is enough.”

“Who are you calling annoying?” Henry snorts. “As far as I remember, you weren’t bothered by my presence when I carried you towards that cliff.”

“You mean the cliff we almost didn’t reach in time?” Anthony raises his brows. “The same cliff where you also gave that dramatic speech?” There is a certain edge to his voice when he recalls the moment, and the tips of Henry’s ears turn pink. It seems although Anthony was almost unconscious, he did realize his brother was offering to stay behind and die for us.

Dad listens to their quarrel, looking a bit confused. I know I can’t keep it from him any longer.They know,I link him.

His eyes snap up to look at me.You mean…

They have known for a while already… that Janice isn’t their mom,I admit.They told us after we saved Anthony’s life.

He looks at me thoughtfully.Judging by Jace’s reaction, he doesn’t know yet.

They promised me they would tell them once they came to terms with everything. They said they aren’t ready yet.I pause to look at the twins. They stopped their silly quarrel and turned to their father, chatting with him. There is no anger, disdain, or disappointment in their eyes, just a hint of pain, but also genuine joy for their parents.They’ll be alright.

My father looks sincerely horrified at what I just told him. I notice my mother’s curious glance and his eyes glossing over as he is probably linking her. Mom tilts her head thoughtfully before linking him and me together.That’s where we always stumble.

What do you mean?Dad wants to know.

We think we’re good at hiding things in front of our children and that we think we keep them safe by not telling them the truth. But they see more than we believe they do, they’re more perceptive than we believe, and they always find out the truth, eventually.

My father’s face falls slightly. I’m not sure what he is truly thinking, but if I had to guess, I’d say he feels bad that the twins found out on their own and had to deal with the truth in secret instead of being eased into it.

Well, nothing we can change about that now. Jace thinks he is protecting his sons, and his sons believe they are protecting him. So, in a way, everyone is being stupid. I feel genuinely happy for Janice, though. She is such a kind woman, and to imagine what she went through to be with her mate… then she accepted the other woman’s children like her own and loved them unconditionally. She deserves this moment of happiness.

Once everyone calms down, we continue to discuss the attack. With our lycans from Silverlake and the warriors from Moon Blood, Red Claw, and Emerald Moon… Colton will face no chance. “He does have one advantage on his side,” I point out.

“And what’s that?” Dad asks.

“He knows the area.” I pause. “I’m not exaggerating when I say that Blood Snow Pack’s biggest asset is its location. The warriors aren’t good, but they all know the snowy wilderness there, the weather, the risks. They know where to lead us, so we’ll have a disadvantage.”

“That’s why it’s important that Freya join us,” Henry points out. “I know you want her away from the battle, and we’ll make sure she isn’t anywhere close to where we fight, but she’ll need to show us exactly where we can walk through beforehand.”

“Don’t forget we have Arman and Leila there too,” Freya points out. “They are just waiting for us to strike.”

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