Are you sure?
PENELOPE.
Aiden’s parents are so nice.
But they look young. So young.
Aiden assures me that his parents are in their seventies, which is so freaky to me. They don’t look older than their mid-twenties. I know shifters live a long time, but geez.
After that, Liam explains that once wolf shifters reach their twenties, they age very slowly. Since my dad is a doctor, I do wonder about the biology of it all, but it’s not really science. It’s supernatural. Maybe everything isn’t meant to be explained.
I’m sad that I didn’t get to meet Aiden’s younger brother, but I know I’ll get to meet him soon.
After meeting Aiden’s parents, I’m introduced to Parker’s family.
Parker has a large family. He is one of ten children. He is the oldest. I only get to meet two of his siblings because the other ones are too young to come tonight. His mom is also pregnant again—with twins. And I thought my family was big.
To my surprise, everybody is nice. They all seem genuinely happy for their sons.
I was worried they would resent me for “trapping” their sons. Like, maybe they would believe that I’m some evil witch who cast a spell on them. I’m glad to know that isn’t the case. And I should have known better anyway. These boys were raised right.
There is only one person left to meet and I think I’m more nervous about meeting him than I was about meeting the guy’s families. Maybe because meeting him confirms that my worst nightmare has come true—I really am adopted.
My siblings joked about it my whole life.
I’ve always asked my parents.
They’ve always venomously denied it.
My mom’s mom was short, they would tell me.
My great-grandfather had black hair.
Genetics aren’t always simple, Dad would tell me. And he would know. He’s a doctor.
But it was all just a rouse. A lie. A really, really good lie.
How will I get over being lied to?
I push those thoughts aside for now, though. I don’t want the guys thinking that I’m being melodramatic. I know my thoughts have been dark today, ever since I found out.
Maybe it’s not true.
“Penelope?” a voice says from behind me.
I turn around and look at a guy who must be my grandfather.
He looks a lot like Margot Westwood.
Exactly like her.
But nothing like me.
“I am Robert Westwood,” he says.
Robert Westwood.
He doesn’t introduce himself to me as my grandfather.
He doesn’t reach out to shake my hand or hug me or anything of the things that the guys’ families did.
Nope.
He just stands there, looking at me.
“You have your mother’s nose,” he says.
I have my mother’s nose?
Is he serious?
“Are you my grandfather?” I ask.
He nods.
Robert Westwood and I look nothing alike.
His hair is blond.
Mine is black.
His eyes are golden brown.
Mine are purple.
Well, sometimes.
He’s over six feet tall.
I’m not even five feet tall.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“I’d never forget your eyes,” he says.
I can’t argue with that.
My grandfather doesn’t look old. Not like my dad’s parents. He doesn’t look a day over thirty, which is kind of strange. Like looks younger than my parents do. There is not one wrinkle, not one gray hair. I would question if this guy is even old enough to be my grandfather if I couldn’t see it in his eyes. I can see his age—his wisdom. I wonder how long he’s been around, but I think it’d probably be rude to ask.
I have so many questions that I don’t know where to start. Questions about my mother and my father. Questions about him. About why I was given to another family to be raised. But before I can ask anything, he’s focusing his attention behind me.
“I hear a congratulations are in order.”
He’s talking to Liam, not me.
“Yes, sir,” Liam says. “For all of us.”
I can’t quite read the look on Robert’s face when Liam says for all of us. Of course he knew that I had four mates. I haven’t been here long, but I know it’s the talk of the shifter community. People have two emotions when they hear—shock or disgust. Some people are happy after the shock wears off, but they never look at me the same way.
Because they all think I’m having sex with four guys. Little do they know that I haven’t even kissed a boy yet. Not that I haven’t been tempted a time or two.
I want to reach out to Robert and touch his hand. I want to know what he’s thinking. But that feels wrong. It’s an invasion of privacy. Maybe I don’t want to know what he’s thinking. It’s probably better if I don’t know.
“I just wanted to come and congratulate you all,” Robert says, smiling. His smile is tight though. “I will be seeing you all around a lot, I’m sure.”
He’ll be seeing us around?
Before I can ask, he turns and walks away, leaving me alone with the guys.
Is this dude serious?
I didn’t even get to ask him anything.
I turn to the guys and they looked just as shocked as I am.
“Maybe seeing you for the first time all these years was too much,” Aiden suggests.
Yeah, maybe.
I mean, my mom gave me up for a reason, right? Maybe she was young when she had me. Maybe she gave me up because she couldn’t be a mom yet. Or maybe after she got pregnant with me, she met her mate.
“We can’t have offspring with somebody who isn’t our mate,” Parker says. “It’s impossible.”
Impossible?
Wait… so my mom definitely had me with her mate. If that’s the case, why didn’t she…
Before I can finish the thought, I hear screaming.
Liam and Cole run towards the commotion. Parker and Aiden both grab my hand and we follow behind them.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
They don’t answer, but I can feel how anxious they are through our link.
Before we even leave the room, Liam abruptly stops and turns toward Aiden, Parker, and me. Cole stops too.
“Get her to the safe room,” Liam orders.
Parker tugs on my hand, but I don’t walk with him.
“Liam…”
“I’ll come get you soon, I promise,” he says.
I look at Cole, who is watching me.
“We will come for you,” Cole says.
And I believe them.
I’m just worried.
Parker tugs me again and this time I walk with him. Aiden stays on the other side of me.
My heart is racing, and my stomach is in knots. I don’t like being separated from Liam and Cole. Something is wrong. I can hear the chaos in the other room. I can hear people screaming. They’re scared—terrified. And I know it’s Liam and Cole’s job to protect them. But I hate being separated from my mates.
Parker and Aiden lead me through the castle, to a part I’ve never been in before—there is a door I’ve never even noticed in the library that leads down a long staircase.
“Unless you’re a council member, you can’t go through that door,” Aiden tells me.
“How?” I ask.
“Magic,” Parker answers.
I suppose that is as good of an answer as any. How else could they hide an entire island in the Caribbean?
“How come I’m allowed down here?” I ask. “I’m not a member of the council. Wait, neither are you guys.”
“Not yet,” Aiden says. “We will be. When we’re older.”
“And you’re allowed here because you’re our mate.” Parker pulls harder on my hand to get me to walk faster.
Right.
We’re now in a large room underneath the school.
Aiden and Parker are both quiet when we get down there. They look at each other for a moment, then at me.
“We have to go help them.” Parker holds my gaze, his eyes imploring.
“I’ll come with you,” I offer, taking a step closer to them.
“It’s not safe,” Aiden says. “We would all protect you above everybody else. You’re safe down here.”
“But—"
“Cole and Liam need our help,” Parker cuts me off.
It’s the one thing that could actually make me stay down here.
My fight is completely gone now.
I sigh. “Okay.”
“Everything will be okay. I promise.” Aiden squeezes my hand firmly before letting go.
I nod.
He’s right.
Everything will be okay.
Aiden and Parker look at me one last time before heading up the stairs to help Liam and Cole.
I just wish I knew what was going on.
I’m pissed.
How dare somebody ruin Penelope’s night.
This is her night. The night we get to introduce her to the shifter community as our mate. And somebody dares to start chaos, they dare to start a war, on her special night?
Liam is about ready to murder somebody.
When we get into the room, I’m confused by what’s in front of me. It’s shifter against shifter—wolf against wolf. There are a few witches, but for the most part shifters are acting on their own.
What is going on?
“Give us the girl and nobody gets hurt.”
It’s one of the witches.
Everybody is asking what girl.
But I know.
Liam knows.
“The hybrid. Where is she?”
That’s when I know.
Tonight isn’t going to end well.
They’re not getting my mate.