Jack helped Tyler pull me up, and Tyler walked me to a door that led outside where a bunch of smokers were stationed. We walked away from them and found a brick wall to sit down on. Tyler looked at me and asked, “Are you okay? Do you have any questions for me?”
The fresh air helped, and I finally found myself able to speak. “Why didn’t I know you existed until today?”
He let out a deep breath. “Well, I don’t know the whole story, but I know some. I know that after my mom got pregnant, Drew—er—our father went off to college with the promise he’d always support her. They even considered becoming chosen mates but decided to wait until they met their true mates to decide.”
“But how could my dad just deny your existence?” I asked, shocked.
“Sadly, I don’t think it’s rare with werewolves, especially with alpha families. You hear stories all the time about mistresses of alphas being banished from their packs after they become pregnant, especially in religious packs that forbid birth control and abortions. I think that was probably the expectation with your mom’s family.”
“It’s not right though. And I can’t believe he just hid you from me all these years. I had a brother all this time and I didn’t even know.” I put my head in my hands, feeling overwhelmed by all the information I was being given to process. I couldn’t help but feel anger at my parents for hiding this from me all these years.
“No, it’s not, but, on the bright side, Drew did keep his word. He’s sent regular payments to my mom all these years to help support me and helped pay for me to go to college. He also sent me birthday cards every year. So, he’s not completely heartless.”
I shook my head, mystified, thinking how surreal this situation was. All this time I had wished for an older sibling, I had one all along. I finally asked, “How long have you know about me?”
“I’ve always known about you. I just didn’t know how you looked. I tried searching for you on Facebook a few times, but I could never find you.”
“I use a fake last name on Facebook.” I chuckled. “I didn’t know I’d have long-lost brothers searching for me.”
He laughed and got up, putting his arm out for me. “You seem like you’re doing better. Ready to rejoin the group?”
I took his arm and he led me back inside to the restaurant. We sat back down at our seats to see that the food had arrived.
“Are you okay, Jasmine?” Ivy asked as soon as I sat down. I nodded in response, still feeling overwhelmed by the surprise that had been thrust upon me.
“Jasmine, I know it’s a lot, and this information probably should have come from your father,” Katie started, “but you’re an adult now and I thought it was time you should learn the truth.”
“But why was this kept from me all these years?” I asked. “Why did my dad think it was okay to just never tell me I had a brother?”
Katie cleared her throat and replied, “It was a bad situation all around. Your mom comes from a very conservative alpha family, and when she found out that your dad already had a pup, she was furious. She got her family involved. Her older brother came with their father and threatened your pack, saying that they would declare war if your father didn’t honor the mate bond with your mother. They demanded that no one in the pack speak of the relation between Tyler and any of your mother’s future children. Which was a bit of an odd request considering, originally, we were all going to live in the same pack as you. But, after your mom had you, I realized it was not a sustainable arrangement and left with Tyler and my parents for another pack, leaving my old life behind.”
I stared at her, trying to digest everything. Just then, the manager of the restaurant came by to greet our table. He looked over at me and said, “Ah! Beta Luke’s mate! It’s so nice to see you again! Is this your family here?”
I winced at the sharp pain in my stomach and hunched over. Ivy rubbed my back and said to the manager, “You’ve got the wrong person.”
“My apologies. She looks and smells just like her.” He blinked at me.
“Well, maybe you should get your memory checked,” Ivy shot back. He looked at her in confusion and walked away from our table. Ivy turned to me and said, “Sorry about that, Jasmine. I didn’t realize the manager here knew you. Are you okay?”
I nodded, not able to speak, the pain still like an open wound.
She gave me a hug and said, “It’ll get better.”
After we began eating, Ivy spoke again. “Jasmine, I told Katie about your mate situation while you were outside. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted her to tell you about hers. I thought it might help.”
I nodded and Katie spoke. “After things didn’t work out with your father, I met my mate, Carl Miller. He was very strange, but I couldn’t deny the mate bond. At first, it seemed we got along quite well. But after he found out I already had a pup, he became disgusted. I don’t even know how it was possible with how strong the mate bond was. But he eventually rejected me. There was nothing I could do but to accept the rejection. And just like you feel right now, I was in agony for months. I did everything I could to continue with my life, raising my pup and going to work. Eventually the pain went down, little by little, until it was manageable. Although it was always there, it became easier to do the things I needed to do and appear normal to the outside world. Eventually, I met my current, chosen mate, and the pain started to disappear even more, day by day. After we marked each other, I felt like a new person. It had completely vanished. So don’t worry, Jasmine. It hurts now, but it’s not forever. You will climb out of it one day.”
I nodded. I wondered how long it would take to meet a chosen mate, and if I ever would. If I didn’t, I would just need to find a way to live with it like Katie did and Blake does. I forced myself to eat some of the food. As soon as I swallowed a bite, I realized how hungry I was. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast on Monday, except for a few bites of toast here or there. I heartily ate my food.
After I finished my plate, curiosity getting the best of me, I asked, “What was my dad like in high school?”
Katie looked at me and replied, “He was intelligent—one of those guys that liked to talk about philosophy and history, play guitar, and smoke pot.” She laughed and continued, “He was also really outdoorsy. We used to go hiking all the time, get high, and just talk about everything. He was really easy to talk to and a great listener.”
Ivy chimed in, “He’s changed a lot, Jasmine. He grew up and matured. He had to take on a lot of responsibility at a young age—Katie got pregnant our senior year of high school. I know he also loves your mom and wants to do right by her. She was raised by an alpha family, so I’m sure she had to shoulder a lot of expectations growing up. And your grandparents were always very religious and strict, so my guess is he wanted to prove to them he was a good man and make them proud. I’m only speculating, of course, but it’s just things I’ve observed over the years.”
“I also wouldn’t be surprised if he was trying to prevent the same things from happening to you that happened to me,” Katie added.
I nodded at both of them, surprised at the revelation. I couldn’t imagine my dad to be the type to smoke pot. It was as if I was learning about a complete stranger. We stayed for several hours, chatting. Ivy ordered another bottle of champagne and we all ordered dessert. After dinner was over, Jack stayed behind to get to know Tyler more, now that they knew they were mates. Ivy drove us home in Jack’s car.