Xavier held Janie close while she slept, ignoring the dull ache in his lower back. He would suffer in silence, endure any pain he had to, as long as he had his woman in his arms. She was his miracle, his everything.
The door opened and Chase entered, Aiden right behind him. Xavier acknowledged his alpha’s presence before turning to Aiden, “Where’s Laynie?”
“Flame took her back to the apartment for now.”
When Xavier would have protested, Chase cut in, “We have looked everywhere on White River Wolves land, Xavier. If Brent and his men were here, they aren’t now.”
Xavier relaxed some, shifting slightly to relieve some of the pressure on his back. “He won’t stay gone long.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” Chase agreed, “but we will be waiting for him next time.”
“What’s the plan?”
Chase rested his hands lightly on his hips and grinned. “The plan is for you to take the next few weeks off and get to know your mate, son.” When Xavier stiffened, Chase held up a hand, “I apologize. I know you don’t like it when I call you that.”
Xavier felt Janie stir, and looked down to see her eyes on him. Slipping his fingers through her hair, he bent down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. “More pieces to put back together?” she questioned softly.
Xavier’s gaze traveled over her delicate facial features, her eyes soft with understanding, and he nodded slowly. She was right. If she was going to do what she could on her end, then he needed to be willing to do the same. Raising his head, he met his alpha’s gaze as he said, “After what the man I knew as my father did to this pack, his family, I have had a hard time understanding why anyone would want to use that term when it comes to myself or my brother.”
“Don’t you think you have carried that guilt around long enough, Xavier?” Chase asked quietly. “Your father’s actions were not your own.”
“I know.”
“You need to learn to forgive him, Xavier.”
“Forgive a monster?” Xavier growled. “My mother is dead because of him! Your parents are gone, and it is all his fault!”
Chase crossed the room and settled a hand firmly on his shoulder. “You can’t live your life full of hate, son. Your father made a mistake. One that he paid deeply for in the end.”
“What do you mean?” Xavier sighed as he felt Chase push some of his power his way, calming him and easing the pent-up pain he had held inside for years. When normally he would have rejected the warmth, this time he lowered his head and accepted it, letting it sink deep into his soul.
“Alpha?” Aiden said, taking a step in their direction, “what happened? How did our father pay for his sins, besides with his life?”
“Titen wanted power, so much so, that he allowed his desire for it to consume him. What he did not realize was everything it would end up costing him.” Chase cursed quietly, looking from Aiden to Xavier. “I never wanted you to know what really happened. I tried to keep it from you, because I didn’t want you to be hurt more than you already were.”
“What?” Xavier demanded. What could be worse than everything they already knew?
“When we were attacked, your father knew it was coming, so he hid you boys in the crawl space above your bedroom. He told your mother to stay in the house, no matter what happened. He loved you all, and in his way, was trying to protect you.” Chase paused, rubbing a hand over his face. “Your mother was nine months pregnant at the time. A baby girl. Lila hid the best she could, but the other pack turned on your father. They came to the house looking for all of you. When we got there, your mother was dead and your sister was gone.”
“What?” Xavier gasped.
“Your father went crazy when he found out what happened,” Chase went on. “He turned rogue, and became very dangerous. We had to track him down and kill him. We had no choice. He was murdering innocent people in his grief.”
“We have a sister,” Aiden whispered in shock.
Chase nodded. “Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Xavier asked, his heart clenching at the thought of a young woman out there somewhere, his sister, scared and alone.
“Because no matter how hard I have tried, I can’t find her,” Chase admitted. “As the years went by without a trace, I thought it might be better to just keep quiet. You have both been through enough pain.”
Xavier was aware of Janie gently stroking his chest, trying to soothe him, but all he could think of was his sister. “What if she needs us?” He could barely get the words out. He may not have known about her before, but she was still his little sister. His family. He couldn’t just leave her out there on her own somewhere.
“Maybe she has a family,” Janie suggested softly. “Maybe someone took her in that loves her.”
“I hope so,” Xavier muttered.
“What about RARE?” Aiden asked suddenly. “Isn’t that what they do? Track down people that no one else can? Maybe they have contacts you don’t? Maybe they can find our sister?”
Chase froze, his eyebrows drawing together into a deep frown, “Why the hell didn’t I think of that?” he growled in frustration. “Angel is off the grid right now. She and her team are out looking for Jeremiah, but I will talk to her as soon as she gets back.”
Xavier let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Thank you, Alpha.”
Chase squeezed his shoulder once before letting go. “I just wish there was more I could do. I have exhausted any leads that I had, but maybe RARE will get further than I could.”
“Who else knows about this?” Xavier asked, suspicion beginning to fill him. How many people had lied to them over the years? It wasn’t that he didn’t understand why Chase made the decisions that he did, but did the entire pack know?
“Not many,” Chase said. “Your aunt did, Doc Josie, a couple of the older wolves, and Sable.”
“Sable knows and didn’t tell me?” Aiden said, the hurt obvious in his voice. Besides Xavier, Sable was Aiden’s best friend. They did everything together. At one time Xavier had wondered if Sable was Aiden’s mate, but once he met Janie, he knew she couldn’t be. There was no way they could be around each other as much as they were if they were mates, and not complete the bond. He had no idea how he had lasted a full year. Even now, he was fighting the urge to go back on his words of just an hour ago and claim her.
“She was under orders not to, Aiden,” Chase told him, as he walked over to the door. “She didn’t have a choice. She wanted to tell you, but I wouldn’t allow it.”
“Why does she know?” Xavier asked, his eyes on his brother.
“Sable walked into my office one day when I had a file open on my desk with your family’s information in it. She saw enough that I had to tell her. Since then, she has been doing everything she can to help me find your sister. She wants to do it for you, but also for your sister. She says no one deserves to be lost.”
“She’s right,” Janie whispered, bringing her hand up to clasp his tightly. “We need to find your sister.”
After leaving Xavier’s hospital room, Chase slowly made his way back to his office, lost in thought. Xavier and Aiden’s parents had been good friends with his own. They’d spent a lot of time together when Chase and Jenna were growing up. He even remembered calling them aunt and uncle. Killing Titen was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do, but he did it for his pack.
Entering his office, Chase kicked the door shut behind him and walked over to look out the window. It was his fault that the twins had been left without a parent, but he would do it again if he had to. He was Alpha, which meant he had to make decisions sometimes that even he didn’t like. For the better of his pack.
Sighing, Chase reached into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. Xavier and Aiden had lost so much, and he refused to let Xavier lose anything else. He would do everything in his power to make sure Janie was safe, even if that meant calling in a favor to the one person who already carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The phone rang twice before a deep voice answered, “Jinx.”
Chase’s grip tightened on the phone as he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Jinx was his mate’s son, now his son, and the only one who could help him. Chase was sure he knew Brent and would be able to track the bastard down. “I need a favor.”
There was a slight pause before Jinx responded. “Name it.”