Chapter 95

I stared at my brother, completely dumbfounded. When he said he had something to show me, I didn’t think he meant a human, let alone a child. The little girl appeared to be about 7, no more than 8. She had long dark hair, and she clung to my brother like he was her lifeline, clearly terrified.

“This is what you had to show me?” I frowned, sneaking a glance at Grace to see my own confusion mirrored on her face. “A child.”

Caleb swallowed hard and nodded once before saying, “Rhys, meet your niece.”

“I don’t understand...” I rubbed my face tiredly, sitting on the arm of Grace’s chair, so I could hold her closer to me.

“This is my daughter, Sammy... When I got banished, I went pretty much directly to the Red Blood pack. I know they were technically an alliance, but based on how they treated Grace, I didn’t really think they would have an issue with me being there, and I was right. They loved that they could have an Alpha Prince to help them with their plans, especially because you banished me, and they thought they could use me and I could get my revenge. A fair trade...” He took a deep breath before continuing, “And for a bit, I was on their side... I probably would have continued to be if I hadn’t run into my mate...”

I frowned. “Your mate?”

The look of shame that crossed Caleb’s face was concerning.

“Yes, I met my mate 8 years ago... Her name was Katherine... But she went by Kate. Her and I had a one-night stand, and I selfishly rejected her and all but kicked her out of the pack... I wasn’t ready for a mate. I didn’t want a mate. But I also didn’t want to see my mate with anyone else. I know. I didn’t deserve a mate then, nor do I now. I was horrible.”

“Okay...” I said slowly. I could connect the dots from here, but I wanted to hear it from him.

“When I ran into Kate again, she was in bad shape. She worked for Luna Kinsley, however, she was not well-liked by her. When I saw her, I didn’t know what to think. The bond wasn’t really in place anymore, but she begged me for help, and that’s when I found out about Sammy... They had this plan to send the kids here in their attack to help recover Luna Grace. I had to sneak Sammy out of the ranks and hide her until the situation was under control. We know we probably can’t stay here, but we came to ask for sanctuary at least for a little while.”

I ran my hand tiredly over my face. Did he have any right to be asking for sanctuary? No. He knew that. I knew that. Grace knew that. But he was also my brother, and I had never seen my brother like this before. He wasn’t playing around or thinking he was getting away with something. He was humble and honest, and I found myself worried about him for the first time in a long time.

“Sweetie, where is your mom now?” I asked, addressing the small girl who was clinging to Caleb in fear.

“She’s dead, sir.” She answered quietly.

My eyes flickered to Caleb’s, and I could see the heartbreak in them clear as day. He may not have loved her, but she was his mate, and that was enough.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I responded uneasily. “That isn’t easy.”

“But why come here?” Grace chimed in. “If you knew there was going to be an attack and you were trying to protect Sammy, why come to where the action was happening?”

She brought up a good point. Why would anyone willing walk into danger like that?

“It was the only way out,” Caleb answered with a hard swallow. “The Red Blood pack is under lockdown currently. Unless you are assigned a mission, you are not leaving. It’s impossible. I had to prove my rank and loyalty to get in...”

I could see that my brother was changed. Whatever had happened in his time away from us had clearly made him rethink everything.

“I am willing to accept life in prison if it means I get to keep my daughter near me.”

My heart broke a little. Between nearly losing Grace today, and everything else that seemed to be piling on, I couldn’t imagine sending my brother to the dungeons. I felt myself growing softer the more time I spent with Grace. Before I would have accepted that deal as fair, but now I didn’t want to hurt that little girl more than she had already been.

A quick look at Grace though showed that she didn’t share my sentiment. In fact, the glare on her face took me by surprise.

“Grace?” I prodded.

“What if he’s plotting just like Ethan was?” She demanded angrily. “This would be another surefire way to get in.”

“Sweetheart,” Caleb said coldly, “If I wanted to turn you into Adrian and Kinsley, I would have already done so. However, I do not believe that would be in the best interest for my daughter or myself. As I told you, they were using children to attack.”

Grace turned toward me, her face reflecting the horror that I felt flooding our bond.

“They actually used kids to attack us?”

“Yes.” I told her.

“Lycan kids?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“Did you kill them?” There was a nervousness in her voice that told me she was more than a little bit afraid of what I was going to say.

“They are being corralled into the empty ballroom.” I told her, my eyes meeting hers.

“You didn’t kill them on spot?” She asked in surprise.

“They are not monsters, Gracie.” I told her, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face. “Just like you are not a monster. They had to choose to survive or die, same as you.”

She looked like she was starting to believe me, but then her eyes fell on Sammy, who tucked herself slightly behind Sammy for safety as if to protect herself from the question.”

“And Sammy, are you Lycan as well?” Grace breathed, waiting for the response with bated breath.

“Yes.”