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ChapterForty-ThreeKatyaMy eyes flutter open

to see the ceiling. I sit up, confused. The last thing I remember is getting in

the car and Maddox pulling me on his lap. I rub my eyes, wondering if I'm

dreaming, but I don't remember falling asleep, and how did I end up in our bed?

I come face to face with Ezra's wolf as I roll over.When I go to wake

him up, I hear footsteps and look at the door. Mateo steps in, his voice

flitting through my head. “Don’t wake him. He only got home

three hours ago,” Mateo tells me, making me look at Maddox curled up

beside me, he growls in his sleep, and I'm about to climb off the bed when he

moves, his big furry head landing on my chest.“What

time is it?” I mindlink back.“5:30 AM.”I sigh, putting my

head back onto the pillow. Maddox moves and places his paw on top of my head. I

push it off to land on the pillow above my head before rolling onto my side to

face him. His head moves as I roll, his nose pressing against my neck, and I

brush his fur. Mateo sits on the other side of him.“Why is he in this

form? Where is Ezra?” I whisper to Mateo.“Maddox didn't give

him control back, and then he fell asleep,” Mateo answers.“Wait, why did he

take control?” I ask Mateo and his eyes snap to mine.“You don’t

remember?” He asks, and I shake my head, wondering what there is to remember.

Mateo sighs before muttering. “Of course, you don't.” Mateo rubs his eyes.

Looking at him, he doesn’t look like he had much sleep. He leans back against

the headboard, closing his eyes before speaking again. “How do you feel?” He

whispers, and I furrow my brows in confusion.“Fine, just

wondering how I got in bed,” I tell him, running my fingers through Maddox's

fur. He purrs in his sleep before Mateo snores softly, making my eyes dart to

him. I glance at the clock, I still have two hours before Andrei is meant to

get here. I wiggle out from under Maddox’s paw on my hip and his other above my

head. Gently, I place his huge furry paw on the bed, pushing my pillow closer

for him. He sniffs it in his sleep before he exhales loudly, his big furry body

rising and falling heavily with each breath.I move to the

walk-in closet, and grab some clothes before sneaking to the bathroom in the

hallway and quickly throwing them on, leaving them both to sleep in the

bedroom. Once dressed, I sneak downstairs to the kitchen, turn the kettle on,

and make myself a coffee, being careful not to bang the teaspoon on the cup and

wake them. I can feel they are both still asleep. I am wide awake and know

going back to sleep would not happen. I feel like I have been asleep for days.

Walking around the packhouse, I do some housework, filling the time. When it

gets close to the time Andrei is supposed to arrive, I put on some socks and

joggers.Hearing a car pull

up, I quickly duck out the front door to spot Andrei’s car pull into the

driveway, parking next to Ezra’s and Mateo’s. I note he hasn’t brought his

usual guards like yesterday, when he climbs out of the car. Some part of me

half expects him to bring at least one person with him since he is going onto

another territory, but he is alone. He shuts the car door, and I cringe at the

noise before he looks over the rooftop of his car at me.I raise a finger to

my lips, telling him to be quiet. He nods before walking around his car towards

me. “Is there a reason I have to be quiet?” He asks, and I roll my eyes at him

before walking around the back of the house.“Maddox took control

of Ezra or something. I am not sure. Mateo fell asleep before he told me why,

but they are both asleep,” I explain.“You seem in a

better mood,” he points out.“No guards?” I ask.He chuckles, shaking

his head, following me out the back. “What, do I need protection from you,

sis?” he asks, making me shake my head.“Coffee?” I ask him,

but he holds up a water bottle before walking into the center of the yard,

making me follow him.He sits on the

grass, and I put my hands on my hips, staring down at him, wondering what he is

doing when he pats the grass in front of him.“Aren’t you supposed

to be teaching me how to shift?” I ask him.“What do you think I

am doing?” He asks, patting the grass in front of him. He cracks the lid on his

drink bottle before taking a sip. This is the most casual I have seen him, as

he only has shorts on and a black t-shirt.“How can I be your

sister? I don’t understand, or is that a lie?” I ask him.He places the cap

back on his bottle before shaking his head. “No, it is the truth, though, I am

a little shocked you couldn’t tell when you first met me. I recognized you

instantly as a relative.”“I didn’t even know

my mother wasn’t my mother,” I answer with a shrug.“Your scent gave you

away. You smell like my bio father, although more like your mates,” he

explains, waving his hand forward, telling me to come closer. I pull a face at

him. “I am not doing anything. If I was going to, I would have already,” he

informs me.I roll my eyes,

leaning over and sniffing him. Hmm, he does smell like

my father, but it is very faint. “But wait, you tried to mate me,” I tell him,

grossed out.Andrei also cringes

at my words. “No, my wolf Donnie did, I wasn’t prepared for you to go into heat

in front of me, and he locked onto your scent. Our wolves don’t recognize

family when they are crazed. I am into some kinky shit, but that’s just

disgusting, even I have limits, Katya.”“How are you, my

brother?”“You should ask our

father when I hand him back.”“I would rather hear

your side first. My parents don’t have the best track record of telling the

truth. Did he know about you? Wait, did my mom know about you?” I ask him,

suddenly curious about who Andrei really is.“I’m not sure about

your mothers, but yes, he did. I will tell you, but don’t accuse me of lying. A

liar I am not,” he corrects, leaning back on his hands, watching me. He tells

me after I nod. “Your father, well, technically our father. Met my mother when

they were both rogues.”“My dad was a

rogue?” I can’t stop the gasp that escapes me.“Yep, so was I for

ten years of my life. When I was six, dad said he was going to ask Alpha

Jackson if we could join his pack, but he never returned. We thought at first

that Jackson was holding him for trespassing, but it wasn’t until two years

later, when we met Anthony, that we discovered he was banished from Jackson’s

pack. He was one of their new warriors, he spoke of a woman, who was his mate,

but she rejected him because her other mate refused to share her.”“My mother,

Katherine?” He nods.“My mother wasn’t

your father’s mate. He never marked her, so when he found his mate, he

abandoned us and moved on, leaving my mother and me behind and leaving us as

rogues.”“So how come you

were rogues?”“Have your mate's

father to thank for that, he killed our pack Alpha, forcing those of us that

survived to turn rogue.”“But you're an

Alpha?” I tell him, and he nods.“I am now, not by

blood obviously, Dad was the Alpha’s Beta. We remained a pack of rogues for a

few years until Anthony and a few others saved up enough to buy some land, and

we made a packhouse. Everyone pledged to him, wanted him as Alpha, then when I hit

18, he handed the title down to me, making me an Alpha.”“So is Anthony, my

mom's other mate. Is he still alive?”Andrei nods. “Yes,

while you got raised by dad, Anthony marked my mother and took her as his mate,

he used to tell me stories of his old mate being some sort of healer, so I

started researching. Honestly, I thought he was losing his marbles, well until

I met you and I realized everything my stepfather told me was true,” he

chuckles, turning the cap on his water bottle and opening it, he takes a sip

offering it to me, but I shake my head. “Anyway, enough chit-chat, let's get

you to shift.”“Wait, just one more

question” He sighs but nods.“Why do you want my

venom?”He laughs before

shaking his head. “Can’t tell you all my secrets,” he teases, and I press my

lips in a line. “Do you know anything about meditation?” He asks, and I raise

an eyebrow at his words.“You want me to

meditate?” I stare at him, and he shrugs, crossing his legs and placing his

hands on his knees.“Hey, don’t look at

me like that. It is good for you. Helps find your grounding place.”Great, I have a

brother, and he is some sort of hippy. “I will try it,” I concede, and he

smiles. He does look like my father a little bit when he smiles like that, I

shake the thought away.“Okay, just copy me

and close your eyes and take a deep breath in.”I try not to laugh,

but do as he says.