Chapter 105
Sofia Bliss.
I stared at him without reacting.
Still trying to process what he had just said.
He still had that smile on his face, but it wasn’t a normal smile.
It was a sad one, broken, filled with feelings I didn’t recognize.
His face — somehow, the affection, the features — they were familiar, but how was that even possible?
Where did I know him from? If I didn't remember him... but deep down, I knew him, it was so confusing.
I noticed his eyes... they were light... he had a handsome face... but I kept wondering where I had seen him from.
Where?
I tried to calm myself, to think before doing anything impulsive.
I still wanted to go to Adrian, but now I had to deal with this.
I needed to know who this man was.
So... I started asking.
''You… knew my mother?''
He nodded slowly, in a way that seemed almost painful.
''I did,'' he said in a voice so low it was barely audible. ''More than you imagine.''
Slowly, I took a step back.
Because my body reacted long before my mind did.
My wolf backed away too, confused, trying to understand who that man was and why he felt so familiar.
Looking at him was like walking into a place you’ve never been, yet somehow knowing where every piece of furniture belongs.
''I’m…'' He drew a deep breath, as if the words still hurt. ''Serena’s younger brother.''
I was in shock... was that really it? He was my mother's brother?
Brother?
Serious?
I shook my head, not ready to accept that.
I already knew some things — I had read the papers Adrian showed me about my mother and her family — but part of me still didn’t believe it until now.
Even so, I needed to test it. I needed to see with my own eyes if it was true.
''That doesn’t make any sense,'' I murmured. ''My mother never… never said anything about having a brother.'' I shook my head in disapproval.
He was young, yes — maybe only a few years older than me — but being my mother’s younger brother? Was that really possible?
He lowered his gaze for a moment.
I couldn’t read his expression.
Not clearly.
''I know.'' He ran a hand through his hair, nervous. ''She distanced herself from the family. Her choice, not ours. And when she died… we tried contacting Jose…'' He hesitated when he said my father’s name. ''Your father…'' he continued. ''But when we found your address, there was no one left there. That’s how we learned about you — the photos in the house, most of them from when you were little.''
That hit me out of nowhere.
He had gone to the farm?
He’d seen our photos?
That must have been recently — after my father tried to kill himself.
I wanted to know more... to see if he was telling the truth, if he was trustworthy.
''Why didn’t you ever show up before?'' I asked, feeling a strange mix of emotions. ''Why did no one ever contact us?''
''Your mother didn’t want us to,'' he said, pain clear in his eyes. ''Before she left, we had a family argument, and she thought it was best to cut ties completely… Occasionally she replied to a message or two, but nothing more…''
My heartbeat slowed.
That explained some things.
''What’s… your name?'' I asked, even as my voice dropped.
''Luke Hines.''
So it really was him… my supposed uncle. It was written on those papers; there was no mistake.
I breathed in sharply, trying to hold my emotions together, trying to stay human when nothing inside me felt human.
Even though I was trying to control myself, my inner wolf was still wary, watching everything... especially him.
'' Well... do you know how she died?'' I asked, my voice rough.
I don't understand why I asked like that.
Maybe I needed to test him.
Possibly I wanted to know if he knew anything.
''They told us it was a car accident,'' he answered quickly, without thinking. ''That’s what we were told. Brake failure, she crashed… They said she died instantly.''
The same story.
The lie they told me.
Did he really not know the truth?
Or was he a liar too? Well, I didn't know the truth... it seemed like he really didn't know either.
Should I trust him?
And then, before I could control myself, I whispered:
''My mother didn’t die in a car accident.''
Luke’s eyes widened, locking on me as if he had frozen in place.
His face… changed.
As if I had ripped the skin off a truth he never expected to hear.
I couldn’t decipher it.
Fear?
Shock?
Guilt?
Anger?
Impossible to tell.
My wolf backed up again, suspicious.
That reaction wasn’t simple.
It wasn’t normal.
It felt… dangerous.
Luke took one step closer.
His eyes… were too deep.
As if he were searching for something inside me, trying to see something I couldn’t understand.
''Sofia…'' he started slowly. ''You—''
But before he could finish to talk, the smell — that smell — invaded the hallway.
That DAMN smell.
The same one from the clinic, from my father’s room.
My spine hardened.
My body locked up, full alert.
And then a masculine voice, deep and rough, sliced through the air.
''Luke Hines. Long time.''
Luke turned immediately, tense.
I followed his movement and saw an older man — tall, elegant, with a few gray strands, and sharp eyes that looked through people.
When his eyes landed on me, and I stared back, breathing deep, I knew.
He was the owner of that smell.
''Look at you...,'' he said, examining me with an irritatingly calm smile, ''is Serena’s daughter… We finally meet.''
The world around me tightened.
It felt like I was trapped between the two of them.
Two wolves.
Two gazes dissecting my every move.
The wolf inside me… wasn’t afraid.
But it was restless, electrified, ready to attack or flee — I just didn’t know from whom.
Which one.
''Been a long time, Luke,'' the older man continued, his voice cold.
''Since that failed engagement, Andrew…''
Andrew?
Andrew Hoffman?
The same Andrew who appeared in those documents?
My mother’s supposed fiancé?
''Don’t use that story to provoke me.''
I looked from one to the other, not understanding a damn thing.
Why were they both here?
And most importantly — why was this man’s smell in the room where my father had been?
My throat dried, my wolf beginning to form reckless thoughts.
Calm down…
''Who are you?'' I asked, even though I had already heard his name, even though I already knew who he was.
I just wanted to hear from him... and pretend I didn't know him.
He smiled at me like he had been waiting for that exact question.
''It’s a long story, but let’s just say I was very close to your mother before you were born.''