White knuckles on the counter.

  Common last name. Some places.

  Meant nothing.

  Except it didn’t.

  Drunk nights.

  Swearing.

  The smell of stale beer.

  Me hiding behind the couch.

  A firm hand settled on my shoulder—steady, but gentle.

  He guided me toward the back door and out into the yard.

  I didn’t get triggered by my childhood often.

  “Just breathe,” Xavier said as we stopped at a picnic table. “Sorry for grabbing you without asking—but you needed to get out of there.”

  “Thanks.” I sank onto the bench and buried my face in my hands. “So much for making a clean first impression. Arthur made a horrible mistake.”

  “What happened?” He sat down beside me.

  “Are Betas supposed to be like this?” I asked.

  “Mental safety is a thing,” he chuffed softly. “Now—what set you off?”

  Bastard.

  “Prince.” My voice shook.

  Silence.

  Long silence.

  “Edgar Prince made my life hell.”

  There. I said it.

  A sharp intake of breath—then another.

  That wasn’t the response I expected.

  “Fucking hell,” Xavier said.

  …Um.

  “He left my mom and me,” Xavier said, anger threading his voice. “Left his mate and kid without ever letting us know why.”

  Shit.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  My pulse spiked.

  I needed to look at him—needed to ground myself in something real—

  But I couldn’t.

  Chaos, I whispered, what the hell do I do?

  Try looking at him, Chaos said. He is your Beta.

  I drew a deep breath and looked up.

  Green eyes—just like mine.

  My throat tightened.

  Brown hair. A beard.

  No gray.

  …Damn it.

  He looked younger than me.

  …Right. Shifters didn’t age like humans. Of course they didn’t.

  He smirked. “Our genes are just big bullies, aren’t they?”

  “Something like that,” I swallowed hard.

  The sharp smell of sulfur announced Blaine’s arrival.

  “Fuck. Blaine—just let Arthur teleport me next time,” Jack said. “Also, it’s not that important.”

  Blaine glanced between us with a grin that said he already knew about Xavier. “Hi, Xavier. Glad someone finally freed you.”

  Xavier groaned. “You know why I wouldn’t let you.”

  Jack spun toward me with a scowl. “All I wanted to do was tell you Merlin’s making those sprays and lures you asked for, Dad.”

  Xavier stared at Jack.

  Jack, as usual, was completely focused on telling me things and not on, say, the man sitting next to me who could’ve passed for my younger twin.

  Xavier slowly turned back to me.

  “You have a son?”

  And now Jack noticed him.

  That was my boy.

  Jack gawked at him.

  “Yup,” I said. “Xavier Prince, meet your nephew, Jack Vicars.”

  “Uncle?” Jack’s head whipped back to me. “You don’t have any relatives!”

  I sighed while Chaos giggled in my skull.

  I could feel Dragoon rolling his eyes.

  “Yeah. Surprised me just now,” I said.

  Xavier stared at Jack, then back at me. “How is he an Earth dragon?”

  “Odin wanted to get rid of an inferior dragon, so he messed with me,” Jack shrugged. “Probably to make me more compliant. That didn’t work, so the next step was putting a neural chip with an AI therapist in my brain. I’m psychic now.”

  Also my kid.

  Wait… get rid of inferior dragon?

  Xavier blinked.

  “So he got the family ADHD too?” Xavier said slowly.

  “Yup.” I nodded. “Didn’t learn a whole lot about hiding it until he joined the military, though.”

  “Jack—we were human.” I scratched my beard.

  Xavier paused, then turned to me. “So you were born human?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” I said. “Dad was.”

  Before he could answer, Blaine cut him off.

  “Did you figure out how to help the shifters in your battle?”

  I glared at him.

  I had an emotional breakdown while introducing myself as Alpha and found out I have a brother. What do you think?

  I shoved the thought at him, knowing he could pick it up.

  He grinned like I’d done something impressive. “So… no?”

  He said it out loud.

  Xavier groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Blaine…”

  “Dad, we need to figure this out,” Jack said, already pacing. “We don’t know how long the shield can hold. We need some kind of offensive plan for the shifters.”

  I sighed. “Quit acting like me without my permission.”

  He grinned wider.

  I turned back to Xavier. “Any ideas? Loud noises, fake scents, bright flashes—anything?”

  His shoulders slumped. “Got nothing. But we want to help.”

  “Why do paranormals have no books that could help?” I demanded.

  Book wyrm, Dragoon chuckled.

  I like that, Chaos added.

  I hated them both.

  “Oh…” I knew that grin on Blaine’s face. It was usually followed by something I’d regret.

  “The town has a bookstore,” he said. “They might have what we need.”

  I don’t trust this, I told Chaos.

  Would it help if I said I see uncorrupted Chaos energy all over it? Chaos asked.

  “Nope,” I said. “No, it would not.”