The Shadow Twin

Chapter 25 - His revelation

I kept touching or running a finger up the side of my neck, the side Leigh had licked, and Ryder gave me a knowing look over the nurse’s shoulder. She was checking his shoulder, to make sure the damage Leigh had done would heal perfectly. The door to the room swung open and our parents rushed through it. Kaylen and Rylee were trailing behind them.

“What happened?” Our parents asked at the same time and Ryder gave me another knowing look.

“Not here.” He then said and looked down at his shoulder. The nurse was now putting the final touch on the bandages she had put around his arm and shoulder. That woman sure worked fast. She then backed away and Ryder rose to his feet. With a jerk of his head, he went towards the door, and we all followed him. My hand found the side of my neck yet again as we walked down the hallway. The movement caused my mother to look my way and I lowered my hand again. I then stuffed both of them down the pockets of my pants and increased my pace. I already knew where Ryder was heading, we all did and sure enough the doors to our father’s office came into view shortly after. Oh, the speed of a werewolf. Sometimes a curse, sometimes a blessing. Ryder walked straight in and slummed down on one of the chairs. He looked rather pale in the light in here. Or maybe I haven’t really noticed until now.

“So, what happened?” Father asked as he made his way to the chair behind the desk. Our mother sat down on the corner of the desk at his right side. Ryder looked at me, silently urging me to take the lead on this one. And I did.

“We found the ones that have been killing people on our territory.” I said and then slummed down on the chair next to Ryder.

“Finally, some good news.” Our mother breathed out, but then looked between Ryder and me.

“Or not.” She then said and put her head on our father’s shoulder.

“What is it this time? How many did we lose?” She asked while she breathed in our father’s scent, trying to calm down. This whole deal with Leigh and then the attacks had been especially hard on her. Why I didn’t know, but I didn’t need to. Me banishing Leigh had been a hard blow to everybody.

“The former Darkmoon Walkers brothers.” I breathed out and leaned back in the chair. I looked up at the celling, while I let my family express their hatred for the guys.

“But that’s not all.” Ryder said and stopped them in their hate filled outbursts and I could feel his eyes on me.

“Do you want to explain it or should I?” He said in a slightly mocking tone, that I didn’t care to react on. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and sighed at his hard glare.

“Leigh was with them.” I said looking back up at the celling and then lowered my head to look at them.

“Turns out that she’s, their long-lost sister… I guess we finally found out the connection between them.” My voice was so low that I almost whispered the last part. Shock was clearly visible on their faces. I still couldn’t believe it or maybe I just didn’t want to. The last option, the most likely one.

“And.” Ryder said c*****g an eyebrow at me, while also giving me a knowing glare.

“She did that to Ryder to get me to let her and her brothers go. And they are after Sheila... And if we try to stop them, she won’t hesitate to kill us. She wasn’t all that forgiving upon seeing us again.” This whole situation was a mess. I was sort of happy to finally have the mystery that were the connection between Leigh and the brothers slowed, but that was the only thing to be happy about. I knew that she might not be happy to see me again, but I hadn’t expected that level of coldness and hatred from her. Did I deserve it? For sure, but I had hoped to meet on different terms. How was I supposed to fix things if she just brushed me off? This mess that I had created just got more and more complicated for every single information we gathered. I sighed again and then noticed Ryders excepting glare at me. We just looked at each other for some time, while the room was silent. The rest of our family must have picked up on the slight tension between Ryder and me. I wasn’t ready to say the thing he wanted me to say out loud. It just couldn’t be real. I already had a Mate, but then again, my wolf had never acknowledged her at such. Leigh… Leigh was a totally different story. I had reacted the second my eyes had taking in her face on the poorly taking picture. It would also explain why she had consumed me the way she had. She had been in my thoughts constantly since I saw that picture and just sneaking glances at her would make me smile. Something I had felt the need to hide. I didn’t understand it back then. Why I felt the way I did about her even when she wasn’t around and especially when she was around. I sort of thought it was just my wolf rebelling against the bond between me and Shelia. Like I was doing it wrong or something like that. Never in my wildest dreams would I have pictured the reason to be this, but it made me sort of happy that she was mine. Not that I could ever have her, because I had f****d that up big time. But maybe, just maybe, she might change her mind, because the Mating-bond might force her to do so. It was selfish to think like that, but knowing she was my Mate, I just wanted her here with me at all times. I needed to find out were Sheila fitted in, in all of this, because I wasn’t sure how to handle this. What if Shelia wasn’t my Mate? Or maybe she was only my human sides Mate, while Leigh belonged to my wolf... No that wasn’t it, because my human side had the same feelings for her as my wolf, whose feelings was just stronger. Most likely because I hadn’t given in to them completely yet, like he had. I just wasn’t completely sure on this whole Mate thing anymore. Leigh said she was my Mate, and I could feel the bond. But I also felt the same thing for Shelia, and I definitely felt a bond between us to. I groaned slightly. This was giving me a headache. The not knowing. I might be lacking in information, cause none of this made any sense. I then noticed Ryder shaking his head, at the corner of my eye and he then turned to face the rest of the family.

“Leigh is Kayden’s Mate.” He then said and I felt everybody’s eyes on me. It was like their eyes was digging into my skin and I looked back up, to study the boring celling. This whole deal was a mess. My life was never this complicated, before Leigh became part of it.

“Is that even possible?” Kayleen said over the gasp from over mother.

“How’s that possible?” Our father said before Kayleen had finished her question, and thereby talking over her. But I heard her. Heard both of them. And I didn’t know it was possible, so I had no answers for them.

“This is just priceless.” Rylee said with a voice deprived of emotions, except for the false humor he lased it with.

“You treated her like crap, despite the fact that she’s your wife. You failed to show up and her arm was ruined. You then banished her, putting the final nail in her coffin. Only to find out that she’s, your mate. You were married to your f*****g mate on pure f*****g luck.” He then sneered and I felt his eyes boring into me, but I didn’t feel like looking at him right now.

“Rylee.” Our mother said in a warning tone, she almost never used. But had a lot lately. On me that is.

“No… He f*****g deserves it for all the s**t he put her through. Why can’t you see it?” He roared. He had the gut to say out loud something I was thinking myself. I was married to my Mate, and I drove her away. It felt like a sick joke, but it wasn’t. I truly had been a selfish asshole.

“You are totally right Rylee… I thought Shelia was my mate, she might still be. I don’t know. But I thought Leigh was a torn in my side, keeping me from being happy. I was only thinking about myself, and the weird emotions Leigh stirred up inside, made me act out. I drove her away; I know that Rylee. I know I took my insecurities out on her. I know I wasn’t there for her when she needed me. I should have been a better husband, because that’s what I knew I was back then. Her husband. I was well aware of that title… If I could take it all back I would, but I can’t. She deserves better than me, that’s for sure, but she still deserves to be here. With people who loves her and have from the second she walked through our doors.” I then looked at him with a determination that I hadn’t felt in a long ass time.

“And I am going to get her to walk through those doors again, because I am going to make this right, no matter the cost...”