Chapter 9
1144 Words
Gideon’s POV
It took two long days of travel to reach the quiet, forgotten town on the outer edge of the human territories. The air here was heavy with the damp stench of sea salt and old wood—far away from the sharp, pine-scented hills of Ash River.
After confirming with a few locals that Tony still lived in the same secluded house at the end of the lane, I walked up the cracked stone steps and knocked firmly on the weather-beaten oak door.
No answer.
I pushed the door open slightly—it wasn't even locked—and stepped inside.
The house smelled faintly of stale gin, dried lavender, and expensive perfume. Sitting in a plush velvet armchair near the window was Tony. She looked noticeably older now, her black hair streaked with silver, holding a half-empty glass of amber liquor in her hand. Her sharp dark eyes flicked toward me, narrowing slightly before a low, dry chuckle escaped her lips.
"Well, well," Tony purred, resting her chin on her hand as she looked me up and down. "You're Gideon, right? Renner's brother. I haven't seen your pretty face since... what, Romona’s wedding day?"
"It's good to see you, Tony," I said, keeping my posture steady.
She took a slow sip from her glass, swirling the ice cubes. "Why are you here, Gideon? We both know Romona doesn't want anything to do with me. I’ve stayed away from her for our own good."
"That’s not entirely true," I replied softly, taking a step further into the room. "Romona loves you. But you could have tried, you know. Put in the effort. Showed her that you actually care. It feels like you just abandoned her there."
Tony let out a harsh, dramatic sigh, waving her hand dismissively in the air. "Oh, please! She has always wanted to be away from me. She couldn't wait to stop living under my roof. Now she has her freedom, so why on earth should I disturb her happiness?"
"Because she isn't happy, Tony," I said bluntly.
Tony froze, her eyes scanning my face. Just as she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, I cut her off.
"She sent me here to ask you something," I continued, dropping my voice into a serious register. "She wants to know about her biological parents."
Tony’s expression hardened instantly. The faint warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by a flare of sharp, bitter anger. She slammed her glass down on the side table.
"That ungrateful little brat!" Tony spat, leaning forward. "After all these years, she is still bothered about her biological parents?! Does she not know I saved her from them? Why would she want to go looking for people who never wanted her? People who gave her away for adoption the second she took her first breath in this world!"
"She isn't looking for them to bond, Tony," I explained, holding up a hand to calm her down. "She needs to find them because of what she’s going through right now. She’s experiencing things... and she really needs to understand what is happening to her body."
Tony rolled her eyes, scoffing deeply as she reclined back into her chair. "Oh. So she’s being a freak again, right? Those stupid, unnatural powers she always had when she was little."
"It’s becoming worse now," I warned, my jaw clenching at her cold choice of words. "It’s becoming out of control, and she’s terrified."
"Romona has always been a freak, Gideon," Tony snapped, her voice dripping with callous frustration. "She was born weird, and she’s meant to die like that!"
"Do not speak about her like that!" I growled, stepping forward, my Alpha-blood warning flaring in my chest. "She is your daughter—"
Before I could finish, the front door swung open with a loud, dramatic bang.
"Mother! Do you know how hard it is to get decent silk slippers in this hideous town?!" a loud, sharp voice declared.
I whipped around, my hand instantly flying to the hilt of my dagger.
A girl stepped into the foyer, kicking off her muddy shoes with an exaggerated gasp of disgust. She was tall, breathtaking, and carried an undeniable air of effortless vanity. But as she tossed her platinum blonde-white hair over her shoulder and looked up at me, my breath caught entirely in my throat.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
She had Romona’s face. The exact same high cheekbones, the same sharp jawline, the same striking eyes.
"Oh," the girl paused, her eyes widening as she noticed me standing in her living room. She smoothed down her expensive silk blouse, striking an effortless, glamorous pose. "Who is this handsome stranger, Mother? Are we having guests?"
Tony smirked into her glass, looking back and forth between us. "Well, girl... I guess it’s time you two finally met. Gideon... this is Rheyna. Romona’s twin sister."
I stared at Tony in absolute shock, my mouth practically hanging open. "Romona... has a twin sister?"
"Yes," Tony said smoothly, taking another sip. "After Romona left my house when she was sixteen, I found out she wasn't the only child from that lineage. The older couple who adopted her twin passed away, so I stepped in and brought Rheyna home too."
Rheyna crossed her arms, tilting her head as she offered me a dazzling, completely self-obsessed smile. "It is a absolute pleasure to meet you. And you are?"
I swallowed hard, trying to process the unbelievable image standing in front of me. "I'm... Gideon. I'm your twin sister's brother-in-law."
"Fascinating," Rheyna murmured, inspecting her manicured nails with an air of complete nonchalance. "I always knew I had a sister floating around out there somewhere, but honestly, unless she’s buying me shoes, I haven't given it much thought. Is she as gorgeous as me? Probably not, with white hair like mine, it’s a rare, superior aesthetic."
I looked from Rheyna back to Tony, a sudden, dangerous idea forming in my head. If we were going to untangle the dark magic choking Ash River and figure out Romona’s bloodline, keeping secrets was no longer an option.
"I think it’s best we all go back together to see Romona," I said, eyeing both of them.
Tony snorted. "I am not traveling across the territory to see that girl—"
"I think you'll want to come, Tony," I interrupted smoothly, a small, knowing smirk touching my lips. "Would you not like to see your grandson?"
Tony froze. The glass slipped slightly in her hand, her dark eyes going wide as saucer plates.
"Grandson...?" Tony gasped, her jaw dropping open.
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