Rejected Revenge

The Beginning of the End

He used to be his own Alpha.

My brother jostled my arm, knocking me out of my thoughts when he told me he wanted to talk to me in private.

I followed him into our father's study and sat down at one of the tables in the room, glad that our parents were off at a pack meeting so that I could spend some time with Simon without having to share him with them quite yet.

"Simon, what's wrong? You look like you're about to tell me someone died or something..." I trailed off, not wanting him to confirm my suspicions.

"Vi, there's not really an easy way to say this but, mom and dad have been...lying to you, lying to us, for a long time now, and I'm not sure how you're gonna take it..."

"Lying about what? Trust me Simon, I'm strong, I can handle it."

"I'm not sure you can, not with this. But I know you need to know the truth..."

He dropped his head into his hands, dark hair brushing his fingertips as he shook his head back and forth as if to shake the information from him.

"Simon, come on. Just spit it out—it can't be any worse than what I'm imagining right now."

"Violet."

His head snapped up and his eyes met mine and suddenly I knew what he was going to tell me.

"You're adopted."

The air rushed out of my lungs in a whoosh.

How had he found out the truth?

He took my silence for a question, and answered with information I'd already learned a year ago after eavesdropping on a private conversation between my parents.

"You were orphaned when your actual birth pack was taken down by another before we came here. The Alpha and Luna there were your parents, you were the first born child, meaning you have first-born Alpha blood in you. Our parents found you afterwards, and you were only a baby—they couldn't just leave you. So they rescued you and fled after their pack was attacked, too, coming here because this was supposed to be the most peaceful pack in all of the US territories."

My ears were ringing as the blood whooshed through my veins, pulsing louder and louder until his words were drowned out.

I'd known all of this already. Of course I had. I'd found out over a year ago, but I hadn't told anyone that. It would've been too dangerous.

"I've known all my life since I was three when our parents found you, but I recently overheard some older wolves talking about the Alpha female who got away, and that someone needed to find her so that she could help with the unrest happening. There's people looking for you now. I'm so sorry Violet, I know this isn't how you should have found out but, I couldn't let you go on another day not knowing the truth."

"I know, thank you Simon, you'll always be my brother, no matter who my birth parents are."

"I love you, Vi. You know...you're taking all this a lot better than I thought..."

My pulse sped up as I scrambled to come up with a believable lie.

"Well, I am more mature than you, after all."

"Liar."

"Wait. You said they wanted to find me because of the unrest happening. What's going on out there?"

He didn't answer for a long moment.

"Simon?"

"There's rumor of the pack that took down my parent's pack as well as yours. They're saying they're trying to rise up against...against the crown."