Chapter 18
NAOMI
The dining room was beautiful with hardwood floors, a table that could easily seat ten, and windows overlooking a garden that would be ready for spring harvests.
Kira had made enough food to feed an army. Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, scallop potatoes, three different vegetables, fresh bread, and what looked like apple pie cooling on the counter. My favorite things.
"You made all this?" I asked.
"I had five days and a kitchen full of high-end appliances. I got creative." She pulled out a chair. "Sit. Eat. You need to rebuild your strength."
I sat, and the Alphas settled on either side of me. It felt natural. Right. Which should have terrified me.
But after days of them taking care of me, of proving over and over how wonderful they are, I couldn't find fear anymore. We ate in comfortable silence for several minutes. Too busy stuffing delicious food into our mouths. Then Kellan spoke.
"Naomi. We need to talk to you about something."
The tone of his voice made my stomach drop. "Okay."
He exchanged a look with Rowan, then continued. "When you came here in heat, when your scent broke free from the blockers, we recognized it."
"Recognized it how?"
"We've been searching for our Omega for twenty-nine years. Our scent-matched mate. She was stolen as a baby on her first birthday, which is on Valentine's Day."
My heart stopped. My birthday.
"What are you saying?" I dropped my fork.
"We think you're her," Rowan said quietly. "We think you're the Omega who was stolen from us."
I laughed. It came out harsh, disbelieving. "That's impossible. My mother raised me until she was murdered."
"Was never pregnant," Rowan interrupted. He pulled out his phone, showing me documents. "I had my sources look into her. Birth records, medical records, everything. The woman who raised you, the woman you called mother, never had children. All the documentation claiming you as hers was forged."
The room tilted.
"No. That's—you're lying. You have to be lying."
"We're not." Kellan's voice was gentle but firm.
"Look at the documents. Look at the birth records. Your biological parents are powerful Alphas from a prominent pack. You were taken from them when you were one year old. On Valentine's Day. They’ve been searching for you all this time. We’ve also been searching for you. "
"Why?" The word came out broken. "Why would someone take me?"
"Ransom. Inheritance. Power. You’re an Omega.
" Rowan set his phone on the table. "Your bloodline is worth millions.
You're the heir to one of the oldest Alpha families in the country. Mating you would make them just as wealthy as you are. Especially, if you were in heat and your body forced you to accept even someone you didn’t want. "
Alpha. He was always so careful with me.
No matter how he abused my mother, he always treated me with so much care that it was off putting.
I never thought he wanted me sexually, but it was always like he was biding his time in our house.
Gone for long periods, but when he came back, he always made sure that I was well. Was I truly his cash cow?
I stared at the documents. At the dates. At the names I didn't recognize.
"I don't understand."
"We can have DNA tests done," Rowan continued. "Compare your DNA to your biological parents. Confirm what we already know."
"And the scent match?"
"That's on record too. Witnessed by three pack elders when you were born. You were matched to us before you were stolen."
I pushed back from the table, my chair scraping loudly. "This is insane. You're telling me my entire life is a lie? That the woman I called mother wasn't my mother? That I'm some heir to people I've never met?"
"Yes. But you have met them." Kellan said simply. “They love and raised you until you were taken.”
"Why didn't you tell me?" I was shouting now. "Why didn't you say something? Why did you wait until now?"
"Because we didn't know for sure," Rowan said. "Not until you came here in heat. Not until your scent broke free. And then," He paused. "Then your heat took priority. We couldn't tell you while you were vulnerable. We had to wait until you were clearheaded."
"So you're telling me now. Immediately after."
"Yes."
I looked between them, searching for any sign of deception. Any hint that this was some elaborate lie.
But all I saw was truth. And something that looked like fear. They were afraid I wouldn't believe them. Afraid I'd leave.
"I need—" I swallowed hard. "I need a minute to think."
"Take all the time you need," Kellan said.
I stood, my legs still shaky, and walked to the window. Stared out at the garden without really seeing it.
Everything they were saying explained things.
Things that had never made sense. The way my mother could never answer questions about my first year of life.
The way she'd always been vague about where I came from, who my father was.
The way she'd looked at me sometimes, like she was seeing someone else. Someone she'd lost.
"Where did you go?" Rowan's voice, quiet behind me. "After your mother died."
"My grandmother's house. She took me in. Raised me until she died when I was seventeen."
"And your grandfather?"
"Already dead. Heart attack when I was twelve."
"Did they leave you anything behind?"
I turned to look at him. "Why?"
"Because if they were in on the kidnapping, they might have information." He paused. "Did your grandmother ever say anything? Anything about where you came from?"
"Once." I stopped, the memory surfacing. "She said my mother saved me. That she gave up everything to keep me safe."
Kellan and Rowan exchanged a look.
"What?" I demanded.
"The woman who raised you, she was taken too," Kellan explained. "She was an Omega who was kidnapped along with you to become your caretaker."
The room spun.
"She was a victim too?"
"We know this is a lot," Rowan said gently. "We know you need time to process."
"Time to process?" I laughed, the sound bordering on hysterical. "You're telling me my entire life is a lie. That everyone I thought I knew was lying to me. That I'm supposed to be some pampered Alpha heir?"
"You're supposed to be ours," Kellan said quietly. "That's all we care about. The money, the status, the bloodline, none of that matters. You're our mate. Our scent match. That's what matters."
"And if I don't believe you? If I think this is some elaborate scheme to control me?"
"Then you're free to leave," Rowan said. "We'll give you the documents. You can verify everything independently. Run your own DNA tests. Talk to whoever you need to talk to." His voice was firm. "We're not holding you hostage, Naomi. We're just telling you the truth."
I looked at them. These two Alphas who'd taken care of me, who'd shown me kindness I'd never known I could receive, who were now telling me my entire life was built on lies.
And the worst part? I believed them. I was pissed, but I believed every part of it as if this information was a missing piece in the puzzle.
Not because I wanted to. But because deep down, I'd always known something was wrong.
Had always felt like I didn't quite fit in my own life. I wouldn’t just take their word, but unfortunately, my soul felt like it was finally free from the confines of my old life.
"I would like DNA tests," I said finally. "I need to see those documents before I can process any of this."
"Done," Rowan said immediately. "I'll have everything arranged by tomorrow."
"And until then?"
"You rest. You recover. And we give you space to think." Kellan's expression was gentle. "Nothing has to be decided tonight."
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.
Kira looked at me. "I’m sorry, Nai. Are you all right?"
"No," I said honestly. "But it will be. Eventually."
She moved to my side, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "What do you need?"
I looked at the Alphas who claimed to be my mates. At the truth they'd just laid at my feet. "I need to lie down. I need to sleep. I need to pretend for just a few more hours that my life makes sense."
"Okay," Kira said. "Then that's what we'll do."
She guided me out of the dining room, away from the Alphas, the truth, and the future I didn't know how to face yet. I climbed the stairs to the room that had been my sanctuary and I couldn't help but wonder. What happens now?
Right now, I sure as hell didn’t know.