Cyrilo had never liked me. He’d always said I was too weak to be Papa’s favorite, but I had been that because I looked like Momma. Just because he beat her and treated her like crap didn’t mean, in his own way, he wasn’t proud of her beauty.
My defection, as it were, had hit him harder for that reason.
I knew that, knew he’d had plans for me, to marry me off to one of the Lindowiczs who ran some shady dealings over on the East Coast, and who the clan had been battling for what seemed like decades. Plans I’d ruptured by bearing Kian a child.
But here Cyrilo was.
And out of nowhere, the flashback hit me. That hatred…a twin to the hate in the wolf’s eyes when he’d leaped onto me like I was sport for him. My attacker. Who’d torn out my throat like I was so much prey to be hunted.
I remembered it, those gleaming eyes filled with loathing and burning anger that, even then, I’d known couldn’t be animal. It just couldn’t be.
There was too much human emotion in that gaze, and I was right.
It was my brother.
He’d attacked me.
He’d been the one to transform me.
My mouth trembled as I whispered, “How did you find me?”
Cyrilo didn’t answer, he was mute as he tipped his chin down and stared stonily at the floor.
“Sabina, I presume?” the older Ethan/Austin murmured, striding over to me with his hand held out for me to shake.
It was such a human gesture that I wasn’t sure how to respond for a second. I hesitated so long he started to drop his hand, but mine snapped out, and I whispered, “Sorry. I’m just shaken.”
“Hardly surprising,” the other man said softly. “It’s taken me a while to catch him. Otherwise, I’d have brought him here sooner.”
“Catch him?” I frowned, staring up at him with confusion, taken in by those soft eyes that belonged to my men.
“First, I think I should introduce myself.”
“This is Frank Gunner, Sabina,” Eli rasped, and I cut him a look. He hadn’t moved from behind the desk, but I could see he wanted to. I knew he wanted me close, and since this bastard was my attacker, I figured it was understandable.
I smiled at Frank and murmured, “Pleasure to meet you, Frank.”
“I just wish it was under kinder circumstances,” he rumbled.
My smile grew tight, and I moved past Cyrilo, darting out of his way as I slipped over to Eli. When I was by his side, my hand on his shoulder and his fingers entwining through mine, only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.
The twins weren’t doing as well. Ethan was scowling at Frank, and Austin was staring out the window.
I was confused as hell, I’d admit, and with Cyrilo here, I was more nervous than I thought I’d ever been in my whole life. And that included having to deal with the aftermath of Austin’s attack.
Selfish, maybe, but hell, I wasn’t perfect.
I released a soft breath, trying to get my control back, as I questioned, “What’s going on?”
“Frank is Austin and Ethan’s uncle.”
Frank beamed a smile at them. “Am indeed. Mighty fine day it was to find you here. Never would have believed it if it wasn’t for this piece of shit storming into your territory.”
I blinked. “Your uncle?” I wasn’t sure why that came as a surprise, but then it clicked when I took in the similarities between the nephews and uncle. “I thought twins were rare.”
Frank shrugged his shoulders. “We are. But we beget twins in my line. Always have. Always will. Got a set of twins of my own, and one of them has already given us another set.”
His pride beamed out of his smile.
But I wasn’t as happy. “Why didn’t you come for Austin and Ethan then? I thought twins were to be ashamed of?”
Frank shrugged. “Whether we were cursed or blessed is something I don’t bother thinking about. We are what we are, and that’s that. Truth is, I didn’t even know Lucas had the chance to have any sons. Had I known, I’d have been a part of their life without hesitation.”
I cleared my throat. “Lucas is dead?”
Frank whistled under his breath. “If he is or isn’t, I haven’t heard from him in…” Another whistle. “Twenty or more years. Maybe even thirty. Wasn’t a good egg, all told.”
I winced at that candor, then muttered, “Why are you here? To bring…him?”
He crinkled his nose. “Truth is, ma’am, I’ve been watching