Xavier’s POV
Lucas. The name alone left a bitter taste in my mouth.
We always knew of him. The Alpha of the Golden Corral Pack, a man of power and influence, a leader respected across multiple territories. But despite his reputation, very few had ever seen him in person. He was as much a myth as he was a man-silent, calculating, and impossible to pin down.
And now, out of nowhere, he suddenly appears, claiming to be Mia’s twin brother?
No.
Something wasn’t right.
I leaned back against the leather chair in the study, fingers tapping against the armrest, watching my brothers as they sat around the table. Rolex was pacing, clearly restless, while Nathan sat stiffly, arms crossed, his usual cocky expression replaced with something dangerous. Sean, as always, was silent, but the tension in his shoulders told me he was thinking the same thing as the rest of us.
“This feels wrong,” I finally said, breaking the silence.
Nathan let out a scoff. “Everything about him is wrong.”
Rolex stopped pacing and turned to face us. “Think about it. He shows up out of nowhere, looks exactly like Mia, claims to be her brother, and she believes him?” His voice dripped with skepticism. “Hell, she barely questioned it.”
Sean exhaled, shaking his head. “Because she wants to believe it. She’s been alone her whole life. The idea of having real family-it’s something she’s always wanted.”
That made my chest tighten.
It was true.
We had taken everything from Mia, made her feel like she had no one. And now that she had found someone who might be real, someone who could give her the love we never did… she wouldn’t let go of it so easily.
Which meant we had to be careful.
“We need to know exactly who he is,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “If he really is her brother, fine. But if he’s lying… I’ll kill him myself.”
Nathan smirked, a dark glint in his eyes. “For once, I actually agree with you.”
I pulled out my phone and dialed my beta, Axel. It rang twice before he picked up.
“Alpha.”
“I need you to investigate someone,” I ordered, my tone leaving no room for questions. “Lucas, Alpha of the Golden Corral Pack. I want everything-his past, his alliances, any connections to rogues, anything that seems off.”
Axel didn’t hesitate. “Consider it done.”
I ended the call and placed my phone on the table, glancing at my brothers. “We don’t move until we know for sure.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. “You sure Mia’s going to be happy about us digging into her new-found family?”
I clenched my jaw. “I don’t give a damn if she’s happy about it.”
Sean’s expression darkened. “You should. Because right now, she already doesn’t trust us.”
That was an understatement.
Ever since Lucas entered the picture, Mia had been colder toward us, more guarded than before. She barely spoke to us unless she had to, and even then, her words were clipped, detached.
And when we did try to talk to her about Lucas?
She shut us out completely.
Later That Evening
I found Mia outside near the garden, her phone pressed to her ear, her expression softer than it had been in days.
Lucas.
I could tell by the way her lips curved slightly, by the way her eyes flickered with something that looked dangerously close to hope.
It made my stomach churn.
I waited until she hung up before stepping forward. “You’ve been talking to him a lot.”
She stiffened before turning to face me. “And?”
I studied her carefully. “You trust him that much already?”
Her expression hardened. “What do you want, Xavier?”
I crossed my arms, keeping my tone calm. “I want to understand what’s going on in your head. You don’t even know this guy, and yet, you’re already willing to follow him without question.”
She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “That’s funny coming from you. You, of all people, suddenly care about my choices?”
I ignored the sting in her words. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
She exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Xavier, I know you don’t trust him. And I know you’re probably having him investigated behind my back.”
I stilled.
So, she knew.
Her lips curled slightly, but it wasn’t amusement-it was disappointment. “And honestly? I don’t care,” she muttered. “You don’t get to play the protective mate now. You lost that right a long time ago.”
Something wasn’t right.
Lucas had been avoiding meeting Mia’s uncle, avoiding any direct confrontation with the family, and yet, he kept slipping in and out of her life so easily. Too easily.
And Mia, blinded by the idea of having real family, wasn’t questioning it.
So, I did what I had to.
I followed him.
A Few Days Later
Lucas arrived at the estate late in the evening, his sleek black car rolling up to the gates without hesitation.
Mia was waiting for him.
I stood in the shadows, watching as she walked up to him, her guard down in a way it had never been with me. With any of us.
They exchanged a few words I couldn’t hear, and then-just as I expected-he told her not to tell her uncle.
Her expression tightened, like she wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but in the end, she agreed.
I clenched my fists.
I had seen enough.
As soon as they drove off, I followed. The drive took longer than I expected. Lucas didn’t take the usual roads. He was careful, almost too careful, like he was deliberately avoiding being tracked.
But he didn’t know who he was dealing with.
By the time I caught up, we were deep in the woods, far from any known pack territory.
I parked my car further back and moved on foot, keeping to the shadows as I followed Lucas down a narrow trail. He walked confidently, with a purpose, leading Mia somewhere farther in.
Then, suddenly, he stopped.
Mia wasn’t with him.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing when-
His body shimmered.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
It was subtle, barely noticeable in the dim light, but I saw it-the way his face shifted, like a ripple in water.
And in that instant, I knew.
This wasn’t Lucas.
It never was.
Rage burned through me as I stepped forward. “Who the hell are you?”
The man stilled, then turned slowly, his expression unreadable. “So, you followed me.”
I didn’t hesitate. “I asked you a question. Who are you?”
The man smirked, but this time, I could see it-the slight crack in the illusion, the flicker of something beneath the mask.
Then, just like that, the disguise melted away.
His features twisted, the once-perfect resemblance to Mia warping until I was staring at a completely different man.
His eyes-once identical to Mia’s-were now a cold, eerie shade of silver, his smirk sharper, his energy dark.
Magic.
He had been using magic to make himself look like Mia’s twin.
A growl rumbled in my chest as I took a step closer. “You’ve been playing a dangerous game.”
He tilted his head, amusement dancing in those unnatural eyes. “Oh, Xavier,” he mused. “You have no idea how dangerous I can be.”
And then-before I could react-something slammed into my back.