The brother’s secret.

Ryder’s POV

Immediately my eyes landed on Alice, the young woman who had been our mate six years ago, I involuntarily gasped in surprise. It had been so many years since I had last seen her, yet I recognized her instantly. She looked older, more mature… but those eyes were impossible to forget.

Before I could even say anything, Silas began walking away, leaving me with no choice but to follow after him.

As soon as we stepped into the principal’s office, Alpha Damien turned toward us with a welcoming smile. I instantly forced my expression back to its usual calm, refusing to let anyone notice the turmoil inside me.

“Ryder Blackwood and Silas Blackwood. Welcome to the Silvermoon Pack,” he greeted warmly before rising from his seat and extending his hand toward us.

“It’s an honor to finally meet you in person, Alpha Damien.” I replied with a polite smile as I shook his hand.

After withdrawing his hand from mine, he turned to Silas and greeted him the same way. Principal Margaret also welcomed us with a respectful nod.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Alpha Damien. We’re honored to be here.” Silas replied with a courteous smile.

“I apologize that our first meeting has to be at the school instead of the pack house,” Alpha Damien said with an apologetic chuckle. He glanced at his wristwatch before looking back at us. “It’s already past three in the afternoon. Why don’t you both join us for dinner tonight?”

I smiled politely and nodded.

“We’d be delighted.”

“Wonderful. We’ll be expecting both of you at the pack house by seven o’clock,” Alpha Damien said.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Silas and I excused ourselves and walked out of the office.

The moment the door closed behind us, Silas let out a scoff.

“Don’t tell me you weren’t shocked after seeing Alice.”

I slowed my pace and turned to Silas.

“You recognized Alice too?” I asked before facing forward again and slipping both hands into my trouser pockets. “I thought I was the only one.”

Silas scoffed. “She barely changed, so she wasn’t exactly hard to recognize.” He paused briefly. “Besides… did you notice the little boy with her?”

I nodded. “I did.”

A slight frown settled across my face.

“We need to find out who that little boy is. There was something strangely familiar about him.”

“Have Beta Gavin investigate her.” Silas said without hesitation.

I nodded before reaching out through the mind link.

“Gavin.” I called out through the mind link.

“Yes, Young Master Ryder.”

“Silas and I will be attending dinner at Alpha Damien’s mansion at seven tonight. I need you to locate a woman named Alice Whitmore. She was at Silvermoon Elementary School only a few minutes ago, so she shouldn’t have gone far. Find her, keep your distance, and gather everything you can about her. Report back to me as soon as you learn anything.”

“Understood, Young Master. I’ll begin immediately.” He replied and the mind link ended.

I let out a slow breath. “Looks like Gavin won’t be joining us for dinner after all.”

Silas shrugged.

“That’s understandable. After what happened six years ago, we searched everywhere for Alice but never found her. Then Father sent us to that brutal training camp for three years. The moment we returned, he started arranging marriage candidates for us.” He glanced at me. “Now that we’ve finally found a lead on Alice, we can’t let this opportunity slip away. Gavin can investigate while we attend the dinner with a few guards.”

I nodded in agreement. “You’re right. We’ve waited long enough for answers. If Alice had been hiding all these years, I intended to find out why.”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Ever since Father announced that whichever one of us married Alpha Damien’s daughter would become the next Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack, it was obvious what he was trying to do.

He wasn’t just arranging a marriage alliance. He was trying to force either Silas or me to finally settle down. To Father, this was nothing more than another political decision.

“Let’s focus on one thing at a time.” I said quietly.

Silas nodded.

“Come on. We’d better get ready for dinner. We came here on business, so let’s not lose sight of why we’re here,” he replied calmly before walking toward the SUV.

I nodded in agreement before following after him.

****

Five minutes before seven, Silas and I stepped out of our SUV in front of the Silvermoon Pack House. As always, we arrived a little early. Punctuality was something Father had drilled into us from a young age. Being late was considered disrespectful in the Bloodfang Pack.

Several guards surrounded our vehicle as we made our way toward the mansion’s entrance.

The guards stationed outside immediately opened the doors and respectfully escorted us into the reception hall.

“Young Masters Ryder and Silas! Welcome.” Alpha Damien exclaimed warmly as he strode toward us.

Standing beside him was a young woman dressed in a flowing yellow floral gown. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, and her petite figure, standing around five-foot-six, only added to her graceful appearance. She was undeniably beautiful.

Her eyes immediately settled on us the moment we entered.

“This is my daughter, Vivian,” Alpha Damien said proudly.

Vivian smiled warmly before extending her hand toward me. “Hello. You must be…”

“Ryder,” I replied with a polite smile. “Ryder Blackwood.”

After we shook hands, I stepped aside so she could greet my brother.

A smile spread across her lips.

“Then you must be Silas.”

Silas gave a small nod before shaking her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Well then,” Alpha Damien said cheerfully. “Why don’t we head inside? Dinner is already waiting, and we have quite a few things to discuss.”

He led the way toward the dining room. I followed behind him while Vivian naturally fell into step beside Silas, chatting with him with an unmistakable smile on her face.

By the time we entered the dining room, the table had already been set with an assortment of dishes.

We all took our seats, and before long, dinner began.

“I’m curious… Ryder,” Vivian said as she cut into the steak on her plate. “How has someone like you managed to stay single all these years?”

I forced a faint smile but kept my attention on my meal.

“Pack responsibilities have always taken up most of my time.” I replied calmly. “I never really had the time to think about settling down.”

Although my voice sounded composed, my thoughts were elsewhere.

They kept drifting back to Alice… and no matter how hard I tried to focus on dinner, her face refused to leave my mind.

“Hmm.” Vivian smiled as she rested her chin lightly against her hand. “I suppose that’s a fair explanation.” she said with a soft chuckle.

I merely glanced at her for a brief second before lowering my gaze to my plate once more.

“So what about you, Silas? Why are you still single? And don’t tell me the same thing Ryder did, okay? You’re far too handsome… well, actually, both of you are.” Vivian laughed awkwardly before letting out a soft giggle.

Silas chuckled.

“So, why are you single?” she pressed.

“Well,” Silas began with a charming smile, “first of all, you’re a very beautiful woman.” He paused briefly before winking at Vivian. “I think the reason you’re still single is probably the same reason I am. Plenty of women have shown interest in me, but none of them ever felt like the right one.” His smile deepened. “Perhaps… I’ve finally met someone worth getting to know.”

Vivian’s cheeks immediately turned pink as she lowered her gaze shyly.

Dinner continued pleasantly, and every flirtatious remark Silas made only caused Vivian to blush even more. Meanwhile, I barely contributed to the conversation, my thoughts constantly drifting back to Alice. Even the finest meal tasted bland with my mind elsewhere.

After dinner, Silas and I returned to our hotel.

“Get Nathan from the finance department to finish reviewing the accounting reports before tomorrow.” I said as I flipped through the documents spread across the table.

Silas nodded. “What about Marcus? We could have him finalize the investment proposal while Nathan handles the accounts.”

I shook my head. “He hasn’t completed the market analysis yet, and without it…”

A soft knock interrupted me.

“Come in,” I called out.

Even before the door opened, I recognized Gavin’s scent lingering outside.

The door swung open, and Beta Gavin stepped inside. He stopped in front of us before letting out a slow breath.

“Young Master Ryder… I’ve gathered the information you requested.”