Page 180 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

“Don’t be scared to ask me anything,” she reassures me.

“I’ve heard your grandfather is in Paris,” I say tentatively. “I heard it coincidentally because Eric told Emilien that he needed to send someone to check on his grandfather. That he doesn’t want to do it himself. You have the same grandfather, don’t you?”

Aurelia looks at me for a moment, furrowing her brows.

“I said something wrong,” I mutter. “I know I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No,” she says. “It’s not you. It’s just whenever I think about him, I get mad. He is in exile here,” she explains. “He is basically on constant house arrest in a place close to Paris. I don’t know him personally, but I know he abused my father and did terrible things to him and my grandma. He also was pretty terrible to Eric’s mother.”

It’s right at that moment that Eric decides to join us with three cups of frappuccino in his hands. “You look so serious,” he says. “Is everything alright?”

Awesome, now I’m not just crossing my mate with my stupid question, but also him.

“Yes, everything is okay,” Aurelia says. “Arden just asked about our grandfather.”

Eric grimaces. “I tend to forget that he even exists.”

“Sorry for butting into family business that isn’t mine,” I say, feeling terrible for poking my nose in.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Aurelia assures me. “I just didn’t realize I hadn’t told you about him.”

“Yeah,” Eric agrees. “It’s so natural for me not to talk about him.”

“Just ask what you want to know, Arden,” Aurelia encourages me.

“How are you all related?” I ask.

“Well,” Eric says. “My dad is Uncle Elden’s younger half-brother and the illegitimate son of a mistress. My father was an ass, pretty much like my grandfather.”

“But your parents were mates, right?” Aurelia asks.

“Yes, but that didn’t stop him from being an elitist. Mom was never good enough for him for being acommoner. Dad’s always been fighting for Grandfather’s attention. The thing is, Grandfather never cared for either of his children, but Uncle Elden was at least his heir and legitimate son, so Dad couldn’t win against him,” Eric explains.

“I didn’t know these details,” Aurelia says quietly. “I’m sorry, Eric.”

“Nah, it’s okay. Uncle Elden and you lot were my family,” Eric says with a smile. “For Dad, I was always too much like Mom, and not enough like him or Grandfather. But Uncle Elden accepted me. He could have disowned me for being the child of his illegitimate brother, but he never did.”

“Dad would never do something like that,” Aurelia says. “Family is so important to him. I know it hurt him how little he got to know the remainder of his family due to what Grandfather did. Dad has a half-sister, too, but they are only in loose contactwith each other. He has a funny great-uncle who lives far away and sometimes visits, but that’s about it. His great-aunt died when I was still little. We don’t have a big family. There isn’t anyone on Mom’s side either. That’s why Mom and Dad always tried to make sure we siblings get along and are there for each other, and why they both tried to keep Dad’s few family members close. He loves you, Eric, and he always mentions how happy he is that you turned out the way you did.”

“This is all so fucked up,” I say to Eric. “But I am glad you have a supportive and loving uncle.” I sigh. “Man, why are our dads so shit?”

“Beats me,” he says quietly. “I stopped searching for an answer long ago, Arden, because I realized sometimes there isn’t one. At least, none we can accept, not a logical one.”

I nod to myself. “That’s what I think, too,” I admit.

“For what it’s worth, you will get a great second family now through Aurelia,” he says. “Sometimes family is who we choose.”

Aurelia wraps her arms around me and kisses my cheek. “Eric is right. My family will love you. You are one of us now.”

“Once an Alcott, always an Alcott,” Eric grins. “The moment they have you in their clutches, you won’t be able to escape.”

Aurelia punches him playfully, while I can’t help but laugh. Part of me is still sad to leave Paris, mostly because Eric and Valerie are here, and Eric has become like an older brother. He was always a mentor to me, and I only realize now how he truly saved me when I was a teen.

But I’m also excited to start over again in Silverlake, where not every memory is haunting me. Where I won’t constantly be reminded of my father and what he did to us.

I can finally build a family and life of my own, and I’m going to make the best out of it. In case Vander is watching, I want him to be proud of me.

Chapter fifty-eight