Arlen’s POV
“Who is my mate related to!” I demanded, staring at Dr. Byers in complete shock. Brynn looked at the doctor like a deer in the headlights.
“Before I tell you, I need to ask the Queen about her mother’s family.” The doctor told us.

“I don’t know anything about them! They passed away when she was sixteen and she lived with friends.” Brynn reiterated to him.
“I really wish she had told you something, Queen Brynn. Because your DNA sequences are puzzling. The Romani part of you is from your father’s side. Your grandfather is full Romani. But this match to a first cousin, this was from your mother’s side. This means that the mother of this first cousin is your biological aunt.” Dr. Byers explained.
“You are telling me my mother had a sister?!” Brynn was beside herself.
“Your mother had/has a sister. And she was a full-blooded sibling, because the genetic markers matching to your cousin are very close, indicating a true first cousin match. If they were half siblings, you and your cousin wouldn’t share so many markers.” Dr. Byers explained to her.
“So who is it?” I wanted to know.
“King Arlen, your mate and the faewolf Jade Starr are first cousins.” Shock hit me so hard I had to put my head between my hands.

“Wait. Jade Starr…is she any relation to the Starr brothers?!” Brynn shouted in confusion.
“She’s the oldest daughter of Anthony Starr.” I told her.
“So it’s her mother who is the sister of my mother, right?” Brynn asked the doctor, who nodded in confirmation. Dread hit me as I processed the reality of Dr. Byers findings. And suddenly, it hit Brynn.
“Oh my God. Jade’s mother is the one who got Anthony Starr banished all those years. Right?! THAT EVIL WOMAN IS MY AUNT?!!” Brynn jumped up and paced back and forth completely beside herself.

I stepped outside and Face Timed Anthony. He answered with Aiden at this side. “King Arlen, we were just getting ready to call you. The gruesome trio and their pet is holed up at a Sheraton for the night.”
“Good, that gives us time for another mission. Anthony, take Aiden to the airport in Boston. Emmett will meet him in Lexington, Kentucky. I need Mindi Starr extracted out of the human prison and brought here to Dreake for questioning.” I really did not want to tell him. This news was going to throw his entire world out of orbit.
“What in God’s name for?!” Anthony sputtered.
“We did DNA testing on Brynn. Anthony, she and Jade are first cousins!” Anthony and Aiden’s jaws hit the floor.
“HOW!!” Anthony screamed.
“The match is on Brynn’s maternal side, meaning her mother and Mindi are sisters.” I confirmed.
“How can that be! Mindi was an only child!!” Anthony shouted at me.
“Dearthair daor, Mindi lied to you about everything else. Why wouldn’t she have lied about this too?” Aiden told him.
“Mindi never told me anything about her childhood at all! I only found out last year when she was f*****g Brent Serrano on Candid Camera that her mother was a s*x worker!! That’s why Mindi ran the streets from the time she was a teenager!” Anthony’s face was blood red.
“Maybe Mindi doesn’t even know? If her mother was in that profession…” Aiden trailed off, but I knew better.
“Brynn told me some time ago her mother Beth’s date of birth was June 10th, 1980.” I watched Anthony's eyes lower into slits.
“Mindi’s is December 9th, 1976. She would’ve been around three years old, plenty old enough to remember a little sister!” Anthony snarled out.
“Brynn also told me her maternal grandparents were good people and Beth always talked to Brynn about them. So you see now, why we absolutely need to talk to Mindi.” I countered, watching Anthony’s face register what I was trying to say.
“I want Tessa there.” Anthony said.
“Tessa for moral support, but most of all we need Jade. She is the one person Mindi is afraid of the most.” I told the brothers.
“Fine. We will get the b***h.” Anthony hung up before I could command him. Given what he just learned, I ignored the slight and went back into the office to talk with Brynn and Dr. Byers.
“Anthony and Aiden are getting Mindi Starr and bringing her here for questioning.” I confirmed with Brynn. Then I noticed she had a piece of paper in her hands.
“Dr. Byers looked up my mother’s birth certificate. It lists a woman named Evangeline Devaux as her biological mother and doesn’t list a father. But she always told me her parents names were Phil and Julie.” Brynn whispered in disbelief.
“This is why as much as I hate to say it, we need Mindi to try and fill in these gaps. We have too many questions and absolutely no answers.” I stroked Brynn’s red hair, feeling the weight of this burden right along with her. This was a complete enigma that I wished on no one, let alone my mate. She has been through more than enough.
“Brynn, we don’t have to go down this road. The Romani side is from your father. We can look more into that and just leave this part of it alone. It’s your call.” Brynn whipped her head up and stared at me.
“I want to know who my parents really were. Bring Mindi Starr here, and my grandfather too. He's been hiding long enough!" My queen’s voice was soft, but the authority in it clear.
“As you wish.” I sent Aiden and Emmett the text to extract Mindi.
Over the next couple of days, Brynn and I waited on pins and needles for news. I made arrangements with Ryan Smith to bring Jade Starr here to Dreake to help question her mother. As Jade was expecting their second child, Ryan made it clear he would be attending and he wanted precautions to protect Jade and the baby if things went wrong.
Three days after the DNA test, the Starrs’ had arrived back to Dreake. Brynn and I walked out to the gate and greeted them.
“King Arlen, we brought two for the price of one!” They opened the door and I was shocked not only to see Mindi Bradshaw, but also Patrick Jenkins.
“They’re frozen, King Arlen. Tell us when.” Anthony stared at both me and Brynn.
“Brynn. What do you want to do with Patrick?” I asked her. Brynn smirked at me and walked up to a frozen Patrick, and smacked him right across the face.
“He isn’t of any use. Kill him!” Brynn commanded.
“Alright mate, upsy daisy!” Aiden dragged Patrick out of the car and sat him up, and lifted his hands to unfreeze him. As soon as Patrick could move he broke down on the ground in hysterics.
“Brynn, please, spare me!! I’m so sorry!! I’m so sorry for what I did to you!” Patrick sobbed at Brynn’s feet as Brynn reared back in revulsion.
“No you aren’t. Snakes like you never are. Aiden Starr? I’ve been waiting a long time to see what you can do!” That was all the confirmation Aiden needed. Within seconds, Patrick Jenkins was no more.
“I want those ashes off the property and disposed of in the farthest dumpster you can find. Is that clear!!” Brynn commanded the guards who immediately got to work. She then turned her head towards a terrified Mindi.
“I guess you are Aunt Mindi to me, aren’t you?” Mindi narrowed her eyes.
“Get this b***h out and unfreeze her!” Watching my Queen take charge was simultaneously exhilarating and arousing!
Aiden and Emmett dragged Mindi out and put her on the ground in front of Brynn. We all stared as Aiden unfroze her and Mindi attempted to get up.
“I always knew you sons of b****s would come after me!” Mindi snarled out in her Southern drawl, earning her a slap from Brynn.
“You call these men any more derogatory names, the next thing I slap will be the teeth out of your mouth!! I will wait until your daughter gets here before we start the hard questioning but I want to know one thing right now. Who is your mother, and is she still alive?” Brynn snarled at her.
Mindi’s blue eyes misted over. As I watched the two of them, the resemblance was unmistakeable. “What the hell do you want to know about my mother? I said good riddance to that b***h when I was fifteen!”
“Because she’s my grandmother. I’m Beth’s daughter.” Mindi inhaled sharply, something neither Anthony or I missed.
“You are Beth's baby!? How is my sister?” Brynn raised her eyebrow.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?” Mindi replied.
“My mother died in a car accident six years ago.” Mindi gasped and then did something completely unexpected. She began to sob.
“Oh Lord, Bethie’s dead?! My sister is gone and nobody told me!?” Mindi broke down in tears.
“Jesus Christ cut the s**t! You didn’t shed one f*****g tear while your psychotic stepson r***d your own daughter! No one is buying this Mindi!” Anthony shouted at her. Mindi jumped up and actually lunged at him. Brynn had to hold her back and threw her to the ground.
“F**K YOU ANTHONY STARR! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT MY MOTHER PUT ME AND BETH THROUGH! THE MEN…THE NIGHTS…YOU HAVE NO IDEA! BETH AND I ONLY HAD EACH OTHER, AND I'LL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF FOR NOT TRYIN HARDER TO GET HER AWAY!” Mindi was either putting on an Oscar-worthy performance, or she was telling the truth.
“Maybe I’d have had an idea and could have helped you and your sister, if you had opened up to me Mindi!! We were mates but you went and f****d my best friend and p****d it all away!!!" Even I reared back at the venom in Anthony's voice.
"When was I supposed to tell you Anthony? All your f*****g friends were always around! YOU NEVER HAD TIME FOR ME!" Mindi lashed right back at him.
"You are beyond f*****g delusional!! I was making a life for us Mindi, for you and our daughter! Instead of being grateful, you took my heart and squashed it, and even worse? You lied to my King and kept me from my daughter for eighteen bloody years! I will never forgive you for any of that, you evil f*****g b***h! Your day of reckoning is here! Whatever happens next depends on you, so you better tell my Queen what you f*****g know right NOW!"
Mindi actually rolled her eyes. "I'm not scared of you, Anthony!! I don't have to tell you, your King, or any of your mother f*****rs any DAMN THING!"
"That's where you are wrong, Mama."
Mindi turned around and stared at a very pregnant Jade, whose hands were raised holding a ball of glowing gold energy. Ryan Smith and James Olmstead stood to her side, glaring daggers at Mindi.
"Jade, I see you have done what you have always done best! Whose the father of this one!!" Anthony went towards Mindi, but Brynn held her hand up to stop him.
Jade laughed. "You are going to tell us everything Mama. Whether willingly or by pain, you're going to talk. So what's it going to be!!"