Page 124 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

A son of flame, fierce as the rising dawn,

And a daughter of silver, soft as the moon’s glow.

Born of light and pain, he is the sword that protects all

The male shall rise, the Alpha of Alphas,

A warrior unmatched, his strength unrivaled,

None before or after shall wield such might.

The female, an Omega of unparalleled grace,

Her perfume shall tame the fiercest storms,

Her bond, the key to the balance of worlds,

For she is the arrow that will pierce the hearts of men and fae alike.

Whosoever claims both shall be crowned,

Ruler of man, lord of the fae,

For their unity binds the realms in peace,

Or sunders them into eternal war.

Male and female twins, an alpha and an omega? Marlowe had a twin brother, but he was dead, and there was no way to know if he was an alpha or not.

Besides, this seemed like another silly story. Maybe it was one Marlowe and her brother liked, and they had pretended it was about them when they were kids.

I turned the photograph over, and my heart stopped.

Marlowe, her cheeks still chubby with baby fat, stood next to a much taller and broader male. They were both dressed in high school graduation caps and gowns, matching wide grins on their young faces.

I rushed back to the living room, shaking Marlowe awake.

She groaned in protest, trying to shoo me away. “I’ll eat later, I’m so tired…”

“No, Marlowe,” I replied sternly. “It’s important, I need you to look at this.”

The desperation in my voice brought her out of her sleep, and I could hear her heart begin to race. “Archer, you’re kind of freaking me out, what is it?”

“Go take a nap,” mumbled Camden. “Whatever this is, it can wait.”

I growled deep and low, a warning sound not to take me lightly. That finally got the other alphas’ attentions and they sat up.

“Damn, Professor, we’re awake, what is it?” Nolan yawned, rubbing his eyes.

I gave Marlowe the photograph. “Who is this?” I demanded.

Her hands trembled as I gave it to her, and then she relaxed, eyeing me suspiciously and smiling. “Archer, did you really just get jealous over a picture of Ezra?”

The blood drained from my face and her expression fell. “Wait, what is it? Why are you so upset about my brother?”

I handed the photo to Camden. He took a minute, staring. Unblinking.

“Fuck.”

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