"You've been like a son to me," he said to him, his features softening. Even in the short time I had spent with them I knew they had a closer connection than the others.
"I'm no son of yours," Flynn said, the anger of the betrayal tightening his fists. "I'm strong. I don't allow weak emotions to influence my decisions."
"The Order is a lie," Harrison repeated. "Everything they've taught us was to build us into an army to do their bidding."
Flynn glared at Harrison. Any hope that Flynn would swap sides went straight out the window and I realized that Harrison and I were on our own. The two of us weren't any match against all the other Keepers.
"You're a liar," Flynn yelled, unable to believe what the older Keeper was telling him. I had never seen him this angry before. Usually he was controlled and dangerous. Seeing him like this was terrifying.
"The birthmark we all were born with is more than just a marking on our skin," Harrison began to explain.
Despite his anger, Flynn remained silent.
"Like the werewolves, it's our connection to our mates. For all these years we were led to believe that our only mission was to enforce our laws that prohibited killing of humans by werewolves. They didn't tell us that, like werewolves, we have mates that have been chosen for us."
I had always believed that the similarities between our kinds went deeper than I was told.
"So you believe every Keeper has a mate out there?" he scoffed, disbelieving what he had just heard.
"Yes, I believe that we are meant to live our lives with the werewolves. If it wasn't meant to be, why would we share matching birthmarks? Crystal's mother, Evelyn, had the same birthmark as I did."
"No," Flynn said, refusing to believe what he was being told.
Harrison shook his head. The grief I had seen momentarily before returned.
"It's not a lie. I lived it." There was so much sadness in his voice that it swept over me. I felt for him and what he had lost. And in that same moment, I mourned what I would never have—the chance to meet my mother.
"That's not possible. Our kinds don't mix." There was doubt in his eyes even though he didn't want to believe it.
"Evelyn was my mate. That's why it was so hard to fight what I felt for her. The first time I touched her, I felt our connection. It was undeniable. It overrode anything I had ever been taught. I lived and breathed it."
Flynn's jaw tightened as he shook his head. It couldn't be easy finding out everything you'd been taught and believed in was wrong.
"It must have been a trick." He refused to believe my father as he tried to explain it away, but Harrison shook his head.
"It wasn't."
"If what you say is true, then why would they lie to us?" he asked. His eyes darkened with anger but I wasn't sure if it was directed at Harrison or the Keepers who'd misled them.
"Look at us," he said, walking around the table and to Flynn. "We don't form bonds which keep the emotion out of our lives. We don't have mates who can affect our logical thinking. We are strong and ruthless." Flynn contemplated his words. "Think about it. We're a powerful army to be used how they see fit. It's about power and control."
"No," he said, shaking his head and taking a step backward. "I don't believe you."
Harrison studied him for a moment before he looked at me.
"I'm sorry it has come to this," he said softly. For the first time as I gazed at him I saw some similarities. He had the same slim lips that I had always wished were plumper. "I'd hoped that I would be able to save you but that is not going to be possible today."
I stood up and stepped forward. He was unsure as I wrapped my arms around him. He mimicked my action and awkwardly tried to hug me back.
"I'm just sorry I'm never going to get the chance to get to know you better," I said, trying to keep myself from getting too emotional. The wolfsbane had worn off and I could already tell my emotions were more intense.
"The only thing I can promise is that you won't die alone," he said softly, and I looked up at him.
I didn't really know him but the thought of his death made me feel sad.
"You're weak like them," Flynn spat at him. Harrison stood between me and the angry Keeper.
"One day you will understand and when that day comes you have my forgiveness."
