Jae stood in confusion as he looked back and forth from the beta to the zeta. "Is everything okay?" Jae inquired as Aki and Syri stood in silence.

Syri's face turned pale, and he stared at Aki with wide eyes. Tears formed in Syri's eyes as he asked, "How...how?"

Aki smiled with relief when he heard the zeta's stuttering question. You can hear my voice! Thank the moon goddess.

Syri stared at the beta in shock. How can I hear your voice? The only wolf's voice Syri had been able to hear was his fated mate's alpha voice which he had used to torture Syri once he had marked him.

"Can I speak with you?" Aki inquired respectfully. He turned and inclined his head to Jae in greeting before returning to face Syri who was still staring up at in him shock. "I will explain everything, but I know you were not in a good place to talk earlier. Has that changed?" Aki held his breath in anticipation of Syri's answer. He had been wanting to talk to the zeta so badly since the moment he saw him waiting tables at the introductory dinner.

Syri was silent for a moment before quietly answering, "Ae, you may speak with me." Syri had longed to be able to communicate with other wolves through links, but he had yet to find someone he could talk telepathically with other than Jisue. And here came Aki, out of the blue talking to him mind to mind.

"What is this about, Aki?" Jae inquired of his friend as Aki smiled in response to Syri's permission to speak with him.

"Please, just hear me out," Aki pleaded with the Alpha and zeta. Aki replied with silence, and he took that as his cue to begin. "Syri, how much of your past do you remember?"

"Not much," the zeta replied. "My aunt and uncle raised me; my parents died when I was young."

"Where were you raised?" Aki inquired, genuinely curious about the zeta's upbringing.

"A town called Herth. It's on the other side of the forest to the north of the palace. Why do you ask?"

"Don't you think it strange that you couldn't link other wolves?"

Syri's brows furrowed at the beta's question. How did he know I can't link other wolves? "I never thought much of it," Syri replied. "I was born a...I was born differently."

Aki took a deep breath in preparation for his next question. This would determine whether his hunch was correct. "You're a zeta...aren't you?"

Both Syri and Jae's eyes widened at Aki's question, and Jae immediately knew what it was that Aki wanted to say. However, the Alpha remained silent and let the beta and zeta work things out.

"How do you know...?" Syri was answered by Aki hugging him.

"It's you, it's really you."

"What are you talking about?" Syri inquired, confused about Aki's reaction.

Aki wiped a tear that had fallen from his eye as he backed up and revealed, "I'm your brother, Syri. It's me, Inso."

Syri looked up at the beta as if he was crazy. He was about to reply that it was impossible until he pictured the boy from his dream that he dreamed about every now and then. Looking at Aki closely, he resembled the boy immensely. Syri had never been able to grasp a full image of the boy's face, but the outline and white hair fit perfectly. Aki also had the same warm, brown eyes he did. Tears formed in Syri's eyes as he began to piece everything together. He had never been able to link with other wolves because he had never belonged to Crimson Night. He was a wolf of Eternal Dawn!

"Inso?" The unexplainable familiarity Syri felt toward the beta suddenly made sense, and it also made sense why Syri never felt like he fit in all his life. He had been raised in a pack that was not his own. Unable to link other wolves, Syri had been ignored and abused by those he grew up with and those who raised him.

Aki nodded through tears as he brought Syri into his arms once more. He had been searching for his little brother for years, and he finally found him. Aki had never been happier. "There's someone who would love to see you," Aki told Syri softly as the brothers shared a hug. "Will you come with me?"

Syri nodded his head and took Jae's hand before following Aki through the palace grounds. Jae was quiet as he and Syri followed Aki toward the perimeter of the palace land, but made sure to give Syri affection and support through small squeezes and rubbing of his thumb on Syri's hand. Jae had an inkling as to who was waiting to see Syri, so he knew it was going to be a special moment.

As they grew nearer to Aki's destination, Syri's heart began to speed in pace. A strong scent of jasmine and vanilla wafted to Syri's nose and caused the zeta to immediately know who Aki was bringing him to. A wolf never forgets the scent of its mother.

The three rounded a corner to see a woman standing beneath a great tree in one of the palace's many courtyards. Tears were already streaming down the woman's cheeks when the three came into view. Seeing the pink-haired zeta, the woman broke into a run until she had brought Syri into a soft embrace. Tears broke from Syri's eyes when he felt the arms of his mother for the first time. Her scent, her embrace, everything was so calming and comforting.

Syri could feel his mother's relief and pain mixed with happiness and delight. Her emotions touched the zeta deeply. He had no idea that his family was searching so hard for him, and Syri's heart broke at the thought of his mother going through all those years looking for him but to no avail.

"My baby, my baby. You've finally come back to me."

Syri carefully placed his hand on the woman's head and began petting his crying mother in an effort to soothe her. Once she had calmed down and was able to see through her blurred vision, the woman held Syri at arm's length and looked him up and down.

"You're all grown now." Sadness filled the woman's voice as she looked at her youngest son. She had missed so many years, so many memories, and here he was, grown and smiling at her softly.

"Mother, this is Syri," Aki introduced. "Syri, this is Insea, our mother."

Syri smiled and hugged his mother once more, and his heart sang with joy. He finally found his family. There was no mistake that Insea was his mother. Besides her blue eyes, everything was the same. She had pink hair, a small face, pale skin, and a small frame. It was like Syri was a carbon copy version with brown eyes.

"Where's your dad?" Jae inquired of Aki quietly. He had noticed Eternal Dawn's Beta had been missing from the meetings for the past few days and had wondered what had happened.

Aki leaned in and answered, "He's on his way. He was bringing the horses to the stables. He left to go get Mom when I told him about Syri."

Jae nodded in response. Everything now made sense. Insea had not attended the banquet Fachan had put on due to embarking on her latest search for her lost son, so it was up to Aki to inform his father that he had found a wolf that was possibly his brother. Hearing the news, Tora immediately set out to fetch his mate.

Running footsteps drew the four's attention to the entrance of the courtyard where they saw a very flustered man run into the space. Seeing the man's warm brown eyes, Syri knew exactly who he was.

"Father?" Syri asked as he walked over to the man, who nodded and smiled before pulling Syri into his arms.

Jae smiled at the family reunion taking place before his eyes. He was happy that Syri found his origin and family. This answered so many questions and solved a very big issue. Technically the council could no longer throw a fit about Jae mating Syri as the zeta was now royalty.

After hugging, smiling, and crying for several more minutes, Tora broke away from his family and went up to Jae before bowing to the Alpha. "Thank you...for taking such good care of my son. Even when he was from a lowly background, you loved him and protected him. Thank you. I am forever in your debt."

Jae returned the beta's bow before replying, "There is no debt between us. It is my duty to care for the one I love."

"You are a good man," Tora said with an approving smile. Jae replied with a bow of his head before resuming to watch over his love while Syri reunited with his family.