He blinked then smiled broadly. "Love?"
She blushed and nodded. "You can trust your friends."
Grant took a ragged breath. "My name is Grant Fenrirson."
Ellie had never heard the name before, but from everyone's shocked expression, her mate had revealed something important.
Meryn waved her hand in the air.
Adriel didn't even chastise her this time. "Yes, Meryn?"
"Why do y'all look like you got kicked in the nuts?"
Grant's mouth twitched. "Meryn, how do you manage to make bad situations bearable?"
She shrugged. "It's what I do. I drink coffee and be awesome."
Grant's expression softened at her declaration. "Not many shifters can trace their family line to their first. For the vampires, they are called Originators, the head of their line. Shifter groups, depending on the animal, have individualized names. My father's line has been unbroken from the beginning, one of the original wolf shifters, Fenrir. So our last name is Fenrirson, or Fenrir's sons."
Meryn tilted her head and looked at Declan. "Is that like your name?"
Declan nodded, still looking dazed at his friend's revelation. "We are descended from one of the first lion shifters, it's why we carry the word 'lion' in our name."
Meryn snorted and elbowed her mate. "Looks like you missed the whole original animal boat Mr. McKenzie." She made a face. "I'm kinda glad; I'd hate to be called Meryn Bearhart or Pooh's sons."
Aiden just stared down at his mate. He looked up at Elizabeth, who shook her head. "You're it," she smirked at the Unit Commander.
Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. "Baby, the McKenzies can trace our line back to one of the first bear shifters. There are quite a few to be honest as there are different types of bears."
Meryn's eyes narrowed. "Then why are you called McKenzie?" Aiden shrugged.
Gavriel learned his throat. "Actually, it was because of a woman."
Aiden eyed his mate. "Why am I not surprised?"
Meryn punched her mate's thigh with a tiny fist. "Go on Gavriel," she encouraged.
Gavriel grinned at his commander's chastisement. "I forget how long ago it was, but a fierce bear shifting warrior changed the name of his line from Ursarr to McKenzie to honor his murdered mate."
"Meryn Ursarr. Nope. I don't like it." Meryn shook her head.
Aiden eyed his friend. "One of these days we need to sit down and document everything you know about my family." Gavriel gave a lazy, one-shoulder shrug.
Ellie watched as her mate's eyes followed the conversation around the table. His friends were doing everything they could to make this seem more normal for him, and she was very grateful.
Magnus turned to Grant. "Son, I understand if you are reluctant to share your past, but I would like to know what happened. The Fenrirsons are still in charge of an extremely large pack in the Pacific Northwest. I never gave them much thought before, but knowing how they treated one of their own, I am concerned for the pack and the expansive territory they control."
"Why didn't you go to the Alpha?" Adora asked softly.
Grant snorted angrily. "My father was the Alpha; he's the one that made me leave."
"Tell us what happened." Demetrio placed a supportive hand on Grant shoulder.
Grant's eyes dropped back down to his hands. He began to fidget and twist his fingers in what Ellie had come to recognize as a calming habit for him. "Growing up, I wasn't like the other boys. My father encouraged rough play, dominance challenges, fights, you name it. I never saw the need. To me, a pack meant family."
Demetrio nodded. "That makes sense, Grant."
Grant looked at the older shifter in surprise. "It does?"
"Of course. Since you are Alpha Born, your inner wolf saw no point in fighting because he knew he would win. Fighting would only lead to injured pack members, which would have been unacceptable to him."
Grant blinked and collapsed back in his chair. "So I wasn't broken?"
"Good gods, son, no! Is that what you've thought all these years?" Demetrio asked.
Grant nodded. "I liked spending time with my mother. She's the one who taught me how to knit. My father caught me practicing and said I was too weak to live. My mother defended me, but he ordered her from the room. He said I had two choices. Leave on my own and never return, or bury my mother. I left that night."
"That sonofabitch!" Declan exploded.
"He threatened his own mate?" Meryn asked.
Grant shook his head. "I don't think they are mates. She was just the strongest female in the pack."
"What happened to you after that?" Demetrio asked.
"I was on my own for a long time, maybe five, ten years. It's kinda blurry. Then I fell in with some natural wolves. I lived with them for another twenty years. I would sneak into human settlements and listen in to their meeting about wolf hunts so I could keep the pack safe.