Around the same time Alanna told me, Matthew surmised.

Matthew spun around to glare at Silas accusingly. “But you knew all along, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I found out when she came out of the doctor’s office when her case manager took her when her foster mother became worried after Alanna didn’t start having her periods.” Silas’ face was stone cold as he talked, yet his eyes shared the grief Matthew was feeling.

Silas paused, knowing how the next words would affect him. “She was thirteen.”

“That’s when you said she quit talking to you.”

Silas nodded. “She grew depressed, quit eating, and all she wanted to do was talk to me and you, whether she was inside or out. The medicine they put her on muted my voice, regardless of how hard I tried.”

“Why in the fuck did you tell me I would have ten children, Ezra?” he shouted at his brother.

“You will have ten children—five boys and five girls. They just won’t come from your body.”

“You left that last detail out.”

“I had to.” Ezra sighed. “If I or Silas had told you before, you would have killed Owen, and Alanna would have never come to Treepoint. I can’t change the way the stars are written. I wish I could.” Ezra’s expression became resigned. “There was no way they would have let you have ten children. We’re too powerful. Generations have grown on this mountain.” Ezra nodded at all his brothers. “Yet, there are eight of us. Other than the Porters, we don’t have any kin spread out in the county or living in other states. We all want big families. If each of us has at least four children, and they have four children … they will always limit our numbers to protect us.”

“I wanted too many, so they are giving me none?” he said achingly, wanting to rage against the gods, but knowing if he did, the reprisal would be swift in coming.

Ginny moved away from the banister she was leaning against. “They are giving you ten children,” she said softly with tears in her eyes. “Ten children who won’t grow up fatherless or motherless.” Walking toward him, she took his clenched fists in her hands. “Ten children who you can give the same wonderful childhood you had, that we all had. Did you feel any differently toward me when I told you that I wasn’t your biological sister?”

“No!” He loved Ginny just as much as he had loved Leah.

Matthew stared down at Ginny’s swollen belly. He was never going to see Alanna swell with their child. It had been stolen from them, just like so many other firsts had been stolen.

Matthew broke, unable to hold back, his face cracking. “I wanted to be the first one to hold my own son when he was born.”