Wanted

The Truth Comes Out

 "Where is father?" The moment I asked that question, her movements paused from washing my back, then continued slowly. "Well, your father is dead." I know it, she said my father and not her husband or her mate but, I continued to listen to her. Maybe that was just a slip up." When did you get this tattoo? It looks painful." She was changing the subject as her fingers slid down my spine. "I got it on one of my birthdays." I told her, and I heard her laugh, but I turned around to see she had a straight face. "Which birthday, the fake one or your real one?" We stared at each other for a moment. She knew. "On my fake birthday." She smiled sadly, "So you know the truth now? Your dad and I had our reasons for changing your birthday." She sighed and I turned around, allowing her to continue washing my back. "Travis is not your actual brother." She stated but I found that out the hard way. "I know, I found out a while ago." Her hand shook but only for a second against my back then they went to my hair.

"I don't care about Travis, and I don't care for the reason behind him being in our life. I want to know how you are still alive. What happened that night?" I commanded feeling frustrated. "Do you think you can handle the truth my daughter? Is that something you are ready for?" She asked me and I let out a short laugh. Her hands trembled as she washed my scalp in silence. "Talk." I stated and she sighed, "You sound just like your father. Straight to the point and direct." I could hear her sniffling, but I stayed still. "You are my first-born daughter, Lena. Your father was from a secretive tribe. The whereabouts are unknown. You, my daughter, were born on the first day of October. Your name is Lena Lithe, and you will be twenty-five this moon year. My name is Lisa Lithe, and your father is Luther Lithe. We took the last name James after the Howard town incident where your gift activated. You killed twenty-eight adults and twenty-two children that day. We had no choice but to take a different last name from among the dead and alter your age to match our new identities. You were extremely small for your age, so it was easy to do, and we had Travis, so it was the perfect cover up. We became the James family and moved far away." A tear fell from my eye, but it was only one since Storm refused to let them fall. So, Storm showed me how it began. "You were just protecting yourself." Storm growled and I nodded my head. Storm calmed down and mother kept talking. "Your father was killed because he was from that pack, but Xavior found me and saved me. He helped me hide from those who hunted your father and you."

She sobbed, "If only I was stronger. If only we stayed with his tribe, then maybe he could have lived." I wanted to comfort her, but I was frozen. "Father is really gone but why didn't you come back for me? You just left." My anger boiled the now cold water, and her hands left my head after rinsing soap from me. I stood to my feet and got out the tub. "I did! I sent help to get you and Travis, but you weren't there anymore, so I thought hunters already got you." Wrapping a towel around my body, I turned to face her. Her eyes were puffy and red, but her mouth opened as her finger pointed to my shoulder. "You, you got marked?" Now a small smile stretched on her face as if we weren't just having a serious conversation, but I played along. I am not sure why but something about her story just seems off. I decided not to mention I know more than her in case she is lying to me. "Yes, mom I have a mate." Her eyes looked at me from my head to my feet before I could fully cover myself properly with the short towel. "You got a body like your mom, but you look a lot pudgier than me. You might need to lay off the food dear. You look a bit round." She smiled but there was nothing to smile about. The feeling of insecurity coated me as I wrapped my arms around my stomach. I wasn't even that big and why even bring my weight up. Was my mother always like this? Frustration filled me as I walked away from her into the messy room. "I will leave you here for now dear. Get some rest and I will be back to get you in the morning. Goodnight daughter." She smiled brightly and waved at me as she walked out the door of the room. The door closed or should I say it slammed behind her. A sharp pain in my lower abdomen brought me to my knee and a rush of nausea forced me face first into the nearest toilet. I emptied all that was left in my stomach into the toilet, then crawled into the bed in the room. Sleep took me the moment my head touched the pillow.