Finding Love

Finding Family

So this is the alpha. He looks like mom. His eyes are shaped like hers.

I watch the wolf before me.

I want to glance at Jas, who must be his daughter or some other close relation, but I need to stay focused.

"I hear you came here looking for information on your mother," he drawls out.

"Yes, sir." No need to mince words.

"And you say your mother was Lara Jentry."

"Yes, sir."

"Any proof."

I blink. "Not identification wise, sir. My birth certificate has my mother's maiden name on it, but I didn't bring it with me. I do have some letters from an Alice Willoughby from this area though. It's how I knew to look here."

I hear a gasp from where Naizie and Jas are standing.

I don't chance a glance.

"May I see these letters?"

"They're in my purse," I say.

He nods and motions that I can proceed to get the letters.

I slip my purse off my arm and rummage through it til I find the box holding the letters. I pull it out and hand it to Derek who is standing by.

He brings it the alpha who studies it a moment before opening it. He pulls out the top letter and opens it. After a few minutes he looks up at me, his eyes wet with tears. "Morganstar you said."

I nod. "It's my father's surname."

He smiles. "No, child, it's his chosen name."

My brow furrows. Chosen name?

"I suppose he thought it safer not to tell you, but his original surname is not Morganstar. His father's first name was Morgan. Your mother and father wanted a new start, so he legally changed it when they eloped together. He never told anyone but me I don't think."

He looks down at the box, "They were running from his family and mine when they left. A new name was necessary, but he didn't want to forget his father who had taught him so much before his death."

He looks up, searching my eyes. "How are they?"

I blink rapidly, not sure how to tell him. "They... they were killed when I was nine. We never found out who it was. I only remember being told to hide my scent and then to run to the safe house. Other kids were there but none of the adults ever came to find us. Some were missing when we came out and some we found dead. My mom and dad were among the dead."

His face goes through a myriad of emotions as I speak. But I note enough to tell he's heart broken and angry. He can't speak though. I don't blame him. It took me years to speak again after finding my parents.

"They fought," I say. "The tracks, the bodies around them. They fought. I never could figure it. There was no killing blow, just hundreds of darts in their bodies."

His eyes go hard and he growls, tears still in his eyes.

I stare at him. He knows something. About the darts.

"The only thing that could take down your father is silver poisoning. A lot of it," he growls. "Or highly concentrated doses."

I can feel my brow furrowing. Silver poisoning? Why would that be different from any other poison?

"I don't understand," I say.I

He blinks. "Silver is poisonous to most of our kind, even your father. He was exceptionally strong but even he couldn't heal quickly enough probably. While fighting? His body couldn't handle it probably. Your mother was strong too, but her body was probably the same, unable to take that much rushing through her system."

I nod slowly, processing.

"You've been on your own then," he says, studying me.

"We had each other, sir, but yes, we lost a lot," is all I can say.

His eyes soften.

"Uncle Mason," he says.

I look at him.

"Call me Uncle Mason."

I blink rapidly. Fuck tears. I will not cry.

"Uncle Mason," my voice wobbles a little bit.

He smiles softly. "So you came in search of answers then."

I nod. "Yes, sir." Right, Uncle Mason. "Uncle Mason."

Why do his eyes have to look so like hers? They're even the same unique color, just like mine - green with gold and hazel in the them. Wolf sight is a thing.

It makes me miss her more.

Shape up though, he's about to say something.

"Where are you staying?" he asks

"At the Whippoorwill Inn," I reply. No need to hide it at this point.

"We have more than enough room here if you would like to stay with us."

I hesitate. "I think I'll stick with the Inn for now. I've already paid for a full month. If I end up staying longer though, I'd love to take you up on that."

He smiles, "Of course, you're always welcome."

A very different reception to the one I got earlier that day.

"If you have any questions or just want to talk about things, feel free to stop by. As long as I'm not in the middle of something, I would love to talk," he says.

I'm being dismissed but I'm okay with it - it's been a long day at this point.m what with traveling and all the drama.

"I'd like that." I smile and he smiles back.

I'm glad he's kind. I wasn't sure what to expect of my mother's family, but if this is what they're like, then I'm glad I came. Maybe this won't be so hard after all.

"Derek will take you back to the Whippoorwill," Uncle Mason says. Well that works. I'd have had to follow our old trail to figure out how to get back to town.

I nod. "Thank you." He nods back.

I turn to follow Derek who is holding the box of letters.

I glimpse Naisie and Jas as I turn. Both look sad. Neither is looking at me. Oh well.

I continue on.

We get outside, and he leads me to a pick up truck, twirling the keys in his hand. He hops into the drivers seat and I pull open the passenger's door, jumping in after him. We skip in our seatbelts and away we go.

Fifteen minutes later we arrive at my home away from home. I thank him and jump out.

He pulls away and I head in for a good night's rest.