The Set Up

Thirty-Five

Scarlett's POV

The next morning, I was still upset about the situation with my...my father. Simply thinking those words in reference to myself was surreal. I hadn't thought about the concept of having actual parents since I was a child; before I was ten years old, at least. Somehow, within the last three months, I had both spoken with my mother's family and met my father.

My anger no longer burned fiery hot - probably from the multiple orgasms Xander so graciously gave me last night. However, there was still a deep sorrow that lingered.

"You've just woken and your mind is already moving a mile a minute," Xander's deep, gravely voice broke the silence. I just sighed and leaned further into his hold. His lips pressed to my temple before remaining there, soft and warm.

"I feel like I need clarity...but part of me knows his answers will only bring more pain," I whispered. He hummed thoughtfully.

"You won't be satisfied until you get your answers, Scarlett," he stated, knowingly.

"I know..." I trailed off. "I need to talk to him before we leave this morning," I reasoned. I felt him nod against me. "No time like the present I suppose." I heaved a sigh while hoisting myself out of bed. We'd just finished getting dressed when one of the King's men arrived to let us know he was waiting for us in the same place we'd had dinner last night.

I wasn't sure what was going to greet me as Xander and I entered the formal dining hall once again. The King surrounded by his entire family as they ate breakfast and talked like nothing was wrong was not it, though. I stood dumbly by the door as my anxiety shot through the roof.

"Scarlett! I'm so glad you chose to join us this morning!" The King proclaimed, standing from his seat. I swallowed the knot that had formed in my throat before clearing it.

"Unfortunately, we won't be joining you. We need to get back home. I figured we could talk before our plane took off," I stated, avoiding the curious looks from the others sitting around the table.

"Very well," he said, clearly seeing the no-nonsense look in my eyes and knowing not to push me. Good.

We were silent as all of us exited the room and made our way to the office I'd found myself in last night. The King's demeanor was noticeably less jovial than his initial greeting this morning as we all took a seat.

"I'm assuming you have questions?" The King took the lead.

"Do you know where my mother is?" I asked, cutting to the chase. I was more apt to forgive her than I was him. I think I might have done the same thing if I were in her situation. For all she knew, she was putting me in the safest place possible at the time. She...she kept me. She carried me for nine months despite the danger it brought her. That had to mean something...right?

He looked hesitant to answer my question at first.

"My councilmen have kept tabs on her over the years. They wanted to know where she was in case she tried popping back up to blackmail me later in my political career," he revealed. His answer made my heart begin to race in my chest.

"Where...?" I asked breathlessly. I didn't need to finish the sentence. He knew what I was asking.

"There's a...free-spirited pack in South Carolina-"

"The Gold Sun pack," Xander interrupted with a knowing smirk. I'd heard of the pack in passing - they had the best orphanage accommodations according to my friends in the system back in the day.

"Yes, you're correct. She's been there since we were able to first track her down. That was about eighteen years ago," the King explained.

"It makes sense why she's not in the American database. She started running before her original pack could log her, and the Gold Sun pack doesn't believe in the database. They think it's an overstep of The Council's boundaries into our lives," Xander said with a quick roll of his eyes. "They stopped regular DNA reporting when the kidnappings stopped decades ago. If she's been there this whole time, she would've never been put in the system." I nodded slowly, taking all the information in.