Star Caressed

Chapter 4

The game had stopped. Everyone was focused at them. The name embedded horrors in their minds. The pack had been in shackles under Jeremy's reign. 

"Oh honey. I would've never banished you. Come here and tell me what happened."

The girl stopped and scrutinized Lillian. She didn't budge from her spot though. Daniel entered her mind. Heavily shielded with steel armor. She must've practiced hard to make her mind so guarded. He expertly crossed the barrier and his stomach clenched when he saw inside. It was black. A void, with no entrance or exit. She was from the institute. He was sure about it.

Lily tried to read the girl. She couldn't shift, Lily realized, her shifter genes were recessive.

"My cousin was a filthy bastard. We all hated him. I've tried so hard to rectify his mistakes, and if I'd known about you, dear, I would have risked anything to save you. Give me a chance, please."

With careful and confident strides, Lily went closer to her and invited the girl in her opening arms. The girl looked at her, vulnerable. Which monster had turned this pretty creature into such a terrible state? She looked as if she starved for touch, love and affection. Slowly, the girl accepted her alpha's arms and embraced her. "31K9, that's my ID. 31K9." And that was when Lily's heart shattered into pieces.

No one spoke a word as Zach drove them to Lily's home. 31K9 was nestled into the alpha's arms and she now slept quietly. Lily looked terrible, and Daniel couldn't do anything about it. He would do anything to lighten up her face with zest and joy.

Besides him, Zach looked at him with a grave expression. "I'm trusting you to take care of her. I have to sort this out and call a meeting. "

Touched by the quiet acceptance of the Beta, Daniel nodded and picked up Felicity to go inside. It was a beautiful place, elegant and well-furnished. He saw Lillian lay the girl on the bed and slump down on the blue sofa.

"Are you all right?", he asked her quietly.

"I strove to change things after Jeremy. Challenged him as alpha when I was 16, and won the pack. There were internal battles, financial debts, no rules of conduct, order, nothing! I changed this in 10 years, and I'm proud of my pack. And now I see another mess I couldn't clean up. Daniel, I could see hate in her eyes for me. I failed her. I didn't know that she even existed. What am I going to do?"

"Get to the bottom of the situation. You're a worthy leader and the pack loves you. The girl placed her trust in you and believes you'll protect her. You didn't fail her, you saved her", he stated matter-of-factly.

He'd never initiated contact with anyone except Felicity. But, he wanted to comfort her. So, he draped his arm around her and shifted close. 

"Stay", he silently commanded. 

"You can't order me around, I'm the alpha here." But she didn't move away.

"What did you learn when you zoomed in her?"

"She was in the institute."

Her eyes widened. "But it was closed down years ago. They called it inhuman and insensitive."

It was that, and so much more. Daniel had supported in the court's decision for its closure. No more children would go under the rigorous training and emotion drainage.

"The boy was from the institute too, probably. Someone must have assigned her to kill me and stop the investigation. The Institute has reopened", he said. 

"I don't know much about it."

"The moment a child showed any trace of Star power, he/she was transferred into the institute. No playing or talking was permitted. Only exercise, studying and power training. They made sure that we would feel nothing." He hand slightly twitched and he closed his eyes.

Lily squeezed his hand in reassurance. A strange sensation grew in him, as his heart relaxed a bit. Was this the reason why people held hands? 

                 They headed out to meet the pack council. They sat in the conference room where Morgan, Dylan, Zach and Cody were already present.

"Her shifter genes were recessive. It means that one of her parents must've been a human", Lily explained.

"Jeremy never accepted half-bloods", Cody remembered.

Nodding, she went on. "The children must've been stolen from underneath our noses.  It might've happened after their birth, because a mother would never let it out of sight afterwards.  We should meet human-shifter mates, ask them about their children and visit the hospitals."

"Zach, you're babysitting Felicity and 31K9." He made a face.

"I made apple pie. And there's popcorn too."

"Aw. Love you, Lil. Don't worry about the kids." He hugged her and left whistling.

Where do you want to go now?"

Daniel pondered for a moment. "Let's go to the mates first."

"Okay. We'll go to Ella's. She's a shifter, her mate Brandon's human. They have 4 cubs. Brandon's an engineer and Ella's designer. They've been together for 15 years."

"Why did he join the pack? He wasn't a part of the pack right?"

"Nope. He joined because we're so lovable", she flashed him a grin.

"Yes. You are", he responded absentmindedly. Lily smiled inwardly.

Ella invited them home with a happy grin plastered on her face.

"Hey Ella. Congratulations on the win today!", Lily exclaimed.

"Thanks! Do you want any pizza?"

"Wait, with pineapple toppings? Dear, I love you."

Munching on the pizza, Daniel asked Brandon, "I'm guessing you've heard what happened in the afternoon. Did you face any issues when your cubs were born?"

"Well, they turned out to be shifter dominant, so that wasn't a problem."

Ella paused. "But there was one thing that always bothered me. A document.  Remember Brandon, for Tom our eldest."

"It was a form on whether we wanted your children to turn out as shifters or not. We felt that it was wrong, because children are children. We love them without discrimination."

"We didn't face the issue for the next 3 cubs though."

"How old is Tom?"

"He turned 12 last month." Daniel and Lily exchanged glances. 

Rhys was 12 too.  A shiver crept up Lily's spine. Was he willingly given by his parents?