A box of muffins from the local bakery sits in the middle of the kitchen table. A pot of coffee, still steaming and half full, rests on the counter next to the cream and sugar pot. The aroma of both freshly brewed coffee and muffins hangs in the air as everyone is gathered together in the kitchen--except for Daddy, who had to leave promptly for another day at the office.

I skim over all the pages in the folder. Everything's there, from the adoption forms to the social worker's documents and my early health records--including all the tests Mama and Daddy said I went through--were together, along with other miscellaneous documents and payment receipts.

I don't know where to look. The actual adoption papers contain no information that may answer any of my questions. The social worker's documents are more detailed regarding Mama, Daddy, and me. It's in those pages that I find the information that my parents told me. How my biological mother was brought into the hospital, suffered unexplainable internal bleeding, and died shortly after a vaginal delivery. How regular doctor visits estimated her to be only 31 weeks pregnant, but I was unusually healthy and strong regardless.

"That's because shifter pregnancies only last 30-32 weeks. It's shorter because of our wolf-side," Evan says, pointing to the section about my premature birth.

I nod, my eyes continuing to scan the paragraphs with Evan leaning in next to me.

"She was definitely human," Tamara says solemnly from her seat across from us at the kitchen table. "Unless treated by an experienced pack doctor, humans will always die from complications with shifter pups."

"Plus," Leah adds, "If she had been a shifter herself, she wouldn't have gone to the hospital to deliver. Even if she had been a rogue on her own, she would have stayed in the forest and delivered fine."

"Couldn't she have just sought out a pack doctor? I mean, where's her baby-daddy during all this?" Brianna says before biting into a slice of toast.

"Unless she didn't know the father was a shifter, or that her life could be compromised in the process of giving life," Leah suggests.

"He should have done something!" Brianna shoots back at her older sister.

Leah just raises an eyebrow at Brianna, making Brianna bite back her attitude and hold her tongue. Leah may be her sister, but Leah was still her alpha.

As Brianna lowers her head in submission, Leah says, "I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just voicing what could be a possible reason that Zara's birth mother didn't seek out a pack doctor, who might have been able to save her life."

"But we're still no closer to figuring out who Zara's birth parents are," Evan says.

"The adoption was closed as well," Mama says stiffly in her seat. She grips her mug of coffee tightly in her hands as her eyes waver momentarily over everyone in Evan's family.

"So, that means I'll never know my origins then, will I?" I utter in a whisper.

I had been so hopeful when Daddy handed me the papers. I thought for sure my biological mother's name would be on them and I'd be able to find the man who was responsible for making me a shifter rather than a normal human being. It felt like the world wanted to keep everything from me instead of giving away any of its secrets.

It wasn't fair.

"You can," Tamara says. "Of course you can. You just have to file with the adoption agency to obtain that information. You can still find out who your mother was and meet her parents."

"And we can ask alphas of other packs for help to find your father. If need be, we can hire a private investigator too," Marcus says from the sliding doors out to the tiny backyard.

All eyes turn to him. He had been looking out into the crammed quarters of the unkempt patio before he turns to face us.

"You know one?" Leah asks, her face cast in doubt.

He shakes his head. "No, but I'm sure if we ask around, someone will be able to direct us to one."

"And you'd be comfortable enough in trusting one?" Leah presses. "Have you forgotten the situation we're currently in with Ryan?"

That catches Mama's attention and she's quick to interject. "Situation?"

Hand, meet forehead.

The air rushes out of my lungs as I lean my elbow against the table, my head in my palm. I can't handle all this right now. The adoption papers, the talk of investigators, and everything with Ryan and his rogues taking over the land and meeting his demands.

Mama shouldn't have to know about Ryan and the monumental problems we're in. She's already stressed enough, this will be too much for her to handle.

"Leah." Evan shoots her a warning look as he starts to rub my back, sensing my distress.

Mama's not about to let the matter drop so quickly. Her forehead creases with concern as she sees me hunched over the table and Evan rubbing circles on my back. "Have you gotten my baby involved in some kind of trouble?" Mama's voice starts to crack as she speaks.

I run my tongue over my jagged tooth, keeping my gaze lowered on the papers before me on the table.

"Zara's in no trouble at all," Marcus tells her calmly. "It's my oldest son who's gotten himself involved in a gang of criminals."

Mama studies the solemn faces around her, as if trying to determine the validity in his words. She spends a little more time looking at Tamara's face as Tamara looks down at her hands clasped together on the table in front of her. The deep ridges across Tamara's forehead and the corners of her eyes and lips are pulled down in grief.

Mama turns to me for confirmation. "Is this true, baby?"

If only it were that simple.

The partial truth will have to do though--for her sake.

Leaning back in my seat, I nod, though I don't meet her gaze. I keep my eyes glued to the papers before me.

Before she can have a chance to decipher my response, I decide to change the subject from Ryan, back to what's been racking my brain since Daddy handed me the adoption papers.

"Why now? Why spring these papers on me now? Why didn't you give them to me when you first told me I was adopted?"

Mama's face softens. "Sweetie, you were so upset then. Your father and I weren't sure you were ready to see the papers. We talked about it, but then everything changed, and you moved out and only visited us on weekends. We didn't want to bring it up then. We wanted to enjoy what little time we could have with you before you would leave again."

"So, why now?" I repeat with mild irritation.

She sighs. "That was your father's doing. I guess, seeing all of you here must have done the trick."

I shake my head, wondering what was really going through his mind before he handed me the folder.

"It might prove useful if we can find your biological father," Marcus says. "He might be able to help us with Ryan, and in doing so, we can form an alliance with him and his pack."

Leah nods. "With the Silver Star too."

I cringe at the thought of not only finding my biological father, but also asking him for help.

Hi, um, I'm you're daughter, and I, uh, need your help with my mate's lunatic brother who wants to kill us all if we don't join his pack?

Oh yeah, I bet that will go over well.

Sighing, I brush back my hair, if only to serve as some form of distraction. "Even if we do find him, what makes you think he'll help us?"

"Zee, you're still new in our world, but family is everything to us," Leah says.

Mama's eyebrows arch up to the nickname, while everyone else nods and murmurs in agreement.

"Leah's right," Marcus says. "We put our family first before all else. Our pack is an extension of our families since they are predominately family members anyway. We look out for each other. Any father would do the same for his daughter."

"So then, why hasn't he sought me out after all these years?" I ask, not totally accepting their answers at face value. Something still doesn't make sense here.

Marcus shrugs in an attempt to not let my pessimistic response get under his skin. "If he's still alive, we'll find him, and we can ask him."

There it is: the elephant in the room. If he's still alive.

What if he's not alive? What if the answer is as simple as that? Both of my biological parents are dead, and that's why I never heard from either of them, and why I didn't find out about who I really am until recently.

I hate to cast my ballots on such a negative thought, but I'm betting he's dead just like my mother, and that's all there is to it.

"Still," Marcus adds in an attempt to be hopeful, "There's no harm in searching for him. Better to get some closure, than nothing at all, right?"

I suppose he's right. There's never any harm in trying anything. Closure would be nice. Although, it would have been better a few months ago, if not earlier, but any time is better than never.

Evan gets up from the table. "Right. I should call Alpha and let him know that we're safe." He clears his throat in an attempt to change the subject and turns to Mama. "May I use your phone, Mrs Grant?"

She waves her hand at him. "Go ahead. It's over there."

As he turns and marches toward it on a little table in the entryway to the living room, she raises her voice after him. "And call me, Vanessa!"

Any other time, and I would have smiled. Mama giving him permission to address her by her first name is a good sign. It means she's accepted him. And I have been hoping that she would come around to him eventually. Maybe catching us in bed together did the trick?

I fight the urge to cringe. Yikes. That's a scary thought.

I still can't believe that it's only been two months since we first met. It feels so much longer than that, yet at the same time, I could swear it was only yesterday that I saw him peeking out from around the deer on the spit with his cheeky shy grin as he said, "Yo."

Such a nerd.

But he's my nerd.

Marcus interrupts my train of thought as he gets up and follows Evan to the phone. "Yes, you should definitely phone Rick. I should check in with my sisters too."

I glance over my shoulder at Evan as he dials Rick's number and waits. He must have been sent to voicemail, as he calls out to us in the kitchen, "What's your number, Vanessa?"

Mama hollers out the digits, and he repeats them into the phone and hangs up.

He returns to the kitchen with a shrug while his father uses the phone after him. "He must be running around or something. He'll call back to give us instructions."

He returns to his seat beside me and wraps his arms around my waist. He leans his chin on my shoulder in a casual, though comforting, way. I tilt my head so that it rests gently against his as I wonder what to do next.

"So how long y'all planning on hanging out here?" Mama asks.

Evan hesitates, but obviously has no idea. "Until Alpha--I mean, Rick--tells us what to do and where to go."

"I suspect we," Tamara says, motioning to herself, Marcus, and Evan's sisters, "will be instructed to go somewhere else, while you and Zara can remain here, if Mr and Mrs Grant don't mind."

"Yeah, we really don't have the space for everyone here," I interject quickly before Mama can get tense and uncomfortable with the thought of more non-humans staying in her home. I look over at Mama. "You don't mind if Evan can stay with us for a bit?"

Evan hasn't tried pushing his luck with Mama before, so last night was the first time he'd spent the night. Usually, I would take the train Saturday morning into Portland, spend the day with my folks, and Evan would come on Sunday and spend a few hours with them after church. Mama and Daddy were always sad to see me leave after dinner, but they knew it was time for their baby-girl to spread her wings now.

Or perhaps, run wild would be more accurate?

Mama swallows, but nods. "Yes, I think that will be okay. He can sleep on the sofa."

Ouch. There was definitely a bit of a sting to that last remark.

Leah nods. "Hopefully Rick will get back to us soon, and then we can be on our way. Maybe we can stay with Aunt Vicky and Nicky?"

Tamara nods as Marcus returns, his brows knit together.

"I tried calling both Victoria and Nicole's cell phones, but I can't reach either of them."