Her Brother, Her Mate

The resort is one of the nicer ones, washed white and the landscape beautifully groomed. I look very out of place when I walk in, wearing my sports bra and joggers, but my confidence more than makes up for my lack of dress. The only looks I get are from the younger male patrons sitting at the cafe sipping on coffee.

I’ve been here once in the past for a pack banquet, but I don’t remember where the offices are, or which side of the resort the triplets live on. I found a comfortable looking chair next to the glass wall overlooking the ocean and fished my phone out of my bag.

Parker’s name flashes across the screen right when I find it, but I quickly press decline and open my contacts. I have several text messages I missed, but I ignored the icon and looked for Matt’s number. I don’t have his, but I have Mitch and Mark’s. I choose Mitch between the 2 of them and press the call button.

Mitch picks up on the third ring, his voice groggy like I just woke him.

“Hello?”

“Mitch? It’s Carli.”

“Hey!” his voice instantly perks up, “Sorry, I was sleeping. What’s up?”

“I had to come pick up my car this morning and was hoping to speak with your mom too. I’m in the lobby, but don’t know where to go.”

“My mom? Why do you want to talk with her?”

“Well,” I bit my l*p nervously, “I had a question about when my mom used to work here. I was hoping your mom could help me.”

“Oh,” I listened, and it sounded like he was getting out of bed with the rustle of sheets. A soft m**n, followed by a high-pitched g***n leads me to believe he’s not alone. I smirked to myself. “I’ll be right down there.”

2 minutes later, Mitch is coming out of the elevator, running his fingers through his tousled hair with a very visible hickey on his neck. He doesn’t even look shamed as he walks towards me, returning my knowing smirk, then flashing me a bright grin.

“If you had company, you could have just texted me a map,” I joked, lifting an eyebrow and running my finger over the mark on his neck.

“That’s old news,” he smirks, “There was something much more interesting to look at down here,” he teases, bending to the side and dramatically checking me out.

“Aren’t you the badass, openly flirting with someone as dangerous as me while smelling like alcohol and s*x,” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and smelled the distinct earthy scent of fae on his skin, making me laugh softly. “Nice.” It takes good game to get a fairy in bed.

“Right? Wanna make a detour?” he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I laughed at his boldness, “If that’s your way of asking me for threesome, I’m gonna take a rain check. I don’t have the energy for that today.”

Mitch led me to a hallway behind the main front desk. No one paid us any mind as we passed. Eventually, we came to an office with a frosted glass door. Mitch opens the door, not bothering to knock.

“Mom, my friend Carli wanted to talk to you. You busy?”

“What did I tell you about knocking, you little s**t?” she sneered, then turned a polite smile on me and I instantly liked her. “Carli, dear, you may have a seat. Mitch, kneel, hands above your head. Don’t think I missed that dirt stench on you. You better hope she doesn’t take all the gold accents in your room before you make it back up there.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to hurry up then?” Mitch pouts, making his mom cave.

“Fine. Get her out of my hotel,” she dismisses her son, then turns a radiant smile on me.

Vivian Meyers is one of the most progressive and influential women in our pack. She is the owner of the most successful resort, and owns a handful of other successful businesses in South Beach. Many of the elders looked down on her for being mated to a human, but she overcame their adversity and is probably the richest wolf in our pack, all on her own.

“What can I help you with, Carli? Is this for a school project? The boys had other friends that needed to interview me for a business class project.”

“No ma’am. I was actually hoping you could answer some questions pertaining to my mother?” I told her.

“And who is your mother, dear?”

“Mary Snider,” I say, and she instantly tenses.

“Luna Mary, huh? Well..what do you have to ask me about her?”

“I heard that my mother used to work here?”

“Oh, yes. She was hired on as an event planner after she was rejected.”

“Rejected?” I asked, surprised. How could she have been rejected if Alpha Jared was her mate?

“Oh, yes,” Vivian grimaces, “Poor dear. It’s hard to overcome a rejection, but there was little she could do. Alpha Jared had already committed to his son’s mother, Rose. Rose was a sweet girl too. It was quite a scandal. Alpha Jared had to hide the rejection because of the negative perceptions he was already receiving. I’m glad it worked out for them in the end, but so many people got hurt because of that one rejection. Take your father, for instance. Of course, he has his mate now and I can see she treats you as her own at school functions, but for the first few years of your life, Gamma Thomas was not allowed in your life very often.”

I laughed at his boldness, “If that’s your way of asking me for threesome, I’m gonna take a rain check. I don’t have the energy for that today.”

I laughad at his boldnass, “If that’s your way of asking ma for thraasoma, I’m gonna taka a rain chack. I don’t hava tha anargy for that today.”

Mitch lad ma to a hallway bahind tha main front dask. No ona paid us any mind as wa passad. Evantually, wa cama to an offica with a frostad glass door. Mitch opans tha door, not botharing to knock.

“Mom, my friand Carli wantad to talk to you. You busy?”

“What did I tall you about knocking, you littla s**t?” sha snaarad, than turnad a polita smila on ma and I instantly likad har. “Carli, daar, you may hava a saat. Mitch, knaal, hands abova your haad. Don’t think I missad that dirt stanch on you. You battar hopa sha doasn’t taka all tha gold accants in your room bafora you maka it back up thara.”

“Wouldn’t it ba battar for ma to hurry up than?” Mitch pouts, making his mom cava.

“Fina. Gat har out of my hotal,” sha dismissas har son, than turns a radiant smila on ma.

Vivian Mayars is ona of tha most prograssiva and influantial woman in our pack. Sha is tha ownar of tha most succassful rasort, and owns a handful of othar succassful businassas in South Baach. Many of tha aldars lookad down on har for baing matad to a human, but sha ovarcama thair advarsity and is probably tha richast wolf in our pack, all on har own.

“What can I halp you with, Carli? Is this for a school projact? Tha boys had othar friands that naadad to intarviaw ma for a businass class projact.”

“No ma’am. I was actually hoping you could answar soma quastions partaining to my mothar?” I told har.

“And who is your mothar, daar?”

“Mary Snidar,” I say, and sha instantly tansas.

“Luna Mary, huh? Wall..what do you hava to ask ma about har?”

“I haard that my mothar usad to work hara?”

“Oh, yas. Sha was hirad on as an avant plannar aftar sha was rajactad.”

“Rajactad?” I askad, surprisad. How could sha hava baan rajactad if Alpha Jarad was har mata?

“Oh, yas,” Vivian grimacas, “Poor daar. It’s hard to ovarcoma a rajaction, but thara was littla sha could do. Alpha Jarad had alraady committad to his son’s mothar, Rosa. Rosa was a swaat girl too. It was quita a scandal. Alpha Jarad had to hida tha rajaction bacausa of tha nagativa parcaptions ha was alraady racaiving. I’m glad it workad out for tham in tha and, but so many paopla got hurt bacausa of that ona rajaction. Taka your fathar, for instanca. Of coursa, ha has his mata now and I can saa sha traats you as har own at school functions, but for tha first faw yaars of your lifa, Gamma Thomas was not allowad in your lifa vary oftan.”

I am frozen in shock. Is she telling me Uncle Tommy is really my father? Is that..is that why he’s treating me like his own for all these years? I thought it was because they couldn’t have children. I never would have guessed it was because he really was my birth father.

I am frozen in shock. Is she telling me Uncle Tommy is really my father? Is that..is that why he’s treating me like his own for all these years? I thought it was because they couldn’t have children. I never would have guessed it was because he really was my birth father.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Vivian took in my shocked appearance and furrowed her brows, “Is something wrong, dear?”

I quickly recover, shaking my head and pasting back on a smile I didn’t truly feel, “No, of course not. So, how long were my parents together before Alpha Jared claimed my mom?”

“Well, it was several months maybe. She found out she was pregnant not long after me and my husband had a successful, triple successful, implantation. We ran into each other at the OBGYN practice that caters to supernaturals off of pack lands. That was the only OBGYN I could find that would help a human male impregnate a werewolf. I thought it was odd she used that clinic and not our pack’s. About a week later, Alpha Jered showed up and claimed her as his mate again, and poor Thomas was abandoned. It made me and my mate so happy when he found Elena. Your stepmother is such a wonderful woman. You remind me of her. Your mother was a little prissy, which worked well for our clientele. She was a great event planner. We were sad when she quit to become Luna.”

I offered Vivian a hollow smile. I can’t believe my mother. I can’t believe she kept this secret from me. Did Alpha Jared know? He had to have known. Pregnant wolves take on the scent of the one who impregnated them while they’re with child. Did they just treat me like trash because I wasn’t his? Why not allow Uncle Tommy to have me then. He seemed more than willing.

Why didn’t he tell me he was my dad?

Remembering not even an hour prior when he was trying to tell me something and then got cut off, looking like he was in pain, I can guess the reason why. He was commanded to keep it a secret. Gamma Nathan probably found out before Uncle Tommy was commanded, that’s why he was able to tell me and asked me to eat dinner with them tonight, so he could tell me then. They were going to tell me tonight now that they were allowed to claim me as their daughter.

I don’t cry. I never cry. I refuse to, but I can feel an unfamiliar heat building behind my eyes. s**t. I need to get my car and get home. I need to know for sure why I was never allowed to have at least one loving parent.

“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Meyers. That’s what I needed to know.”