Chapter 51

Zara

I spent the next few days searching for someone who could help me find my family. I found several private investigators, and sent messages to each one. Obviously I couldn’t mention that I was half were-wolf, so I simply said that I needed help finding my mother.

Only three of the investigators I contacted replied back. All three asked for more information. I explained that I was left with my father as an infant, and that all I knew was her name.

I wouldn’t even have that much. No one ever talked about her. But once when I was young, after an argument with my step-mother, I became determined to learn about my own mother. So I snuck into my father’s office and searched through his papers. I found a few letters he’d stashed in his desk, from shortly before I was born, letters from a woman named Danielle Lucas.

Two of the private investigators I contacted by email backed out, explaining that with so little information there was no way they could locate my mother.

The third one, though, sounded interested and contacted me by phone.

“Hello, is this Zara Sawyer?” the detective asked. “My name is Elliot Harris. I'm a private investigator. You sent me an e-mail concerning your mother?”

“Yes, thank you for contacting me,” I said, fighting to hide my excitement. Surely if this investigator had called instead of sending an email reply that meant he was interested in my case.

“You stated in your email that the only information you have on your mother is her name, yes?”

“That is correct,” I admitted.

“How did you come across the name? Were you told, perhaps by your father? Could he possibly tell you more?”

“No, I found it in an old letter,” I admitted. “My father is dead, I'm afraid.”

“Oh. I am sorry for your loss,” Elliot said.

That brought me up short for a moment. No one in the pack, not even his Luna, had expressed sympathy for his death. And now a complete stranger said it, like it was just expected? I didn't really know how to respond.

“Thank you,” I said, hesitantly.

It must have been the correct response, because Elliot continued, “Do you still have possession of that letter?”

I didn’t, but they might still be in my father’s property. I’d have to ask Lucian for permission to search through his papers.

“I'll have to go through my father's papers to find it again,” I explained.

“That's fine,” Elliot said. “I have to say, your case really caught my eye. I haven't tried to find a relative with so little information to go on for a long time. Do you think you could come by my office, with any papers you manage to find?”

His office was, of course, on the human side of the veil. How was I going to convince the Alphas to let me go? They barely let me out of their sight since the full moon.

“Is it absolutely necessary to meet in person?” I asked. “It's just that I'd have to travel quite a distance to reach you.”

“Oh, well, it's not required,” Elliot said, “but I do prefer to meet my clients face to face. I could offer you a discount for my services, to help make up the travel costs.”

“I'll do my best,” I said, “but it will be a few days.”

“Of course, take all the time you need. And if you really can't get here, call me back, and I'll see if we can't work out maybe a video conference, have you scan a copy of those letters.”

A video conference? Did my computer even have a camera? Could I use my phone? And what in the world did he mean by 'scan' the letters?

I had to convince Lucian and Kieran to let me go. That, or I had to find a way to sneak past them. One way or another, I was going to find out who my mother was, and what happened to her.

“Okay,” I said. “I'll try my best. I'll call this number if I can meet,” I said.

“Wonderful,” Elliot said. “I hope I see you soon, Miss Sawyer.”

I hung up the phone, and stared at it for a moment before I shook my head, shut down my computer, and went to find the Alphas. I was going to that meeting, and I was not going to take no for an answer.

Lucian was in his office, along with Kieran. There were several financial logbooks on the desk, so I assumed they were working on the pack's budget. I wondered why they didn't hire an actual accountant. It seemed to me that with four packs joined into one, you would need a professional to manage the finances.

Both twins looked up at me when I entered the office.

“Did you find something with your research?” Lucian asked.

“Maybe,” I said. “I've found a private investigator who is willing to take on the case. However, I need to find my father's personal effects, his paperwork. There was a letter from my mother in there. It has her name.”

“Your father's personal paperwork is in storage,” Lucian said. “Kieran can take you down to find the letter.”

“Thank you,” I said, then, “There's something else.”

“What is it?” Kieran asked.

“The detective wants to meet in person,” I said.

Lucian frowned. “It isn't a good time to bring a human through the veil. We'd have to find an escort for him, assign a protection detail, and wait through the period of shock, unless you found a private investigator who is already aware of the existence of werewolves?”

“No,” I said, “I don't think he does.”

Honestly, it had never occurred to me to try to bring the private investigator to the Alpha house. I assumed he would require the resources available on the human side of the veil to find my mother. We were lucky to have cell phone signal, and my wi-fi was practically a miracle.

“So will he work with you without a personal meeting?” Kieran asked.

“He said he prefers to meet with his clients face to face, and he'll most likely need to physically examine the letter and anything else I might find in storage,” I said. “I was hoping I could go to meet him at his office, like his ordinary clients,” I added.

Lucian was already shaking his head. “No. That is not going to happen.”

“I'm not talking about going to the human side to stay forever,” I pleaded. “It's just a short road trip, I'd be gone for less than a week. Please.” I bowed as respectfully as I knew how, “Please, Alpha, I need to learn who my mother was. I need to find out what happened to her so I can find out what is happening to me.”

Lucian stared at me for several moments, and then looked over at Kieran. It was almost like they could talk to each other, a whole conversation carried out in eyebrow quirks and intense stares.

“Very well,” Lucian said, and I felt my jaw unhinge. He was going to let me go? Really?

“You're going, but you're not going alone,” Kieran announced.

“Sure, assign a guard, two guards, whatever you want,” I said. I'd rather not travel with a small army of paranoid werewolves, but I'd do it if I had to.

“No, someone in this pack has passed information to our enemies,” Lucian said. “I will not trust them with your life. Kieran and I will accompany you.”

“Both of you?” I yelped. “But... what about the pack?”

I thought the whole point of twin Alphas was that one stayed to run the pack when the other one had to go fight Rogues or be diplomatic with other packs.

“I'll leave my new Beta in charge,” Lucian declared.

“You've appointed a new Beta?” I asked.

Kieran grumbled, “Yeah, that damn Rogue she-wolf he recruited.”

“I don't know who you're talking about,” I admitted.

“I don't consult you on my staffing decisions,” Lucian said, arching an eyebrow. “Anyway, this will be a good test for her. And as you say, it should only be a few days. If these wolves forget who their Alphas are in that short of a time, well, we'll just have to reeducate them when we get back.”