Page 57 of Wolf Bound

I settle against him and look back over at my other two mates. “I think it’s incredible. I can finally see the bond that you guys talked about when they were younger.”

Drayton looks over at me and winks, a small lopsided smile directed at me. Forrester rolls his eyes at his brother, but then turns to me with the same loving look in his eyes.

Goddess, I love these men. They’re all kind, strong, incredible men that make me feel protected and loved every second of every day. What more could I want?

Penn walks me over to the couch and we have a seat, waiting for Wes and Alaric to join us in the living room. I left Wes in the kitchen not too long ago, but he had to run to his office to grab something for the meeting. Probably whatever evidence these people sent to show they are in fact telling the truth. Which I still sincerely doubt.

Alaric walks in next, immediately finding where I am in the room and coming over. Despite me being tucked into Penn’s side, Alaric leans down and kisses me. He smells a touch like sweat and pine, similar to the training circle area. I breathe it in deeply, admiring the way it mixes with his natural scent.

“How’s your team today?”

“They’re good. Prepping for the influx of shifters that’ll be here in a few days,” Alaric answers with a smirk. “They’ve got this. I just needed to bolster their confidence a bit more with some drills.”

Wes walks in and silences everyone by clearing his throat. “Let’s get down to business, we have a lot going on at the moment and not nearly enough time to get it all done.”

“Is this about defeating the huns?” Penn laughs, but promptly shuts his mouth at Wes’s exasperated look.

Looking around I see amusement on everyone’s faces aside from Wes. There must be a joke here that I’m missing. Who are these huns and why do they exasperate Wes?

“Did you have a bad run in with somehuns?” I ask Wes, feeling bad for my mate that they are making a joke about somethingthat clearly frustrates him. “I don’t think it’s very nice to tease him about that,” I say to the rest of my mates.

Wes smiles at me, and shakes his head. “No, they’re just making a reference to a song in a movie. I accidentally quoted the first part so Penn ran with it.”

“Oh.” Warmth fills my face from embarrassment. “Right.”

“We’re still working on catching you up on pop culture.” Penn rubs circles on my hand. “You’ve done so well so far, but there’s a shit ton still left.”

“We’ll watch it later tonight,” Drayton promises with a wink. “It’s a classic.”

Wes claps his hands with a sigh. “As cute as this all is, we do need to talk. Someone has reached out that was a former Croises member and they want to meet with Talia. They say they have important information we’re going to need in the upcoming conflict.”

Alaric grunts in disapproval. “That has trap written all fucking over it. No way is she going to this meeting.”

“You think I wouldn’t verify their identity before even considering this?” Wes growls in anger. "I may not be the pack enforcer like you, but I still take safety seriously. Especially with our mate."

"That wasn't meant as an attack on you," Alaric sighs and rolls his eyes. "Doesn't this just seem a touch too convenient? It really does look like a fucking trap."

"Of course it does, but it has been verified to be true. The woman that wants to meet us is Miranda Hartfield. She was a doctor that worked for The Croises during the time of Talia's birth," Wes states, his anger gone and his academic voice back in place. "Her son had to reach out on her behalf because The Croises did a number to her shortly after Talia's birth. She was by all accounts dead, which is how she managed to get out."

Hartfield…Why do I know that name? It’s on the edge of my mind when my mates arguing makes me lose my train of thought. Maybe they mentioned her to me at the facility. My heart races a bit, but I focus back on the argument in front of me.

"By all accounts? How the fuck is she here now then?" Forrester asks with a raised eyebrow.

"She says she was saved by a bright light," Wes answers. He shrugs at our confused faces. "She also says the light called itself Adessa."

"What?" I sit up straight, my peryton mimicking my response. Our curiosity is officially perked. "THE Adessa?"

Wes nods his head and smiles at the spark in my eyes. "I was skeptical still, but I had Miles do some recon for me, including DNA testing, and both her and her son are who they say they are."

"Do you think she knew my mom?" I ask quietly and twist my fingers together.

"She did. She was the doctor that watched over your mother throughout her pregnancy with you. She delivered you into this world."

All the air rushes out of my lungs, and a tear slides down my cheek. An actual connection to my mother. I absolutely need to meet her, if for nothing else than to get a glimpse into the woman my mother was.

"I want to meet her," I say after a minute. "I need to."

"I thought you might," Wes responds.

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