Running Free [COMPLETE]

10. The Way In

“Decline… my request,” Eliza tasted the acidic words on her tongue. While her mouth could taste them, her brain was having some trouble digesting the sentence. “What do you mean? Why?”

Elijah let out a soft sigh, sitting back into his chair. “Eliza, I still don’t know what you are. I don’t know what pack you come from, I don’t know anything about your past. What if I allow you to join only to find out you have ties to a coven practicing dark magic, for example? The harm it could do to our small pack would be devastating and irreversible. Our numbers are too low to bounce back from an attack like that.”

Eliza nodded. “Liam said that the pack was becoming smaller.”

“Yes,” Elijah continued his explanation, “and until I figure out why, I have to be extra cautious. If circumstances were different, I would have you in the Clearwater Pack without thinking it twice, but the way things stand now, I cannot.”

She gave another nod, her heart in her stomach when Liam began to speak. “What if…” His thoughts forming as the words left his lips, “What if Eliza can figure out what pack she comes from and why she smells so… different.”

“What,” she asked. What is he suggesting, she thought. But Elijah understood.

“So, Eliza finds where her birth parents come from,” the Alpha asked. Liam nodded and Eliza’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

She had known her whole life she was adopted. It was pretty hard to hide when she was shades darker than everyone else in the family, but she was never really curious about where she “came” from. She was happy with having her mom be her only mom and her dad be her only dad, even if she was never going to share what it was like to shift with them, they were still her only family. She liked how things were at the moment and didn’t need to shake anything up. So, Liam’s suggestion sounded like he had just asked her to wear lead boots in a pool, like the worst idea ever.

“Wait, Liam, I don-” Eliza didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence.

“I can allow her in the pack if I know that it’s safe to do so,” Elijah said nonchalantly. Eliza froze at his words. He would let her in. He only needed to know where she came from. She turned to look at Liam. He flashed her a bright smile.

“You got yourself a deal,” Eliza beamed. This was her way in, finally.

“Well, good,” Elijah chuckled, “because I’m sure Liam would love to have you as his Beta one day.”

“Whoa, there, Alpha,” She said, raising her palms up, “I don’t know if I can handle that much good news.” He laughed before standing up and walking around the desk.

“I’m pretty sure you’re fine.” Elijah leaned against the front of his desk and the two younger wolves stood.

“Thank you so much, Alpha, for this opportunity,” Eliza shook his hand and began walking towards the door. Liam thanked his father as well and followed Eliza.

They didn’t say much to each other until they were downstairs. Liam was on the last step when Eliza turned and asked, “So, how am I supposed to figure out where to find my birth parents?”

“Well, what do you know about them,” Liam answered with a question.

“I know nothing, really. My mother told me that they had loved me so much when I was sent to their house as a foster kid that they had to have me join the family forever. At least this is the story I heard when I was about seven.”

“If you asked now, would you get the same story?” Eliza shrugged at Liam's question. She wasn’t sure what her parents would think or say if she asked for more details and information. “It won’t hurt to ask. Maybe we can find a clue in what they have to say.” She couldn’t dismiss that possibility.

“That’s not a bad idea. I’ll text my parents right now and see if they’ll have me over for dinner. I can talk to them about it then.” She pulled her phone out and began typing. Her fingers were quick and light as they tapped away.

Now all she had to do was wait for the chime announcing their reply.