Origins

Reunited

I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling the entire night. I shocked everyone after they dropped that atomic bomb on me last night by just walking away from them. Hell, I shocked myself with my ability to keep my emotions in check. Was I angry? HELL YES! But more than anything, I was hurt.

A twin brother. I understand now why I've felt like a piece of me has been missing all my life. They kept him from me. Did he know about me? If he did, was he just as upset as I am? These are the questions that have been plaguing me all night. I looked over at my alarm clock. 3:40 A.M. I sighed and got out of my bed. We're supposed to head to the airstrip at 4:30. I might as well get dressed now.

I did my morning routine, got dressed in a pair of leggings and a T-shirt. I grabbed my suitcase and headed down the stairs. I dropped my suitcase at the front door next to the others and went to the kitchen. When I passed the living room I saw Uncle Lucian lying on the couch, wide awake. He looked over at me as I headed to the kitchen and stood up to follow me. When I got to the kitchen I grabbed two mugs out of the cupboard and placed them on the counter. I looked over at Uncle Luc, "Want a cup of gourmet coffee?" I asked.

He smiled at me, "Alice, dumping half a pack of hot cocoa mix into a cup of coffee with some milk hardly makes it gourmet."

"So, you don't want one?" I asked, laughing.

"I didn't say that."

I nodded and got to work making a cup for each of us. When they were done, we sat at the counter and enjoyed our coffees in silence.

Uncle Luc was the first one to break the silence. "Alice, I want you to know that I wasn't intentionally keeping your twin brother secret. I mean, I was, but only because-"

"You wanted to keep me safe. I get it. The whole situation sucks honestly, but it couldn't be helped. I am just anxious about all of this. I mean, I know nothing about any of my family. I don't know what they know about me. Will they be proud of me? Will I be everything they were hoping for? All these what-ifs are going through my head and I'm honestly just terrified." He smiled at me.

"Alice, we have told your parents all about you. And when we talked to them yesterday to tell them to send the jet, they were so excited. They wanted to come and get you themselves, but with them having no Betas to watch the pack couldn't. So, they sent your brother instead. And he is just as excited about meeting you."

I felt a little better after talking to him and we turned back to our coffees. About ten minutes later, Aunt Lizzy came down and grabbed herself a cup of coffee. She liked hers black. Yuck. While she was drinking her coffee, Bella arrived, looking like a walking corpse. She's not a morning person.

"Alright, let's get the luggage loaded into Bella's car and head out." Uncle Luc grabbed all of our mugs and rinsed them in the sink.

"What's going to happen to the house?" I asked.

"Oh, it's actually yours. You can sell it if you want. Your parents bought it so we could raise you here, but it's supposed to go to you now that you're 18.You can sell it if you like. Honestly, it's not really something we need to worry about right now."

I nodded and followed Aunt Lizzy to the front door. We grabbed our luggage and headed out. As I passed my car I sighed.

"What about my car? I don't want to leave it."

"We're gonna have all our cars shipped to the pack house in Florida. You won't be without it for long, I promise. Go ahead and jump in Bella's car and I'll get your bag loaded."

We got in the car and waited for Uncle Luc to load everything. When he was done, he climbed into the passenger side and Bella backed out of the driveway. I stared out the window and watched the house get smaller and smaller. My childhood was officially over. It was a bittersweet feeling. Everything in the past was wonderful and I would forever cherish the memories, but I was more than ready for where we were heading. My future.

Moon Goddess? I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, please, watch over me and help guide me. I'm so scared and anxious but I'm also incredibly excited.

Of course, I can hear you child. Do not be afraid. I am always here to guide you. You will do great things, daughter. Just believe in yourself and you will never fail.

The drive to the airstrip didn't take long and before I knew it, we were pulling up next to a sleek private jet. Everyone climbed out of Bella's truck and started unloading the luggage. I watched Bella and Aunt Lizzy walk up the steps into the plane and I looked down at my hands.

"You can't hide in here forever, sweetheart. There's no reason to be nervous. He's going to love you just as much as we do." Uncle Lucian was whispering words of encouragement to me from the back of the truck. He grabbed the last suitcase and closed the hatch. I sighed and climbed out. When I looked back up at the plane, I saw a tall, muscular young man standing in the doorway talking to Uncle Lucian, who was loading the last suitcase into the cargo hatch of the plane.

I walked up to the plane and looked up at the young man in the doorway. He looked to be a little over six feet tall and was incredibly muscular. He had curly black hair with the sides shaved and violet eyes. This must be my brother, Cillian. He looked down at me with the biggest smile I'd ever seen.

"Alissandra!" He exclaimed and jumped down the stairs. He engulfed me in a hug and as soon as he did, something clicked into place. I inhaled deeply and hugged him back.

He finally released me after what seemed like forever and held me at arms length. "I'm so sorry! I'm just so happy to see you! I'm Cillian!"

I didn't know much about Cillian but I could tell already that I liked him. He had such a bright personality.

"Let's go get seated so we can get going. Mom and dad are anxious about your return. And after we get you settled in the packhouse we can see about getting the wolf of yours unlocked."

I nodded and followed him onto the plane. I was shocked that he knew so much about me. It must be nice not to be kept in the dark all the time. I tried not to let it get to me, I just had to keep telling myself that it was all for a good reason. I looked around the jet and was blown away by how luxurious it all looked. There was a couch on one side and reclining seats across from it with a table in between. Uncle Luc and Aunt Lizzy were sitting in the recliners and Bella was sitting on a bean bag in the middle of the floor with her nose in her phone. I took a seat on the couch and Cillian walked up to the cockpit and knocked on the door.

"We're all loaded and ready to go." I heard him tell the pilots. He left the cockpit and turned towards us again. He sat next to me on the couch. "So, how about we chat on the way?" he asked me with another huge smile.

I smiled and nodded.

"So, you wanna play twenty questions?" I giggled and he nodded. "Alright, I'll go first. What's your favorite color?"

He laughed. "Why couldn't you start with something easier?"

"How is your favorite color hard?"

"Because you're gonna make fun of me," he whined. "It's a girl color!"

"Okay, I have an idea! Let's say our favorite color together!"

"One," he started counting.

"Two," I continued.

"Three!"

"PURPLE!"

"PURPLE!"

We shouted at the same time and then gasped.

"No freaking way. It's like we're twins or something!" Cillian laughed. "Okay, my turn! What's your favorite band?"

"Atreyu! I also adore Stevie Nicks," I replied.

"Dude, seriously? Atreyu is my favorite band!" he exclaimed.

The rest of the game went the same way mostly. We disagreed on a few things, like, my favorite animal is an owl and his is an elephant. And his favorite vegetable is broccoli and mine is bell peppers, but we mostly liked the same things. We hit it off immediately and it was honestly overwhelming. The only other person I felt this strong of a connection with was Bella. We spent the next couple hours just chatting about our lives and cracking jokes. I wasn't surprised to find out that he was the best warrior in our pack, but I was surprised to learn that he would be taking the Alpha title from our father in two years. I didn't think that he would give the pack to Cillian while he was so young. Sooner than expected, the pilot's voice came over from the overhead and told us we were beginning our descent and that we needed to buckle our seatbelts. I started getting anxious again. Cillian told me that our pack's town was only about 30 minutes away from the airstrip. In less than an hour, I was going to be meeting my parents for the first time. I started wringing my hands together.

"Hey," Cillian whispered and put his massive hand on top of mine, "They're going to love you. They already do. Just breathe." He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. I smiled up at him and nodded.

Soon we touched down and we waited for the captain to park. Once he did, Uncle Luc and Cillian exited the plane and started unloading the luggage. I got up from the couch and Aunt Lizzy followed behind me. She put her hand on my shoulder and we got off the plane. Bella followed behind us. When we made it down the stairs, I saw Cillian load the last suitcase into the back of a range rover that was waiting on the tarmac for us.

"Alright everybody, welcome to Florida! Let's head home!" Cillian yelled.

We all climbed into the range rover and Cillian drove us away from the airstrip.

I stared out the window at the lush green landscape passing by. I couldn't get over how beautiful this place was. The drive to the pack territory didn't take long at all. Soon I started seeing houses of all sizes and small shops. People were coming in and out of all the different stores laughing and chatting away. It looked like a quiet peaceful town and I was so excited to explore everything this territory had to offer.

"Welcome to the Evenstar Pack Territory! What do you think so far, Alissandra?" I looked up to see Cillian staring at me in the rearview mirror. He was grinning from ear to ear seeing my expression.

"Call me Alice, please. And it looks absolutely wonderful. I'm looking forward to wandering around and seeing everything this place has to offer. Everything looks so incredible." I smiled back at him.

We continued on for a while and I noticed that we had turned off the main road and into what looked like a long driveway lined thickly with trees and other foliage. Cillian started slowing down and the lush green finally thinned out before opening up completely. My jaw dropped and I gasped at the sheer size and beauty of the mansion that sat in the middle of the forest. It was at least three stories tall and looked like an old colonial-style house. As we pulled into the circular driveway in front of the house, I saw several people coming down the steps to greet us. I looked closer at the young couple standing in the middle of the group and was absolutely stunned. The woman was staring at the car with tears in her violet eyes. Her long straight black hair was blowing gently in the breeze. I looked over at the man standing next to her. He was incredibly tall and handsome with wavy chestnut hair and emerald green eyes. He hooked his arm around my mother and pulled her close. He used his other hand to wipe away a tear. I couldn't wait anymore. Before the car came to a complete stop, I jumped out. I ran around it and stood in front of them. I felt a connection with these people immediately and desperately wanted to know them.

"Alissandra," the woman whispered. "You've finally come home. My dear daughter, you can't imagine how much we've missed you."

"You've grown into such a gorgeous young woman. You look just like your mother," the man beside her added.

I stared up at them and felt the emotional turmoil within me. These people were my parents. My actual parents. I could see the love and hope in their eyes, but there was still a small part of me that couldn't help but feel resentment and anger towards them for sending me away. I keep being reminded that it was for my own safety, but I felt like they abandoned me.

"Thanks. So, where am I supposed to be staying? Is there a hotel or am I expected to stay in the house with you?" My tone came out aggressive and harsh. I knew I was being rude, but at the moment I didn't care.

Their faces fell and I felt a twinge of remorse for how I was behaving.

"We have a room for you here in the packhouse if you wish to stay here. If not, we completely understand." My father replied and my mother nodded in agreement.

I stood in front of them quietly debating what I wanted to do while everyone else was unloading the car. Cillian walked up behind me with my suitcase and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Alice, I understand you're angry and so do mom and dad. And you have every right to be. The first eighteen years of your life has been a lie fabricated by our parents and Uncle Luc and Aunt Lizzy. But try to understand how hard it's been for them. They gave up their only daughter in the hopes of keeping her safe. And all they could do for those eighteen years is learn about you from the people they asked to raise you and pray that one day you would return to them. I know this whole situation is difficult for everyone involved, but please, for me, just stay here and try to get to know our parents? They really are great and trust me, I know how much they love you and have missed you."

I glanced up at Cillian and then back down at my feet. "I guess I can try." I heard the sighs of relief from my parents and looked up to meet their eyes. "I'm not looking for a happy reunion right now. I just want to know who I am and I desperately want to meet my wolf. And I want the chance to get to know my brother." They nodded in agreement but I could see the hurt in their eyes.

Cillian cleared his throat, "Alright, let's get to the introductions and then I can give you a tour of the packhouse. We will have some of the omegas gather your belongings and take them to your rooms. Alice, you obviously have already figured out this is our mom and dad, Maeve and Ciaran. The couple to their left are their Gammas, Declan and Ava Blight. Uncle Lucian and Aunt Lysette are the Betas, as you already know, and would normally be standing to their right, but obviously, since they came with us, that would be impossible right now." I nodded and greeted everyone.

"Obviously, you all know that I am Alissandra, but I would prefer it if you all called me Alice. Thank you for greeting us. I look forward to getting to know you all in the near future."

Cillian grinned at me again, "You sound so formal little sister. Come on, I'll go ahead and give you the tour. I know you're probably exhausted, so once we finish the tour, I'll show you to your room so you can grab a nap before lunch. Mom and dad have a huge celebratory feast planned for dinner tonight to welcome you, Lucian and Lysette home." I nodded at him again and gestured for him to lead the way. We made our way up the stairs and into the packhouse and I was once again floored by how gorgeous the house was. There was a huge elaborate staircase in the center of the entryway that led to the upstairs. I followed him into a room to the left of the staircase. It seemed to be a massive living room with multiple couches, recliners and loveseats. The walls were lined with bookcases and one wall was covered in photographs. When I looked closer at them, I realized that they were photos of what I assumed were pack members. There were labels under each of the photos and I realized that they were all accomplishments the pack members achieved. It was incredible how much my parents seemed to care for each and every pack member. I realized that I was being left behind by Cillian and scrambled to catch up.

"...and this is the game room. This is one of my favorite places to hang out, as well as most of the teens in the packhouse. There's an arcade in town, but this is where the ranked member's kids come to hang out, as well as the omegas that live in the packhouse with us." My eyes trailed across the room that was filled with televisions, gaming consoles, pool tables, air hockey tables and so many other gizmos and gadgets that any teen would be thrilled to get their hands on. Cillian continued walking along and we turned to the right into an absolutely enormous dining room.

"This is obviously the dining room. All the ranked members and their kids eat here as well as any visiting packs. We usually clear it out when we have the big pack events and it doubles as a ballroom. I usually don't eat here though, honestly. Most of the time I sit at the island in the kitchen, but now that you're here, maybe I'll start." I turned my attention back to him.

"You don't eat here with our parents?" I asked.

He stopped and turned back to me, "I used to eat with them all the time. I stopped after they told me about you. I was 15 at the time. I was having a rough time for a while and asked mom and dad for advice. I told them that I felt I was missing something and I'll never forget their reaction. They looked at each other and then back to me and said, 'It's understandable, son. You are missing something. Your twin sister.' I'm paraphrasing a bit but whatever. I was so f*cking mad at them for keeping such a huge secret from me. I actually left the pack that day to try to find you. Dad caught up with me at the airport. He found me just staring at the board with all the different flight information on it. I stopped there because I realized I had no idea where to start searching. Also, I was 15 years old and had no money. Dad convinced me to come back home and spent the rest of the day showing me photos of you and telling me everything he knew about you. He swore that you would return one day and, honestly, that's the only reason I didn't abandon the pack outright. I was so angry at them that I was ready to give up my birthright as the future Alpha."

I was shocked by his admission. He was just as angry at our parents as I was. "I don't get it. You're obviously still angry with them but you want me to just forgive them?"

"No Alice. I didn't say that you had to just forgive them. I said TRY. I'm trying too, little sister. It's not going to happen overnight. They took away my other half. Of course, I'm going to be angry for a minute." He reached out and patted me on the head. I rolled my eyes and gestured for him to continue the tour.

He laughed and walked through a set of swinging double doors that led to another room. " This is where the magic happens! This is my favorite room in the whole house!" I glanced around and realized we were standing in the middle of another enormous room, the kitchen. I laughed at him and followed him back out to the entryway.

"I'll show you more of the territory tomorrow, but I figure you're pretty tired and I've taken you through most of the first floor. There are also rooms for the live-in omegas down here, but that's about it for this floor. If you want, I'll show you the library. It's on the second floor. There's also a conference room up there for when dad has Alpha meetings. The rest of the second floor is housing for the Beta and Gamma and their families. The third floor is for the Alpha and Luna and their family, as well as spare rooms for visiting Alphas." I nodded and unintentionally yawned. Cillian grinned at me again, "So sorry. Am I boring you sister?"

I laughed again and shook my head. "I'm just really tired and ready for that nap you've been promising me. I didn't get very much sleep last night. I was too nervous to sleep." He frowned and nodded.

"Let me show you your room then." I followed him up the stairs all the way to the third floor. When we reached the top he turned left and walked down a long hallway. There were two doors across from each other at the end. He pointed to the door on the left side of the hallway, "That's my room. Your room is the one directly across from mine." He opened the door on the right and flipped the light on. I looked all around the room and was amazed by how huge and elegant it was and couldn't help but notice that it was everything I wanted. The walls were a gorgeous mauve color. There was a sitting area with a plush white loveseat and a couple of gray recliners that matched. A very modern coffee table sat in between them all. I walked further in the room and noticed two doors off to the side and looked back at Cillian. He smiled and nodded at me, encouraging me to go explore. I opened the first door and turned the light on. It was a gigantic walk-in closet. And it was full of clothes and shoes and accessories. I checked the sizes of everything and was shocked to find that they were all my size. I walked back out and stared at Cillian.

"How?" was all I said.

"I told you. Mom and dad have been waiting for your return. They got updates from Luc and Lizzy CONSTANTLY. They know everything about you."

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. They did care. All these years they kept in constant contact with Uncle Luc and Aunt Lizzy and learned everything they could about me. I quickly wiped my eyes and opened the second door and hit the light switch and my jaw dropped yet again. I swear to the Goddess my jaw hurts from how many times it's hit the floor today.

I was greeted by the most luxurious bathroom I had ever seen. There was a walk-in shower that was big enough for two people, a huge soaker tub sat in the corner, and the bathroom counter was covered with toiletries. My favorite brands of all my bathroom stuff. There was a vanity covered in all my favorite brands of makeup as well. There was a small linen closet just behind the bathroom door that was full of thick fluffy towels. I was shocked again at the care and consideration that my parents took in getting me everything I could want or need. I walked back out of the bathroom and my eyes landed on the bed. It was a four-post king-size bed with curtains that were currently open. The duvet was a beautiful gray with a white lavender sprig design. There had to be at least a dozen pillows leaning against the headboard. I looked over at Cillian and then back at the bed. I ran over and flopped on top of it, sending half the pillows flying.

"Well, if you don't need me for anything else, I think I'm gonna head to my room and take a nap as well. I'll come grab you for lunch." Cillian grabbed the door and closed it quietly.

I laid on the bed and huffed. I really wanted to stay angry at my parents for a while but they were making it really freaking difficult with everything that they had done for me. I decided I wanted to get a shower, so I sat up and wandered into the closet. I found a pair of leggings, a t-shirt and some undies and headed into the bathroom. I turned the water on in the shower and adjusted the temperature before turning back to the bathroom counter. I set my clothes down and grabbed all my shower stuff and hopped in and practically moaned at the wonderful feeling of the water pressure on my back. Once I finished, I dried off and wrapped my hair in a towel and got dressed. I decided to look around the room a little more before taking my nap.

I looked around at all the artwork along the walls and couldn't help being impressed at the attention to detail in everything. I loved literally everything in my new room. I looked over at the nightstand and noticed a small teddy bear sitting on one with a note under it. I walked over and picked the bear up and smiled. I hugged it to me while I read the note.

Dearest Alissandra,

I hope this room is everything you could dream of and more.

How I wish we could have watched you grow up here.

I love you precious girl.

Happy Birthday.

Love,

Daddy.

I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks and hugged the bear tighter to my chest. I felt the last walls around my heart break down and I knew I was ready to forgive my parents already. I laid down on the bed and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.