Alpha's Wish

Further Investigation

(Riley)

I had gone back to my office to start on the research Alex had asked about. Steven was going to check on the car accident and the fire. I was on the hospital and the rogues. I wasn't too sure as to how much I was going to be able to find out about the hospital as it had been at least 17 years ago. I mean, Goddess, what did Alex think I was going to be able to find that long ago? All we had was this girl's story to go on. It might not even be the truth. We knew nothing about this girl. What if she was a plant by the rogues to find out things about us? Find out about our border patrol schedules and the strength of our pack? I mean, we had heard about rogues working with the witches, and this girl could have enchanted Alex into believing she was his mate.

A knock came at the door and took me out of my wondering. It was my sister Giana. She looked a great deal like my mother but had the same green eyes as our father. She also had a knack for getting into trouble that I think she inherited from my father, who was a trouble maker back in his day.

"Hey Riley. Can I come talk to you?" she closed the door behind her as she went towards the desk. She was in blue jeans and a t-shirt with her favorite band on it. Her dirty blonde hair was in a high ponytail, and it swung back and forth as she moved towards me. She had a heart-shaped face and the most beautiful smile. She had always had my father wrapped around her finger, but when she really needed advice, she came to me.

"What's up, kiddo?" I was more than welcoming this diversion from my task at hand. There was going to be a lot of digging, and it might yield nothing. If it did happen to prove me right about who this girl was, it could hurt Alex, and I wasn't sure how I would tell him.

"You remember that boy, Samuel?" She was looking at the floor as she talked. This was a tell-tale sign that she had done something I wasn't going to like.

"Yes. He is the one that you slapped for trying to kiss you at the school dance, right?" That was a big misunderstanding. He wasn't trying to kiss her at all. He had been reaching behind her, and she thought he was leaning in to kiss her. I was trying not to laugh as I said this.

"Yeah, him." She looked at me with an embarrassed look on her face. She had to apologize to him, and it was a long time before any of her classmates who were male came near her.

"What about him?" I was really hoping she had not done something to him again.

"He asked me to go with him and a few of the other kids from school to a movie this weekend. I know mom and dad will say no, but I really want to go. I mean, I am sixteen now and should be allowed to go out in groups. I am not asking to go out on a date alone with a guy. There will be a bunch of us together. It is only a movie in town for the Goddess' sake. I mean, come on, when are they going to cut the apron strings?" She stopped when I held up my hand to get her to take a breath. She could go into a full-blown argument if she wanted to make a point. I swear she was going to be a lawyer when she grew up.

"For one thing, what is the movie?" If I was going to go up against my parents for her, I needed facts.

"It's a movie playing in town. All the kids in school are talking about it. They say it is really cool." She was looking at the hem of her t-shirt and pretending to pick at the stitching. This was her way of trying to get out of telling me. She always did this when she was trying to hide something or get around the truth.

"What is the movie?" I asked again, this time my voice was a little more authorative.She took a second before looking up at me.

"Magic Mike." her voice was barely a whisper. Her cheeks were red. This was a rated R movie. There was no way they could even get in to see it at their age.

"Are you for real right now? You are all too young to get into that movie. Besides, it is not the kind of movie I think you should be going to. I am not going to go up against mom and dad for that." She looked wounded.

"There is one of the kids at school who works in the theater and said he can get us in. If I don't go, they will all call me a baby." She looked at me with pleading eyes. Those eyes might work on dad, but not on me.

I slowly got up out of my chair and walked over to her. I wrapped her in a hug and kissed her forehead. She was sniffling. I knew this was all about reputation and not because she really wanted to go to the movie.

"Listen to me very carefully. I know that right now, it feels like these friends will be the only people you ever know throughout your life, but they aren't. What they think of you right now might be hard to deal with, but as you get older, you will have so many more important things that will happen in your life. There will be so many other people that will influence your life. Don't do things just to impress these jerks." I held her close to me and could feel her relax. She knew I was not going to go to bat for her with my mom and dad. She knew she had lost this one, and she was going to have to live with it.

"I know, but I want to be liked by them. They are popular kids, and they actually asked me to go with them.I think it was only because they knew I wouldn't be able to go. I wanted to show them they were wrong about me. That I was just like them." Her voice cracked as she was still sobbing. I remember my teenage years. I could feel for her wanting to be accepted, but this was not the way to do it.I just wish she could see that her future was not going to depend on whether a few popular kids in school like her.

"How about if this weekend you go with Steven and I out to dinner, and we take you shopping at the mall?" I knew she loved going out with us. Normally, it would be all three of us, but I knew that with what Alex was having go on, he would not be able to go.

"Really? You guys will take me shopping and to a nice place for dinner?" She looked up at me, and her eyes were shining through her tears.

"Of course. We would take the most beautiful girl out on a date." I gave her my best big brother smile.

"What about Alex and Jessica? I am sure they would like to come too." She was getting more excited. I didn't know how to tell her that Alex was going to be otherwise occupied as I knew she had a crush on Alex. Jessica, we could take. She is Alex's 17-year-old sister. She was like a little sister to all three of us. We were all one big happy family.

"You can ask Jessica, but Alex is busy with some Alpha stuff and won't be available this weekend. It will be like a double date." This made her smile. I ran my thumb over her cheeks to dry the tears.

"OK, sounds great. Thanks, Riley. I love you so much." Her hands were wrapped around my waist as far as they could and she gave me a big hug.

"I love you too, squirt. Now get out of here, so I can get some work done." I ruffled her hair as she smacked my hand. She ran to the door and opened it. She looked back and smiled, blowing me a kiss. I watched as she walked out of the door and smiled at the door. She was the best sister, and I would do anything for her. I walked back to my desk and sat down to start sending out emails asking about information that I was sure would not be easy to get, but I was determined.