Lost and Found

Danielle's POV Today is my tenth birthday, and I am the happiest girl in the world! My parents are taking me out for a surprise, and I can't wait to find out what it is. I'm in my room putting on my favorite lavender-colored dress with a puffy tulle skirt and specks of silver glitter on it. I then stepped over to my vanity to fix my hair. I decided to let my ginger coils hang down, sweeping my shoulders, adding a lavender flowered headband, and clear glittered lip gloss to my lips before stepping to my floor-length mirror to check my outfit. Once I finished with my check, I headed to the door, grabbing my high-top silver glittered sneakers with lavender laces and my silver glittered backpack before racing down the stairs. Mom and dad were waiting for me in the kitchen. "There's my birthday princess," my dad said before scooping me up in his arms and spinning me around. "Happy Birthday Dani," mom said, turning from the counter to the island where my dad and I were. She was holding a plate with a chocolate cupcake on it. It had lavender frosting and silver sparkling flakes and one candle in the center. Dad placed me on a stool, and mom put the cupcake in front of me. They both started singing this made-up birthday song they always sang to me on my birthday. I laughed as usual before my mom says, "make a wish and blow out the candle, sweetheart." I closed my eyes, making my wish, took a deep breath, and blew. My dad took lots of pictures as I took a bite of the cupcake. "Ok, guys, it's time to go. I'm ready to get my surprise now," I said, hopping off the stool and skipping to the front door my parents following behind me. "Hey, I think it's your turn." I heard someone say to me, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I'm sorry," I say to the woman behind me before stepping up to the counter to order my favorite chai tea latte. "That is a lovely fragrance you're wearing. Where did you get it from?" she asked. "Oh, I'm not wearing any perfume today," I say. She gives me a questioning look before ordering her coffee. I hear the barista call my name, and I take my order and find a table in the back corner of the cafe. A few minutes later, the woman comes over to the table and asks if she could sit with me. I say yes, and she sits down with the same questioning look she had before. I give her one back, absolutely confused, and finding this encounter very strange. "I'm sorry, it's just that..." she trails off and introduces herself. "Where are my manners? Hi, my name is Lisa. It's nice to meet you," she says, extending her hand to me. "Hi, I'm Danielle, but my family calls me Dani. It's nice to meet you as well." Lisa smiled, leaned back in her chair, and took a sip of her coffee. "So, Dani, you hang out here a lot? I come to this cafe all the time, and I don't think I've ever seen you here before." "Well, I pop in here occasionally. It's my favorite cafe, even though I'm not here all the time." She takes another sip of her coffee. "So, do you live here in the city?" she asked. "Yes, I do." I raise my eyebrow at her questioning, not knowing why she's asking me where I live after only knowing me for five minutes. "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked that question. I promise I'm not crazy. It's just that you look a lot like a good friend of mine. I lost touch with her a few years ago, and I've been trying to find her." I raise my brow even further at her ridiculous story, but there was something about her that made me relaxed. It was like I could tell that although her story was complete bullshit, there was no malicious intent behind it. I gave her a small smile and said, "that's bullshit, but whatever the reason you decided to go with that story is on you." She stared at me with a raised eyebrow over her cup as she took a sip. She continued to stare at me while she put her cup down and leaned forward, placing her forearms on the table. "Ok, you're right, that story is completely bull, but the part about looking like a girl I used to know is all true," she said with a smile. We stared at each other for a second before we busted out laughing. Lisa and I sat there, talking and laughing for the next two hours. "OH CRAP!" she said, looking at her phone. "Ten missed calls. My boss is going to kill me! I have to go now, but thanks for the company." She stood up quickly and turned to leave, stopping just a step or two away from the table. She turned back to me and said, "would you find it weird if I ask if we could do this again sometime?" I thought about it for a minute, shrugged my shoulders, and said, "just a little bit, but I wouldn't mind." A smirk appearing over my lips, noticing the shocked look on her face just before she smiled and handed me her phone. I sent a text to my phone so that I could lock in her number, then gave her phone back. "Catch you later, Dani," she said, rushing to the door. Lisa's POV I rush out of the cafe, jump in my car a race back to the packhouse. Suddenly a voice boomed in my head. "I have called you ten times, and I have been trying to mind link you for the last two hours! Where the hell are you, Lisa?" I quickly link back. "I'm headed back to the packhouse. I'll be there in ten minutes, Sammy." I said to my very pissed off mate. I speed down the driveway leading to the main packhouse and pull around back. I hop out of the car and dash up the steps and through the back door. Once inside, I take a minute to collect myself before swiftly walking down the hall to the great room where a pack meeting was taking place. I slip in the room just as Alpha Reed was wrapping up. My eyes dart across the room as I feel an intense glare on me. I look up to Sammy, giving me the most vicious glare. As I expected, followed by the glare, was mind link. "Where have you been? I was worried sick about you. Do you have any idea the stress I went through not know where you were?" I linked back, "Well, in my defense, you already knew where I was going." I knew I shouldn't have been a smart ass at this moment, but I couldn't help it. "This isn't the time to be a smart ass, Lisa. You were supposed to be going to the cafe and coming right back. What the hell were you doing for two hours?" Suddenly, I was pulled out of our link by the presence of someone standing in front of me. "Gamma Lisa, am I interrupting something important?" I heard Alpha Reed say. "No, Alpha, I was getting a lecture form, Sammy. What can I do for you?" He slightly turned to look at Sammy over his shoulder before turning back to me, smiling. "I wanted to talk to you about the assignment I gave you. When you're finished pissing Sammy off, come to my office," he said with a chuckle as he walked away. I nodded and walked over to my upset mate. "I'm so pissed with you right now." I give him a sexy smile as I lean in close to him. "I'm sorry. I got a lead on the assignment Jayce gave me, and I had to follow it. I may have found his mate." He looked at with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. "I have to meet Jayce in his office to inform him of what I've found. I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as I finish with Jayce." He gives me a heavy sigh. "Ok, but don't take too long, I've missed you, and I need a fix if you know what I mean." He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine, kissing me with urgency. Knowing we would get lost in this kiss, I reluctantly pulled away, making my wolf whimper. "Later," I said, walking away, headed to Jayce's office. I knocked on the door and waited for a reply. "Come in." I walked into the office to find Jayce sitting behind his desk. "So, you were gone quite a while, do you have any news for me?" I sat in a chair across from him, leaned back, and said, " As a matter of fact, I do Alpha." He placed his elbows on his desk, interlocked his fingers and motioned for me to continue. "I went to my favorite cafe as I always do before I begin my search. I was standing in line behind this woman when I caught the scent of lavender and honey. I stepped a bit closer to her smelling her discretely to make sure I was on the right trail, and I was. She was daydreaming, so I used that as an opportunity to talk to her. She made her way to a corner table, and I quickly followed. I asked her if I could join her, and she said yes. I sat down with her, and we talked for two hours. Her name is Danielle Vega, and she is a beautiful golden-brown complexion, 5'5 inches tall, with shoulder-length ginger coils and greenish-brown eyes. She is twenty-five years old and lives in the city. However, she's planning on moving, where to I don't know yet. I gave her my number, and we plan on meeting up again soon." Jayce was very silent and very focused on every word I said. "I told her I would text when I was available again to hang out." Jayce leaned back in his chair, suddenly consumed by his thoughts. "I think we should have a party, and maybe you could invite her over," he said with a hopeful look in his eyes. My heart was breaking for him and, now I must be the bearer of bad news. "That sounds good, but there is one big problem..." I trailed off. He looked at me anxiously before asking, "What's the problem?" I took a deep breath and sighed, "She doesn't know she's a werewolf." Jayce's POV "She doesn't know she's a werewolf," I heard Lisa say. I am completely shocked. How can that be? How does she not know who or what she is? My mind is racing when I hear Lisa start to speak again. "When I first talked to her, I asked her about her scent, making sure to word it without raising suspicion. I stated that it was a lovely fragrance she was wearing, and she replied that she hadn't put any perfume on today. When I sat at the table with her, I asked her if she was sure she was wearing a unique scent. She said no, telling me how she had rushed out of the house before putting any on. I'd say she doesn't know yet." I can't believe it. I've spent the last fifteen years searching for my mate, only to find her and she doesn't even know she's a werewolf. I take a moment to think of how to approach this situation. "Lisa, we have to be very careful about how we handle this situation. I need you to get as close as you can to her, make her comfortable enough to trust you, and I will do the rest." She nodded in agreement before standing. "If that is all Alpha, I have to do some making up with Sammy. He's upset with me right now," she said. I nodded my head and waved my hand. She left my office, leaving me to my thoughts. I mind linked my dad asking him to come to my office. A few minutes later, I hear a knock at the door, and my father walks in. "What's up, son? You sounded a little upset in the link." " I need you to tell me everything you remember about the day Alpha and Luna Vega died," I said. My father stared at me with a look of confusion on his face. "Wow, that was a long time ago, son. I don't know if I remember much about it. Why do you want to know?" I never told my parents, but on the day of that accident, the first time I saw Danielle, I knew then that she was my mate. "I need to know because their daughter is my mate." My dad stared at me in shock. "How do you know that for sure? You've never met the girl." My dad has wanted me to find my mate for as long as I've tried to find her. I could see the anticipation in his eyes. "Have a seat, dad; I have something to tell you." He walks over to a chair in front of my desk and takes a seat. "I can remember it like it was yesterday, it was my fifteenth birthday, and all the pack members were in the main packhouse for my party. I was in the main house up in my room when suddenly I got this weird feeling followed by mom frantically calling your name. I looked out of my bedroom window to see her running towards the main house with a little girl in her arms. She was golden brown complexion, with curly ginger hair, wearing a lavender tulle dress with silver glitter specks, a lavender flowered headband and silver glittered high top sneakers. Well, one sneaker, to be exact. The closer mom got to the house; I felt an urge to go downstairs. I walked quickly out of my room, making t only halfway down the stairs before you came running in the house. I stopped midstep when I heard mom say it's Danielle, and she's hurt. I was about to continue my descent when the front door flew open, and a man, woman, and another little girl came bursting inside. I stopped again as I heard the man say their pack is under attacked, and they wanted to know if any members may have fled to our territory. At that moment, mom stepped aside to show them the little girl she had placed on the couch. The woman ran to her side sobbing, while the man thanks you both for saving her life. When the woman stood up to allow the man to pick the girl up, I caught a glimpse of her face and instantly knew she was my mate. Before I had time to react, they had vanished without a trace. I tried to follow them, but I assumed they had masked their scent. I was determined to find her. So, I've spent the last fifteen years searching for her, and I've finally found her today." My father just stared at me, not saying a word. "However, there is one big problem; I cannot go to her," I said. My father raises an eyebrow questioningly before asking, "why not?" I sighed, "because she does not know what she is." Now a look of confusion, my father asks, "how can that be?" I lean back in my chair and say, " that is what I need to find out. Is there anything you can think of that can help me?" He sits up straight in the chair as a wave of realization comes over him. "That's it!" he says. "What's it, pop?” I asked. "I remember," he started. "Alpha Daniel and his wife Luna Lana were good friends of your mother and me. They ran a small pack of wolves about thirty to forty-five minutes from here. A month before your fifteenth birthday, Daniel called and asked if he and his wife and their daughter Danielle could come and stay with us for a while. It would also be Danielle's birthday, and they wanted to surprise with the news that she's a warewolf. They hadn't told her yet and thought it would be best to show and tell. Since their pack was small, he thought it would be a good idea to bring Danielle here so she could get a good picture of what pack life entails. I spoke with your mother about it, and we thought it was a great idea so, I agreed. On the day of the party, Daniel, Lana, and Danielle were heading to our house when their car lost control, and they crashed into a tree. Your mother was out near the flower field close to the road when she spotted the girl running into our territory. When Danielle got close to your mother, Danielle told her a scary man was chasing her. Your mother called for a few warriors to search for the man while she brought the girl to the house. The warriors never found the man the girl said was chasing her, and the couple that came to get her was her aunt, uncle, and their daughter. Lena and David, I think, were their names. All I can remember about them is that David was Alpha Daniel's Beta, and Lena was the twin sister to Luna Lana, the girl's mother." I leaned forward, placing an elbow on my desk, and my hand against my chin in deep thought. My father had given me some valuable information. Now, I need to find David and Lena so that I can get to the bottom of why my mate doesn't know she's a werewolf. I quickly mind link Lisa, giving her the new information. She is my best tracker, and I knew she would be able to track them down. I also tell her to continue to get close to Danielle just in case her family is no longer with us. She links back that she received the orders. I closed the link and continued talking to my father a while before turning in for the night.