Broken Wings

Life as She Knew it

*MEL POV*

I could tell by the way this Chuck fellow's face looked that he was concerned and maybe even a little confused by what I had told him. Samantha's story wasn't a clear-cut explanation, because she didn't know much about her backstory either.

When I popped into Sterling's living room, she was sitting in the rocker with their newest daughter, Scarlett. She had just finished feeding her, and was rocking her to sleep.

"I'll just be a minute," she smiled. I nodded, and followed Sterling into the kitchen. He grabbed a banana, and then turned to talk to me.

"Mimi, I think I should bring Zayden with us. Leaving him here with this guy snooping around doesn't seem safe to me. I also have a gut feeling that we should bring Scarlett. Her energy, it feels, I don't know, different from the others. Even Zayden," he explained.

I closed my eyes, and tried to pick up on the little one's energy, but I couldn't. I wasn't sure if it was because we were in separate rooms, but even then, I should have been able to pick up even a small trace.

"When you say different, is this a good or a bad difference?" I asked. He took a bite of his banana, and thought while he chewed. When he swallowed, he explained what he meant by different.

"I can't tell, but it's strong. It feels like the energy I feel from Bella when she is around. It's powerful, but soft at the same time. It's like an energy that you know if you f**k around with it, you will regret it if you mean harm. Does that make sense?" he asked.

I let out a chuckle, and nodded. "Oh yes. I knew someone many years ago who was just like that. She was an elder, and she and Bella were very close. Her name was Iris. She had that kind of energy in her aura. She was sweet, and looked like she wouldn't hurt a fly, but if you poked the bear, she would release that energy on you like a weapon. So, yes, that makes perfect sense. However, if you would feel better bringing the kids, then that is what we will do," I replied.

He seemed to relax a little, and thanked me for understanding. There was nothing to thank me for, because this was all about him and his family. I would do anything for them, and he knew it. I just hoped this Chuck guy could help them too.

"I think we should be ready by now. Let's get going. I can't stay more than just a few hours, so hopefully this guy can help quickly," he said, and I followed him back into the living room. Sure enough, Sammi and the kids were excited and ready to go. Claire came along, and I was extremely grateful. It's hard to concentrate on the move with a wriggling baby in your arms.

I heard Lark start to cackle when we all arrived, and she looked at her friend. "You owe me $20," she said as she held out her hand. He dug into his wallet and slapped the bill in her hand, leaving us all confused as to what had happened.

"Did we miss something?" Sterling asked as he hugged his aunt. She nodded and told him that she had told Chuck that I would definitely bring the whole family, and he thought that it would just be Sterling, Sammi and Zayden. So, they made a bet, and she won.

We all got a good laugh out of it, and Lark introduced Sterling and Samantha to Chuck. We started to send the children off with Claire, but Chuck insisted they stay.

"Please, let them stay. I want to observe little Zayden. Also, this little sweetheart has a lot of power, although not a Lycan. You have yourself a healthy little mix of supernaturals here, your highness. Powerful ones," Chuck smiled.

Sterling and Sammi looked at one another, and asked about what he said regarding Scarlett. He asked if we could all sit and talk, and we followed him and Lark into her parlor.

"Scarlett, well, she is what I like to call a blessed one. I have only met three other blessed ones in my lifetime, and unfortunately, only one is still living. I believe you all know her as Bella, I knew her as Izzy," he smiled.

So, it's as I expected. She carries the powers of a priestess. Just as my mother and grandmother did, and the same as Aisling does now.

"That explains a lot about your pregnancy, Samantha. It's no wonder you were so weak. She was taking all your energy more than a normal pregnancy," I smiled.

I could tell she was still taking it all in, and without missing a beat she stood tall and looked at us all and told us how she felt.

"Of course, she's powerful. She comes from a long line of badass women who could beat any man's ass with a wave of a hand. Plus, she's my kid. So we all know she won't take any s**t," she laughed with pride, and it caused us all to laugh with her.

However, her laughter didn't last long, and she got to the point of why we were here. The man was asking questions about Zayden and her.

"Now that we have talked about Scarlett, I need to know why there are strangers coming into our packs asking questions about me and my son. I was warned before he was born that people would come for us. That's how I learned I was of Lycan descent. However, I don't understand things about that part of me. When I shift, my wolf does look slightly different, but not that different. She is much larger than most female wolves, and has slightly different features, but that's it. There's still so much I don't understand," Samantha explained.

Chuck sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, and released a deep breath.

"Have you asked anyone in your family about this?" he asked. She nodded and explained how her family acted when she brought it up. How they clammed up and refused to answer many of her questions.

"Yes, and they refused to tell me much. They then up and disappeared, and I haven't heard from them since," she explained. She then adjusted in her seat, and leaned against Sterling, who placed his arm around her.

"We have done a lot of research, but honestly, the more we find out, the more confused I get. Right now, I am waiting for a ancestry test to come back. I have a feeling that my parents weren't my real parents. So, we are hoping that this test gives us more answers," she explained.

"So there is a possibility that you may have been adopted? Would you mind giving me your parents' information? I would like to do a little research for you. Samantha, if I may be frank with you, I am almost certain that the family who raised you isn't your real family. After seeing you, and being able to detect your scent, I have a feeling we may be related. If we are, your life will be changing a lot, and your family will be getting a lot bigger," Chuck said.

I hadn't paid much attention to the similarities between the two of them, but now that I am comparing, I can definitely see it. However, I won't voice my thoughts on that until we have some kind of test done to prove it. Thankfully, he was all too willing to help her however he could.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes to figure out what's happening to me, and what's in store for my son. What do you need from me?" she asked.

The two of them talked in detail about what he would need from her for his research. This included swabs from both her and Zayden. I could tell Sterling was nervous about everything, but when Lark reassured him that he could trust Chuck, he relaxed.

We stayed long enough for dinner, and then I had to take them back to Crescent Moon. Chuck promised to be in touch as soon as he found out something, and we left.

As soon as we got back to Sterling's house, Samantha fell to her knees in tears. Everything she had been holding in, came out in her sobs. Her life as she had always known it was changing, and she wasn't sure how to handle it.