Two Halves of a Whole

Chapter 17

Well, it was confirmed that the present wasn’t cake the next day when her parents showed up at the main gate with a werewolf and a memory drive.

Alpha Stephan wasn’t sure what to do until Sattira’s mom flashed some important looking credentials in his face. He opened the gate and accompanied them to the pack house.

They all gathered in the Alph’s office as the werewolf Sattira’s parents had been holding was stuffed in a cell.

The memory drive was placed in the Alpha’s computer. It brought up some kind of meeting taking place between the werewolf Sattira’s parents had handed over and a werewolf Lugos immediately recognized as their Gamma’s son, Rob. They were clearly talking about the failed attempt to get Sattira. Rob was telling him that his parents were keeping an eye on Sattira and they could make their move soon.

The Alpha was outraged. “How did you get this film?” He was pacing behind his desk.

“After the attack on our home we knew that someone from your pack must have been in on it. Sattira has only had werewolves at the house from your pack. We questioned one of the wolves we kept alive and he admitted your Gamma’s son was in on it so we followed him and recorded the meeting then we got his little friend alone after he returned to the park. We thought it might buy a little time to clean house if Eric didn’t get the message.” Her mother explained.

“What of the werewolf who gave Rob up?” The Alpha wanted to make sure there were no loose ends.

“He won’t be an issue in the future,” Sattira’s Dad said.

Beta William walked in. “You wanted to see me?” He looked at Sattira’s parents in complete confusion.

“I need you to take the Gamma couple and their son into custody immediately,” the Alpha told him.

“Yes, Alpha. I will let you know as soon as it is done,” he tilted his head slightly in respect then turned to do as he was told. His alpha would explain later.

“The rest of the Council will be here tomorrow,” Sattira’s mother said. “If you could have someone show us to our room we would like to get settled in. Then we will have that talk we keep promising you, Sattira,” her dad promised her.

“Sounds good, just send me a message when you are ready,” Sattira answered as the Alpha had one of the staff help her parents with their bags.

“Want to watch some tv while they get settled in,” Lugos asked her.

“Sure, what are we watching?” She followed him to his suite where they cuddled up on the couch watching the comedy channel.

“Son, we managed to get the Gamma Couple but Rob hasn’t been located. Keep watch, we have no idea where he might be.” His father sent a quick update.

“Ok, we are watching tv in my room but I will watch for him if we happen to leave before you locate him,” he answered back.

There was a knock on the door. Lugos went to the door and opened it just enough to see Sattira’s parents standing in the hall.

“How did you manage to get onto the alpha floor?” He was worried there might be a leak in their security. He opened the door wide enough for them to enter as he waited for his answer. It was only when they were inside the room with the door closed that they spoke.

“We have a lot to go over and not much time, wolf.” Her father was gruff. “You already know what we are do we have to explain the details for you?”

“Father, please. What do you mean he knows what you are?” Sattira was so confused. She needed answers and her father’s tone would only lead to more fighting.

“We are mages, as was your birth mother. Well, at least she was half mage.” He told her looking kind of sheepish.

“And you hid all of this from me? You knew my mother and what I was but you never told me?” Sattira was so upset. Her whole life had been a lie.

“We didn’t know what you would be. When species cross breed the child can be born anything from a combination of the species, one of the parent’s species, or even just human. We didn’t suspect that you had a wolf until shortly before your birthday.” Her mother explained. “When you asked to go with Nina and Kim we figured it was for the best. Your birth mother almost died when her wolf came forth for the first time. We figured being close to an alpha would be safer than being with us.”

“If you knew before I shifted why no tell me?” She was hurt by this.

“If we had told you would you have believed us? Even if you had there was a good chance you would have run and been alone when your first shift happened and we couldn’t risk that,” her father explained.

“Enough! We love you dear but this is getting way off topic and we have a lot to talk about,” her mother gave her the look and she knew the matter was no longer up for debate. “We have things that we need to tell you that will be hard for you to hear but you need to stay calm and let us get through this.”

Sattira nodded and Lugos sat down next to her, taking her hand for support. Her parents eyes were quick to catch the gesture but they said nothing.

“Your birth mother and I were very close growing up. So close that she told me the secret of her birth, something so guarded no one was ever supposed to know. Apparently her mother fell in love with a very powerful Alpha. Even though she was a mage and knew you Grandfather would one day find his mate, your grandmother was very young and very beautiful. She somehow tricked the alpha into sleeping with her and got pregnant.”

“When the alpha realized he was outraged and promised that if anyone ever found out about who he was to your birth mother, he would kill your grandmother. This suited her parents, your great grandparents, just fine. They were from a very old and powerful line of purists. They were going to just kill your birth mother and be done with it but your grandma refused to marry the man they had arranged for her unless they spared her. Your great grandparents agreed but no one was to ever know she wasn’t pure.” Her mother paused, “the only reason your birth mother knew was because her mother had to explain everything after she shifted for the first time.”

Sattira felt bad for her birth mother. She could understand how confused she must have been when her first shift started because Sattira had experienced the same thing.

“Your grandmother had planned on marrying your birth mother off to a young man of rather high standing, she had even managed to have the engagement party. But then your birth mother met her mate,” her mother smiled at the memory. “I had never seen Eva so happy. She didn’t want me to know anything that might lead your grandmother or her arranged fiancé to her so she would never tell me anything other than how perfect he was and how much she loved him.”

Sattira remembered the pictures of her birth parents together. They were always so happy and looked so in love.

“After your birth mother fled to be with her mate I didn’t hear anything from her for a couple of years. Your grandmother and the fiancé she picked for Eva were so angry they looked everywhere for her and even used magic to search all her friends memories for anything that might lead to your birth mother’s whereabouts.”

“If my birth mother was such an embarrassment to her family why would my grandmother search for her. Why not just let her go?” Sattira didn’t understand.

“Your birth mother was the first and only child of a very old and powerful line of mages. Mage’s magic works a lot like an alpha’s aura. Your birth mother was very powerful and her gift was called the silver tongue. She could convince anyone to do anything as long as she was in her human form. It didn’t work in her wolf form because wolves don’t talk like their human forms do.” Her mother started to tear up. “After you were born your birth mother contacted me. All powerful mages have to have their power bound when they are born. It is for the safety of the child as well as the people around them. But the spell takes two mages to work the magic of the binding spell.”

“How do mage gifts work? Why did you bind my magic?” Sattira felt stupid having to ask. “You said my birth mother had the gift of silver tongue, will I have it as well?”

“Each mage has a special power but you won’t know what it is until you get it. You will have yours someday, usually a few months after the binding spell wears off.” Her father answered her questions but noticing the look her mother gave he adding, “it might be better to ask your questions once your mother is done.”

“The binding spell allows the young mage to develop mentally before they gain their powers. Can you imagine your birth mother using her silver tongue to get everything she ever wanted her whole life? That is why it is important for powers to be bound until the mage is mature enough that they will use them responsibly.” Her mother sighed. “But as I was saying, Eva contacted me to help with the binding spell. Your father and I were already working in the area for the Council. It was the first time I met Russell. He was so gentle with Eva and little newborn you. It is hard to imagine him being a big scary Alpha. They were ambushed on the way back to the pack. Were it not for an accident that night we might have made it in time.” Her mother had tears running down her face. “They had pumped your mother up with a moon flower pollen mixture. Everyone knows about what wolfsbane and silver do to wolves but few people realize that moon flower pollen, in a concentrated form, forces a werewolf to shift and prevents them from changing back.”

Her mother was crying she her father continued the story. “When we got to the abandoned house where they had taken you and your birth parents we were too late. We found Eva in the basement once we put out the flames. The only thing that identified her was the locket we gave you that had been in her family since the first mages were born. She would never have left it behind.”

“Russell somehow managed to get you out of the house. He was so full of liquid silver it should have been impossible for him to do so. He had wrapped you in your blanket and carried you in his wolf form into a hollowed out tree and used his last breath to cover the entrance with his massive body in an attempt to keep you safe until we could find you. He was so bloody and battered. It was the truest act of evil, what they did to your birth parents.” Her father was comforting her mother as even now the horrors she had witnessed having been done to her friend devastated her.

“Eva was the gentlest soul ever born. I can never unsee what those monsters did to her. I knew you would never be safe if their murderers lived and we didn’t have any idea where to even start looking for them. So we decided to raise you as our own so your grandmother didn’t try to control you as she did Eva. We had decided to explain everything after your birthday when the binding spell would no longer be in effect.” Her mother was trying to get herself together as she spoke.

She was looking at Sattira as if waiting for a reaction. Sattira didn’t know what she felt. It was as if her mind couldn’t comprehend what her parents had told her. She wanted to rage and scream at the top of her lungs.

It was one thing when she believed that her birth parents died in an accident. Accidents were mistakes that could have happened to anyone.

And she had a wonderful childhood. Her adoptive parents had made sure she wanted for nothing. And even though they had been fairly strict they made sure she understood it was for her own safety.

But the people who had given her life hadn’t died in an accident. They were murdered by monsters. She planned on finding everyone who had a hand in their death. They had been foolish enough to let her know who they were. There would be no mercy. She would make them feel every bit of pain her parents felt.