The Alphas Fated Mate

She's a Wolf Too?

Liam followed Brian to the back of the property where a small shed was located at the tree line. He listened for the front door closing to signal Aria making it inside and expected Brian to start talking as soon as they were out of hearing range, but he said nothing. Brian set the boxes down just inside the door of the shed, then opened the top one and pulled out a small album. Liam watched him as he took a seat next to the pile of boxes and looked through the tiny black book.

There was the shadow of a smile across his face but it never reached his eyes. Liam wanted to shift so he could talk to him but he had the feeling Brian would spill more if he stayed in this form. So he sat there watching him re-live whatever was in that album. Finally, when Brian reached the last page he looked at Liam and nodded.

He was going to tell him the story of the she-wolf and he needed him to listen. He didn’t say it but Liam saw it in his eyes how important this story was to him. Liam didn’t realize how much it was going to affect him until Brian turned the album to face him and set it on the ground open to the last page. There staring back at him was a face he’d become all too familiar with since childhood, one that had been in his life just as much as his own parents, if not more. And she was holding a newborn version of Aria.

Liam kept shifting between the woman and, child waiting for reality to sink in. The resemblance should’ve been obvious the moment he saw her but he’d been so caught up in finding his mate that it didn’t sink in. But now it was so obvious he couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to. Aria was the daughter of a shifter!

Brian waited until the realization showed in Liam's eyes then he began, “Isabella moved here with her Aunt when she was 15. She never said what happened to her parents and no-one ever asked. She was always so full of life and so beautiful. Aria’s the spitting image of her except she has Michael’s eyes. People seemed to gravitate towards Isabella, especially Michael. Except unlike with her other admirers she noticed him back.” Brian continued to tell Liam the story of Isabella and Michael, how they started dating about a month after she arrived in town and stayed together all through high school. They were that annoyingly perfect couple. Michael proposed on graduation night and of course Isabella accepted.

They waited a year to the date to get married. Just enough time for Michael to build this house for them to live in. His Dad gave him the land as a graduation present and they all helped him work on building the perfect home for them. The wedding was beautiful. Brian had never seen two people more in love than Michael and Isabella.

Brian then told Liam about the day he found out Isabella was a shifter. He was in the woods hunting when he heard rustling in the trees to his right. He turned and aimed his gun ready to shoot, expecting to see the buck he’d been leaving food out to attract. But it wasn’t the buck. It was a glorious white wolf. He’d never seen a wolf up close but he knew wolves could be dangerous so he c****d his gun ready to take it out before it could attack. The wolf must have heard the gun c**k because she turned and stared him in the eyes.

He didn’t notice the color he was so concerned with keeping the gun aimed between them. If he’d been thinking he would’ve realized no normal wolf had eyes the shade of emeralds. Then the wolf shifted and there at the end of his barrel was Isabella.

Brian explained how Isabella confessed that she’d met her mate at the hospital the day after she had Aria. She couldn’t resist the pull the mate Bond had and she left with him. She loved Michael but love couldn’t even describe her bond with this man. She wanted to take Aria, she was worried she’d start to shift when she got older and Michael wouldn’t have a clue what to do. Brian couldn’t let her take her though.

He loved that baby girl too much and he knew it would kill Michael to lose her too. She argued with him but didn’t try to fight him on it, but she made him promise that if she showed any of the signs of shifting that he’d track her down in Tennessee. And if Aria ever got hurt that he wouldn’t take her to a regular doctor, he’d take her to Jim Harris, the local vet. Apparently, he had come across her and her aunt’s secret like Brian had and was the only other person in town she trusted to care for Aria.

The regular doctors would start asking too many questions if Aria’s shifter blood kicked in and she healed at a speedy rate. Brian agreed to her terms but made her promise not to show back unless he called on her. It would be way too hard on Michael if she kept showing up. She agreed and he’d not seen or heard from her since. Aria’s never shown a sign of shifting. Though he did believe some of Isabella’s shifter genes kicked in because she’s never been sick a day in her life, not even a runny nose.

Brian finished telling Liam his story and picked the album back up and placed it back in the box. He closed the shed up and then turned to Liam, “Liam, I can tell you’re her mate. I already see your presence healing her heart. The loss of her father devastated her but since you’ve arrived, I’ve seen her smile again.

A real genuine smile and I haven’t seen that in a year. Just make sure you treat her right and don’t keep her away from me too long. She’s like my own child.” Liam couldn’t reply without shifting, so he gave him a nod and hoped he took that as his agreement to care for her. This man had kept Isabella’s secret for over 19 years and as he was telling it to Liam he swore he saw his shoulders relax as the burden was lifted and Liam's shoulders sagged when he placed it on his. He was giving Liam the responsibility of telling Aria about her Mom being a shifter. Liam guessed he’d just figure a way of throwing that in there when he shifted and inform her he was her mate.