I couldn't fight the excitement that invaded my body when a black car approached the pack's border.

"He's here," I told Nixon and my parents with a grin on my face.

Willa's hand tightly clutched mine, but I could still see the curiosity in her dark eyes.

The car came to a stop and the front doors slowly opened, revealing a blond-haired, blue-eyed man, and a curly black-haired woman with deep brown eyes. My eyes then drifted to the back door where Reed emerged from. He glanced around at the small crowd that gathered, then at me, and finally at Willa. His gaze softened as he approached who I assumed was his and Cronan's parents.

The couple emerged with Reed following behind and it immediately became obvious to me that they weren't average wolves. They had an air of power that surrounded them, not quite that of an alpha, but something akin to it.

"Eli," Reed called out as he walked past his parents and up to me. There was a hint of a smile on his face. "It's good to see you again."

"You too. Willa and I are both happy to have you here," I replied honestly.

"Willa?" His brows furrowed.

"That's what we've been calling her," I explained and both our eyes dropped down to the younger girl at my side.

Willa glanced at me and then again at Reed. I nodded at her, letting her know that it was safe.

"Hi," Willa managed to say and I watched the way Reed's eyebrows raised.

"She wasn't talking last time I saw her," he noted.

"She's learning," I grinned, just as a cough sounded through the air. I glanced back at the group of people behind me and said, "Reed, these are my parents and these are Alpha Nixon and Alpha Tatum. They've agreed to help with the testing process."

"It's nice to meet you," he greeted the group. "These are my parents. They insisted on coming with me."

The couple didn't respond, but they eyed Willa and me with an unreadable expression. One that made me clutch her hand tighter.

"It's nice to meet you," I greeted. "It's a shame that Cronan couldn't be here."

Reed's eyes flickered at them. "He wanted to."

"Why don't we continue this conversation at the pack?" Tatum suggested, seeming to sense the growing tension. "You can follow in your car and we'll guide you to somewhere more private."

Reed nodded and his eyes landed back to me.  "Did you drive here?"

"Yeah, I had to drive Willa here," I explained.

He turned to his parents. "I'm going to ride with Eli."

I could tell by the shift in their expressions that they weren't happy with what he said, but he started to walk toward where my car was parked before they could argue otherwise.

I glanced at his parents and then back at him before taking Willa's hand and quickly following after him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? You riding with us?"

He stared at me with a blank expression. "We're all going to the same place, are we not?"

"We are—"

"Then they'll be fine," he shrugged and slid into the car.

I didn't argue with him and helped Willa into the car before going back to the driver's seat.

"I'm glad to see you again by the way. I feel like we didn't get to talk as much as I wanted to back in Oakwood," he said.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "That's my fault. I was...going through stuff."

He nodded. "Cronan told me. Mate stuff, right? Are things any better?"

I couldn't stop the small smile from forming on my lips at the thought of my mate. Memories from our date resurfaced and I hummed in agreement.

"Much better," I told him.

"Is he here?"

"He's back at my place," I said.

I originally tried to get him to come, but Reuben advocated for staying behind. He said he wanted me to take the time to focus on my family and figure out my past. I tried to convince him at first, but he insisted that he would stay behind and would only be a call away if I needed him.

"Will I get to meet him this time?" Reed questioned.

"You want to meet my mate?" I asked as I started heading in the direction of the pack's meeting center.

"Is that so crazy?" He grinned.

"You can meet him after we get these tests done," I promised.

Reed hummed in response, seeming to be okay with my answer.

The car ride came to an end not long after and the three of us headed inside. I led them down the hall to one of the meeting rooms to wait for the others. We didn't have to wait for long since they were right behind us.

Reed's parents took seats on opposite sides of him while Willa and I sat across. My dads soon entered with Tatum and Nixon following behind.

"I know everyone here likely has a general idea of why we're all here, but for the sake of making sure we're all on the same page, Eli can you give a rundown?" Tatum asked.

I easily agreed. "I was placed into foster care at a young age and separated from my family. As soon a child, I always knew I had siblings but since I was so young, I didn't have many clear memories of them to help me find them. It was when I arrived in Oakwood that everything changed."

"Oakwood?" Reed's mom questioned. "The town Cronan is staying in?"

Reed nodded. "Eli and Cronan were neighbors."

I continued. "My job was to locate a wolf in the woods and bring them to safety. That wolf, I later learned, was Willa." I gestured to the smaller girl who was watching the conversation with a curious glint in her eyes. "It took time to gain her trust, but when I did, she shifted. Reed and I both realized just how similar she looked to the both of us."

"So, you're suspecting that Reed and...Willa are somehow your lost siblings?" His Dad asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Reed responded.

"Eli has been looking for his siblings for years to no avail. We've checked human records to see if there was a chance they ended up in foster care too, but there was nothing," Papa added.

"Willa was alone in the woods and you found me alone as well. Neither of us was in the human system and the ages are the same. The timeline matches up," Reid further explained.

"Our goal is to run DNA tests to see if we are correct or not which was why we invited Reed here today," I told them.

I watched as frowns formed on his parents' faces and they turned to him with worried eyes.

"You really want to do this?" His dad finally spoke.

"I do," Reed nodded. "If there's an opportunity to learn more about myself then I want to take it."

They studied his expression for a moment before finally letting out a relenting sigh.

"Alright. We can do the tests."

...

I remember growing up and hearing about how great I had it being an only child. My friends would always complain about their brothers and sisters while I spent my days longing for a sibling of my own.

My dads never planned to adopt another child after me. They did everything in their power to give me a happy life and I was grateful for it, but still, even with all the love I received, it wasn't enough to get rid of that deep desire within.

As my arm was being cleaned with an alcohol wipe, I could see their conflicted expressions. They didn't speak, but it wasn't necessary. I already knew what their eyes were saying: we want this to work out for you, but don't get your hopes up too much.

"Are you ready?" Dr. Moore questioned, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I am," I replied with a firm nod.

Dr. Moore offered me a smile and I took a deep breath just as the needle poked me in the arm.

"Every time we see you, there's always something new happening in your life, Eli," Papa broke the silence and smiled to himself. "First it was transferring packs and now this..."

"Is that a bad thing?" I couldn't help but question.

He shook his head. "Not necessarily. Your Dad and I want you to keep exploring the world. Complacency is the death of growth and you've grown into an amazing person."

"But," Dad interjected. "It's okay to take a break every once in a while too. You're a lot like your father was when he was younger; always full of energy and racing through life. Don't forget to slow down and appreciate the things and people around too."

The faces of those I met over the years crossed my mind. My dads, the Hansons, Nixon, Tatum, Willa, Reed, Cronan, and even Fen. They all had some kind of impact on me over the years and I knew that no matter what, they'd always have a place in my mind.

Then there was Reuben. My Reuben who made me feel a thousand different emotions all at once. The one who made me wish that some nights would never end.

"Dad," I called out. "How much longer are you guys going to be here?"

"We'll stay until you get the results back," he answered.

"Before you guys leave, I want you to meet someone."

His brows furrowed. "Meet someone—"

"You're good to go," Dr. Moore interrupted. "We'll let you know when the results are back."

The small wound on my arm healed relatively fast and the three of us left the room. We headed back to the waiting room where Willa sat with a pout on her face and looked at Nixon as if he'd somehow betrayed her.

"Why didn't we just do the cotton swab test?" Nixon questioned. "Do you know how hard it was to get her to sit so they could get a blood sample?"

Willa glared at him and let out a humph sound.

"Thanks to both of you for sitting through that," I spoke as I approached Willa and ruffled her hair. "You're done now."

Her arms wrapped tightly around me and I returned the hug though it was a bit awkward. A few moments later, Reed emerged and made his way toward us.

"That wasn't so bad," he stated, though I was sure Willa vehemently disagreed. "So, we can go now?"

"We can," I confirmed.

"Then I think it's time we take our leave. Reed, I'm sure Eli will let you know once the test results come back—"

"I'm not leaving," Reed cut his mom off. "At least, not yet. Eli and I made plans."

"What?"

"I'm not leaving yet," he repeated.

Annoyance flashed across her face. "If we wait too long then we'll waste time and fall behind schedule."

"Then go without me," he shrugged.

"How will you get back?"

"Cronan will get me," he told her confidently.

"Where will you stay?"

"He can stay in the pack," Tatum added. "It's not s problem."

I could tell that neither of Reed's parents liked Tatum's answer.

Reed groaned. "Come on, I just got here and I'm not a child. I can handle myself."

"Fine," she replied through gritted teeth.

"I'll see you when I get back," he said.

I watched as his parents left and turned to him questioningly. "Was that the right choice?"

"They'll get over it," he dismissed. "Come on. Remember what you said to me?"

He wanted to meet Reuben.

I playfully rolled my eyes and helped Willa up. "I remember. Come on before it gets too late."

He grinned and I quickly told everyone bye before the three of us got into the car and started the short drive back to my house.

Goddess, let this meeting go well.