Chapter 44

An hour later Sara sat by the bed. Sleep trying to pull her under but she refused to succumb to slumber. She wanted to be here when Sebastian woke up. She had to tell him that she accepted him if he still wanted her.

She laid her chin on the bed and her forehead on Sebastian's forearm. Her fingers rubbed the back of his hand. She noticed his heart-rate shift a few time and hoped it was because of a dream and not pain.

Evodine lay in the back of her mind her presents so light that it almost felt like being alone. It felt strange. Unnatural.

I am here, human.

A smile played at the corner of Sara's lips at the sound of Evodine's mental voice. Just months ago she hated that voice. She hated it to the point of pretending it didn't exist. Now it comforted her. Evodine comforted her. Her wolf.

Sebastian's heart beat changed again. His muscles moved and he lifted his arm as Sara sat up to look at his face. She felt a ripple of joy rush over her as he turned his head and his eyes met hers.

"Mine." he whispered softly.

Sara didn't even question the fact that she was suddenly on the bed, in his arms, she didn't even remember how she got there.

For Sebastian it was a surprise how easily a simple tug on Sara's hand had her moving and at his side in only seconds. If he hadn't been so tired he would have explored the situation more. For now he let sleep reclaim him. A new peace settled over him. Kinder, sweeter dreams played over his mind in sleep.

"Good morning," The voice broke into their consciousness. Sara blinked and Sebastian tightened his arm over Sara's stomach. "Breakfast. Scrambled eggs, Hash-browns with diced onions and tomatoes, banana pancakes, strawberries, bacon, coffee." Natasha called out to them. Sara's mouth watered at the mention of bacon. She started to push the weight of Sebastian's arm off and it was suddenly gone. "We figured that you would still be here so they sent over a second serving of everything." Natasha added as Sara sat up beside Sebastian who was slowly pushing his way to a sitting position.

He grunted as one of the stitches pulled to tight. Sara looked at him, and scooted over to give him more room on the bed. "Sorry." she mumbled.

The food was delicious. "I don't remember having banana pancakes when I was in the hospital." Sara said later as she held a strawberry topped bite of pancake a few inches from her lips.

"You needed iron rich foods." Sebastian explained.

"I really don't think that bacon is iron rich."

He tilted his head, looked at her and grinned. Her stomach did a funny little flip that had nothing t do with the food. "Pigs fed with iron rich foods make iron rich bacon." he turned back to his coffee. "The pack farm feeds them nuts, spinach, lentils, rice, milk, corn mesh, and even potatoes. I worked there for a summer a few wears back."

Sara almost dropped her fork. "You worked on a pig farm?"

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed. "Actually, it wasn't that bad. There was a new human employee that the foremen didn't trust. Turned out the man was sneaking around with some other humans and stealing meat for a homeless shelter. When Paul found out the truth he started donating a hundred pounds a month and hired a few of the men."

"That was generous." Sara said.

"You'd be surprised to know that most homeless people aren't the drudges of society people think they are. Most are basically honest people that fell on hard times." His tone conveyed a lot of respect that Sara found revealing. He took a bite of food. "Many didn't really do anything wrong." He said after he swallowed.

Sara nodded as she ate a slice of strawberry.

They finished their meal in relative silence

The next week passed in a blur. Sebastian healed quickly. Evodine pressured Sara to initiate the mating with Sebastian. Sebastian however seemed to have decided that they were fine the way they were. He didn't bring up the bond. He didn't ask Sara if she had made up her mind. By the end of the week Sara went back to work.

Her scars the only evidence that she had ever been injured. She felt stronger then she had ever felt in her life. Her ability with the link increased as well. She could push her mental voice to anyone at any time. Unfortunately, she had little control on the timing. When she thought about a person the link appeared, open, ready, sending and receiving. She was able to close the link at will but it opened when it chose. She could open it when she wanted but she guarded her thoughts. She was careful to think only about things she didn't mind sharing with the world. Work was the main thought that held her concentration.

The alpha and luna tried to explain her ability. They suspected that her biological mother or father had been a luna or alpha. They suspected that her lineage played a role in her ability. They even suggested that she try to find her parents history. That had been something she had planned so she took them up on their offer of help.

She wondered if she had family in the world or if she were as alone as she used to feel. After a month of research the luna called her to the alpha office. They had received a reply from a member of the Bolden Pack.

The Bolden pack had shared a border with a pack called Ignis Nocte.

"It was Latin for Night Fire. Their symbol was a wolfs eye. A black and red wolfs eye." the luna explained as she watched Sara's expression.

Sara blinked. A wolfs eye? Like the key-chain found with her mother?

"The problem is that the pack disappeared 25 years ago. That was years before your birth, Sara." The alpha added.

"But what are the odds of another Pack sharing a symbol so similar?" Sebastian asked.

"We checked. There are three. Not counting the Elders. But none of them use the colors red and black."

"So we're at another dead end? They're just gone?"

"Bolden pack said that they were given a small locked chest a three months before the pack vanished. They were asked to hold it until asked for it. They were promised that the person would have the key. According to Alpha Rash his father had been alpha at the time and swore an oath. They have kept to the oath."

"We're still at square one. We don't know if they even came from this pack." Sara said softly.

"You have the key-chain. You can visit the Bolden pack and see if they recognize the symbol or you can send them a picture." The Alpha said as he pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket.

"I- will they let us do that?"

The alpha started pressing numbers on the phone. "We can request a meeting." Moments later he spoke into the phone. Sara noticed how his tone changed.

"Alpha Rash, This is Alpha Alexander Deloach. Yes, Alpha. I actually called with a request. I have a member of my pack that has an unusual situation. There is a question as to her heritage. There is a small chance that she is a descendant of the Ignis Nocte Pack." he paused and listened. "Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to explain the her past or why we believe she could be a relation to the pack." He paused again. The others watched as he shook his head at something the other alpha said. "We don't have proof. That is why I have called you. She has a symbol that was made into a key-chain." There was a very short pause and he stated simply. "A black and red wolf eye." Again there was a short pause as he listened. "I can. It may take me an hour or so but I can send it today. -- Yes. -- Thank you, Alpha Rash. I'm hopeful as well but we don't want to assume that she is and have it turn out that we have all been wrong. -- Yes, of course. I certainly will."

Sara sucked in a breath, the air filled her lungs as if they had been starving. Her heart galloped against her ribs as she waited for the alpha to speak.

"Alpha Rash request that we send him a picture of the wolfs eye pendent. He assured me he would recognize it but added that he would confirm it with his father as well."

For a moment Sara was speechless. All she found herself capable of was nodding her head.

"We'll go get the key chain, Alpha." Sebastian said. Sara nodded her head vigorously as Sebastian stood. He reached down and took her hand in his. With the slightest tug Sara found herself on her feet.

"Breath, Sara." The luna instructed. Sara felt confused, she was breathing. "Slowly, in and out. Nothing has been confirmed."

Sara nodded. She didn't want to get her hopes up and find that there was nothing to hope for.

Thirty-two minutes later the key-chain-pendent lay on the Alpha and Luna's office coffee table and a photo ripped through space to find a cell phone hundreds of miles away. Sara fidgeted in her seat but Sebastian sat calmly beside her. The alpha's cell phone beeped acknowledging the message had been sent and received. They waited another five minutes before the phone rang.

Alpha Deloach picked up the phone and turned the screen to face him. He looked at Sara and shook his head. "Not them. Hello?" he told her seconds before answering the phone. "Just order the same as last season. I'm sure the Elders won't care what you serve. -- No, she wont be attending this year, she's visiting Red River Pack. They have a teen reaching age that she's second guardian too." the call ended seconds later and he replaced the phone onto the coffee table.

"I wanted to thank you. Both of you." Sara said directing her gaze to the Alpha and then the Luna. "For accepting me in the pack and helping me with all of this. I appreciate it more then you'll ever know."

"Sara, It has been our pleasure to have you in the pack." The luna said with an open smile.

"You saved the life of a pack member, that makes us value you more then you'll ever know." The alpha said with a glance at Sebastian.

Sara smiled. They never really said much but she could feel their honest respect coming through the gift. Strangely she found that the gift wasn't connected to the mind link. She could connect it but it was hard to control when connected that way. It was even harder to control when the gift connected on it's own.

She had used the past two months to learn more control over her gift. She hated the practice because it required spying on peoples thoughts. She hated being in their heads. When she found out she could separate words, feelings, thoughts, physical, emotional, wolf and human she almost lost her grasp on her hard won control. Still nine days later she marveled at her ability.

Even more she learned that what people said wasn't always what they really felt. She learned that the emotions were much harder to deal with then the thoughts. The wolf was much easier to deal with then the human. Wolfs were basic. Very seldom did the wolf say something it didn't believe.

Children were the hardest to be around. They were so open to her gift that it opened without caution or boundaries. She could unintentionally be flooded with a child's every thought and emotion, physical or psychological.

She was pulled from her own thoughts by the ring of church bells as the alpha's phone signaled an incoming call.