~~Light Editing~~

My heart was hammering in my chest, I was worried it was beating so loudly that Mom would be able to hear it. There was a few seconds wait before I heard shuffling on the other side of the door. I watched as the door knob turned. The door opened to reveal the person I remember from my old life. My mom.

Her eyes landed on me and at first, she looked at me with confusion. Then, almost all at once, her eyes lit up and her mouth fell open.

"B-Bailey?" She whispered. That's when the waterfall broke out. I fell into her arms and wept into her shoulder. "Oh my- Bailey. You came home. Bailey." She just kept repeating my name as she held me close. I didn't trust my voice so I just didn't say anything.

After a while of just hugging, she pulled back to look at me.

"You have grown up so much!" She laughed as she moved hair out of my face. "I thought you were gone." Mom whispered in awe. That's when Mom looked behind me at Nathan. "And who did you bring with you Bailey?" Mom asked me.

"Mom, this is Nathan. He saved me."

"Saved you?"

"I'll explain."

"Come inside, let's talk in here where it's more comfortable." I grabbed Nathan's hand as Mom led us inside.

Told you she would remember you.

Nathan said to me over the mind link. I didn't respond but I squeezed Nathan's hand. I looked around the house and noticed a lot of different things. There was a few things that stayed the same, but most of the house looked new and remodeled as well as new furniture. Nathan and I took off our shoes by the door and walked with Mom to the living room and Nathan and I sat on the couch while Mom sat on the rocking chair.

Nathan pulled me to his side and grabbed my hand in his while giving me a smile. I smiled back.

"Do you remember the day I went missing?" I asked Mom. Her eyes lost its light and looked sad and droopy.

"I remember it like it was yesterday." She said in a loud whisper. "You asked to go to the park, I told you to be back for supper and to not talk to strangers, you left but never came back. When I went to look for you, you were no where in sight. I searched for hours that night, I lost my voice and my energy. You were just gone. I had the whole police station looking for you, they even brought search and rescue dogs. But after a few days, they gave up and just sent out alerts and things like that."

"I was taken by a man named Aaron." I said to her. "He took me hours away, deep into the forest to his cabin like house." I then went on to tell her the story again, for the second time today. Leaving out the werewolf part because if she was a werewolf, she would have been able to feel Nathan's alpha power.

"I'm so sorry Bailey!" Mom said after my story was done. Again, I was shaken up and teary, but Nathan's strong hold, scent, and tingles calmed me down enough. She ran over to me and hugged me. Then she hugged Nathan.

"Thank-you." Mom said to Nathan.

"It was my honor." Nathan smiled while wrapping his arm around my small frame. We talked again for longer, catching up on some things.

"Oh! I have some things for you. I will be right back." Mom said after like half an hour of just talking. Mom stood up and walked downstairs.

"Thank-you Nathan. It's good to see my Mom again." I whispered to him.

"Of course, and now I have met your mother." Nathan whispered back. Mom came back not that long after with an arm full of gifts. She grunted while she set them down on the floor in the living room.

"Every year I would get you a gift for your birthday even though everyone said you were gone. I still got you gifts and wrapped them. Hold on, there is more." Mom made 3 or 4 trips in total and the living room was filled with gifts.

"I thought you would like to open them since your birthday was last week." Mom said with a smile.

"You remembered my birthday?"

"How could I forget the birthday of my only child? You were the last thing I had of your father." She said with a sad smile.

"Who was my father?" I asked her softly.

"His name was Alex, and he was the most amazing man I ever met. It was like love at first sight with him. The world slowed down, I got tunnel vision but it didn't close all the way, only your father was visible. He called me so many different names, I only called him Alex, but his friends called him Alpha, or when he was really upset, they called him King, which I thought was weird but he told me it was just a nickname they gave him. He was a mysterious man. His eyes would change color's with his mood, he had the most unique vocal cords ever. It seemed as if he could growl, whimper, snarl, and he seemed to have the senses of a dog or something. It was definitely different but I never questioned it. Your father would leave for days at a time on business trips, that is what he called them. He was a boss of a business that dealt with saving the forest." I felt Nathan go stiff.

"If you don't mind me asking ma'am, what was the name of his business?" Nathan asked.

"Um... well... I think he called it... what was it again?" She looked like she was in deep thought.

"Would it happen to be called CelestialHowls?"

"YES! That's it! CelestialHowls Corp.!" I saw Nathan pale.

"Is everything alright?" I asked Nathan.

"Yup! I have just heard of that business and it is huge!" Nathan covered up, but I could tell he was lying.

We can talk later about this.

He mind linked me.

"What happened to him?" I asked. Mom's smile vanished. 

"He left on a business trip one afternoon saying it was an emergency, I got a call later that evening saying that there was a car accident and he and his friends were gone... they never told me anymore details, time, place, reason, or their bodies. That was when you were almost 2 Bailey." Mom said with teary eyes. 

"I'm so sorry Mom." I stood up and hugged her, for some reason, I didn't feel sad or empty like someone should when they found out that their father died. It was more like I knew he was out there, waiting for me. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling so I just shook it off and comforted my mother. Obviously Father was a werewolf, and Mom was his mate. But I couldn't piece together anything else...

After a little while of just hugging, Mom pulled away and wiped away a stray tear. 

"Are you guys hungry?" Mom asked. Nathan looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'll take an apple." I told her. She nodded her head and looked at Nathan.

"I'm good but thank you." Mom left and I went to sit down by my mate again. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me. Mom came back a few seconds later with a HUGE apple!

"I got some honey crisp apples for once and I don't think I will ever get a different kind. Honey crisp is super good." She told me while handing it to me. It easily covered my entire hand plus more. I just looked at it in awe.

"Thank-you." I said while taking a bite of it. Instantly my mouth was filled with sweat juices. My jaw tingled. "Hmmmm." I hummed in approval. "This is the best apple I have ever had!" I said with a huge smile. They both laughed. 

"Looks like we will need to get you some more honey crisp apples when we get home won't we?" Nathan gave me a heart melting signature smile while rubbing my back. I took another bite and nodded at him. Mom and Nathan talked for a little bit while I finished my apple. 

"Do you want to open your presents Bailey?" Mom asked me. I nodded my head. She first handed me a medium sized colorfully wrapped gift. "This is your 5 year old birthday present." She told me. I slowly peeled back the wrapping and watched as the paper ripped and moved away from the gift. 

Once the gift was unwrapped I looked at it. Inside was a box with a clear plastic covering showing off this cute doll with accessories like a hair brush, soap, a blanket, a plate, silverware and more. 

I opened gift after gift. Each present getting better as I go on. By the time I got to 16, I had a huge pile stacked with my gifts. I had a coloring pad, stuffed animals, books, headphones, an iPad even, gift cards, more toys, jump ropes, expired tickets to a movie and more. I held 2 gifts in my hand. One from Mom and one from Dad. 

"Your father wanted to give you this gift when you turned 16. And since he isn't here to give it to you, I thought I would." Mom whispered while grazing her fingers over the silver wrapping. The box seemed to hum in my hands. It wasn't very big, just big enough it cover my hand. I set his gift next to me and opened Mom's gift for me. 

Inside was a small bracelet that had beautiful shiny gems in it. 

"Wow." I said softly, "It's beautiful Mom!" I said to her while giving her a huge real smile.  

"I didn't know what you would want so I just got you what my Mom gave me for my 16th birthday. That exact bracelet." 

"Thank-you!" I examined it in the light. 

"What is it made of?" I asked. 

"It is made of real silver with small diamonds on it." 

Don't touch it! Silver burns werewolves skin!

Nathan said quickly to me. I froze, 

'Then what am I supposed to do with it?'

I wondered, while trying to come up with an excuse. 

"I don't think I can except it Mom, Grandma gave this to you, you should have it." I said to her. 

"She gave it to me to pass down the generations! Then you can give it to your daughter or daughter-in-law!" Mom responded. I swallowed hard but nodded my head and smiled softly. 

"Thank-you. I should keep it in the box, save it for a special occasion." I said to her while putting the lid back on. Mom just nodded her head. I reached next to me and held Dad's gift in my hands. 

The present still seemed to hum in my hands. I closed my eyes and focused hard on mind linking Nathan. 

Hey Nathan?

Hm?

This gift seems to hum in my hands. What does that mean?

Nathan reached out and touched my hand in a comforting kind of way while resting the side of his hand on the gift. He was being sneaky about touching it with Mom around. 

I feel that too. I don't know why it would be doing that.

I grabbed a seam in the wrapping but stopped. I looked up at Mom, she was sitting on the chair and looking at the gift sadly. I took a deep breath and really carefully pealed off the tape and unwrapped the gift without ripping the paper too much. Inside was a little box with a small note. 

I picked up the note and opened it. I was expecting to see words, but instead saw symbols that made no sense to me. I looked at it curiously while flipped the paper over to see if there was anything on the back. I saw actual words there that I could read. 

Dear Bailey, 

              16, oh my goodness. My little pup has grown up so much. I love you little howler. You are stronger than you seem, stay bold and brave Bailey. I love you very much. Please remember that I am always with you, even if I am not holding your hand, I am always right beside you. You are my little bundle of bubbles and giggles. 
             If you can't read the symbols or recognize them, don't worry about them on the other side. That is just my business's own secret code that I thought would be cool if I had it on the note to you. I'm not that good at writing letters, but I hope you see this and remember how much I love and care for you Bailey. My little pup. 

With love,                              

  Dad                         

'If I don't understand or recognize the symbols? What does that mean?' 

I thought to myself. While rereading it. 

"What does it say?" Mom asked me. I handed her the note she read it slowly. I saw her head fall to the side in confusion, then she flipped it over and smiled. 

"Your father always wrote letters in those symbols, I was never able to figure them out, but yes, they are a cool thing to add to the letter." Mom handed the letter back to me. Nathan must have seen a flash of the symbols because he reached his hand out and flipped the letter over in my hands so he could look at the symbols. 

"Those are really cool symbols!" He said out loud. 

Werewolf code.

Is what he mind linked me with. 

WHAT?

I mind linked back. 

We'll talk later. 

"What's in the box?" Nathan asked me softly. I reached to the side of me and picked up the gift. 

'What could be in here that makes the gift hum like this??' 

I thought to myself while staring at the box, unable to reach up and open the box. 

"Do you want to open it on your own time and just tell me what you got?" Mom whispered to me, realizing how much I was hesitating. I sighed with relief. 

"Thank-you." I said to her. She just nodded her head. 

"I understand, it is a special gift. I was the same way with the last thing he gave me." Mom whispered again, her eyes distant and sad as she remembered something. She closed her eyes, shook her head, and took a big breath. 

She smiled at me and said, "Anyhow, how did you like all your gifts?" 

"I loved them! Thank-you!" Mom then went on to talk about the neighbors and she told stories about them and just random stories she thought of for a few hours until I started to yawn and Mom noticed. 

"What time is it?" Mom asked out loud, mainly to herself, while picking up her phone. Her eyes widened. "It's already 10:30!" She exclaimed. "Do you guys want to stay the night?" I looked at Nathan and he mind linked me. 

What do you want? 

I kinda want to go back, I don't think I can stay here too long...

"I think we will head back home." Nathan said to Mom. Her shoulders dropped a little. 

"It's just a lot even coming back into the same house I once lived in." I said quietly to Mom. 

"I understand, but you will stay in contact with me right??" 

"Of course! You are my mother!" I said quickly. She seemed to relax at that. 

"Do you guys have phones?" 

"I do." Nathan said while reaching into his back pocket. Nathan and my Mom exchanged phone numbers. 

"So are you planning on living with Nathan for a while?" Mom asked me as Nathan loaded my presents into the truck. I nodded my head. 

"I think I will." She nodded her head and smiled down at me. 

"You are always welcome back here if you ever need a place to stay ok?" 

"Thank-you." 

"I missed you so much Bailey, I can't believe you're here." Mom said while grabbing my hand.

"I can't believe I'm here either. Not a day would pass that I wouldn't think of you." 

"Me too." She said to me. "You have grown up into a strong beautiful woman Bailey, you may not agree with me, but it is true. You are way stronger than you think, you fought against him even if he seemed to have won every time, you are walking around free of him. You are a fighter and a survivor." My eyes started to water. 

"Thank-you." I hugged Mom again as Nathan came back and gave me my shoes. I slipped them on and took Nathan's hand. 

"Thank-you for coming to see me Bailey. I am so happy you are home." Mom said to me in a whisper. I smiled softly. 

"It was Nathan's idea to take me to see you, else I never would have been able to come." 

"Thank-you Nathan, for taking my baby girl home." Mom said to my mate. 

'My mate...'

I thought to myself. 

'That has a nice ring to it...'

"Anytime, and we will visit more often, this will not be the last time." 

Nathan led me out the front door and opened the passenger door for me. I hopped in and buckled up. 

Forcing the bad memories of the truck out of my mind, I looked out the window and waved good-bye to Mom who was standing in the door-way waving at me. Nathan started the truck and drove off. I watched as Mom got smaller and smaller in the distance. 

"Thank-you Nathan." I said to my mate who was driving in silence. His black hair looked even more black in the darkness. His blue eyes seemed to emit this soft blue glow that drew me in. He glanced at me then back at the road. 

"You don't need to thank me, Angel." He said softly. We drove in silence for a little while longer. 

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked him. He swallowed loudly. 

"Do you want me to break it to you slowly, or all at once then explain?"  

"What would be easier?" 

"All at once." 

"Then do that." He took a deep breath and looked me in the eye. 

"You're father is alive and he is the King of Werewolves." 

"Surprise is the greatest gift life can grant us." -Boris Pasternak

"Our character isn't defined in the good times, but in the hard times." -Unknown

Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to publish another chapter. School has been taking up too much of my time, but now that it is Thanksgiving break, I was able to find time to work on another chapter! Thank-you all for reading my story and I hope you enjoy it! 

What did you guys think about her father? Was that a good or a bad twist to add? Did you see it coming? Let me know how I am doing! What are some things I can do better?

Have a good Thanksgiving break for those who have it. Thank-you all again!