Scarlett's POV

The next morning, I was still upset about the situation with my...my father. Simply thinking those words in reference to myself was surreal. I hadn't thought about the concept of having actual parents since I was a child; before I was ten years old, at least. Somehow, within the last three months, I had both spoken with my mother's family and met my father.

My anger no longer burned fiery hot - probably from the multiple orgasms Xander so graciously gave me last night. However, there was still a deep sorrow that lingered.

"You've just woken and your mind is already moving a mile a minute," Xander's deep, gravely voice broke the silence. I just sighed and leaned further into his hold. His lips pressed to my temple before remaining there, soft and warm.

"I feel like I need clarity...but part of me knows his answers will only bring more pain," I whispered. He hummed thoughtfully.

"You won't be satisfied until you get your answers, Scarlett," he stated, knowingly.

"I know..." I trailed off. "I need to talk to him before we leave this morning," I reasoned. I felt him nod against me. "No time like the present I suppose." I heaved a sigh while hoisting myself out of bed. We'd just finished getting dressed when one of the King's men arrived to let us know he was waiting for us in the same place we'd had dinner last night.

I wasn't sure what was going to greet me as Xander and I entered the formal dining hall once again. The King surrounded by his entire family as they ate breakfast and talked like nothing was wrong was not it, though. I stood dumbly by the door as my anxiety shot through the roof.

"Scarlett! I'm so glad you chose to join us this morning!" The King proclaimed, standing from his seat. I swallowed the knot that had formed in my throat before clearing it.

"Unfortunately, we won't be joining you. We need to get back home. I figured we could talk before our plane took off," I stated, avoiding the curious looks from the others sitting around the table.

"Very well," he said, clearly seeing the no-nonsense look in my eyes and knowing not to push me. Good.

We were silent as all of us exited the room and made our way to the office I'd found myself in last night. The King's demeanor was noticeably less jovial than his initial greeting this morning as we all took a seat.

"I'm assuming you have questions?" The King took the lead.

"Do you know where my mother is?" I asked, cutting to the chase. I was more apt to forgive her than I was him. I think I might have done the same thing if I were in her situation. For all she knew, she was putting me in the safest place possible at the time. She...she kept me. She carried me for nine months despite the danger it brought her. That had to mean something...right?

He looked hesitant to answer my question at first.

"My councilmen have kept tabs on her over the years. They wanted to know where she was in case she tried popping back up to blackmail me later in my political career," he revealed. His answer made my heart begin to race in my chest.

"Where...?" I asked breathlessly. I didn't need to finish the sentence. He knew what I was asking.

"There's a...free-spirited pack in South Carolina-"

"The Gold Sun pack," Xander interrupted with a knowing smirk. I'd heard of the pack in passing - they had the best orphanage accommodations according to my friends in the system back in the day.

"Yes, you're correct. She's been there since we were able to first track her down. That was about eighteen years ago," the King explained.

"It makes sense why she's not in the American database. She started running before her original pack could log her, and the Gold Sun pack doesn't believe in the database. They think it's an overstep of The Council's boundaries into our lives," Xander said with a quick roll of his eyes. "They stopped regular DNA reporting when the kidnappings stopped decades ago. If she's been there this whole time, she would've never been put in the system." I nodded slowly, taking all the information in.

"Scarlett..." King Grimaldi murmured, catching my attention and pulling me from my thoughts. I met his gaze, and we just stared at each other for a few moments. I searched hard for any resemblance of myself in his face but came up short. Our eye color was the only thing we shared. I wasn't sure if I found that comforting or disheartening. All of it was hard to process. "I truly am sorry. I wasn't there to protect you and I should have been," he finally finished through a whisper. I swallowed the thick lump that formed in my throat and nodded once, acknowledging his words. "Even though I wasn't there before, I'm here now," he stated fiercely.

My heart mourned for the little girl who cried herself to sleep on scratchy bed sheets, wishing more than anything someone had said those words to her. Praying someone had been looking out for her, all the while knowing she was all she really had in this world.

"I don't need a father now. I have a mate who loves me very much and takes my protection quite seriously," I answered, a hint of sadness in my tone. Part of me wondered if I was being unfair. But then I remembered what he said to my mother and how we ended up in this situation in the first place. I deserved time to grieve and process my emotions in my own time.

"We'll be in touch, King Grimaldi," Xander stated before standing from his chair. I followed his lead, not having anything else to say to my father.

Xander and I didn't exchange any words as we packed and boarded our jet. He knew me well enough to know I was lost in my thoughts.

"I'm gonna take a nap," I murmured as we finally settled into our seats and buckled in.

"I'll have a snack waiting for you when you wake up," he responded. I just gave him a soft kiss on the lips in response. He really was the best. True to his word, there was a large bowl of watermelon - my current pregnancy craving - sitting in front of me as soon as I opened my eyes.

I didn't pay much attention to what was happening around me as I dove into a book I'd been meaning to read for a while. It wasn't until the scenery outside my window caught my attention hours later that I realized something wasn't right.

"Xander?"

"Yeah, baby?" he murmured distractedly as he typed away on his laptop beside to me.

"Where are we?" That definitely got his attention. He gave me a sheepish look before turning so his body was facing me. His hand found my upper thigh, resting on it before giving it a quick squeeze. I pursed my lips before quirking one of my eyebrows upward.

"Xander?" I pressed further.

"We're almost to South Carolina," he murmured.

"What?!" I shrieked.

"Listen to me, Scarlett. Like you said before we left for England, you're not getting any less pregnant. No way are you going to last the rest of your pregnancy without meeting your mother now that you know where she's located. I called the Gold Sun's alpha while you were sleeping. He said we'd be welcome with open arms whenever we chose to visit. I figured we were already in the air so we might as well just do it now," he reasoned. There were a few moments of silence that passed between us. 

"You're right," I conceded, grabbing the hand that was resting on my thigh and lacing our fingers together. "How long until we get there?" I asked, already antsy with nerves now knowing our final destination.

"Six hours," he said, a sympathetic look in his eyes. I groaned and dropped my head back against the seat. I did my best to distract myself the rest of the flight, but it hardly stopped me from checking the map every few minutes.

As soon as the pilot announced our descent my heart started to race in my chest, my mouth grew dry, and my palms started to sweat. I couldn't focus on anything as we unloaded from the plane painfully slow. Or that's how it felt, at least.

"Breathe, baby," Xander whispered against the shell of my ear once we were finally seated in an SUV that was driving us to the Gold Sun pack. I drew in a shaky breath.

"I'm trying," I husked out. Resting my forehead against the window, I watched as the terrain flew by. Our baby had been incredibly active the last week, and I'd finally been able to feel all the movements. I closed my eyes and focused on the small flutters I felt. Wanting to cherish this moment with Xander as we often had at night as of recent, I grabbed his hand without saying a word and pressed his palm to my belly where I felt the movement. I laid my hands overtop his own, a smile pulling at my lips as our child gave a particularly harsh kick against Xander's hand. They could always sense when their daddy was near.

"Always showing off for daddy," I murmured only loud enough for him to hear. I peaked my eyes open just in time to see the breathtaking smile on his face as his gaze focused on where our hands were pressed against my rounded bump.

"Only two weeks until we get to find out what this little one is," Xander reminded me, sparing a quick glance up at me. "What do you think we're having?" he asked, gently stroking my belly back and forth. The action soothed me and calmed my nerves.

"A little boy. Strong and smart, just like his daddy," I insisted confidently. Truthfully, I had no idea what we were having. However, the idea of watching Xander chase around a chubby little boy that looked just like him made my eyes sting with unshed tears. Damn these hormones. "What do you think we're having?" I asked.

"Don't care. They're gonna be perfect no matter what they are," he said softly.

"Alpha, Luna. We're here," the driver called from the front, bursting the bubble of our intimate moment. Exciting the vehicle, our driver grabbed our attention once again. "Wednesday's are pack dinner nights. Everyone is gathered outdoors just down that way," he explained, pointing towards a cobblestone path that lead alongside the packhouse.

My anxiety reared it's big, fat head with each step we took down the uneven path.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," I hissed as I heard the loud chatter of talking and laughter grow louder and louder.

"I'm right here," Xander reassured me, squeezing my hand a few times. I released a steady breath through pursed lips as we broke through a clearing and were met with the sight of a huge group of people. I wasn't sure where to look first. I shied away from all the prying eyes, partially hiding behind Xander's huge frame like a scared child.

"Alpha and Luna Harrington! I'm so glad you guys could make it on a family Wednesday!" came a booming voice from across the clearing.

"We appreciate the warm welcome," Xander spoke, reaching out to shaking the hand of the man who quickly approached us. I decided to pull on my big girl panties and step out from hiding behind him. I smiled politely at the older couple. They definitely fit the bill for a typical hippy couple, that's for sure. It made sense considering what I'd learned about them. I locked eyes with the Luna as we shook hands. Instead of smiling, her expression looked confused.

"I've seen that face before..." she muttered contemplatively.

"What's that, pumpkin?" The alpha asked curiously.

"It's probably nothing. Feel free to mingle! Food should be done in an hour!" she exclaimed. Xander and I nodded, but I still wasn't sure where to start first. We took a few uncertain steps towards the mass of people. I scanned the crowd of people sitting and chatting. I suddenly locked eyes with an older woman. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. I smiled politely because I didn't know what else to do.

"Oh...my God. Where's Josie? Someone get Josie!" She yelled out. I could just barely hear her over the commotion. The ruckus of the crowd seemed to die down a bit as Xander and I's presence slowly garnered more and more attention.

I had just awkwardly laid my arms over my belly and nodded a few hellos when I heard it.

"What is it, Pamela? Seriously? Gosh, you're crazy after one margarita!" came the soft, feminine voice followed by melodious laughter. My breath caught in my throat. My lungs seized up. My face grew warm. My wolf recognized the voice immediately. Like second nature.

"Josie," the woman who'd spotted me, Pamela, sternly spoke. Her body was blocking the woman she was speaking to. But then she stepped out of the way. And our eyes locked. The wide, bright smile that encompassed her whole face slowly dropped. Her eyes scanned my face frantically. I couldn't tell if the clearing had gone silent, or if the white noise in my ears had grown deafening. I couldn't keep my hands from shaking.

It was like...like looking in a mirror.

I locked my knees, afraid I was going to tumble over if I didn't. My nails dug into Xander's forearm as she took the first step towards me. Slowly but surely, she made her way across the space until we were only an arm's length away. Her eyes glistened in the sun with unshed tears. Her hand shook with a fine tremor as she lifted it to cradle my cheek. Her thumb softly swiped away my tears - the ones I wasn't aware had even fallen. I couldn't help the soft sob that fell from my lips.

"My baby," she whispered.