Shadows (Book 2 of the Zara's Wolf Trilogy) BWWM

29. The Elephant in the Room

A box of muffins from the local bakery sits in the middle of the kitchen table. A pot of coffee, still steaming and half full, rests on the counter next to the cream and sugar pot. The aroma of both freshly brewed coffee and muffins hangs in the air as everyone is gathered together in the kitchen--except for Daddy, who had to leave promptly for another day at the office.

I skim over all the pages in the folder. Everything's there, from the adoption forms to the social worker's documents and my early health records--including all the tests Mama and Daddy said I went through--were together, along with other miscellaneous documents and payment receipts.

I don't know where to look. The actual adoption papers contain no information that may answer any of my questions. The social worker's documents are more detailed regarding Mama, Daddy, and me. It's in those pages that I find the information that my parents told me. How my biological mother was brought into the hospital, suffered unexplainable internal bleeding, and died shortly after a vaginal delivery. How regular doctor visits estimated her to be only 31 weeks pregnant, but I was unusually healthy and strong regardless.

"That's because shifter pregnancies only last 30-32 weeks. It's shorter because of our wolf-side," Evan says, pointing to the section about my premature birth.

I nod, my eyes continuing to scan the paragraphs with Evan leaning in next to me.

"She was definitely human," Tamara says solemnly from her seat across from us at the kitchen table. "Unless treated by an experienced pack doctor, humans will always die from complications with shifter pups."

"Plus," Leah adds, "If she had been a shifter herself, she wouldn't have gone to the hospital to deliver. Even if she had been a rogue on her own, she would have stayed in the forest and delivered fine."

"Couldn't she have just sought out a pack doctor? I mean, where's her baby-daddy during all this?" Brianna says before biting into a slice of toast.

"Unless she didn't know the father was a shifter, or that her life could be compromised in the process of giving life," Leah suggests.

"He should have done something!" Brianna shoots back at her older sister.

Leah just raises an eyebrow at Brianna, making Brianna bite back her attitude and hold her tongue. Leah may be her sister, but Leah was still her alpha.

As Brianna lowers her head in submission, Leah says, "I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just voicing what could be a possible reason that Zara's birth mother didn't seek out a pack doctor, who might have been able to save her life."

"But we're still no closer to figuring out who Zara's birth parents are," Evan says.

"The adoption was closed as well," Mama says stiffly in her seat. She grips her mug of coffee tightly in her hands as her eyes waver momentarily over everyone in Evan's family.

"So, that means I'll never know my origins then, will I?" I utter in a whisper.

I had been so hopeful when Daddy handed me the papers. I thought for sure my biological mother's name would be on them and I'd be able to find the man who was responsible for making me a shifter rather than a normal human being. It felt like the world wanted to keep everything from me instead of giving away any of its secrets.

It wasn't fair.

"You can," Tamara says. "Of course you can. You just have to file with the adoption agency to obtain that information. You can still find out who your mother was and meet her parents."

"And we can ask alphas of other packs for help to find your father. If need be, we can hire a private investigator too," Marcus says from the sliding doors out to the tiny backyard.