Just like he said he would, Alpha Nate is already waiting for us outside the house when we arrive and as we park our cars, he walks forward to welcome us, going to my dad first.
"Knox, when you said 'we' I thought it would just be you, Thor, and Eric of course..." He says as he looks in my uncles' direction while shaking hands with my dad.
My dad just smiles. He didn't marry my mom but to my surprise, he introduced my Uncle as his brother-inlaw.
"Nate, this is Elias, my brother inlaw. I've told you so much about him." He says
Alpha Nate also can't mask his surprise fast enough on hearing what my dad said. He extends his hand toward my Uncle.
"Alpha Elias, I have indeed heard a lot about you. It is my honor to welcome you to my Night Howlers Pack" He says with a smile
Uncle Elias smiles in return
"The honor is mine, Alpha Nate. Thank you for welcoming us even when we show up without notice. " He replies as they firmly shake hands.
After they release each other's hands, Uncle Elias turns to the Seer and introduces him
"This is Leif, my cousin, and Seer."
Alpha Nate looks eager as he takes the Seer's already outstretched hand with both of his,
"Few Alphas are blessed by the Moon goddess with your kind, Seer. Perhaps if I hold your hand long enough, you will see something in my future?" He says jokingly but I can see from his countenance that he meant every word. Perhaps he's expecting the Seer would be able to tell him about his missing daughter.
"Perhaps, Alpha." The Seer replies to him "Afterall a Seer only sees within the family he's assigned to. Both the immediate and the extended family, brought about by marriage and the mate bond."
A frown appears on Alpha Nate's face then. I know he's thinking about the Seer's words, trying to decode the hidden meaning we all know it contain.
"Shall we?..." I ask when he's not quick to invite us into the house, obviously preoccupied with the Seer's words.
"Oh, yes please!" He recovers himself and leads the way.
The moment we enter, Raina, his mate, stands up from where she's sitting to welcome us. Smiling in my dad's direction. I guess because he's the only person she recognizes among us.
"Raina. It's been a while." My dad grins, hurrying ahead of us to her.
I watch her closely as they hug and exchange pleasantries. Ash's biological mother is indeed beautiful. Even though she looks like someone who has the burden of the whole world placed on her shoulders, the similarities between the mother and daughter cannot be mistaken.
I recalled Ash's pictures and videos that I saw when she was still working as a maid. Apart from the difference in their eye color, Raina's eyes are blue while Ash's is amber, exactly like Alpha Nate's. Someone who knows what they're looking for will be able to tell they're related even with the different hair color and social status. Now that the badly dyed hair is gone, the similarities between the mother and daughter are very clear.
If Alpha Nate had not been one-sided in his investigation when his mate was pointing accusing fingers at Celine like Eric made me understand, then it would have been easy for him to see the likeness between them and connect the dots.
"So Knox, tell me, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"
I snap out of my thoughts when I heard her finally ask my dad but Alpha Nate interrupts
"No, before we get to that I have a quick question for the Seer here." He says in the Seer's direction.
"Oh, please sit, please sit, everyone. Where are my manners." He laughs awkwardly, indicating toward the sofas when it finally occurs to him that we're still standing.
I chuckle silently. It seems the meaning in the Seer's words has finally sunk into his brain. I'm sure the questions he has for the Seer will be about that exactly.
After we've settled in our chairs, the Seer smiles at him, asking,
"What is the quick question you have for me, Alpha?"
"Yes, thank you, Seer. Uhm, you responded to me earlier that, 'a Seer only sees within the family he's assigned to' and you went further to say the family in this context includes 'the extended family brought about by marriage and mate bond.'
Pardon me Seer but considering my question and my relationship with Knox, I don't see how your words concern me, or does it somehow?" His eyes narrow as he asks
"Somehow, Alpha." The Seer replies with a smile before nodding in my dad's direction.
Alpha Nate directs his gaze to my dad
"Knox?" He calls questioningly
"Yes, Nate, your question is part of the reason why we're here. We're here to tell you we found out about your daughter and she's mated to Thor."
As my dad talks, I watch both Alpha Nate and his mate intently to see their reaction as the truth is being revealed to them. On hearing what my dad said, Raina tenses up with shock, her gaze moves from my dad to rest on me. I know right then that she has figured out the truth.
Alpha Nate on the other hand looks at my dad in disbelief. He looks so confused one would think my dad just spoke in a foreign language.
"Miranda is mated to Thor!? But I thought that was sorcery..."
"Shut up, Nate! What nonsense are you talking about!?" The Luna jerkingly snaps at him before returning her gaze to me and then to my dad.
"It is she isn't it?" She says in almost a whisper like she's afraid to say the name she suspects. I glance at Alpha Nate and see him looking lost and helpless with a deep frown etched into his face
I turn back to the Luna
"She?" I ask her with a raised brow. "You mean Miranda?"
"No dammit!... Not Miranda!" She snaps
"Then say her name!" I snap back at her. "She has a name, doesn't she!? Why are you afraid to use it!?"
Her eyes that fixate on mine slowly fill up with tears as she whispers in a shaky voice...
"Ash."
Alpha Nate flinched beside her like she just struck him with a whip.
"Yes– Ash. That wasn't so hard was it?" I ask and she blinks. That simple act forced the tears in her eyes to come running down her cheeks.
"Ohh–my– Ohh– Ohh– Ohh..." Her words are punctuated with heart-wrenching sobs as she doubles over before sliding to the floor from where she's sitting.
My dad stands and hurries to her side to console and helps her to her feet since Alpha Nate appears to be frozen in place and of no use.
"I was not wrong! I was not wrong about Miranda as I was not wrong about any of these!" She wails and suddenly pushes herself away from my dad.
"I've always suspected! I don't know when it happened. I just suddenly stopped feeling any form of connection towards her since when she was a baby. But they thought I was crazy. They said I had postpartum depression.
Even as she grew, I couldn't bring myself to spend five minutes in her company. Stupid me! I didn't know my baby had been exchanged then. I am an Original and should have known but I didn't!
I started believing all of their narratives instead. I thought I was indeed crazy. I went from one psychiatrist to another but none of them could help me. None of them understood me!
'What kind of mother can't bear to spend even five minutes in the company of her baby?' They talked behind my back. I thought they were right and blamed myself.
I am a first-generation Original, Knox! How could I not suspect that the baby I had wasn't mine when I couldn't connect with her!? How could I be so content to accept such a situation!? How could I accept their diagnosis? What was wrong with me!?" She cries on and on
My dad tries to console her again but she shrugs his hand off. She doesn't want to be consoled. She just keeps sobbing and blaming herself.
"C'mon Raina, it's nobody's fault! Stop blaming yourself, please!"
"No! It's no one but my fault. I'm a first-generation Original. Do you know what it means to be a first generation Original!?... I should have trusted my instinct about Celine! My family's Seer before his death already told me about my child. I should have known our enemies would try to hurt her! I should have been prepared for this sort of problem but I wasn't! I should have known Miranda was a fake when I couldn't connect with her but I didn't!?
I am useless! My daughter has been working as a maid all these years! Tell me, how are we ever going to look her in the face? How can we ever make this better, Knox!? I doubt if she will ever forgive us!?"
"Celine did this?" Alpha Nate finally speaks in disbelief like he's just waking from a deep sleep.
We all look in his direction and I realize he hasn't quite snapped out of his frozen state yet. He's still staring into space, his gaze not focused on anyone in particular.
"Yes, Nate." Raina sobs. Your precious Celine who could do no wrong exchanged our baby. She stole your daughter and made her a maid in her father's pack, isn't that wonderful!?" She shouts furiously. Her tone, heavy with sarcasm.