Secret Wolf Book 2

SOPHIE

Jake grabbed my hand as we walked toward the house.

“Hi, sweetie,” my mom said as she pulled me into a hug. My dad gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. I’d like to introduce you to Jake. Jake, these are my parents, John and Eveline.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Jake shook their hands.

“Let’s get inside.” My dad led the way.

We sat down in the living room. Jake was still holding my hand. He must have felt my anxiety rise.

My mom and dad looked at each other. Everything felt a bit uncomfortable.

“I’ll get us some coffee.” My mom almost ran to the kitchen. I looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“Don’t mind your mom. She is a bit nervous,” Dad said.

“Why is she nervous, Dad? What secret do you have that makes her so nervous?”

My dad didn’t say anything. He watched as my mom walked back into the living room with a tray of coffee and cookies. She put it on the table and grabbed one of the mugs.

“Here you go, Jake.” Mom put the mug in front of him. She grabbed another mug and started to set it out, but her gaze caught on my neck. The mug fell from her hands.

“What’s that, Sophie?” She pointed at my mark. I instinctively put my hand on it. “And where is your necklace?” Her eyes widened, looking like they might pop from their sockets.

I peered at Jake, not really sure what to say or do.

He asked them calmly, “So…you know?”

I felt his anger, but he was holding back. They nodded.

I felt betrayed. They were the ones who had given me the poisoned necklace. They’d known I was a wolf and they’d never told me.

My dad saw my distress and pleaded with me. “We can explain. Please, let us explain.”

My mom sat down slowly, ignoring the spilled coffee.

I said, “I’m really confused. You poisoned my wolf for two years. How could you?”

“Okay, Sophie, to be honest, we hoped that this moment would never come,” my dad started. “But now that the truth is out, we want to explain your past and our choices.”

“We’re listening,” Jake said.

My dad said, “We never made it a secret that you were adopted. We just never told you where you came from, for your own safety. We knew your mother, Sophie. She was a friend of ours.”

I swallowed a big lump. They knew my real mother?

“She was a friend?” I asked. “Is she dead?”

“She gave her life for you, just like your father.”

“You knew my father?” Tears pooled in my eyes.

My mom stood up and sat next to me. She grabbed my hand. “It’s very complicated, sweetie. I met Sara, your mother, when we were very young.” She gazed into the distance, seeming to go back in time in her mind.

“She was my childhood friend. We did everything together. When she turned sixteen, her parents didn’t want her to go out anymore—with good reason, because she could shift at any point. But I didn’t know that yet. Your mother had other plans. She always had been a rebel.” My mom smiled at the thought.

“A couple of weeks after her birthday, she snuck out of the house. We were on our way to a party when suddenly, she cried out in pain. Well, you know how it works when you change for the first time. That’s how I found out she was a wolf.” Mom looked at my dad, and he nodded reassuringly.

“When she turned eighteen, she found her mate. But he wasn’t what she’d hoped for, at first.” Mom’s face saddened.

“Your father, Kyan, wasn’t a wolf. Sara never told us what he was. We knew he wasn’t a normal human like us. She did make it very clear that his family was dangerous.”

“Let me tell you the rest,” my dad chimed in. “The mate bond is a very powerful thing. Almost undeniable, as you know. It didn’t take long for your parents to fall in love and seal the bond.

“Your mother was mesmerizing. She had him wrapped around her little finger. Your father chose your mother over his own family, and his family was angry. At first, they wanted to kill your mother, who was already pregnant with you.”

I gasped.

“So,” Dad continued, “as soon as your parents found out, they fled. For the next two years, we didn’t hear anything from them. We didn’t even know you’d been born.

“But one night, when you were just over a year old, they came by. They begged us to take care of you.”

My mom sobbed and, when she composed herself, took over for my dad. “Of course, we took you in. Before they left, your father gave me a necklace. He told me to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday.

“It would prevent you from shifting. This way, his family couldn’t find you and use you, or worse, kill you.

“I didn’t want to accept it. I told him he should give it to you himself. But in his eyes, I saw the reality. Your parents wouldn’t be coming back.”

My mom held her face in her hands, crying softly. “It was the last time we saw Sara and Kyan.”

I was dumbfounded. Of all the things I thought my parents would say, this wasn’t one of them.

I stood up and walked to the back door. “Excuse me. I need a moment.” I walked into the yard and sat down on a bench. I let the tears pour from my eyes.

“My love, what a horrible story.” Jake sat down next to me. “I’m so sorry for you.”

He pulled me against him and soothed me. We sat there for a good hour.

“I don’t know how to cope with this, Jake,” I said finally.

“I understand. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I have so many questions,” my lower lip trembled. “Who was my father? Am I in danger now that I’ve turned? Is the pack in danger because of me?”

Jake took my chin between his fingers. “My love, you and I—we were meant to be together. No one will harm you. I’ll make sure of that. I’ll protect you, just as I protect the pack.”

“I need to ask my mom and dad more questions.”

“Let’s get back inside, then.”

My parents were sitting on the couch, both red-eyed. “Sophie, will you forgive us for not telling you?” my dad asked.

I walked to them and gave them both a hug. “You only tried to protect me. How could I be mad at you? I’m so thankful for the life you gave me. There’s nothing to forgive.”

When I pulled back to look at them, I saw relief flooding both of their faces.

“I do have some more questions,” I said.

They both nodded. “Of course,” Dad said.

I tried to formulate a question, but I didn’t know where to begin.

“May I?” Jake asked.

I nodded.

“Sophie is a very powerful wolf,” Jake said. “Do you have any idea why?”

I averted my eyes. I saw a flash of Bonnie’s scared eyes in front of me. I shook my head to get rid of the image.

“Sophie’s mother was the daughter of an alpha, but Sophie’s father is a mystery,” my mom said.

Jake nodded and took mental notes. “Is Sophie in danger now that she’s turned?”

My mom looked at my dad. “To be honest, we don’t know. We moved all over the country so they wouldn’t find us.”

“So that’s the reason why we moved so often?” I asked.

They nodded. “We did everything to keep you safe, honey,” my mom said. “But I assume that you can’t move anymore, right? I mean, you’ve joined Jake’s pack, haven’t you?”

I nodded. “Jake and I can’t leave the pack. He becomes the alpha in a couple of weeks.”

“And you become my luna,” Jake added proudly.

“I’m very happy for you that you’ve found each other,” Dad said. “But the chance that your father’s family will find you will increase when you stay in one place.”

“Let them come. I’ll deal with them,” Jake said confidently.

The rest of the day, we talked about my biological parents and about my life with Jake.

Of course, my mom and dad didn’t know much about my father, but they had great stories about my mother.

My parents also had a picture for me. It was the only picture of me as a baby with my biological parents. I looked a lot like my mother, but I’d gotten my father’s eyes and hair color.

As soon as the evening came, Jake and I left. I was exhausted and emotionally drained.

My parents had promised to come visit us soon.

The drive back home was silent. I tried to let all the information sink in. It was a lot.

When we arrived at the pack house, I decided to go straight to bed. Jake walked me back to our room.

“Can you stay until I fall asleep?” I asked him softly.

He smiled and gave me a kiss. “Of course. I’d do anything for you.”