Page 10 of Saving Stella

“Please have a seat then.”

“Thank you.” He sat down on the armchair across from them, next to Mr. Owens. “I know you have a lot of questions, and I have a lot to tell you as well. Perhaps we can speak in private, Stella?”

“Anything you have to say, you can say in front of my parents,” she said, emphasizing the last words.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with.” He folded his hands in his lap. “I have so much to tell you, Stella. I don’t really know where to begin.” Glancing at Mr. Owens, he said, “Can I have the envelope?”

“Of course.”

The lawyer retrieved a large manila envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Devon.

“Maybe I should start with how I found out about you.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ve seen the most recent news about me.”

“News?” Momma asked. “I’m afraid we don’t watch or read much entertainment news.”

Stella swallowed hard as she recalled the headlines she’d read from a few weeks back. “You’re a … a …”

“A Supernatural,” Devon finished. “More specifically, a Lycan.”

“A what?” Papa repeated.

“He turns into a wolf,” Stella explained. “I remember reading about it. It happened during an awards show, right? You turned into a giant wolf in the middle of a performance.” How could she forget? It was the only thing on the news for days.

“Oh!” Momma clapped her hands together. “You remember, Bernard. We were having pork chops at the diner, and the TV was on.”

“Ah, yes.” Papa stroked his chin. “I recall seeing it on TV and reading about it in the paper.” He tsked.

A cold feeling of dread formed in the pit of Stella’s stomach. “Wait … if you’re a Supernatural then …”

“Yes, Stella, so are you.”

She gasped as her lungs squeezed the oxygen out of her body. “I … I …” The edges of her vision turned black, and if she wasn’t sitting down, she would have fainted.

“Stella.”

A hand—no, two hands covered hers. Glancing down, she saw that her parents had each taken a hand in theirs.

“Stella,” Papa repeated. “We love you for who you are, and who you have grown up to be.”

“Nothing will change that,” Momma added. “We are all God’s children, and He loves us all.”

Their words settled over her like a comfortable, warm blanket. Ever since the news about the existence of Supernaturals had been revealed, many people had also come out against them. However, her parents, who had always taught her love and acceptance of everyone, voiced their support of them. She even recalled that Papa had made the local news for his sermon about loving all of God’s creations.

Still, everything seemed to fall into place.

Was her imaginary friend …?

A rumble answered her.

“I’m sorry for not letting you know right away,” Devon began. “There was no reason to, in case the DNA tests turned out to be negative. I didn’t know I was one myself because I grew up in the system. My wolf was latent until that point, and I didn’t mean to shift on live TV. Thankfully no one was hurt.”

“What happened after the awards ceremony?” Stella asked. The incident had dominated the news cycle for the next couple of days, but Devon had seemingly disappeared after that. Coupled with the incessant headline churning from the media and the next celebrity scandal popping up, Stella couldn’t recall if any news outlet reported on the aftermath of Devon’s transformation.

“A clan of Lycans took me in and helped me control my wolf,” he explained. “I’m much better now, no more accidental shifts. But they also wanted to know how I managed to get lost in the system. See, according to them, their kind would never let Lycan children be abandoned. So, they managed to dig up some information about me—or rather, us. And that’s how I found you.” He handed her the envelope.

Stella accepted the envelope, feeling its weight in her hand. Unsealing the envelope, she took out the papers inside. The first few pages on top she recognized—it was her adoption petition, some school records, her graduation photo, as well as a printout of the Crestholm website with her information. The next piece of paper underneath it was a yellowed newspaper clipping. She squinted at the faded headline as she read it aloud.

“Toddler Found Abandoned at LA Union Station.”

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