Page 63 of Wolf Forgotten

"He was a mean-looking man, a biker. Had blonde hair and green eyes. Oh, and he had a scar on his cheek like someone had sliced him open."

That sounded like Silas, but it couldn't have been Silas since he was Cole's age and I didn't remember a scar on his cheek. Was I related to Silas? I inwardly cringed at the thought.

"And you haven't heard from this man since all those years ago?" I found it hard to believe someone concerned enough to pay for me to go far away would stop asking for updates.

"Not once." He let out a relieved sigh. "You aren't mad?"

Mad? No. Confused? Yes. "How much did he give you?"

"Oh, well..." He turned bright red and looked down at his hands. "Five hundred thousand."

My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. "And that didn't seem fishy to you at all?"

"It did, but it's not like I could have said no. Like I said, he did not look like someone to mess with, and I had a wife and baby to worry about. It seemed harmless to have you adopted far away. I figured it was because it would have been too hard on your um..."

"Real parents?"

"Yeah." He looked at his watch. "I should probably get going. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. Feel free to call me if you have more questions."

He left me sitting there, digesting the information he'd given me. Arbor Falls was my home and someone had something to do with me moving far away. The question was why?

Waiting outside for the Uber driver that was hopefully going to return, I was more upset than I'd ever been about being adopted. What had been so wrong with me or my parents that someone would pay half a million dollars never to see me again?

Was it because I looked different? Who were my parents and why hadn't they wanted me? There was one person who probably knew that answer, and there was no way in hell Cole was going to let me contact him.

The Uber driver pulled into the parking lot, and I opened the back door. "Any problems?"

"There were some angry-looking people looking around the parking lot. They didn't bother me, but they looked around my vehicle." He turned to look at me. "What kind of trouble are you in?"

I pulled my phone out of the back seat pocket and quickly glanced around. "I'll be fine. I think I'll walk. Thanks!"

He started to say something, but I slammed the door shut and walked across the parking lot, I was probably going to be easy to spot with my damn hair. I should have thought to wear a hat.

Looking at my phone, I sighed. I had missed calls and messages from Cole, Sara, and Eli. I was a grown ass woman, and they made me feel like I was about to get grounded.

I probably was.

There was a park nearby I walked to and sat on a swing, waiting for them to find me. I read through Sara's messages, which went from being annoyed, to pissed off, to amused. Then there were Cole's.

Cole:Where the fuck are you? Sara called me and said you disappeared.

Cole:Answer your phone, Ivy.

Cole:You better hope I don't find you first.

I bit my lip and looked around. So far, so good. The park was empty since it was midweek and the middle of the day.

Me:Yeah? What are you going to do to me, Alpha?

I slid my phone into my purse and pushed off the ground. I hadn't been on a swing in forever, and it was liberating to have the wind rush through my hair and blood rushing through my body as I went higher and higher.

Oh, geez. Was this a canine thing? Now I understood why I enjoyed swings so much growing up.

The rush soon gave way to an intense feeling of loss. Loss of my parents, loss of whatever life I might have had with people like me, loss of my freedom.

My feet dragged on the bark under the swing and I came to a stop, leaning forward with my face in my hands. I had just started living my life in a career I loved, and now it was being ripped away from me.

Cole's scent was the first thing that made me aware that I was no longer alone in my pity party. I really wasn't in the mood to deal with him and his overbearing personality.

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