Page 38 of Mating Mia
“Actually, there is one more thing,” she says, pulling out a slip of paper and sliding it across the desk to me. “This is Larissa Gray’s last known address. We have no idea if she’s still alive, but if anyone might know something about your origins, it would be her.”
My hand trembles as I take the paper. An address in West Virginia, not too far from where we are now. Another tenuous thread connecting me to my past, one that might unravel in my hands or lead me to answers I’ve been seeking my entire life.
“Thank you,” I whisper, clutching the paper like it’s made of gold.
Officer Reynolds hands me her card. “Call me if you remember anything else. And... good luck finding your answers.”
We leave the office in a daze, the fluorescent lights of the hallway suddenly too bright. By the time we reach the van, my legs are shaking so badly that Finn simply lifts me into his arms, cradling me against his chest like I’m made of glass.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his normally stoic face etched with concern as he sets me gently in the passenger seat.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. The magnitude of what I’ve learned today is still washing over me in waves. I was kidnapped. And somewhere out there, a woman once cared enough to visit me every day for two weeks straight.
Kane slides into the driver’s seat, taking the paper from my hand to input the address into the GPS.
“She lives close by,” he muses.
“You want to go right now?” I ask, surprised despite myself. Part of me expected them to insist I rest after such an emotional ordeal.
“Do you want to wait?” he counters, his dark eyes studying my face.
I consider this for a moment, one hand resting on my belly where our child grows, unaware of the upheaval in its mother’s life. The truth is, I don’t want to wait. I’ve spent years not knowing who I am or where I came from. Every minute we delay is another minute lost.
“No,” I decide. “Let’s go now.”
ten
. . .
Mia
My heart is racing against my ribs as Finn reaches for the doorbell.
This small house with its neat flower beds and white picket fence could hold all the answers I’ve been searching for, or it could be another dead end in the endless maze of my past.
My baby kicks inside me, as if reminding me that regardless of what happens here, I already have a family and a pack of my own.
The chime of the doorbell echoes inside the house, followed by the soft padding of footsteps.
I bite my lip so hard I taste copper, my hands instinctively cradling my swollen belly as if to protect my son from the storm of emotions raging inside me.
“Your heart is racing,” Kane murmurs, his large hand wrapping around my small one as Jace rubs my back. His thumb traces soothing circles against my skin, a gesture so familiar it instantly calms my racing pulse. “We’re with you.”
I can only nod, my throat too dry for words.
The door creaks open, revealing a woman who must be in her seventies, her silver hair pulled back in a neat bun, kind eyescrinkling at the corners as she takes us in. Her gaze lands on me, confusion clouding her features as she studies my face.
“Can I help you?” she asks, her voice warm but cautious.
I swallow hard, trying to find my voice. “My name is Mia. The adoption agency sent me here.” The words tumble out awkwardly, wondering how she’ll receive me.
Recognition dawns in her eyes, her face transforming with a smile that makes her look decades younger. “Oh my goodness,” she breathes, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. “I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.”
My heart lurches painfully in my chest, hope blooming so rapidly it’s almost painful.
“Are you…” I pause, barely able to get the words out. “Are you my mother?”
Seconds grow into eternity as I wait for her answer, every muscle in my body tense, my vision narrowing until all I can see is her face. Behind me, I feel my alphas’ presence like a solid wall, their warmth and heat radiating around me.
