Page 182 of Dream Mates
“Her name wasn’t Thora.” I peeked up at him.
“I absolutely believe that whoever raised you wasn’t Thora,” Nate told me. “I would believe you thinking that the people who raised you were your birth parents. Thora’s mom said that she put you in care after something happened to her alpha and son and she couldn’t take care of you anymore. She said that the records must have gotten messed up when you entered the system. Given the record juststopped,I always wondered if you ended up baby trafficked. It wouldn’t surprise me if Thora’s sister sold you.”
Holy shitwhat?
“Grace, I know this is a lot for you to take in. But it’s on the genscan. They’re seldom wrong,” Lark said.
His voice shook a little. “Whatever you were told about me probably wasn’t true. That’s what this is about, right? You were told something that makes it hard to believe it’s me. Did they tell you that I was a bad person? Did they tell you that I wasdead?”
“By the time I knew that my dad wasn’t my biological father, I wasn’t talking to my mom. He didn’t know who my bio-dad was and my mom and I never had that conversation before she died. Even though I never looked that much like her, it was pretty obvious she was my mom. We have the same eyes and stuff.” My body trembled again, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
It would probably be better to stop questioning and figure it out with my guys later before I said something weird.
“It’s just a lot.” My chest trembled.
“It is, Hun. I’ll leave your advocate a note to find you a therapist. I have some chips and cookies if anyone is still hungry,” she offered. “Also, some juice pouches.”
Yeah, we were way over poor Lark’s paygrade.
I took the offered chips and absently started eating them. “Not to change the subject, but I really don’t understand this testing situation. We’re being tested ascarriers?If we carry the gene forthe illegal designations, without actually having it ourselves, we could still pass it on?”
“Yes,” Nate replied. “Verity could explain all this so much better.”
I started to shake again. “Will they kill us if we’re carriers? I can’t believe they do that topeople who had the audacity to be born with the wrong designation.”
Now I could better understand why Elaris wanted to come up with an alternative.
“It’s sad, but they don’t do it lightly,” Lark assured. “But your designation is fine–and they don’t terminate carriers anymore. But… it might mean that you won’t be able to have genetic children so that you can’t pass the gene on.”
“I’m not sure that’s much better.” I was starting to rethink my opinions of this world.
“The percentage of people with illegal designations is miniscule,” Lark assured.
If it’s so small, why were they so worried about it? I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger.
“I’m still really confused. Like I don’t even know what designations are illegal and why.” I frowned. Lark gave me a look. I shrugged. “I missed that unit in school. My mom didn’t like me to go to those.”
“There’s a lot to unpack there,” she said softly.
“My mate Evan tells me that all the time.” I sighed.
“Sigmas are violent and destructive to the order of things. And as for the others, you know what, I’ll send a video to your Center account.” She tapped on her tablet.
“An alpha gunned down my birthday dinner. I have trouble believing that anentire designationis bad.” I just wasn’t getting this. Things like this were probably what led to interdimensional underground people-smuggling rings.
“This is one of those things that people tend to have very polarizing views on, so we don’t talk about it in public,” Nate said.
I nodded. “I’m starting to get that.”
“Did you just say that an alphagunned downyour birthday dinner?” the professor asked.
“We were fine. It had to do with Evan’s job.” I shrugged.
The nurse came back in. “Grace, dear, can you please just tell me what you know about your birth mother? If you do, we might be able to let the other children go. Nathaniel, your children are here. I can bring you the small ones. Also, we can bring you your mate, Harry.”
“The children are here?” Nate looked stricken. “Which ones?”
The nurse looked at the tablet. “Creed, Hale, Mercy, Pax, Tru, and Hope.”
