CHAPTER 13

Elijah was bent over his desk, deep in the pack's archives, his face lit softly by the computer screen. Aside from the old machine's soft hum and the sporadic rustle of paper as he compared digital records with old books, the room was silent.

He had told Bruce the truth about Amelia's Hybrid’s ancestry three days prior. Three days of secret research, moments snatched in between his Beta responsibilities, and restless nights full of unanswered questions and growing fear.

Elijah looked at the clock and rubbed his tired eyes. 2:17 A.M. He ought to have gone to bed hours ago, but he continued because he had questions. They were still missing so many pieces of the puzzle and did not know so much.

Returning his attention to the screen, he slid through a database containing genealogies of packs. He was looking through a file that contained the history of the Oregon hybrid clan that Amelia's parents had been a part of. The clan was small, reclusive, and fiercely protective of their bloodline.

His research into the history of the clan revealed a pattern. A child with the extraordinary ability to fully suppress both their wolfs and Vampire nature would be born every few generations. These kids were loved, looked after, and frequently taken away for their security.

Elijah's eyebrows raised when he recognized Amelia's mother, Rose Sinclair. According to the record, she left the clan at the age of eighteen, presumably to go to college. However, the dates were not quite correct.

He took out a leather-bound journal that he had discovered earlier in the week. It belonged to an elder of the clan from Oregon who had traveled there decades before. He turned the pages and saw what he was looking for a brief account of a young woman who possessed extraordinary abilities but had to leave her clan because of threats from rival clans.

As Elijah pieced together the information, his heart raced. Rose had fled to protect herself and her unborn child, not to go to college. Amelia.

However, who was the father? On that point, the records were frustratingly ambiguous. With his knowledge, Elijah was already stepping dangerously, so he knew he should leave it alone. But he could not shake the nagging feeling that something important was missing.

He returned to the computer and began a more thorough search. Rose would have required assistance and safety if she had left her clan. There might have been reports of other packs providing safety.

Elijah's thoughts drifted to his history as the search continued. Back then, he had been a different wolf—younger and more careless. His role as Bruce's Beta had frequently required him to travel to different regions to forge alliances and arbitrate conflicts.

Comprising, he realized startlingly, a trip to Oregon some thirty years prior.

He was startled out of his dream by the computer's chime. Something had turned up during the search: a passing reference to providing temporary shelter to a young Oregonian hybrid in the records of another pack.

Elijah opened the file, his hands trembling a little. Though they were few, the information satisfied his suspicions. Rose had asked for assistance from a different pack and stayed with them for a few months before leaving.

What about the wolf that had accompanied her to this refuge? A visiting Beta from an eastward-moving pack.

When the implications dawned on Elijah, he felt the blood drain from his face. Now, he recalled an accidental meeting with a stunning yet terrified young lady. A passionate evening with secretive whispers of promises. Subsequently, his duty called him to return to his pack and the life he had established.

He was unaware that she was expecting. Never the least bit suspicious.

Trembling, he started one last search: comparing his DNA, which was kept in the pack's medical files, with the incomplete profile of Amelia that they had.

The program continued to run its analysis while the seconds passed by like hours. Elijah discovered that he was holding his breath and that his heart was racing.

At last, the outcomes surfaced on the display.

99.9% match. Paternal relation confirmed.

Elijah stared at the screen, his mind reeling. His daughter was Amelia, the young woman who had come into their lives and won their Alpha's heart. His flesh and blood.

He felt a tidal wave of emotions, including fear, joy, guilt, and shock. He recalled all the times he would spend with Amelia, the get-togethers, and informal talks. Had he subconsciously recognized her from somewhere? Had she connected with him in any mysterious way?

Once the initial shock subsided, he came to a terrible realization. If this information was ever discovered, it would completely alter everything. Not just for Amelia, whose world was about to get completely upside down, but for the whole dynamic of the pack.

Not only was she a Luna, Bruce's mate, a hybrid with a highly sought-after ability, but she was also the daughter of his most reliable Beta. The political ramifications were astounding on their own.

With his thoughts racing, Elijah leaned back in his chair. How should he use this information? It would be responsible to inform Bruce, to put everything on the table, and to let their Alpha choose the best course of action.

But Elijah felt a surge of fierce, primal protectiveness course through him as he considered this option. He had never known this daughter and had never had the opportunity to care for or protect her. And now that he knew she existed, he was up against the biggest danger he could have imagined for her well-being.

No, he resolved, his jaw clenched in resolve. Bruce could not find out. Not right now, possibly never. The potential for harm was too great, and the risks were too great.

Amelia was content, loved, and about to become a fully-fledged member of a pack that cherished her. The shock of discovering she was a Hybrid would be sufficient. It could be too much for her to handle to discover her father had been missing for a long time, along with all the complications that would entail and that the father that she had known all her life was not her true father.

And Bruce... Elijah thought of his friend, Alpha, and his aching heart. Bruce had a genuine and profound love for Amelia. If he found out that his mate was also his Beta's daughter, how would he respond? Would it cause a rift between them, eroding the trust so essential to the stability of their pack?