BK 5 - Chapter 9 - Milo's Results
It took Milo almost eight hours to get to Cat and Trey's house. It was three in the morning, so he decided to sleep in his car until daylight. He didn't want to wake anyone up because of his eagerness. Just as he tipped his seat back and started to get comfortable, there was a knock on his window. Milo almost screamed until he saw the woman smiling at him. He recognized Cat. He'd followed the family around long enough to identify most of them. He sat his seat up and opened the door.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you if you were sleeping." He said as he stepped out. Milo saw Trey standing behind Cat and swallowed. He was much bigger up close.
"Don't apologize; we slept before you came. I'm Cat, and this is my mate Trey. We figured you'd arrive around this time, so we were waiting. Come into the house, and we'll show you to your room." Trey and Milo grabbed his things, and they headed toward the house.
"Thank you for letting me stay with you. I didn't know what to do." Milo looked between the couple as they stepped inside. Cat practically glowed with kindness, and he felt like she was covering him in a comforting blanket just being near her. Trey, on the other hand, looked stern and a little scary.
"It's our pleasure. Follow me." Cat led him to a bedroom on the second floor. It was huge and had its own bathroom. "This was our son Theo's room. So make yourself at home."
Milo was getting ready to thank them again when Cat suddenly pulled him into her arms and hugged him. He was so stunned he didn't know what to do at first. It had been a long time since he'd been hugged. His grandpa wasn't the type to show affection. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like he had started to calm down when, just moments ago, his emotions had been all over the place. He could feel the tears stinging his eyes before he knew it, and despite Cat being a good foot shorter than him, it felt like she was holding him up.
"It's okay to cry, Milo. Everything you've known has changed, so don't be ashamed of your emotions. Get some sleep, and we'll see you in a few hours." Cat kissed his cheek and stepped back. Milo was still crying as they left. That's when he realized two things. Trey never said a word; only Cat did. Also, it was clear she was the strength of the family. He felt lucky just to be in her presence. Milo took his clothes off and fell asleep within minutes.
"So, what do you think?" Trey asked as soon as they were in their bedroom. He was still unsure about Milo, but he trusted Cat's instincts and her ability to feel emotions. When he saw the young man crying, his worry eased a little; he'd seen that reaction many times when Cat hugged people.
"I think the poor guy's confused like he said. I didn't feel anything that gave me concern other than how horrible he felt about himself. I think if we can get him some answers regarding his family, maybe it will help him. We'll find out more in the morning. Let's try to get some more sleep." Cat laid down, and Trey laid down next to her. He spooned her just like he'd been doing since the first day they met. She still felt small and soft in his arms. When she snuggled against him, his body still had the same reaction. They'd been together for over forty years, yet sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday when they were in the roadside motel.
Several hours later, Cat was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when Milo walked downstairs. He wasn't sure what to do; he'd never been a guest in someone's house. When his grandfather died in Venice, he was put into a children's home, where he stayed until he turned eighteen. Cat turned and saw him standing in the doorway and smiled.
"Come in and sit down. Trey ran to the store, so it's just us right now. I hope you like pancakes and bacon." She said as she flipped a pancake.
"Yes, ma'am," Milo said as he sat at the kitchen table.
"Please call me Grandma or Cat or Grandma Cat. I'm not picky." She carried over a plate with blueberry pancakes and bacon, sitting it down in front of him. Milo's mouth watered, just looking at the food.
"Thank you. This looks great." Milo said. Cat made herself a plate and sat down across from him. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and Milo started relaxing.
"Lisa said you wanted to find out where you came from. Are you okay with me having Morgan take your blood today?" Cat asked. She had sent Trey to the store because she knew he could be intimidating until people got to know him. She also wanted to speak to Milo alone.
"I'm fine with that. After spending time with Lisa and the others, I don't know how to feel about anything anymore. My grandpa said that his wolf left him but never said why. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I was even related to him. I was at the warehouse the day that your family burnt it down. I thought everything he'd said was true because I thought you had killed everyone there without cause." Milo looked down at his half-eaten food. Cat reached over and patted his hand.
"We never kill without cause. We rescued many shifters from that warehouse. Lisa, Jade, Alex, and Dustin were all taken from their birth parents because of Cole. Luckily, we found them, but I'm sure there are many who weren't there that we didn't have a chance to rescue. If we had seen you, we would have also taken you with us. We would never knowingly leave a child alone with no family. After you finish eating, we'll walk next door, and I'll show you what we do." Cat cleaned her plate and put it in the dishwasher. She took Milo's after he was done as well.
Cat led him out the front door just as Trey pulled up. She waved at him, but they continued on. Milo still wasn't sure about the big werelion. He felt his eyes on them as they walked to the house next door. Milo was quickly distracted by the sounds of children. When he looked at the large house, he saw five kids running out the front door, and they came straight toward them.
"Grandma Cat!" A few of them started yelling. To Milo's surprise, Cat sat right on the ground and opened her arms as the kids ran toward them. They almost tackled her, but she just laughed as she hugged and kissed them. He didn't realize they had so many grandchildren.
"Who is this?" One of the little girls asked. She appeared to be around five and had bruises that were fading but still noticeable. She looked at him suspiciously.
"This is Milo. He's going to stay with me and Grandpa Trey for a while. He may help out here sometimes, too. Would you like to show him around, Marcy?" Cat asked as she stood up and brushed her jeans off. She carried two of the children while the others hung on her. Marcy looked Milo up and down and shrugged.
"I guess." She walked in front of him, and he followed her. Marcy led him into the large house filled with even more children of different ages. They all greeted Cat and called her Grandma. Milo realized that everyone called her that.
"This is our home. Grandma Cat and Grandpa Trey saved all of us from bad people. My grandpa was hurting me, and my friend Lily told Grandma Cat. So now I stay here." Marcy said. Milo looked around and felt like a fool. How could he have ever thought these people were killers?
"Okay, everyone, get ready for school," Cat said, and the kids scattered. Milo only then saw the other adults in the room.
"Milo, this is my daughter Melanie and her mate Saxon. They're Lisa and Alex's parents." Cat introduced them. They shook hands, and he could tell by their reactions Cat had already told them what he was doing there.
"It's nice to meet you, Milo. Morgan will be here soon. We're going to get the kids ready to leave," Melanie said before she and Saxon walked away. Once they were alone, Cat turned to him.
"This is one of our human group homes. We have four of them now. We also have four group homes for shifters and vampires. We just recently started a home for abused women." Cat explained. This house was the first one she and Trey bought, and it still held a special place in her heart.
"It's incredible. Marcy said her grandpa hurt her. How long has she been here? Her bruises are still visible." Cat nodded sadly.
"She's only been here for a little over a week, and she'll be five in a few days. Marcy adapted quickly here, and as strong as she appears, she tries to pretend that she isn't bothered about everything that happened to her. We let the kids go at their own pace when it comes to facing their past. When it all hits her, she's going to need a lot of help. I think it might be beneficial for her to connect with someone like you who is also new here. If you're willing, of course. I don't want to pressure you into something you're uncomfortable with." Cat thought it would actually be good for both of them. Milo may not even realize it yet, but she's pretty sure Cole abused him. Maybe not physically, but definitely emotionally. Before he could respond, they heard someone open the front door. Trey led Morgan and Adelma into the house.
"Milo, this is Morgan and Adelma." Milo was glad they came so early. He was eager to find the truth. It only took Morgan a few minutes to draw the samples. He and Adelma then left so they could put a rush on it. The good thing about him having his own lab and database he could get results faster than the human labs.
Several hours later, he and Adelma were back at the group home and found Cat, Trey, and Milo in the back doing yard work. They all looked up when they walked toward them.
"Wow, that was fast. Do you have some results?" Cat asked, standing up and taking her gardening gloves off. Milo and Trey stood as well. She instantly reached over to hold the young man's hand, feeling the nervous energy coming off him in waves.
"Yes, and you're never going to believe it." Milo swallowed past the lump in his throat. He appreciated Cat holding his hand.
"What did you find?" He asked anxiously. Mogan looked at the paper in his hand before he spoke.
"For starters, you're not related to Cole Reynell in any way." Milo hadn't realized he'd been hoping for that answer until he felt the relief wash over him. However, he was stunned when Morgan continued. "You are, however, related to someone else. Milo, you're Jade's half-brother. You both have the same mother but different fathers."
