“His name’s Jacob. I think he’s still alive, but he left the pack seven years ago for a lover who isn’t mentioned in the records and there’s no documentation of where they settled after that. They kind of just fell off the grid when Jacob defied his elders and ran away with the girl. I’m still trying to locate them, but I don’t have much to go on.”
I quickly did the math in my head. “That just leaves a sister then. Where does she live?”
“In the Bingham County Cemetery,” Flint flatly stated. “She died twenty-two years ago from complications of childbirth. Her mate had passed several months before her in a car accident that didn’t seem related to any pack disputes.”
That was a sad story, but I was trying to understand why that was relevant to both Flint and me. “So, my aunt died in childbirth. Did she leave behind any children?”
Flint took a deep breath. “The baby she was carrying died with her. But she had another. A little boy named Adom. He would have been three years old at the time of her death.”
My eyes widened dramatically. “Flint, you were three when Laurence took you in!”
“I was,” he agreed. “You want to know what your aunt’s initials were?”
“N.F.,” I provided, seeing the important connection straight away.
“N.F. Nancy Fuller. After searching all these years for my birth parents, I think I might have stumbled onto them while researching yours,” Flint theorized. “And since Nancy was Jenny’s sister, that would make us cousins.”
Holy fuck, that was crazy! “This can’t be a coincidence, Flint. We’re related. I can feel it. Fate brought us together so that you could have closure. Because you helped me find out who I was, you found out who you were! I’m so happy for you! And me! I have a cousin!”
Though I was ecstatic for the man, I was also sad for him. He might know his parents’ names now, but that didn’t change the fact that they were still both dead. He would never truly know them or why he’d been left on Laurence’s front stoop instead of being placed with one of the other pack families.
“You know what this means, don’t you? When we go to Alaska, you can talk to my mother. Surely, she can tell you about her sister. About why you were left at Cascia House instead of being turned over to her family.”
Flint shook his head, as if to clear it. “I just can’t believe it. I might be a pure blood. A fucking Tupilaq pack member! That’s actually insane. As I’m sure you’ve concluded, they never let one of their own just walk away from the family, Millie. They’re like the God damned human mob. Children and omegas are especially important to them. They’re considered pack assets. Too valuable to lose. Both give shifters power within our community. They never willingly surrender them up without a fight. So, what happened with me and my family that I managed to slip through the cracks like I did? Why didn’t anyone look for me? And who the hell left me at Cascia House like a stray?”
I couldn’t answer those questions. Deep in my gut, I knew Flint wouldn’t rest until he could, but we hadn’t come this far just to bump up against a dead end. I had faith that, if we were persistent, we’d discover the whole truth about Flint’s childhood, and he’d finally get the closure he so desperately craved.
“My mother will be able to shed some light on that, Flint. I’m sure of it.” Jenny owed it to me. If she resisted, I’d remind her of that in no uncertain terms.
“I hope so, Millie,” Flint returned, “because I can’t keep living in the dark about what happened any longer. I need to know who I am. Even if I don’t like the answer.”
There wasn’t one of us on this green earth, human or ware, who couldn’t relate to Flint’s desire to know where he came from. Even if he loved Laurence, Ethan, and our motley crew of pack members more than anything else, he deserved to know where he came from and why he’d been abandoned. Who had secreted him away from his pack. Without those answers, he’d never have closure. I damn sure knew how infuriating and frustrating that could be.
Ethan knocked at the door then, alerting us to his presence. “Do you mind if I join you guys?”
Flint smiled. “It’s your room, boss. No need to ask. I was just leaving. I have some important research to do.”
Ethan watched his pack brother saunter out of the bedroom with interest, picking up on his conflicted vibes as he passed by.
“Is everything okay?” He checked, closing the bedroom door behind him for privacy.
“No, but it will be,” I told him honestly.
As was my mate’s way, he accepted that cryptic answer without any pushback. “Should I go to him now?” he checked, wanting to address the situation immediately if need be.
I smiled, a touch of sadness lighting my eyes. “I’d suggest you let Flint come to you when he’s ready.”
Scrubbing a large hand down his tired face, Ethan said, “I knew going back to Alaska was going to be a challenge for him. It’s a lot for all of us, but for Flint, there’s the uncertainty and abandonment factors that the rest of us don’t have. Not in the same way, at least.”
I was tempted to speak on the matter, but I held my tongue. If I’d learned anything about Flint, it was that he’d do things in his own way, in his own time.
“When do we leave?” I asked then, anxious and nervous about the trip.
“Tomorrow morning,” he told me, his hand on his belt as he began to subtly move closer.
The minute my eyes trailed his hand unbuckling his pants, my pussy spasmed with desire. I subconsciously licked my lips as I watched him swiftly remove the leather from the cloth loops.
“We better get packed then,” I said, my voice taking on a husky quality that wasn’t there a moment ago.
