Unwanted

Teegan's P.O.V.

I'm taken aback by the number of people waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. However, I don't see any of them looking at me with revulsion like that wench, Wendy. Joel leads me to his parents, but I can tell he's distracted. As people approach us, we shake hands and greet them, but Joel barely speaks.

"Is everything alright?" I ask as we get a break between people.

"We need to do something, but we can't leave yet. I'm trying to find a way to get out of here for a little bit." He looks around as another couple comes over to introduce themselves. Everyone seems kind so far. I was worried after the episode with Wendy, there'd be more opposition towards me.

"Where do we need to go?" I whisper before smiling at the next couple. I feel like my face will break if I keep smiling like this.

"Don't worry. I think they have enough money to pick up the pieces and make you look better than ever." I must be dreaming. Is Mia speaking nicely to me?

"Don't let it go to your head. I just don't have anything to complain about right now. You've finally come to your senses and accepted our mate and the fact that you're a werewolf, so what do I have to be upset about? I'm sure it won't be long before you do something else to tick me off." How does she do that? She insults me even when she's acting like she's being nice.

"I received a mindlink from the head of security saying he wants to talk to us. Hang on, let me mindlink my parents." Joel says as I greet yet another couple.

"Excuse us. We need to step out for a moment. We'll be back soon." Joel pulls me down the hallway.

"What did your parents say?" I notice how excited he looks.

"They said what Marcus needs to tell us is way more important than talking to some stuffy snobs." I almost burst out laughing. I really do love Adrian and Victoria.

We continue until we reach the door at the end of a long corridor. Joel opens it, and I see a large man inside. I guess all lycans are big because he's almost as big as Joel. He stands and smiles at me, holding out his hand.

"It's a Pleasure to meet you, Teegan. I'm Marcus, the lead investigator." I shake his hand and smile back.

"It's nice to meet you," I reply, even though I have no clue why we needed to come to his office.

"I asked Marcus to look into your birth parents for me. I was expecting it to take days, weeks, or even months for him to find something. However, he mindlinked me just as we got downstairs that he'd found them." I look from Joel to Marcus in shock. He found them? How did he find them so quickly?

"What did you find?" I ask in almost a whisper. My heart starts racing. Did he find that they took one look at me and knew I would be a disappointment? Was I an accident they didn't want to deal with? I feel like crying as I wait.

"Why don't you both take a seat so I can explain? While I was waiting for you, I found even more information." Joel sits in a chair and pulls me onto his lap.

"I started by looking up your adoptive parents and where they adopted you from. The records show you were found in the forest in a basket. Someone took you to a fire station and dropped you off. You were checked out and put up for adoption." I nod. I knew all of that already.

"That's what my adoptive mother told me," So far, there's no big reveal.

"Did she tell you about the note?" I look at him in confusion. What note?

"No." Marcus pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to me. It looks like a copy of a letter, and my tears start falling as I read it.

Dear Teegan,

We're so sorry that we were unable to raise you. Our family is under attack, and the infants are being kidnapped at an alarming rate. We have asked for help from some of the surrounding towns, but we're too scared to take the chance of you being one of the casualties. We thought it best to have you raised by others until we get this sorted out so we can keep you safe. We dropped you off at the fire station, hoping you would be adopted into a good family. We hope to meet you one day, but we'll let it be your choice. Look for Silver Moon, and you'll find us.

Love,

Your loving parents

I reread the letter. They dropped me off at the fire station to keep me safe. I understand they left out anything that had to do with werewolves because they were giving me to humans. I can't believe they did it to keep me safe. I thought they threw me away.

"The adoption agency sent me a copy of the letter. The original one was sent with your adoptive parents. They adopted you near here and then moved across the country." Marcus says. Everything just seems more and more unreal.

"Do you remember I told you that I was sending help to a pack that was having issues with their pups being taken?" Joel asks me.

"Yes," I answer, still looking at my letter. Why was I never given this? Knowing my parents were out there would have changed everything.

"It was the Silver Moon pack. Teegan, your parents are the alpha and luna." I look at him in shock. They were so close to me. Is that why I moved here? When I left home, I found a town that wasn't too big I thought I could be comfortable in. Unknowingly, I moved close to my birth parents.

"They're still having trouble with pups being taken?" I ask. Why has this gone on for so long?

"Yes. They called the palace for help. It had stopped for many years, but now it's picked back up again. Do you want to go there to see them?" Joel asks me. What if they've changed their minds? It's been twenty-five years; maybe they have new children and don't care about me anymore.

"Stop that right now. They're going to love you and be proud of you. Think about it: you left as a pup, were raised by humans, and will now be a lycan princess." Mia's right. I've accomplished a lot.

"Yes, I want to see them, but don't we need to finish the dinner?" I ask even though I don't want to. Joel laughs.

"Are you kidding me? When I told my parents what you just learned, they kicked everyone out. They want to go with us, and so does Kiana. So let's go get changed." I can't believe it. Within two days, I met and accepted my mate, was welcomed into the royal family as one of their own, and now I'm getting ready to see my parents. Is this a fairytale because everything I've always wanted is finally coming true?

"Then let's go. Thank you, Marcus." I say as I stand up. He smiles.

"Glad to be of assistance. Joel, I'm coming with you. For this to be going on for so long, there has to be something big at play, and I don't like it." Marcus stands and walks to the door with us. When we return to where all the guests were, it's empty except for the family. Victoria walks over and pulls me into her arms.

"I'm so glad he found your parents, sweetheart. Now, let's get ready to go. Logan, you'll be in charge of palace matters while we're gone. We'll let you know if we need to postpone the festival." I'm staring at Victoria in shock. She'd postpone their big festival because of me? Wow, maybe I am dreaming.

"We'll take care of everything. Teegan, take care of yourself." Logan holds his hand out to me. He looks like a slightly older version of Joel. His mate, Emily, has long chestnut brown hair and a sweet smile. They're going to make an impressive king and queen.

"I already packed your things, so all you need to do is change." Kiana comes down the steps, two men following her, carrying suitcases. How long does she think we'll be gone?

"How much did you pack?" Joel asks as we walk up the stairs.

"Enough for a few days. We want to be prepared. Besides, I need to get out of this place. I've been cooped up here too long." Kiana squeezes my hand when we pass her. It's good to be back with my friend.

We quickly change our clothes. I was going to wear a dress or skirt but decided to wear jeans instead. It will be late when we arrive, and I don't need to look formal. I leave my hair in the twist, though. Leslie worked so hard on it I don't want to take it down. When I walk out, Joel is also in jeans and a T-shirt.

"Are you ready?" He asks, pulling me into his arms and kissing me. I washed the makeup off when I changed. It was a little too much for casual.

"Yes, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous," I reply as we walk to the door. I'm still reeling from that letter and knowing my parents wanted me all along.

"We have your back. No matter what happens, you have the entire family beside you. Although, when I met them, they seemed really nice. I wish they had told us sooner what was going on." I forgot that Joel had met my parents.

"Do I look like either of them?" We descend the stairs and go outside to the waiting SUV. It's the biggest one I've ever seen, but it holds all of us. Joel and I climb into the back.

"You have the same hair and features as your mom. Your eyes are your dad's. You have an older brother, too. He was in our meetings because he's in line to be the next alpha." I don't know how to feel about them keeping my brother but not me.

We ride to Silver Moon in relative silence. It's a long drive, and I'm sure most of the pack are already in bed by the time we arrive. However, the number of people waiting for us when we pull up shows I'm wrong.

"Did you tell them we were coming?" I ask.

"No, but I'm sure their guards could tell we were lycans, which usually means royalty." When we come to a stop, I look around for someone who looks like me. A man and woman are standing on the deck of the pack house. They look tired, but I know that's them. A tall blonde man is standing next to them who bears a striking resemblance to me. I'm sure that's my brother. This is my family and my pack. It's almost too overwhelming to think about as Joel helps me out of the SUV.

"To what do we owe this honor, your majesties'?" The man I believe to be my father asks. Before anyone can speak, I see Kiana freeze. She looks around, and suddenly, a huge smile spreads across her face.

"Mate."