Wrinkles now adorned her face and streaks of gray could be seen her still thick head of hair but I knew it was her. It knew if was the same lady who had shown me kindness all those years ago. At night, I would cuddle a pillow and pretend it was her. Imagine that her fingers were running through my hair and the smell of chocolate chip cookies clung to her. I used to look up at the moon through my window and pray she would come back and take me with her.

I went back to the house a few days later but to my dismay, it was empty but she didn't forget about me. Sitting on the kitchen counter was a first aid kit, a bag with new clothes, a stack of money and a container filled with chocolate chip cookies. Alpha took the bag when I got home, stole the money, ate my cookies and burned my clothes but I did not care. Somewhere, out there in the world someone cared about me and I held on to that for years.

It's what kept me going. Through the punches and the screams, the beating and the pain. I though of her. Of the women who cared and tended to me like a mother would. I would cry out her name and pray to the moon goddess that she would find me again one day. And now she has.

She stared at me with wide eyes as Alpha Orion slowly and carefully lead me to the chair he was sitting at before he noticed my presence. He filled up a glass of water and set it down in front of me before sitting on the stool next to me. His mother now stood next to the dark haired man who I could only suspect was his father. He had the same green eyes and facial features are his son.

The room was filled with awkward silence as his father stared at me with a blank face and his mother was almost no different, just shocked. Then, he smiles. Wrinkles caused by years of smiling became prominent on his face and his eyes crinkles with kindness.

"Ah." He broke the silence. "You must be Malia. Ryan has told me so much about you." Normal if someone would have uttered this sentence to me I would be terrified but his tone was gentle and kind. His looked at me with adoration, like how a father would look at his child. I didn't know how to respond. My hands started shaking in my lap and I stared at the table top. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and my breath started to become heavier. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. This was all abnormal for me.

"Dad." Alpha Orion's voice sounded slightly strained. "I have to speak with you. Can we go to my office?" I could see him glance at my shaking hands and panicked form out of the corner of his eye. His father looked between us, confused, but complied.

They both stood up and headed down the hall, leaving me with the Luna, Alpha's mother. Her warm eyes were still focused solely on me. Tears gathered in her beautiful brown orbs as she sat in the seat across from me. She remembers me.

"Do you remember?" She whispers. I nodded and wiped away a tear of my own

"Yes." I verbalized.

"Oh, Honey. What did he do to you?"

Orion's POV

"Do you remember?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Honey. What did he do to you." I couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Remember what? Who did what to my mate? I had so many questions about her before but now I has so many more. My parents knew my mate?

"You're mother will explain a little later. Let them speak for a little while." I nodded my head slowly but shot a glance over my shoulder. I opened the door to my office and plopped down in my chair, my father followed. "Now, tell me about this rouge issue." I sighed.

"There's not much information on them. It seems like they are moving place to place and pack to pack. Some say it's just a few of them, others say there is an entire pack of them. There is no solid leads and no one can identify them." I massaged my temples with my fingers." They have attacked before but they didn't seriously injury someone, not like this." He nodded his head in understanding.

"Add a few more patrol members to keep guard. It anymore attack, have a couple follow and see if they can find anything. Did you guys check the attack site for anything?"

"Already secured the borders. They are having shorter shifts so they aren't tired and there are almost double the amount of them." I tugged my hair in frustration. "We did find something but it makes absolutely no sense."

"What was it?"

"A flower. A white flower."

................................................................

Dad and I walked back into the kitchen when we were done with our conversation. He tried to make sense of the situation but it only made more questions that needed answers. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the room. Malia's scent and the delicious aroma coming from the oven was intoxicating and addicting. As mom pulled the tray out of the oven and set it on top, she instantly looked at me and pulled me out of the room. I pouted, I didn't get my cookie.

"After all these years you are still obsessed with those cookies." She laughed.

"I can't help it." I huffed and crosses my arms. She pulled me into the first room she came across.

"That's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk with you about Malia." I instantly stood straighter and the cookies were now forgotten.

"What about her?" I asked, concerned.

"Just, treat her right." She pleaded. "Please don't hurt her. She's been through enough as it is."

"Mom!" I protested. "How could you even think I would hurt her? I would never!"

"I know, I know." She assured me. "She's.. She has had a difficult life, just please treat her well."

"What happened? What's wrong?" I asked, panicked. She shook her head and looked up at me, with tears in her eyes.

"It's not my place to tell you. She will tell you when she's ready."