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Chapter 2 – Like Father Like Daughter
"I think we should talk inside." He said in a voice that let on nothing about his feelings towards this odd encounter.
Without another word he turned back towards the mobile home and started walking, obviously expecting Annie to follow, which she did, since part of her was curious – the other part was a nervous wreck. Samuel passed a stoic Mercy on his way into the house, followed by Annie. Mercy was racking her brain trying to remember if Samuel had ever mentioned a Vivian Conway, but came up with nothing, so decided to wait and see how this meeting played out.
The three congregated in the living room, where Medea immediately spotted Annie and began meowing, rubbing her face across Annie's legs to mark this visitor as hers. Looking down, Annie allowed a crooked smile and bent down to briefly scratch the cat behind her ears. Straightening, she looked around the room and cleared her throat nervously, shoving both hands in the front pockets of her jeans. Noticing this girl's obvious discomfort, Mercy decided to break the ice.
"I'm Mercedes Thompson." She said, holding out her hand. Annie turned and returned the gesture.
"Anastasia Conway; Annie for short." The girl had a firm handshake, with calluses around her fingers, as though she worked with her hands a lot. Mercy liked that, this was a girl that held her own. Looking into her eyes, she was hit once again by deja vous; it was as though Samuel's eyes were staring out of the face of a young woman. She wasn't sure why she didn't make the connection before; they even had a similar nose. The girl before couldn't be older than 20. Mercy was shocked. If they were related, the girl's behavior would make sense, after all, how would you react to meeting a long lost family member for the first time? Mercy let go of Annie's hand and looked toward Samuel. His face was a mask she couldn't read, but the tension in his shoulders was visible and she could smell his nervousness. To Mercy, the idea of Samuel being nervous was about as shocking as the arrival of this teenager.
Clearing his throat, Samuel was the first to speak.
"What makes you think I know your mother?" He asked, sitting down on one end of the couch and inviting her to do the same. Annie shook her head at his invitation, preferring to stand and Mercy got the impression from her stance that she was still considering bolting out the door.
"Well, um- did you? Know my mother, I mean." She stammered, her apprehension clearly visible.
"I knew a Vivian Conway back in medical school, she left before I graduated." He said. Annie nodded her head, as though he had confirmed something she had thought. Mercy was scrambling to connect the dots. She remembered Samuel's breakdown around two years ago, and how he had told her about a woman he had met in college, but she had left him, leaving a note explaining that a baby was not something either of them could deal with, that she was having an abortion.
"I-I'm not sure if she told you, but she left because she was pregnant." Annie said hesitantly. She peered at Samuel's face searching for his reaction. Samuel shifted in his chair.
"I was under the impression that she had an abortion." Everyone in the room heard the unspoken question in his voice. The question he was terrified to ask; was that a lie, are you my daughter? Annie flinched slightly. She didn't know what her mother had said, but she had read her mother's diary entry for the day of the scheduled operation. She wasn't able to go through with it, and had run from the clinic. Not wanting to face Samuel, she had left. She had said that it was for his own good, he was a brilliant student, and would make a wonderful doctor.
"I was born on the 3rd of June, 1990 in Texas. My mother left college in December. She was about three months pregnant when she left." She said, by way of explanation. Something akin to hope flashed across Samuel's face.
"I see." He said after a significant pause. He didn't know what to say, it was surreal having this girl before him, all but outright claiming to be his long lost daughter who he thought had been killed before her birth.
Mercy looked between the two people in her living room. Neither of them were paying attention to her, with Samuel's eyes locked on Anastasia's form. The girl in question was now staring resolutely at her shoe laces, although Mercy caught the human's eyes flicker towards her for a moment before traveling to the floor again; proof that she had not forgotten about the other occupant of the trailer. Annie shoved her hands in her pockets in a bid to ignore their shaking. Taking a deep breath she raised her chin, meeting Samuel's eyes with her own.
"I came here to ask if you were my father." The charge between them was almost visible, and Mercy gave Annie points for not looking away, most people have trouble holding the gaze of a dominant wolf. Matching the teenager's stare, Samuel replied.
"I would like to think that I am." Something in Annie's stance changed, she lost the tension in her legs that had her poised for a mad dash to the door. The tension in the room lessened considerably, and Annie dropped her gaze before turning to look at Mercy.
"I'm sorry about that; I've kind of been ignoring you. Are you two…' she let the sentence trail off, unsure if she wanted to know the relationship between this woman and her apparent father.
"We're just friends, Samuel lives in my house as a roommate." Mercy replied, noticing the relief flash across the younger woman's face. Mercy understood how she felt, remembering how awkward it was in the beginning when she had returned to live with her mother to discover she had a stepfather and half-siblings. She had felt as though she was intruding on a life and a family that wasn't really hers. "I'm going to get a glass of water, does anybody want anything?"
"I'll have a cup of juice Mercy." Samuel said, throwing an appreciative smile her way. He knew she was trying to give him and his daughter some privacy. His daughter.
Annie shrugged.
"If its orange juice sure, but water's fine too." Mercy's mouth twitched into a smile – she had always wondered if taste buds were genetic – and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Once they were alone, Annie and Samuel found that they couldn't think of much to say.
"So…" Samuel started, but soon trailed off.
"Awkward." Annie supplied, the right corner of her mouth turning up into a crooked smile, something that she had inherited from her mother. "We should probably do DNA tests," Samuel's eyebrows drew together at this. Seeing his expression Annie hastily continued. "Just to make sure, ya know. As a precaution." Samuel nodded, not really agreeing but more acknowledging the idea. It was a logical assumption that he would want solid proof that they were related, but his wolf could tell, not to mention that his features had been stamped across her face along with her mother's.
Mercy came back into the room, handing out the glasses of orange juice. Slowly, but with confidence, Annie took the few steps forward and sat on the opposite end of the couch to Samuel. After taking a sip of her juice, she set the cup down on the coffee table, being sure to place it on a spare coaster.
Samuel took this opportunity to study Anastasia up close. She was small, about 5 feet tall and thin, though not unhealthy. Her mother hadn't been a tall woman either. A smaller version of his straight nose sat on her face, and her mother's mouth sat below it. Her features were delicate, her wrists and hands were fine boned, but her fingers had small calluses, and he could see something had stained her fingernails blue in some places and black in others. Breathing in her scent, he could smell linseed oil and paint, mixed with motor oil and charcoal. She herself smelled a bit like cinnamon, and her emotions were sharp, she was nervous but had calmed considerably since entering the house. Her stance was still wary and her eyes would occasionally flick around to Mercy, the front door, and the hallway to her left, giving Samuel the impression of someone who was waiting to be attacked.
"So, does your mother know you're here?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm, he wasn't sure weather to be angry at Vivian for leaving or happy that she had kept their child after all. Annie, who had been about to take a sip of her juice, stilled, placing the cup back down on the table with considerable deliberation. For all that she looked composed when she faced him, Samuel's nose was still hit with the strength of her pain and upset.
"My mother died when I was eight. She never put you on the birth certificate, so you were never contacted." She said evenly, in contrast to her wavering emotions. The part of Samuel that had wanted desperately to see Vivian was crushed; he would never see her again. It hurt, but he needed to ask.
"How did she die?" Annie's forehead wrinkled for a moment before the mask was once again in place.
"Car accident." She replied, the scent of her emotions dulling until they had disappeared entirely, leaving only traces of her grief behind. She had lied, that much was obvious, and she was good at it, he wasn't sure if another human would catch it, but werewolves, and especially older, more dominant ones like himself, could scent a lie from a mile away. Deciding not to pressure her about it just yet, as she seemed the type to flee at the first sign of danger, he changed the subject.
"Where have you been, ever since the accident?" he asked, trying to remember if Vivian had ever mentioned having any siblings.
"I was placed in the foster care system." Annie said, careful not to give away anything. Mercy frowned at that. She had taken to leaning against the kitchen counter closest to the living room, still there but unobtrusive. The foster care system was not always the best place for children, and from what she could tell about Annie, her time had not been pleasant. She reminded her of a wild animal, afraid to get too close and never totally relaxed. Samuel must have noticed too, for she could see his shoulders tighten and caught the tangy scent of his protective anger. Before anybody could respond to Annie's reply, a phone went off, proving to be a great distraction as Annie's eyes snapped to the source of the noise, which happened to be Mercy's cell phone on the coffee table – playing, off all things, the Elephant Baby Walk. "I didn't even know you could get Henry Mancini music as a ringtone." Annie whispered thoughtfully to herself.
Hitting the call button without bothering to check the caller id, Mercy quickly walked back to her place near the kitchen.
"Hello." She asked, still keeping an eye on the two people in her living room.
"Hey Mercy, are you busy tonight?" the smooth tones of Warren reached her ears, his southern drawl unmistakable. Mercy bit her lip, looking again towards the living room, briefly catching the eye of the younger woman, who had apparently decided to look over at her too.
"I'm not sure." She replied, and Warren must have picked up something in her voice because he instantly went into dominant wolf mode.
"What's wrong?" he asked, the tone of his voice gaining a protective edge."
"Nothing's wrong, I have a guest." She replied, forcing herself not to look towards the couch.
"Well, it was… nice meeting you, but I think I'm going to head off. I will give you my number, I'm staying in a motel close by, so I'll be in town tomorrow." Annie's voice was clear as day, and Mercy could hear her stand up, followed closely by Samuel. Warren must have heard it too.
"Who is that?" he asked curiously, not recognizing the voice. Mercy thought about how to explain that said voice belonged to the possible – and very likely – daughter of Samuel Cornick and decided not to bother.
"I can explain tonight, what did you have in mind?" Mercy watched from the corner of her eye as Annie gave something to Samuel before heading towards the door.
"Okay." Warren said slowly, confused as to why she couldn't explain now, but letting it slide anyways. "Kyle and I are going to have a movie night, and he wanted to know if you were up for it." Warren and Kyle both knew that Adam was out of town, perhaps this was their way of showing that they cared. Mercy had been going through some rough times recently, and Adam had become an anchor of sorts, and now, with her being an official member of the pack as well as his mate, she could feel his absence like a lost limb.
"I'd love to, what time should I be there?" she asked as Samuel closed the door after Anastasia had left.
'If you could get to Kyle's house at around 7, that would be good." He replied. Looking at her watch, Mercy discovered that it was almost 5:30. Sure, I can make it. And with that she hung up, turning to face Samuel.
"Well, it was… nice meeting you, but I think I'm going to head off. I will give you my number, I'm staying in a motel close by, so I'll be in town tomorrow." Annie said, standing up and placing her now empty glass on the table. Looking at the girl before him, he knew better than to try and convince her to stay; it would only scare her off. Samuel stood and waited patiently as Annie dug into her back pocket and pulled out a pen, using a scrap piece of paper lying on the coffee table to write down her name and cell phone number. Handing him the piece of paper, Annie stood awkwardly for a moment, opening her mouth to say something before closing it again. With a small shake of her head, her confidence returned, and she looked directly into Samuel's eyes. He wondered briefly if she meant to keep challenging him, but dismissed it; she was unaware that Samuel was a werewolf, and it was probably her nature to meet people's eyes. He had been surprised at first that she could hold his gaze for so long, but then decided it must be a combination of his wolf's curiosity about her and her own personality, she seemed like the type of person who didn't like to be told what to do. Escorting her to the front door, Samuel paused.
"I- thank you for coming." He said after a moment. A thoughtful wrinkle appeared on Annie's forehead. She nodded once in acknowledgment and opened the door.
"Tell Mercedes I said goodbye." She said, glancing towards the woman who was still on the phone.
"I will." And with that she was out the door, walking promptly to her car. As she started the engine, Samuel closed the door. He could hear Mercy saying goodbye to Warren, and walked casually over to lea on the wall opposite the kitchen. After hanging up, Mercy turned and looked at her roommate. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he let all of the emotions he had been keeping in check flow over him. He had a daughter. She was alive and here and she had sought him out. He had wanted to ask her so many questions but didn't know which ones to ask first. How did you find me? Where have you been? What happened to you? What do you like? What don't you like? He had missed so much, and he felt as though she could slip through his fingers like sand if he wasn't careful.
"Sam?" Mercy's voice reached his ears, concern lacing through the under-tones.
"Give me a minute." He said, breathing deeply. Her scent lingered in the room, proving that she was real, that she had been there. Opening his eyes he looked at Mercy. "I have a daughter." He stated, getting the feel of the words on his tongue. He felt… overwhelmed, like he had had the breath taken out of him but he was also relieved. He had a child, a living, breathing child.
"I'm going over to Kyle's house for a movie night in about an hour." Mercy knew that Samuel had heard both sides of her phone conversation, but decided that he had probably dismissed it for more pressing matters – such as Annie. Samuel nodded absently, his mind focused inward on an emotion she couldn't quite discern. She surmised that Samuel wasn't sure of how he felt either. Gathering up the empty cups and washing them in the sink, Mercy gave Samuel a wide birth, deciding not to disturb him; he needed time to digest the events of this afternoon and their implications. Hell, she needed time to sort everything out. Retreating to her room, she heard Samuel's door close.
In the car.
Annie made sure to pay extra attention to her driving as she made her way back to the motel. She didn't want to think too much about what had just occurred unless she caused an accident. Stopping at a red light a growl emitted from her stomach, causing Annie to look down at her watch. She had missed lunch, and slept through breakfast, which was probably the reason she was suddenly very hungry. Turning on her indicator, Annie waited for the light to change before pulling into the parking lot of a local burger house/restaurant. Walking into the cheery restaurant, Annie slid into the booth closest to the door making sure to face the entrance and picked up the menu. Her caution was not deliberate, rather an unconscious habit ingrained from relying on caution and awareness for survival. Focusing on the menu in front of her and her hunger, Annie didn't notice when the man sitting behind her in the connecting booth straitened his posture and turned his head to look at her.
In the restaurant.
Ben had been sitting down for about ten minutes when the little bell above the door to his favorite burger shop announced another customer's arrival. This in itself was not that interesting, however, as said person sat down behind him in the adjoined booth, the breeze from the closing door wafted in his direction, carrying the newcomer's scent with it. She was female, healthy, and smelled like cinnamon, but what caught his attention were the smells attached to her. She smelled of Mercy and Samuel, the scent of the other werewolf was strong on her, and he could also pick up traces of cat, oil, and something else he couldn't quite place but reminded him of an arts shop he always passed on his way from his apartment to the local video rental store. Straightening instinctively at the lingering smell of another werewolf, Ben cautiously moved his head to the side, appearing to stare out the window, but in actuality trying to get a glimpse of the woman behind him.
From what he could tell she was short, with mid-length dark blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, the ends curling around each other in large ringlets. She had a long, delicate neck and a soft jaw line. Her pale skin looked smooth, with just a hint of makeup. His angle wasn't great, but he determined she was young, but not too young, and perhaps pretty. That still didn't explain who she was or why she smelled like Mercy and Samuel Cornick. The fact that she smelled like she had been around Mercy didn't mean much, since Mercy lived with Samuel. It was the scent of the male wolf that had piqued his interest. Turning back towards his table just in time to receive his food from the waitress, he listened attentively as the waitress walked over to the woman behind him.
"What can I get you today?" he heard the waitress ask, pulling out a notepad and pencil.
"I'll have the original burger with extra pickles and a coke thanks." The voice was soft, but not quiet. It reminded him of honey; it wasn't high pitched, but still distinctly female. As the waitress left with the menu, Ben heard the woman behind him sigh and settle back in her chair. Breathing in deeply, he tasted her mood. She was tired; there were lingering hints of anxiety, adrenalin and fear, though none were strong enough to excite his wolf. Her breathing and heart rate were both even, and so Ben waited for a clue as to who she was, much like a predator waiting for his prey to give away their position. A few minutes later the waitress came back with the woman's food, and Ben had time to feel irritated hat she didn't have to wait half as long as he had for his food. Women and their bloody 'thank you's and manners. He thought with a sneer.
The girl behind him thanked the waitress again, and began eating her meal. She wasn't rushed, which meant that she didn't need to be anywhere soon, her actions were more thoughtful, as if she were lost in thought. Ben ate his meal while all the while keeping his attention on the girl in question. When said girl stood up to leave, so did he, taking time to put on his brown leather jacket and catch the waitress's attention. After paying his bill he made a show of adjusting his jacket and made his way towards the exit. While passing the mystery-girl's table he was able to catch a good look at her face. She was definitely attractive; she had large blue eyes framed by dark lashes, a perfectly straight nose and red lips. Smirking, Ben took his time looking over the oblivious girl as she gave the middle-aged waitress a tip. Waltzing out the glass door Ben took his time walking towards his car. He didn't turn when he heard the door open again, just adjusted his steps so that she would pass him on the way to the parking lot.
Giving him a wide birth, the girl quickly made a bee line for an orange 80's model Dodge. Passing said car on his way to his truck, Ben was able to see just how short she was, seeing that her head would only come up to his shoulder. His smirk grew wider, and as he got into his truck and turned his keys in the ignition, he contemplated following her. His thoughts were put on hold however when his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket with a curse he flipped it open.
"Ben here." He said, agitation making his accent crisp.
"It's Adam." Said the voice on the other end. "I am coming home early, I have Jesse with me. I will be at the airport in an hour, be waiting to pick us up." The phone clicked and the line went dead. Something had happened, that much was obvious otherwise Adam would not have cut his trip to D.C. short. Pulling out of the parking lot, Ben gave in to the aggravation of his wolf for being forced off the hunt.
Ok, first official chapter up, hope you enjoyed it :P
Quick.
