2 Months Later

Samuel was waiting impatiently at the domestic lines with his car keys in his hand. It had been two months since he had met Mr. Castle and found out from him that he had a daughter. During that time, Aurah and Samuel e-mailed each other for a few times and Aurah asked for a DNA test to make sure that they were father'n daughter. With a piece of hair that she had sent him in an envelope, Samuel took the paternity test. And the results were positive!

Nevertheless, it never became so easy for him to convince Angelina, the mother of Aurah, about seeing his daughter. But in the end, with so much pressure coming from Richard, Samuel and Aurah, she gave up and said "Okay!"

Richard phoned Samuel a night before and told him that Aurah would be coming to D.C. with the first flight in the morning. Samuel was excited. He was abnormally excited for a man who hardly became unsure of himself. When he spent more than a few minutes in front of the mirror, Mercy began to make fun of him.

"You have a date?" She grinned.

"It's more than that," Samuel replied, putting on his new shirt.

While he was driving from Tri-Cities to Airport, his heart was tumbling down. What if she doesn't like me? What if she changes her mind and wants to go back tomorrow?

He knew that he couldn't bear it. Since last night, he'd been dreaming of holding her tight and saying to her how she turned his world upside down.

The announcement came from the loudspeakers: "The flight NY1254 from New York has landed. The flight NY1254 from New York has landed."

This was it. This was the plane he had been waiting for. Samuel drew near to the passenger door. Lucky that he had seen her photo before… So that he would recognize her as soon as she bounced out that door.

The passengers of NY1254 started to show up getting their luggages. Samuel was right towards the door when a twelve-year-old girl with commando pants and camping boots went out. Her light brown hair was thick and short. She had just one school bag and a Blackberry in her hand. Seeming she was waiting for a call, either from home, or from her new father who was supposed to pick her up.

Approaching to her, "Aurah?" asked Samuel shyly.

She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were honey-colored and shiny. When she saw Samuel, they even glittered more.

"Samuel Cornick?" She raised an eyebrow.

"None other!" Samuel smiled.

She extended her hand to him in a very adulty way, like a business man who was greeting his business partner. Having been impressed, Samuel shook her hand tightly.

"Welcome to Washington State," he said.

"Thanks."

They walked together, side by side, to the parking lot. Samuel was examining her in detail as they walked. She wasn't short -which wasn't very surprising, because, Angelina was a tall woman. Aurah was around 5'5. That was kinda tall for her age. She was like a tom boy with her olive-green commando pants and brown camping boots. The black earphones to her Mp3 player were around her neck.

When they reached the car, she didn't wait for Samuel to open the door for her.

"Nice car," she mumbled.

"Thank you." Samuel's face brightened. "If you had been 18, I'd have let you drive."

"I don't need that," she said smugly. "I know a faster way to travel."

They looked at each other and Samuel laughed.

"Is this your place?" Aurah asked with a disappointed voice in tone.

"Well, actually this is Mercy's place," Samuel replied. "I told you on the way, remember?"

"But you didn't mention that it was another trailer coach. How am I supposed to fit in?"

Samuel scratched his hair. "I guess you're right. Maybe you can stay at Adam's place for a couple of days before I…"

"Forget about it!" Aurah interrupted. "I have no intention to stay in a werewolves den."

Samuel couldn't help but laugh. "I'm a werewolf, too."

"But you're a lone wolf. He's an Alpha! Alphas' houses always get crowded!"

"Mmm… I see." Samuel rubbed his eyes desperately. "Would you just try to endure it for few days? I'll rent or even buy an apartment for you to stay with me the whole summer."

"Fine," she grumbled to herself.

Samuel had knocked the door twice before Warren answered.

"Dr. Cornick," he greeted Sam.

"Hi, Warren. Is Adam here?"

"He's upstairs." Warren raised his eyebrows. "Is there a problem?"

"Sort of," Samuel replied as Aurah showed at the door behind him.

Warren looked at her curiously. Her cute pale face got him impressed, too. "Who's this baby girl?" He asked.

Samuel threw his arm on her shoulder in a possessive way. "This is my daughter, Aurah Castle… Cornick!" He said proudly.

Warren's eyes got wide open as he examined the girl who was looking him in eye. She was human… and non-human in a way which he couldn't figure out. He could feel her heart. He could feel her breath… But still there was something unusual with her. She didn't seem to drop her gaze before him.

"Since when have you had a daughter?" He asked.

Samuel surprised. Obviously Mercy hadn't talked to Warren about Aurah. She deserved every felicitation for not using Samuel's private life as gossip stuff.

"Well… For twelve years," Samuel replied.

"No, for eighteen years actually," Aurah corrected him.

Warren was confused. His gaze was going back and forth between the father and daughter. They looked like each other in some ways. The same hair color, the same stare, the same posture… But the nose was different!

Lucky girl! She must have got her nose from her mama, Warren thought.

Having heard this delightful conversation, Adam came downstairs with Jesse following behind.

"Dr. Cornick, how can I help you?" He asked politely. But his attention was all for Aurah.

"My daughter is not very fond of living in Mercy's new trailer. And I couldn't be smart enough to buy an apartment for myself before she came here. So, I was gonna ask you if she could stay here for a couple of days…"

"Of course, she can!" Jesse said vociferously. Then she looked at her father apologetically. "She can, can't she, dad?"

"Yes, of course." Adam caressed Jesse's hair.

"Thanks for your hospitality," Aurah said in manner that no one can figure out whether she was serious, or being sarcastic.

"Okay…" Samuel looked at her. "I'm going to the real estate agency now. I'll try to find a perfect apartment for us to live in."

"Find a house with a garden," she said high-handly. "And a pool, if possible…"

"Okay… So house it is." Samuel grinned.

Warren and Adam looked at each other trying to hold back their laughter. When their gazes met with Samuel's, he coughed.

"She's from New York," he explained.

"Obvious." Adam shook his head.

"Quite obvious…" Warren agreed.

"Jesse, why don't you take Aurah to the kitchen? She came from a long way. She must be hungry," Adam offered.

"Come!" said Jesse, taking her hand.

After Samuel had watched his daughter bouncing over the steps with delight, he turned around to go hunt for a house which would appeal to Aurah's taste.

"Chicken wings, or Roasted beef?" Jesse asked in the kitchen.

"I like fish," Aurah curled her lip.

"Fresh out Fish," Jesse replied. "I think I'm gonna go with roasted beef."

"As you wish!" Aurah said boringly. She placed herself at the kitchen table and started to play with her Blackberry.

"So, which school do you attend to?" Jesse asked as she put the roasted beef into the microwave oven.

"I finished school," Aurah replied proudly.

Jesse rolled her eyes. "What do you mean by 'you finished school'? You're just 12!"

"I'm an upper advanced student. I finished one year early."

"One year? You mean 'six years', right?"

"No. Only one year. I was supposed to turn 18 this year. But I stopped."

"What do you mean by that again? You're talking like a puzzle!" Jesse laughed.

"What I mean is I can control my aging. Because I'm a…"

Aurah had to pause because her speech was interrupted by a loud, arrogant voice, approaching from the hall.

"Oh! It smells roasted beef! This must be heaven!"

Aurah turned her head to left to see the voice's owner. A slim, young man with blonde hair walked into the kitchen door. He froze for a moment when he saw the little stranger sitting at the kitchen table, looking at him with big, honey eyes. They examined each other for a few seconds in silence.

"Who is this?" Aurah asked Jesse, breaking the silence.

"This is Ben. One of my father's pack," Jesse replied.

"Hey," Ben cut in as bewildered. "I'm the one who's supposed to ask this question."

Aurah's eyes widened. "Are you British?" She bit her lip. "Like Mark Owen?"

"I beg your pardon?" He raised his eyebrows. "Like who?"

Aurah smiled smugly. "Mark Owen from Take That!"

"Ah, ouh, the foolish boy bands," he murmured, rolling his eyes.

Aurah frowned. "If you are looking for someone foolish, just go look into the mirror!"

Ben was struck dumb. After a short pause, he collected himself and yelled: "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Hanging loose, Aurah answered: "I'm Aurah Castle from New York, Dr. Samuel Cornick's biological daughter!" And she smiled cherubically.

?

"And you?"

…

"Won't you introduce yourself, Benjamin?" She seemed to enjoy pressing him instantly.

Ben heaved a sigh. "I think I'm going to wait in the living room for the beef to be ready," he said, turning around to leave the kitchen.

"Uuuh, you knocked him down!" Jesse whispered -after she became sure that Ben was away.

"Round 1," said Aurah, looking at the direction Ben had gone with a cunning smile on her face…