Chapter 246

Audrey

Edwin and I settled at a little round bistro table outside the cafe. It was a warm, sunny day, and we were both eager to sit in the sun and enjoy the fresh air. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and two glasses of iced tea, our cups already condensating with little droplets of water by the time they reached our table.

I trailed my finger through the condensation, eyeing my mate warily as I did. He’d said that I would ‘want to be sitting down’ to hear whatever it was he had to say to me, but he seemed to be taking his time in telling me.

Finally, when Edwin remarked about the dessert menu for the third time, I lost my patience.

“What do you have to tell me?” I blurted out, then lowered my voice when I realized that other diners were watching

us. “You made it out like someone died.”

Edwin quickly shook his head. “No, no, nothing like that, I assure you,” he said. He paused and sucked in a deep lungful of air as he raked his fingers through his dark hair, mussing up the carefully-gelled waves. “It’s… about your past, actually.”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? Don’t tell me I have another secret identity. Maybe the Golden Wolf this time?” I asked with a chuckle.

My mate smirked, but shook his head again. “No. It’s about your adoption. Your parents… they adopted you for selfish

reasons.

know. They wanted welfare checks,” I replied. “I’ve always known that.”

“But there’s more to it,” Edwin said. At that moment, he reached across the table and laced my fingers with his. Only then did my heart begin to pound, because the way he was looking at me just then was the kind of look he only gave me when he had some bad news.

And it was bad news.

Over the next few minutes, our iced teas sat untouched while Edwin explained to me what he had learned-what happened to human children in so many orphanages across Crescent territory.

What had happened to me.

course. Far worse. Human children were essentially being sold off as slaves. I was one of the lucky ones, growing up with adoptive parents who just wanted to use my presence in their home to get

it didn’t make it

was finished explaining, I leaned back in my chair, my eyes wide as saucers. Our sandwiches must have come at some point, but I hadn’t even noticed the waiter coming by. Suddenly, I had no appetite

Edwin said

snapped my eyes up at him. “Sorry? It’s not

attention, then I could have stopped it. Maybe not for you, because my father was the Alpha at the time you were adopted,

but I refused to let Edwin blame

Edwin was silent.

Chapter 246

are, aren’t we?” I

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with Silverbite to begin a hiring process for new orphanage directors, and the corrupt

I wanted to get your input before we do anything else,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t

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against their will. I also knew the pain of being happily adopted myself,

Many of the orphanages are in shambles. Not to mention

had grown up was a mess. My first adoptive mother, Meredith, had done her best during her time

orphanage was one of the nicer places to

glancing up at Edwin. “If Crescent has the funding

the really derelict ones, may need

that, of course. It didn’t make it hurt any

“Will they go back to the orphanages? And as for the adults who

with,” Edwin replied. “You know what it’s like to claw your way up after a

kids who needed to be rescued from these bad situations. Edwin was right, we

Silver Star and Luna of Crescent, and I’d made a promise to help whoever I could, no matter the personal risks. Even if I didn’t sleep for a month just to help one kid, then I’d do it in

one-not my teachers, not my peers, not even my doctors-even noticed that I was

that if there were other kids who had no one to notice that they needed help, that I

purpose. Since I still didn’t know what the hell I wanted to do with my

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