Serina: The Alpha’s Mate - Chapter 73

Four days later, Michael and Irene arrived in Paris. It wasn’t the first time that they went abroad but it was the first time they went to Paris together. Serina and Nicholas picked them at the airport and when they both saw Nicholas, Irene and Michael sighed. They didn’t have anything to fight against the fate of their daughter. Whether they wanted it or not, it has something that she has to decide on her own.

“Dad! Mom!” Serina ran towards her parents and hugged them tight. The smile on her face was so bright that even though her parents were anxious, they still smiled at her. “I’m so glad that you are here. I thought that you wouldn’t accept my proposal.”

“How can that be? My daughter is being kind to other people. I’m so glad that you found family here.” Irene stated while caressing her daughter’s face. “Besides, you mentioned that they only needed guardianship to have valid documents.”

“Yes. Corrine said that she will find work as soon as she could and will be raising her siblings. She just needed to have valid documents.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll help as much as we can.”

“Thanks, mom. Thanks, dad.” Serina hugged them once again before pulling away to give them space. Nicholas just lightly bowed his head towards her parents. He knew that he has to show them respect even if he’s Michael’s boss and a future alpha of his pack.

“You don’t have to stay in the hotel Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth. I have a place here and you can stay there during the whole duration of your visit.” Nicholas mentioned, wanting to get another brownie point from Serina’s parents.

Michael refused his offer though. “Thank you for your offer, Nik but we don’t want to impose this much on you. We’ll be fine in a hotel.”

“How can that be counted as imposing on me? When I couldn’t find a place to stay, you were there to help me get by. I am just returning the favor.” Nicholas replied with no more room for discussion.

‘Nice one. I didn’t expect you to use this move.’ Kiro complimented him with his wolfish grin.

‘I’m smart, ain’t I?’

Michael watched Serina who looked away before looking back to Nicholas and sighed. He didn’t know how these two people reconciled but seeing how much time Nicholas spent in Paris just to make up with his daughter, he didn’t have any negative thing to say at all. “We’ll be in your care, then.”

“My pleasure. Let’s go this way. I brought my own car.” Serina led her parents towards the parking lot where Nicholas parked his car while he followed them with the suitcases. ‘To more brownie points.’ He told himself and grinned.

Michael and Irene rested the whole afternoon from the time they arrived in Nicholas’ house. Serina was there the whole time, talking to Nicholas about her parents without her knowing that he was phishing for information. Unfortunately, Serina didn’t mention anything noteworthy.

In the evening, Serina booked a restaurant for them to have dinner and she invited Natalya as well as Corrine and the kids. Knowing Corrine was still uncomfortable around Damon, Serina didn’t invite him or even informed him about the adoption process.

When Irene and Natalya met at the entrance of the restaurant, they both stopped in their track. Natalya was very familiar with the faint scent that came from Irene. Irene stood there in shock as well. She would never forget those two beautiful eyes that she saved even when she was in a brink of death.

“Is there something wrong?” Serina questioned when she noticed the reaction from her friend and from her mother. “I know that Natalya’s eyes are rare but you don’t have to look so horrified, mom?”

“Am I? I was just fascinated by it.” Irene responded but Natalya already caught the words in her mind. ‘I’m so glad that you have grown well.’

Natalya choke up in her emotion that was welling up in her chest. She already gave up in finding the person who saved her and brought her to the orphanage. Yet, when she least expected it, the person appeared in front of her. Natalya remembered that she was bullied in an orphanage because she hears things which made her an outcast. Other children didn’t like to befriend her because she was a blabbermouth. But during those times, she only spoke what she heard from others and this made her even more different than normal children.

The only person who understood her in the orphanage was the nun who was the headmistress of the place. She told Natalya that she shouldn’t keep hatred in her heart just because those other children couldn’t understand her. She’s a unique being and someone held hope for her to live even when she was wounded and bruised.

‘We didn’t see anyone when we found you but we saw trails of bloods into the woods. That person left you in our care because he/she wants you to live. So, live your life. Study hard while you can and don’t mind those people who hates you. They won’t bring you glory.’ These were the words that the headmistress often told Natalya when she was young. However, when she turned 18 and when she was told to have mental problems, the headmistress couldn’t do anything else but send her to a mental institution. She wanted to believe but she couldn’t see the things that Natalya sees behind her. It was already scaring the other children.

Natalya suffered so much before she met her master but still, she was grateful to the person who saved her and gave her another chance at life.

‘Rina, is your mom a human?’

‘Huh?’ Serina turned to look at Natalya who was looking at the floor. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I didn’t mean it in a bad way but I am just curious if she’s like us.’

‘I was told that my mother is human. Only my father isn’t.’

‘Is that so? I might be mistaken but I think she recognized me earlier. It wasn’t my intention but I read her mind. She said, ‘I’m so glad that you have grown well.’ Why would she say that if she didn’t know me?’

Serina turned to look at her mother this time before shifting her gaze to Natalya who was still playing the staring game with the shining floor. She remembered the words that Natalya said when they first met but she never associated that information back to her mother. All her life, she knew that her mom was a human. ‘I’ll talk to them, later.’

They all went inside to the restaurant and Serina introduced her friends once after another to her family. It was probably due to the fact that everyone can read mind that their conversation was smooth and free of lies. Among everyone, only Irene and Natalya remained restless.

“Before we get to the point of adoption and before we start eating our food, I’d like to ask one question and I hope both parties involved will be honest. So, to mom and Natalya, do you know each other?”

Irene looked horrified at her daughter’s question and Natalya turned pale as well. She didn’t think that Serina would talk to her mother this way. They both looked away but there was resolved in Natalya’s eyes.

“I’m not really sure if she’s the right person but she’s very similar to the woman who helped me in the past.”

“I think I’ve met her because of her eyes but maybe I met someone with similar eyes before.”

Serina sighed knowing that her friend and her mother wasn’t planning to tell the truth in front of them. She didn’t know what her mom was hiding and if her father knew about it but she certainly knew that both of them knew each other.

‘I’ll talk to your mother after dinner.’ Natalya said. She didn’t want the room to be full of tension. This should be a day to celebrate a new start for Corrine and the kids.

Nicholas noticed the stolen glances between Natalya and Irene and this made him a little bit more suspicious. He has suspicions on Natalya’s identity because she can communicate through mental link but he never saw her transform or show any sign of her spirit. He couldn’t confirm but if something links her to Irene, Nicholas thought that Irene was really holding a secret. He thought that she was the one masking their scent in case she didn’t want anyone to find out their identity.

“Tomorrow, the attorney will come to help you process the documents. For now, let’s just enjoy this evening and have a hearty meal.” Nicholas stated even though he has his own doubts. Serina was pulling people with strange backgrounds closer to her. So far, they’re all good except for Damon. He couldn’t understand why she still befriended that man even after what happened.. Aside from that, he told her about Damon a long time ago. ‘Didn’t she read the message I sent? She did, right?’