Okay, wow. She was no longer fifteen and she couldn't remember anything remarkable about her fifteenth birthday.
"So, why didn't I shift until last night? I'm pretty sure my mother never shifted."
"Your mother was wholly human. It is quite common for shifters to have human mates, especially the males. There has always been more male shifters born than female. Shifter DNA is strong and usually children of a shifter-human mating are full shifters, but sometimes the human DNA is the stronger and the child remains human. I can only guess that with all the trauma you have suffered in the last weeks, your shifter DNA began to surface and combined with the magic from the mating it pushed through to the forefront causing you to shift."
"Dominic explained how the whole mating thing works, and how it's predestined. How could my father leave my mother if they were mates? I don't understand how he could walk away. I mean, when I first met Dominic, I tried to push him away but couldn't do it."
"Ah, good questions, my child, very good questions. I believe you and your father have much to discuss when he arrives. As you know, a male does not dream of his mate until after she turns twenty-one. Your father met and fell in love with your mother when she was seventeen. Remi foolishly didn't seek advice; he instead crept around to see your mother, keeping it a secret. It was only when she told him about the pregnancy that he came to his Alpha to seek advice and help. So, he did indeed leave your mother, running away. He was scared and frightened of what he had done, as he didn't know if she was his mate. He went straight to his Alpha for advice. His Alpha told him he should have come sooner, as he could have put his mind to ease earlier. Your mother, Fleur, was indeed his mate.
"He hurried back to return to her side, full of hope, prepared to tell her everything about him being a shifter and start their mated life together. But when he returned, your mother was gone. Your grandparents had sent her away and refused to tell Remi anything of where she had gone. The Leap monitored the family, waiting for them to contact Fleur but they never did, not even after your birth. Remi was beside himself with grief. Once your mother turned twenty-one, he started dreaming of her, and as soon as you were born, he dreamt of you. He has been a shell of a man since; haunted by the one foolish choice that has robbed him of so much."
"Does he know that my mother is gone?" Adele had tears streaming down her face; her grandparents had a lot to answer for. Her mother hadn't wanted to leave, and now to find out Remi didn't want her to leave either. How different her mother's life could have been!
"Yes, child, he knows of her passing. The day of her death was the final dream he had of her. He now solely dreams of you."
"You said we had a lot to discuss when he arrives. Are you saying he's coming here?"
"You understand correctly. As we speak he is in a plane flying toward you. He should be here tomorrow morning, assuming there are no delays in his flight plan."
Adele didn't know what to think. Her mind was overwhelmed with all the information she had received. She clung to Dominic as she tried to sort through it all. She had a father who loved her, who was coming to meet her.
"You will need some time to think about all that has happened, my child. Jake will take me to his home where I will stay. Do not hesitate to contact me if you require any more answers. I understand you have taken on the protection of a child, Kelly, who is also staying with Jake and Sophie?"
"Uh, yes, I have. Kelly is like a daughter to me. I would do anything for her."
"As you have already quite clearly demonstrated, child, you are a worthy future Alpha-mate. Strong, compassionate and protective. You will do well. Now, Jake, please take me to meet this special young lady who has helped bring about all these wonderful occurrences."
As Jake walked out with Choden, Adele curled into Dominic's embrace and cried into his chest. She was just so overwhelmed with everything, and she needed to take the edge off before she could sit back and begin to process it all.
Epilogue
Six months later...
After waiting in the car for what felt like hours, Conner headed into the hairdressers to see what was taking so long. He understood it was Adele's wedding day, and the girls wanted to look nice, but seriously? How long did it take to have your hair put up? He pushed open the front door and nearly plowed into a wheel chair. The young woman in the chair was quietly moving across the entrance. With her head down and shoulders slumped forward, her long straight white-blonde hair covered her face which prevented her from seeing him. She quickly apologized for getting in his way, which shocked him as it was him who had come barreling into her path, not the other way around. He had just begun to tell her not to worry about it and that he too was sorry when a sharp high pitch voice assaulted his ears. The girl before him visibly cringed before she raised her head to look at the tall thin middle aged woman who'd just screeched at her. The second Conner saw her face, his instincts went into overdrive. The girl wasn't much younger than him, but her emerald green eyes shone with sorrow.