Justina's POV –
"Dear Lady Justina –"
I read. My eyebrows shot up in honest surprise.
Lady?
The address felt like a mockery, considering my condition. Who the hell addressed an omega as a lady?
"Thanks be to the goddess, I finally found you –"
My frown deepened at the next sentence. Finally, found me? That sounded ominous.
Frowning, I quickly skimmed through the rest of the letter. My breath hitched as I read. By the time I reached the last line, I was breathing heavily.
Goosebumps rose on my skin, and I couldn't help looking around to make sure I was alone in the room. Yet, even though I saw no one else, I still felt very uneasy.
How could one know my life in such detail if one hadn't been watching me? Why would someone be watching me?
I read the letter again, this time more slowly.
The sender hadn't said anything about themselves, other than the fact that they had been searching for me for a long time. Also, they were very happy to finally find me and feel sad and guilty for all I have suffered.
From the next paragraph to the end of the story, the sender went on to detail what it was exactly I had suffered. From my life as omega in the Fallen Moon pack to my romance with Jasper after we found out we were mates, to my most recent ordeal.
My fingers were trembling by the time I read the last paragraph again. I folded the paper and opened the other letter only to see it was the same thing.
Suddenly, my eyes caught something else that hadn't been in the first letter. A phone number.
I stared at the number blankly, trying to decide if I should call it. It belonged to whoever it was that wrote the letter, the same person that had dug up every fact of my life (if he or she hadn't been monitoring me, that is).
Was it safe to call the mystery stalker?
My instincts screamed at me to toss the letters in a bin and forget about them. But I knew I could never rest easy knowing someone out there was watching my every move.
Taking a deep breath, I steeled my mind and dialed the number on the letter.
"Hello," I said.
The reply was an excited squeal from the other end, followed by several exclamations of "Omigosh, Tina!" and "Jeez! Never thought you would call" and "Goddess! I'm so happy".
It was so much so that the unease melted away and I started feeling embarrassed.
However, the moment the woman (it was a woman) at the other end said "Omigosh, Tina. Forgive my manners. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm your mother!"
The unease came crashing back in waves, this time accompanied by a strong dose of suspicion.
The phone nearly slipped from my grasp. My mother? The woman I only had fragmented memories of, the woman who was forced to flee the Fallen Moon Pack with me as a newborn, was alive and well, and a texter who used slang like "Oh my gosh."
"My... my mother?" I stammered my voice barely a whisper.
"Yes, sweetheart! It's me, Nora! Can you believe it?" The woman's voice bubbled with excitement, oblivious to my stunned silence.
A million questions swirled in my head. How did she find me? Where had she been all this time? Was this some elaborate prank? But the raw, hopeful flicker in my chest couldn't be ignored. Could this be her?
"Tina? Are you still there?" Nora's voice, laced with a hint of concern, pulled me back to the present.
"I... I don't know what to say," I admitted, my voice shaky.
"Oh, honey, I know this is a lot to take in," Nora soothed. "But trust me, I have a lot of explaining to do. How about we meet up somewhere and talk?"
The idea of meeting a stranger who claimed to be my mother sent shivers down my spine. But the yearning to know the truth, to fill the gaping hole in my past, was a powerful force.
"Where?" I asked hesitantly.
"There's this lovely little café a few miles from Moonflower Pack. How does that sound?"
I glanced at the clock on the wall. Dawn would be back from work soon. "Can you give me some time to think about it?" I requested.
"Of course, sweetheart. Take all the time you need. Call me back when you have a decision," Nora said briskly. "And Tina? Please, don't tell anyone about this call. It's very important."
The secrecy added another layer of suspicion to the already convoluted situation. "Why?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. "Let's just say there are things about your past that are best kept hidden for now. Please trust me, honey. I wouldn't hurt you."
My trust was a fragile thing, easily shattered. "I don't know," I mumbled, torn between curiosity and caution.
Nora sighed dramatically. "Look, I understand. But just promise you'll think about it, okay? Here's my number again in case you change your mind." She rattled off the digits, and I jotted them down numbly.
"Okay," I conceded, hanging up the phone feeling more confused than ever.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Chores went undone, my mind a tangled mess of emotions. Finally, as dusk settled, Dawn returned home, her face flushed with the cool evening air.
"Hey, stranger!" she called out, tossing her bag onto the couch. "What's got you looking so troubled today?"
"There's something I need to tell you," I blurted out, launching into a detailed account of the strange letters and the phone call with the woman claiming to be my mother.
Dawn listened intently, her brow furrowed in concentration as I spoke. When I finished, there was a long, tense silence.
"Wow," she finally said, her voice laced with disbelief. "That's… a lot to process."
"Exactly!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in frustration. "Do you think it's real? Could it be my mom?"
Dawn bit her lip, her gaze thoughtful. "I don't know, Tina. It all sounds very suspicious. But the way she described your past, it seems too detailed to be a complete lie."
"That's what I thought too," I admitted, sinking onto the couch beside her. "But then there's the secrecy. Why wouldn't she want me to tell anyone?"
"Maybe there's a good reason," Dawn mused. "Maybe she's in some kind of danger and doesn't want to put you at risk."
The possibility sent a jolt through me. The idea of my mother being in danger was terrifying, yet it also ignited a protective spark within me.
Dawn squeezed my hand gently. "Look, whatever you decide to do, I'm here for you. But if you're going to meet her, you need to be careful. Maybe we can go together?"
The idea of having Dawn by my side, a trusted confidante and fierce protector, brought a measure of comfort. "You'd do that?" I asked, a flicker of hope rekindled in my eyes.