Alpha’s Hybrid Cinderella
Chapter 77

The place was three stories high but stretched out over five interconnected buildings. This was no ordinary 'nursing home', the way the employees tried to make themselves appear. It was practically a luxury resort, though without the fancy trappings of expensive restaurants and such. There were exercise facilities and an indoor pool designed specifically for those with mobility impairments, a lovely cafeteria I wished we had time to explore, lounges, a library, and probably far more than that. Those were simply the areas we saw on the way out of the main building and toward the residential quarters.

"I'd really like to know who the anonymous donor is who's been paying for Alena's care," I said as we walked behind Delilah. "I understand they want to keep their identity concealed, but the situation is different now. Have you informed the donor of what's happened?"

I was aching to pry into her mind and find the answer myself, but that wouldn't be right. Maybe if it was a matter of life and death, but...

"We certainly have," she said. "And in truth, you can force us to disclose their identity as you're the dominant Luna of the region, even if the Scarlet pack hasn't officially annexed this city yet, but the donor would like to remain anonymous... They hope you can respect their privacy. But if it comes at the cost of Alena's care, they are willing to open up communication. Above all, they want her taken care of, nothing more."

"It's not a bargain," I promised. "Your patient is my aunt, twin sister of my mother, even. I'm taking care of her regardless of the donor's actions. But I want to thank them for their generosity. Whether they had their reasons or not, they provided for Alena all this time and stayed back in the shadows, receiving nothing in return. I only want to know what kind of person they are, how they're connected to Alena, and to thank them."

"I see. I'll relay that to the sponsor."

"Thank you." There was so much more to say, but the rest was futile if the anonymous good Samaritan refused to see me. Maybe my plea would reach their heart, but it wasn't right to shove aside their desire for privacy just to satisfy my curiosity. I owed them. Because of them, we had found Alena. If what the sponsor wanted was to never cross paths with me, then my conscience had no choice but to accept that.

Ken patted my back in silent comfort.

"I found the good lady through some old medical records," Lucas announced. "At the time she was discovered injured on the train to this city, she'd lost a lot of blood. But her blood type is peculiar. Unlucky, even, in her case. You'd know of it since you had your own blood tests come back with similar results, right?"

Yes. There was an additional antigen in my blood unseen in werewolves, and every time I went to get tested for any reason, the antigen cluster became denser. I was changing. My so-called elf blood was still growing even though I had already reached adulthood. But I was only half-elf. As different as I was from everyone else, Alena was even more so.

"But her body healed on its own with a little help from alternative blood substitutes. She has a bit of a healing streak. That's not unfamiliar either, right? Within a few days, she was stable. Her levels were still low, but her counts started rising instead of falling or staying the same. So they withdrew the request in the transfusion request system for her blood type. But it was too late. Her information was already in there. Hence, how I tracked her down."

"My, Mr. Hanson! You're making it sound like Ms. Alena was some criminal offender! Though I have to admire your doggedness. It's not easy to dig through our request system. You must be an old hand at some impressive investigating tactics."

Lucas grumbled something about frivolous compliments, but a small blush decorated his cheeks again. Ken and I exchanged glances.

Moments later as the nurse chatted to us about other things, we arrived at a private room. Although it was likely Alena had not risen yet, Delilah knocked for entry anyway and waited for a response. I liked that. A lot. Respecting someone's privacy even though she was asleep? This place, and Delilah, had more respect for Alena than I had ever gotten before Evan found me and brought me to the Scarlet pack.

To our surprise, although we entered to silence, we found Alena awake. She was lying down and stared at us when we emerged from the doorway. Delilah drew back.

"Oh! I didn't realize you were awake. Do you think you can accept visitors? We can come back a little later, Ms. Alena."

The woman in the comfortable bed was beautiful. Dark brown hair, shining hazel eyes, and a facial structure eerily similar to mine. If I were to reach middle age, I would look like her.

She looks like Claudia, but older. The quiet thought drifted through Ken's mind. I had become more proficient at holding back from accidentally reading thoughts, but he was so open and free that he broadcasted his wherever he went. People like Delilah, Lucas, and Evan held theirs closer to their chest.

Again, I was tempted to eavesdrop on Delilah's thoughts and hope she accidentally dwelled on the sponsor's name, but I discreetly stepped to the side to get a little distance from the nurse. I used the opportunity to get closer to the bed where Alena lay, while the others remained behind at a respectful distance.

"Hello, Ms. Alena. My name is Claudia. I think I may be your niece."

The woman's serene face put me at ease. Although her eyes were bright and alert as they stared at me, it shone not with distrust, but rather curious wonder.

Her mouth opened into a slow 'o' as her eyes roved over my features. Then, finally, she spoke.

"Yes. You're her daughter."

***

From the expression Delilah wore, I gathered Alena had never spoken as much as she did today. But along with the nurse's surprise was warmth and approval, and most of all, happiness. The woman was genuinely overjoyed for us. From what she had said earlier, she must have been Alena's primary caretaker ever since she first arrived. There were other nurses in this place, but each ward had their special nurse so they could bond with the patients and become true friends.

And although Alena had been quiet and almost speechless until now, she and Delilah did have a real friendship. Not all bonds needed words, after all.

But the truth did. And the truth was what I needed.

"We were captured and sold off when we were little girls," Alena said softly. "We were twins, but she was always the one trying to protect me. She tried to stay together and begged the slaver to sell us off as a pair. But he could get more money auctioning us off individually, so that was what he did. I went to Yellow Mountain pack. Your mother went to the Dark Moon pack. They're hundreds of miles apart, but we didn't know that at the time. We just knew we were going to be separated." "Where were you captured from? Do we have more family out there?"

"Yes, but our family only lived with two others in a secret commune. We hid in the forest like the rest of our people. There aren't many of us, but our people survived the great purge meant to wipe us out two hundred years ago, and we've been healing ever since. The stories say that we all went our separate ways as smaller groups, so that we wouldn't endanger each other. And in smaller families, we're harder to find than we would be in our great clans of old." "Clans!"

"Elves live in clans, yes. And that's what you are. You're a halfling, but it doesn't matter. Your descendants could easily be born as full elves, half-elves, or not at all. Our blood is strange. Sometimes it's dominant. Sometimes it's not so. You have werewolf in you, don't you?"

"Yes. My fath... The man who impregnated my mother was a werewolf." It was too much to call Kris my father as if it had been a consensual union, but I didn't have it in me to tell Alena that my mother had been r***d. She was my mother, but she was Alena's sister too, once upon a time.

Nonetheless, she understood the unspoken darkness in my words. Her face clouded. "I should have fought harder," she whispered. "I could have been there for Alita..."

"Alita?"

"Her real name. Slaves are given new ones when they're sold, but Alena was my real name, and Alita was hers."

My heart swelled. Alita. Now I knew my mother's real name. I felt closer to her than I ever had my entire life. "Shall I tell you more?"

I nodded furiously and moved closer to her where I sat on the edge of her bed. The others pulled up chairs - I wanted them here to listen, and so did Alena, it seemed. A small smile played on her lips as she looked around at all of us. "All right, then. It goes like this..."