An Alpha's Charge
Chapter 5

A New Beginning

Her plane landed early in the morning and headed to a hotel; it was not top-of-the-line, but it was a descent. It was a place where she could shower, change, and settle in for a nap. She woke up later that afternoon, getting ready to investigate one of the local schools and replace a cheap apartment. She would look for a job that she could start right away.

She did not have personal items, just what she had packed. Most of those memories had faded over the years. Her only memory was the pain of being separated from her brother about ten years ago. She longed to be with Steven; she thought about how they fought so hard to stay together, but, in the end, they lost, and the horrible people won.

She brushed those thoughts out of her mind walking back to her room to get some much-needed sleep. Later she would tackle everything else. She entered her room, lay on the bed, pulled the covers over her head, and fell asleep, or so she thought.

Her dreams took her to the horrible places where she had been watching the fire pummeling their territory and the abuse she suffered during her eight years in foster care. She wakes up sweating and breathing hard. She looks around at her surroundings, taking deep breaths to calm her heart down. She left the bed and headed to the bathroom to shower, brush her teeth, and do business.

Lane looked over the schools she had visited and decided on one that offered a wide variety of classes and registered herself using her real ID to get into the school. She gave the office secretary her transcripts and school records, obtained her class schedule then left after the principal took her around the school, telling her everything they offered.

She is now set for school and had to replace a job before getting an apartment. She liked working with the public less but had few options as a teen. She looked for a high-end restaurant where she could be a waiter. At least she knew she would get generous tips there, but they would differ from home.

She entered a beautiful place and got the job; they understood she was a student and would work part-time but wanted as many hours as possible. She was going to start the next day to start learning the ropes. She grabbed her uniform, then went shopping because she needed some clothes to wear to school and when she was not working.

She went to the local thrift store and bought several outfits that she could wear and interchange to make new ones. She only spent $50 on her entire purchase and was enormously proud of what she had. Lane could purchase more things later in life; right now, she had to penny-pinch and watch what she spent so that she would not run out of money.

After a few weeks, she rented a flat that was partially furnished. It had a Murphy bed, a small kitchenette, a less desirable sofa, and a table and chair to eat at. Lane cleaned the place up, painted the walls, and decorated the home to her liking. Her pictures were mainly of bears, wolves, mountain lions, and other animals that lived in snow and different cold climates.

She did not understand why she was drawn to those beasts, but she was. Lane was thinking about going into conservation, heading north to Alaska, and working, but she loved art, designing things, and clothing. She shook her head to rid those thoughts away as they were in the distant future. Lane had to get through high school and then figure out what college she wanted to get into. Luckily one of her customers back home bought her a cell phone, computer, earbuds, and everything she would need for school.

After she finished high school, she was a straight-A student and worked ahead to graduate high school earlier than her peers. When she graduated from school, she was seventeen years old. Lane wanted to get on with her life and put her past behind her for good. Lane had taken her ACT and SATs and scored higher than her peers. She had contemplated going to Alaska to the university there, but she could not feel the vibe when she was doing her research. She had several universities she was looking into, and Baylor was the only one that piqued her interest.

Lane made an appointment to visit the campus one weekend, and her employer let her have her off so she could stay. The owner and his wife liked her; they could not have children and would have loved to have a few of them running around. They took Lane under their wings and supported her in everything she did.

Lane opened it to them, and they loved her so much they wanted to adopt her as a daughter, but Lane declined to let them know that she would stick around and be the daughter they always wanted. She told them about her twin brother Steven and how he got adopted and did not know where he was or what he was doing.

They understood her so-called mom was an orphan too and had gone through some of the things that Lane did, so she understood where she was coming from. Her husband stood by her side and always held her hand; Lane thought this was strange as she had never seen this happen before.

“Lane, when will you graduate high school?” asked Ruth.

“I am already done and have taken my SAT and ACTs and passed with flying colors; why?”

“How about I go with you to Baylor and look at the campus?”

“You would do that for me, I mean with me?”

“Yes, we leave Friday morning after breakfast; go get packed, and I will pick you up around ten am on Friday?”

“Sounds great; thank you so much, Ruth; you and John have been kinder than any of my foster parents ever were.” She hugged her and left for the night.

She was excited to go to a university to check it out with another adult, and now she did not feel alone. She quickly showered, cleaned her small apartment, and packed her bag. She still did not have a lot and did not care; she was content with what she had. She had to be in survival mode for so long that she did not know how to act having someone in her life.

She was excited and happy for once but missed her brother immensely. The only picture she had of him was when they were in the orphanage waiting for the adoption, and they were four years old. She hugged it to her chest with tears streaming down her eyes, wishing and praying that he was OK and happy with whoever had adopted him. She kissed his picture, put it back on the table, went to her little kitchenette, and grabbed something to eat quickly before heading off to bed.

Lane had entered her application to Baylor and a few other universities and wanted to be proactive about the admissions application and letters. Friday was approaching quickly, and she could not wait till she got to the university and saw if it was where she wanted to go.

She could go in the fall but would have to wait and see how the admissions office and Dean of Students handled her being out of high school so soon. She had all her scores from the tests she took, and she also took her school manuscripts to see what they could use and prove that she was a good student. Some of her teachers even took the liberty and wrote letters she printed to take with her, even though she had already sent them off with the application earlier that week.

Lane went out the door, locked it behind her, heading to Ruth’s car. She put her bag in the back seat and got in, and off they went on a three-hour trip. They arrived at the university, settled in, and took a campus tour. She also got to speak with some of the advisors, and they told her that she would need to apply for admission in about four months, and they would go from there. They also discussed scholarships to determine eligibility, as she needed more money to attend school. They had everything she wanted, and she would double major in design and forestry.

Ruth and Lane had an enjoyable time visiting and doing some shopping before they headed back home. Ruth and John wanted to bring Lane home and live with them. That way, she could save more money than spending it all on rent and utilities; with that money, she would have more of a nest egg than she already does. Lane could keep working and going to school till she had to leave for the university in a few months. They would feel better if she were open to this. Ruth started by clearing her throat, getting her attention.

“Lane, John, and I have been talking and wanted to know if you would like to move into our house. Just think about it for a bit; the money you are spending now on rent, food, and utilities you would be able to pocket, save for college, and have money to spend when you go. You will still work for us and have your freedom as you do now. We would love it if you came to stay with us.”

“Thank you for the offer, Ruth, I get what you are saying, and with my track record with foster families over the years, I have a little trepidation about moving someplace else.”

“We have thought about that too; you remember when I told you I went through the same thing as you did? I had the same worries as well. My foster mother and father had me move in with them, and they taught me things I never knew. They showed me love and kindness and how to cook and be more efficient on my own when I finally moved back out on my own after college. I, too, had lost my birth parents in a fire and was sent to an orphanage, but I also lost my twin brother along with them. They tried to save our homes, but everyone lost their lives. To this day, I am still skittish of all fires.” Ruth told Lane.

“I am so sorry, Ruth; how long ago was that?”

“It was about ten years ago that my family was trained forest fighters, but it was overwhelming and took over all of us. My parents got my brother and me to safety then he took off to help them. We were sixteen years old. That was the last time I saw them.”

“Wow, we were six when it happened. Did you feel the bonds break?”

“Being that young at the time, I was too old to be adopted, yet I was too young to be alone. I did not have to spend years in foster homes as you did; I had to go into several every couple of months. I would lash out at them and feel I did not need their help. Most of them were not pleasant, I was raped repeatedly by the father, uncle, and sons in one home, and their women refused to step in to help me out. It was the most horrible experience I ever had with those rotten humans. Then I was put into a wonderful home where they were good and adopted me right before I turned eighteen. And to answer your question, yes, Mom and Dad’s tethers break but not my brothers.”

Lane could not believe what she had said; at least she had not had that happen to her, and she was thankful for that. She looked over at Ruth, giving her a small smile, which she rarely would do, but with Ruth and John, she could not help but smile at them. They were funny and kind, loving and understanding, and wanted the best for her and to be successful, which Lane wanted. All she ever wanted was to feel loved; that is what she was getting: a family.

“Ruth, did that family full of men who did those terrible things to you, did they force you to change your name? I barely remember being told he would no longer have his name as they had one picked out for him. You said you could not feel your brother’s tether break. Is it possible he is still alive?”

“I have tried to look for him but had no luck. They tried, but I fought them back and went to court over it, and I had been able to keep my name since I was sixteen and had a say in what I wanted. That was the only redeeming quality for me, Lane.”

“I am on a month-to-month lease with the landlord; if you give me thirty days to pack up and move in with you and John, I will do that.”

“We can agree to that; what is your favorite color?”

“Grey with blue accents. I also love green, like what you replace in forests, the assorted colors.”

Ruth took mental notes and let her husband know they would need to paint her room a medium grey with blue and green accents like the forests of their old home where they came from. Ruth, of course, remembers Lane and her family, but she knows that Lane does not remember her or what they were, and she will not tell her.

She had only found a few children who survived the fire that destroyed their homes that dreadful day. Everyone was looking for Lane and Steven, and they could not replace them; they heard them crying for a couple of days, but no matter where they went, those babies were not found.

Those that did survive had moved on and ran into Lane at the place she was working at in Seattle; they were the ones who gave her generous tips, bought the plane ticket, and notified Ruth and John they were sending her their way and looking after and that is what Ruth and John were doing.

Lane was moving into her new home with Ruth and John a month later. John took Lane and her items to her new bedroom, and when she walked in, she was in awe at what they had done for her; the pictures were from her home back in Canada. They were pictures she could not remember as it was a distant memory that had faded away. All Lane can remember was being put in the igloo and left alone with her brother. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she turned to give them both a hug and a big thank you. She was so happy for the first time in ten years, now if she could only reunite with her brother.