The Alpha's Warrior Princess

Ch. 10: More Puzzle Pieces

(April’s POV)

My hands were shaking as I pulled the other folder out. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly opened it and my eyes immediately filled with tears. “What the h*ll?! How could they keep this from me?!” was all I could think as I read the birth certificate that was almost identical to mine.

Baby Boy Sorm. Born October 10, 2005. Wolfe County Hospital. Wolfe County, PA.

Like my file, there was also a social security number card, but this file also had old newspaper clippings and the thing that made me cry the hardest… a death certificate. It was dated exactly six months after the baby’s birth.

Just then, I heard Dad asking Mom if she had seen a file box of his around anywhere and I knew he would make his way up here at some point. So I quickly made copies of everything and put them in my desk drawer as well.

I could hear Dad quietly making his way down the hall leading from the kitchen to the bottom of the stairs and knew he was heading up here, so I quickly put the file back the way I had found it, returning it to its place in the box.

I then quickly shoved the box back under my desk, unhooked my printer, sat it back on the box, then put a bag of clothes partially in front of it to hide it a little. In the few seconds it took for me to accomplish all this, my Dad had made it to my door. I sped over to my vanity and just as I was sitting back down, Dad banged on my door twice, then peaked in. “Hey” I managed, as I grit my teeth to keep from confronting him right then and there.

I wanted to know more, though, before I went off, half c*cked on either of them. “Ummm, April… have you seen any of my file boxes? I’m missing one.” I didn’t miss the hesitation when he said my name. F**ker probably had to actually think about it for a minute. Not that it would've been the first time he called me by the wrong name.

I just kept eating my breakfast as I shrugged and said “I haven’t started to sort anything out yet but you’re welcome to look around if you like.” “Thanks.” He mumbled as he came into my room and started looking around. It always amazes me that he never notices Sparks’ scent or starts sneezing when he is either in my room or anywhere near me. Why, you ask? Well, he claims to be allergic.

Flashback, Three Months Ago…

I had to go pick up moving boxes for Mom at the nearby Uhaul this morning so we could begin packing for this move. Uhg, I don’t wanna do this! Why can’t this wait another year so I can just stay behind? This is so d*mned unfair! Maybe I could get myself emancipated really fast. No? Not to mention it was raining cats and dogs. (Please, no poodle jokes!) I hated driving in the rain. Kitten was lovin' it, though.

After picking up the boxes, I stopped at McDonald's and got Mom n' me some chicken nuggets, fries, and a couple of sodas before getting back on the road. As I drove the ten minute drive along I-95 heading home, I noticed something moving on the side of the road. As I went past it, I realized it was a cardboard box, which don’t typically move on their own. At least not to my knowledge. So I pulled over and jogged back to have a look.

Sure enough, there in the soaking wet box were six of the cutest little babies I’d ever seen. Even with their fur all sticking to them from being soaking wet. They were crying, just pleading for someone's help. When they saw me peeping in at them, they looked up at me like I was a kitten god come to rescue them and take them to cat heaven. I would rescue them, but heaven can wait.

“Awww. You poor things!” I cooed as I lifted the box, which was barely holding itself together, and jogged back to my car. When I got home, Mom and I got some towels and dried the poor things off. There were two light gray ones with dark stripes that resembled a tiger’s stripe, two that were dark gray with white patches on their paws, ears, and tails, one all gray with black paws and ears, and one all black.

We had gotten a dry, clean box to put them in with some old clothes of mine which we laid on the bottom for comfort and warmth, then I had put a saucer of milk down for them to lap up, while Mom and I started making “FREE KITTENS '' signs. We figured we’d sit out with them tomorrow, when it was dry, and give them away to people who might want them.

We were having fun with it until Dad came in and I kid you not… He lifted his nose in the air, sniffed like a d*mn coon hound or something, and turned to glare at us. I swear his eyes were black as coal as he growled. Like, literally growled! “Why are there cats in our house?” I was a bit dumbstruck. How the h*ll did he know that? I looked down at the box and the little kitties were all sound asleep and since the box was between Mom and the end table, while I was next to the box on one side and there was a wall on the other, the box was pretty isolated. No way he could see them!

Mom got up and went over to him, putting her hand on his arm as she explained everything to him. He wasn’t at all happy, but finally he just grunted and said “just make sure they’re gone before we move.”

The next day, we sat out with them as planned and watched as one by one the little guys n' gals were adopted. Sparks stayed in the corner of the box the whole time and every time someone tried to pick her up she would hiss this cute little hiss at them. They would immediately back off and try again with another one. Which suited me just fine because I couldn’t bear to part with my little Sparks. So, Mom helped me smuggle her back inside and up to my room. She’s been helping me keep her a secret from Dad ever since.

End Flashback…

So I got to keep my little cutie, Sparks, and Dad has been none the wiser. I honestly didn’t think Mom had it in her to do something like this, but I have to admit, I’ve been impressed. Mom can be kind of ditzy at times, after all.

“Ahha! Found it!” Dad exclaims, drawing my attention back to him as he pulls the box out from under my desk. I sincerely thought he meant Sparks for a minute! But then he hefts the box up and turns to leave.

Stopping in my doorway, he says “While I’m thinking of it… We were invited to Wyatt’s for dinner on Wednesday. We’ll be going right after lunch, so pack a bag with an extra change of clothes, a beach towel, and either wear your bathing suit under your clothes or take one with you to change into there. Unless you don’t want to go swimming, that is.” He turns again to leave, then pauses for a second time before adding hopefully “Unless, of course, you have other plans? If you do, it’s alright. I can reschedule.”

Is he nuts?! I’m starting to think I got my "crazy" from him! No-way am I not going to Uncle Wyatt’s! And no-way I'm NOT going swimming! He told me about their pool. It’s a fricken' Olympic-sized, heated pool! But I had to keep my cool. So I kept my tone and my face devoid of emotion as I responded simply “Nope, no plans.” I don’t really feel like talking to him right now anyway. I just want to get back to that file and start trying to piece together what’s going on. It’s obvious my parents don’t ever plan on telling me, so it’s up to me to find out on my own.

Once he left, I shut and locked my door. Then I ran over to my desk, yanked open the drawer with the paperwork in it, and left it that way as I went back to my vanity with the papers in hand. I sat and read through everything as I finished my coffee. The remainder of my food went uneaten, though Sparks got the bacon.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Apparently, I had a twin brother that was stolen from the hospital the night we were born. He was six minutes older than I was and some b*tch just walked off with him, just f**kin disappeared! I thought that sh*t only happened in bad movies and poorly written romance novels with no real plot. This was just unbelievable! I felt like I should be looking around for hidden video cameras or something. How could this be my actual life?

According to these articles, my parents tried to find my brother. But after two months, the trail ran cold. It says they had trackers out night and day searching for any clues or leads on his whereabouts but couldn’t find a thing. They kept looking for another four months before they finally had to have him legally declared dead. The news articles also go on to say my parents were utterly devastated. Which I’m sure they are. Even to this day. But they’re wrong if they think he’s dead.

My brother isn’t dead! I know he isn’t! As crazy as this sounds, I can feel him. All my life I’ve always felt like a jigsaw puzzle missing a bunch of its pieces. Important pieces, yah' know? Like if you put the puzzle together, the picture would forever remain out of focus until those pieces were found and put in. But it was more than that.

Growing up, I would get these random pains like yesterday morning or be flooded with all these deep emotions for no apparent reason. Like I said before, Mom kept telling me they were simply “growing pains”, but now I’m sure they were more than that. I’m positive it was him all along. My brother. I was feeling what he felt. And if that’s true, then maybe he’s been dealing with the same thing because of me. Maybe he knows he’s not alone out there. Maybe, just maybe, he’s looking for me too.

Well.. Now he isn’t searching alone. Because I’ll be searching for him too. And after I find him and reunite him with my parents as well? I’m goin' for the b*tch that took him in the first place. And boy will she f**king regret tangling with the Storm family!!

Remember those weirdnesses I talked about before? Yeahhhhh. This is all a big part of that.

It now makes perfect sense why Mom and Dad left their home town all those years ago. I can’t imagine having those memories facing you every day of your life. Though it doesn’t explain why Dad always treats me as though I’m either invisible or like a trophy of some kind. Good for business but not much else.

Well, Dad? You always trained me to fight the good fight. As far as I can see, this fight is one h*ll of a good fight. And like every other fight I’ve ever been in…. I plan on kickin a mofo’s a**! And I will win!

Hang on, big brother! The cavalry is on her way!

Now that I have my first piece of the puzzle, I have a few ideas on where to start looking for more.