Buried Ashes (MxM)

10-Suspicious As Hell

Mason

Aiden and I had just gotten back from lunch with Ben and Jackson. Ben had insisted it was the perfect way for Jackson to meet Aiden. He was practically giddy about it. It went well. Jackson seemed to really like Aiden. 

I was sitting cross legged on my bed while Aiden laid his head on my legs. I took the opportunity to play with his curls, which was now one of my favorite things to do.

"The Alpha and Luna seem nice," Aiden spoke up, signing his words.

"Yeah, they are," I mumbled in response.

"They both mentioned quite a bit of memories from when you were young. Were they really that present all of the time?" Aiden asked. I thought back on my childhood. Jackson and Ben had always been very present figures in my life. I've never thought of it as strange, since it was all I'd ever known.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," I responded. Aiden sat up and looked at me.

"I have never seen either of them like that with any other child in the pack," he told me.

"Well, they're friends with my mom, so I guess that's why."

Aiden pondered my response for several moments before speaking his own.

"Are you related to the Alpha in any way?" His question surprised me. Where would he get that idea?

"No. Why?"

"He isn't, like, your mom's brother or something?" I shook my head.

"Where are you getting these ideas?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Well, the amount of adoration he and the Luna seem to hold for you would make sense if you were a relative. It's like... they see you the same way your mom does."

I creased my eyebrows at this. Was it strange? I had never questioned it this much.

"And even without that...," he continued, "Mason, you look just like him. Your hair color is the same, your skin is slightly more tan than your mom's, and your eye color. I didn't know the Alpha had grey eyes like yours. I've never seen anyone else in the pack with eyes that color."

I remained silent as I thought over his words.

"Didn't you say your dad passed away when you were young?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Maybe your dad was related to the Alpha," he suggested. Could it be possible? I suppose it wasn't impossible. "What was your dad's name?" 

I thought back to my conversations about my dad with my mom. I couldn't remember a name. If she had told me, I couldn't remember.

"I... can't remember."

"Where's your birth certificate? It would say on there."

"I don't know. My mom has it somewhere." His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You don't know where your birth certificate is?" I shook my head. "Mason, have you ever seen your birth certificate?"

"Uh... no, I don't think so," I told him. Why hadn't I? I've never thought about it, but it's... strange. Aiden's eyes widened at this.

"You've got to find that birth certificate. This is suspicious as hell," he exclaimed.

My mom was at work. I wondered if it would be possible to find it while she isn't here.

"Let's go look in my mom's office," I told him, and stood from my bed, Aiden close behind. 

I felt like my stomach was in knots walking into my mom's office. I had been in here countless times in my life, but I felt like she wouldn't approve of my intentions this time. I began to shuffle through papers and files all around the room. 

There were a lot of papers relating to the orphanage. Tax stuff, bills, nothing important. Aiden was looking through a file cabinet by her desk, completely invested in this mission.

"Where the hell is it?" I groaned in frustration. 

"Even his death certificate would give us what we're looking for," Aiden mumbled as he continued to look closely at the files in front of him. 

I had gotten to the bottom of a bookshelf, rifling through file boxes on the shelves. Until I got to one, and it was heavier than the rest. I pulled it out and revealed what looked to be a lock box inside.

"Aiden," I called as I pulled it out. He was at my side immediately. 

"It's one of those fireproof cases," he mumbled as he inspected it. I propped it up and looked at the number dials. I sighed. 

"Try your birth date," he told me. I began moving the dials.

"I doubt it would be that obvi-" I stopped abruptly as the case popped open in my hands. My eyes widened.

Slowly, I opened it, with Aiden peeking over my shoulder. It held a stack of papers inside, all different types of documents it seemed. I slowly extended my hand and began to pull out the papers. Property deeds for the house, and the orphanage. My mom's birth certificate. No death certificate in sight, but at the bottom of the stack... my birth certificate. My hands were clammy and trembling as I pulled the paper out, to get a closer look at it.

At the top was my name.

Mason Anthony Ward-Whitlock

I had only ever known my last name to be Whitlock before now.

My mother's name.

Beth Anne Whitlock

And the section for my father's name was the most shocking part of the document.

Jackson Anthony Ward

Aiden gasped beside me as I began to feel ill from reading the words.