BK 4 - Chapter 10 - The Letter
Lisa threw her arms around Jayce when Roger spoke his last words. Everyone in the room was crying for the loss of the man they loved as a father or grandfather. After each one had their chance to say goodbye, they left the room, and the hospice nurse came in to prepare Roger to be taken to the funeral home. Once Roger was gone, some people decided to go home. It was close to midnight, but the immediate family didn't want to leave.
"Lisa, are you going to introduce us to your friend?" Cat asked as she and Trey walked over to their granddaughter. Lisa hugged them both.
"Jayce, this is my Grandma Cat and Grandpa Trey. He's my mate," She said quietly, ensuring no human was around to hear. Breanne was on the other side of the room talking with Alex. Cat smiled warmly at Jayce while Trey looked at him with suspicion.
"It's nice to meet you, young man." Cat held out her hand to Jayce, and when he touched her, he was instantly filled with warmth. His eyes widened as he looked at the woman he had heard so much about. She was small like Lisa but had long black hair with a few pieces of grey, pale blue eyes and a smile that could warm the coldest of hearts.
"I've heard a lot about you both," Jayce said, smiling at them. When he looked at Trey, he froze. Lisa's grandfather looked stern as he stared at Jayce with his hazel eyes unwavering. Trey was still large and muscular, as though he was half his age. His blonde hair was lighter than it used to be, but that was the only indication of his age. Lisa saw how he was looking at Jayce and rolled her eyes.
"Grandpa, he's my mate, not some man off the street." She said. Jayce continued to meet Trey's stare, feeling as though it was a challenge. When the older man's face softened into a small smile, he felt relief wash over him. Trey put his arm around Lisa and hugged her, still looking at Jayce over her head.
"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let him off the hook. You're my granddaughter, and any man, mate or not, better treat you right," Trey said.
"I love Lisa, sir, and will never hurt her," Jayce said confidently. Lisa and Cat beamed up at him. Trey chuckled as he held out his hand.
"Well then, welcome to the family," Trey said with a light in his eyes. Roger had been like a father to him, but he had been preparing for his death for a while. Even before the stroke, he hadn't been in the best health, so he was thankful Roger was no longer in pain.
"Don't mind him. He takes his job as the head of the family seriously. We're glad to have you here." Cat said as Valerie walked over to them. She looked a little better and smiled slightly as Lisa hugged her.
"Grandma, Alex, and I can't accept this place. This is your home," Lisa said. Valerie put her hand on Lisa's cheek.
"Sweetheart, it's already been done, and we both agreed that you would be the best ones to leave it to. I can't stay here now. I'm going to go live with Cat and Trey. We've known your grandpa didn't have much time, but he wouldn't let us say anything until the end because he didn't want to get in the way of your studies. Roger knew that you and Alex would be the ones to carry out his dream. He loved you both so much and was so proud of everything you have accomplished." Lisa felt her tears welling up in her eyes again.
"We're not related to you, though." They had never once made her feel like she wasn't part of their family, but Lisa was still scared they would see her and Alex differently. Valerie frowned at her words.
"Lisa, you and Alex are just as much a part of this family as everyone else. Blood doesn't make a family; love does." Valerie kissed Lisa's forehead and hugged her again. Lisa looked at Cat and Trey, who were both smiling at her.
"You both already knew, didn't you?" Lisa asked, looking between them.
"Yes. Almost everyone knows, but they were told to keep quiet until you arrived." Trey answered as Alex walked over to them and caught the tail end of what was said.
"We're in school in San Diego, though. I have another year, and Lisa is just getting ready to start law school. Nobody was mad that you left it to us?" Alex asked. He still couldn't believe they had given him and Lisa their house. Even if they lived there with their mates and cubs, there would be more than enough room.
"Actually, everyone was thrilled. They're hoping it means you'll return home when you finish school. This place isn't going anywhere and will be waiting for you when you're ready for it." Valerie answered him before turning to Cat and Trey. "Are you ready to leave? I'm exhausted."
"Yes. We already have your bags in the car." Cat answered, putting her arm around Valerie.
"You can stay here if you want, or the pool house is available. It was cleaned recently." Valerie said, looking at Alex and Lisa. She handed Lisa the keys and then walked out with Cat and Trey. There was no way she could stay in the house without Roger. They had been married for over fifty years, and she was having a hard time just trying to keep it together as it was.
"What do you want to do?" Alex asked Lisa as everyone started to follow Valerie, Cat, and Trey out.
"I can't stay in here. Not yet; it's too soon." Lisa answered. Jayce had been watching the entire interaction in silence. He couldn't believe Lisa and Alex's grandparents gave them the huge house that was really a mansion. Seeing how wealthy they were made him feel like he didn't belong.
"I think I'll go to Mom and Dad's if you want to stay in the pool house," Alex said. Breanne walked over to join them.
"Okay. Alex is going to Mom and Dad's. Jayce and I are staying in the pool house. Do you want to stay with us?" Lisa asked Breanne.
"No thanks. I love you, sis, but I don't need to hear you and Jayce in the next room. I'll go with Alex. I can stay in your old room, right?" Breanne asked Lisa.
"Of course. We'll see you both tomorrow." Lisa hugged both Alex and Breanne before they left.
"Your family is incredible," Jayce said quietly when they were alone.
"Yeah, they're great. Before we go to the pool house, I want to go to the office. My Grandpa Roger left something there for us, and I think you may be able to help." Lisa led him to the office. She had always found the house warm and inviting, but with no one there, it seemed cold.
Walking into Roger's office, Lisa had to stop. She could still smell him in there. Jayce put his arm around her when he saw she was getting choked up.
"I can still see him in here. I would come in and sit on his lap while he was reviewing his paperwork, and he'd let me write things down like I was helping." Lisa took a deep breath as she walked over to the desk. When she opened the top drawer, she found two envelopes. One said Lisa and the other Alex. Underneath them was a thick file folder. She took the file and the letter with her name. She would let Alex get his when he came back to the house.
"Let's go to the pool house to look through these." Lisa locked the front door while Jayce grabbed their bags that Alex had left on the front porch. They walked down to the pool house in silence. Once inside, Lisa took Jayce upstairs to one of the two bedrooms. After setting their things down, he wrapped his arms around her and held her. It was exactly what she needed.
Her body was so tense from the last few hours that she hadn't relaxed. Everyone else had been expecting Roger's death, but she and Alex had been kept in the dark because he didn't want them to worry. She loved him for trying to protect them, but at the same time, she would have liked to have been prepared and not caught off guard.
"How about we take a shower, and then we can look through that stuff?" Jayce suggested kissing the top of her head.
"Okay," Lisa responded. Seeing she was still frozen, Jayce started the shower, got their clothes out, and found towels. He pulled Lisa into the shower and washed her from head to toe. He just wanted to take care of her any way he could. After he was done with her, he quickly washed and then dried them both. He even used the blow dryer on her hair. When they were done and sitting on the bed, Lisa took a deep breath and opened her letter from Roger.
*Dear Lisa,*
*I know if you're reading this, then my time on earth has passed. Please don't blame the family for not telling you how sick I was. They wanted to, but I made them keep quiet. Having you finish your schooling was important to me. Out of all my grandchildren, I have always felt the closest to you and your brother. Valerie was related to your Grandma Cat, but I had no blood relatives in this large family of ours. You, me, and Alex were the terrible three, as your Grandma Valerie used to call us. I loved getting into trouble with you. You always had the best comebacks to confuse everyone to make it look like they were in the wrong. I know your life didn't start out easy, and even after you were adopted, there were some struggles, but please remember that everyone loves you.*
*You, my little lioness, are the strongest of all the women in this family. That's why I have asked you to carry out my final mission. I asked your brother to help, but it will be you that needs to figure out the legalities. In the folder you found in my desk, there are documents showing you where there are hidden laws allowing humans to kill and do what they want with shifters, vampires, and witches. They speak of them as if they are less than human. I was working on trying to change those laws, but it's been difficult because not everyone knows about the special people in our world. I have left you everything I found, hoping that you could put it to use. Talk to your uncle Wesley too. With his connections in INTERPOL, I think he would be a good resource. I trust you, Lisa; I know you'll be able to help others of your kind. Be careful who else you trust with this information. Not everyone is as they seem, even some who are close to the family.*
*Well, I better go now. Your Grandma Valerie will be coming in to force me to take a nap soon. Just remember that I love you, and you will always be my little fighting lioness. No matter where I am, I will always be beaming at you with pride for the brave woman you have become.*
*Love,*
*Great-Grandpa Roger*
