Chapter 152: Grace
Rhys moved slowly up the stairs toward our room. I knew he was exhausted. I was exhausted. But not only was he exhausted, he was grief-stricken. He had lost his brother and his best friend today. He didn’t know if they were alive or if the earth had put them in an early grave. There was nothing I could say to make it better. He was the Alpha King. He would pretend to be fine, but I knew he was hurting.
The chaos on the Alpha floor was worse than usual. With the pack on lock down, it wasn’t really any different since these kids stayed on the Alpha floor at all times, but they seemed to sense that something outside these walls was amidst.
I sat down at the counter, and Rhys took the seat next to me. Neither of us said anything as we awaited some promised food, but I honestly wasn’t hungry. I was craving sleep more than I craved any food. The idea of eating was actually nauseating. But sleep didn’t seem to be an option yet. I wasn’t sure I would be able to sleep without seeing the earth open up and swallow Caleb and Leon... Or the tiger man stalking us. Or any of the battle we had been a part of.
I tapped my fingers anxiously against the counter. I had rarely ever felt anxious like this. Most of the time I was able to turn off my feelings. I had gone so far into the nothing that I had terrified my mate. But this feeling? The racing thoughts, the surging energy, the clarity of everything around me, this was new, and I did not like it one bit.
“Grace-” Rhys drew out my name, his hand covering mine, forcing me to sit still.
I looked at him, studying every line on his face. His dark eyes were clearly tired. There were bags under them, and lines on his face that hadn’t existed when we first met. The stress of everything I had brought to him was clearly taking its toll on him. I wished I could take it all away. I wished that I could heal the broken inside of him.
While I was studying him, he was studying me. Our eyes locked, and there was no need to say anything else. We were both keenly aware of how the other was feeling. I could feel his gentle tug on the bond. I often felt him pulling on it trying to figure out where I was at mentally. I didn’t use the bond that often, but there was something about just simply knowing it was there.
The door to the Alpha cabin opened, and in came Alana, Maize and Sawyer, with all three of Leon’s kids. The oldest one seemed to know that something was up, since they never came up here, but I knew that look on her face. She was trying to be brave for her siblings. She scanned the room, her eyes growing wide with horror. She was appalled by the way the kids were behaving. A football was being thrown across the family room, nearly missing the small group of kids doing yoga, and another playing cards. Behind the couch, there was a training session happening that Michael seemed to be running with some of the older kids. And the littles were running around playing some imaginary game that no one else seemed to be able to follow.
Maizie called over a couple of kids near their ages and introduced them as Alana and Sawyer made their way over to us with two trays full of mini sandwiches and fruit. I stood up immediately and went to grab some plates from the cabinet. I sighed when I saw there were none and grabbed the roll of paper towels instead; they would have to do. I giggled to myself. The idea of the Alpha King eating off of a paper towel was hilarious to me. And then add in that it was because his house, his Alpha unit was overflowing with kids not even from his pack, it was really funny.
“Grace?” Rhys called out, bringing me back to reality. “Are you okay? “
“Yea,” I answered, trying to keep the laughter out of voice. “I was just in my own head.”
Ah. That little familiar tug on the bond made me roll my eyes as I passed out the paper towels. But I couldn’t help the slight smirk that made its way to my face.
“What’s next?” Sawyer asked in a low tone, but honestly, there were too many ears around to talk freely.
“Next,” Rhys sighed, “Next, I’m going to bed. Then maybe with some sleep, maybe we’ll come up with a new plan that might actually work, and hope that our defenses will actually hold until we have one.”
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say right now?”
Rhys closed his eyes for a moment before looking at his brother. “Sawyer, I am exhausted. I can’t think straight right now. And as much as I want my brother and best friend back, I am no good to them like this.”
The weariness that Rhys felt was impossible to deny, but Sawyer was grieving. Just like Rhys, he had just gotten his brother back. And unlike Rhys, he had been close to Caleb before having to say goodbye the first time. He had just started to forgive him, and now he was gone again.
I stared at the food in front of me. I had forced myself to take a couple bites, but the thought of eating anymore made my stomach churn. I knew my body needed sustenance, but I couldn’t make myself eat it.
“Are you ready for bed?” Rhys asked, his paper towel completely empty, not a crumb in sight.
I nodded and stood up, but the second I did, I was met with the full force of a little body, making me stumble back a step.
“Aunt Grace, Uncle Rhys!” Sammy cried out.
“Hi Sammy,” Rhys said, his voice tight with emotion.
“Have you seen my daddy? I can’t find him anywhere!”
Oh goddess. I hadn’t even factored Sammy into the equation of losing Caleb. I stole a glance at Rhys, whose horror-stricken face told me he hadn’t either.
I knelt down next to the little girl. There was no easy way to tell her, but she had the right to know.
“Your daddy was very brave. He was trying to save someone, and it went bad. He didn’t come home with us. I’m so sorry, Sammy.”
Sammy’s eyes welled up with tears as she processed what I told her.
“Is- Is he dead?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” I whispered back.
That was all it took. She threw her little body at me, and I wrapped her up as tight as I could. I looked up at Rhys who was frozen with emotion.
“Go.” I mouthed to him.
“Are you sure?” He mouthed back.
I nodded, holding the little girl close.
“I’ve got her.” I told him.
He nodded, and the crowd around us dispersed, leaving Sammy to grieve with me. Her sobs wracking through her tiny body. And in that moment, nothing else mattered, but me and her.
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