Chapter 153: Rhys
I tossed and turned for hours. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my best friend and brother get swallowed up by the Earth. I hadn’t had a night of sleep this bad, since my dad had died. Those months after his death had been terrible. I had barely slept, and it had felt a lot like it did now.
I reached to the other side of the bed, feeling for Grace. I needed her. I needed her to tell me it was going to be okay even if she didn’t believe it would be. However, my hand just grasped at air. My eyes popped open. Grace’s side of the bed was utterly untouched. I looked around the room, and she was nowhere to be seen.
“Grace?” I called out with sleepiness still in my voice.
There was no response. Where was she? I knew she hadn’t been with me when I went to bed, but surely, she should have been back by now right?
The image of her holding Sammy flashed before my eyes. Sammy’s sobs wracking through her small body when Grace told her her dad wasn’t coming home. I had been more than a little grateful for Grace in that moment. I’m not sure I could have told that poor, sweet girl who had already lost so much that she had lost the only parent she had left. Grace had done it with no hesitation. She knew that the girl needed the truth, and I was grateful that she was able to handle the aftermath of it. But now, where was she?
I stood up and stretched my body out. I was sore from the fight, even if I did think Grace had unintentionally healed me when she had ridden on my back. God, I had loved the way she had ridden on me. There was something special about going into a battle together like that. But I had nearly gotten her killed. What if she had been more hurt than I thought?
I threw my shirt over my head and rushed out of my room. The halls were quiet, and the lights were out, telling me it was still early. I smiled slightly as I walked into the living room. Small cots and sleeping bags were spread out all around the small room. The kids seemed to be completely unbothered by the fact that they didn’t have their own spaces, but at the same time, from what I had learned, it hadn’t sounded like they had come from a space with that anyways.
“Alpha King Rhys,” Alana’s small voice drew me to the kitchen, where a single light was on, barely lighting up the room.
“Alana, Maizie,” I said in surprise. “What are you two doing up?”
Both of them shrugged.
“Can’t sleep." Maizie said finally. “You?”
“Same." I answered. “Have either of you seen my mate? She never came to bed.”
Maizie frowned.
“Last I saw her, she said she was putting Sammy to bed.” Alana said nervously. “I haven’t seen her since then.”
I nodded my thanks to them and then headed off in the direction of Caleb’s room. She might not be there still, but at least it was a starting point.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had willingly went to my brother’s room. We had never been very close, despite being twins. Our rooms had been on opposite sides of the floor since a very young age. I think our parents were afraid that we were going to kill each other if I’m being completely honest.
I took a deep breath and opened the door slowly. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw them. The lights were still on, but Grace and Sammy were curled up together both sound asleep, a book still in Grace’s hand. I quietly moved into the room and took the book carefully from Grace’s hand. I felt bad that I had just left her to handle this, but she was who Sammy needed right then. And she was the most sane of all of us at least at the time. I knew her heart hurt for everyone right now, but she wouldn’t lie to any of us and say it’ll get better. She would just let us sit with our feelings.
My mate would be an amazing mom one day. She had proven herself to be good with children time and time again. I remembered the first time she really went outside. Her first instinct had been to play with the kids. But to be fair, she had hardly gotten to be a kid herself, which in my opinion would make her an even better mother.
I closed the door quietly and backed into the hallway. Sammy would need extra love right now, and so would Leon’s kids. Fuck. I hated this.
I walked past the kitchen, past Maizie and Alana who were in a whispered conversation, and right out the door. My own exhaustion didn’t seem to ease with sleep. I’m not sure it would ever ease again.
I walked into the hallway that had my office, but I paused when I heard a noise coming from Leon’s. My heart began to race. He hadn’t been in good shape when we saw him. There was no way he had made it back... Had he?
I opened his office door slowly, but my heart sunk immediately. Heather was sitting in the middle of the floor with a whiskey bottle, dressed Leon’s sweatpants and his hoodie.
“Heather...” I breathed, unsure of what to say.
She looked up, noticing me for the first time. Her mascara had long ago smeared, and her eyes were red from tears. In a lot of ways, she looked crazy...
“It took you long enough.” She slurred, shoving the bottle of whiskey at me.
“I’m sorry.” I said sympathetically. “I didn’t know.”
“He’s alive, Rhys, I still feel our bond. We have to save him.”
I took the bottle from her and took a swig before handing it back.
“We will.” I promised. “We will.”
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