Price Of One

It's been almost a week since Gray and I fought and made up, he's been so lovely this whole time, not that he's not so lovely anyway. He's been leaving a single rose in different places throughout the day, there was a day I never came across one so he places it in his suit for when I saw him next. Other than that the days have been pretty uneventful for the days I have now, Erik sent a team down to start interviewing Cyrus and whoa, we got more than we bargained for. So with his statement and my father's, Erik feels like we have a nearly airtight story. Today I had another task at hand, I promised Gray's mother that I would have a meeting with her, I never break a promise which is why it's happening today. I told Gray and tried my hardest to persuade him to meet with her, but he told me he doesn't want to sit in the same room as that woman ever again, so I was going alone. I make my way down the corridor alone which hardly ever happens, I either have Gray or Erik walking alongside me. In a weird kind of way I liked it, back at The Hillside Pack I spent most of my time alone. I used to do all my pack chores alone, the Alpha loved to make my life has difficult as he could. I had Grace but she was always busy with her job, she worked in one of the restaurants at the pack. Sometimes I would get lonely but I learnt to come to terms with it and actually enjoyed it, these last few months I've never been alone which again has been great but sometimes, you just like your own company. I arrive at the reception of the castle to see Gray's mum, she was nervously playing with her hands acting as though she wanted to hide. I guess she did flee from here and made everyone believe she was dead, if anyone worked here when she was about saw her now, they'd have the shock of their lives. As I get closer she clocks me walking over a little smile filling her face, I know Gray doesn't want to know her but I can't help but feel sorry for this women. She also had to go through so much pain as like Gray, it must have been so tough on her. "Thank you for coming...." I say about to say her name but I didn't actually know it, I've always addressed her as Gray's mother, her name never really came up, Erik did all the research. "Elizabeth, but everybody calls me Lizzy" she smiles holding her hand out, I reach over shaking her hand. "I know Gray told you to address me by ma'am, but we're family so just call me Clara " I smile as I spot Gray walking along the upper floor passed us, he stares at his mother for a second but shakes his head walking away. "I know the perfect place to have this conversation, follow me" I smile looking away from where Gray and back to Lizzy, she smiles beginning to follow me outside. When Gray gave me the tour of the castle when I first arrived here, he said the garden was always his mother's favourite and she would spend hours on end here. I want her to feel as comfortable as possible so this is the perfect spot, I haven't really had much time to sit out here since I arrived so it'll be nice for both of us. As soon as we walk out the door I spot her face just light up, she looked around amazed at the garden in front of her. I too start looking around where I see new things, the thing that put a smile on my face were the white roses which spelt "my love" the thing Gray always calls me. "I love it Gray" I mind-link him hoping he knew what I meant, is that why he kept giving me roses? "The pleasure is all mine my love and indeed, I was hoping you would find what I arranged for you" he mind-links back thankfully, knowing what I was thanking him for and also answering my question. "I loved this garden when I lived her, it's the one thing beside my children, that I loved that Preston gave me" Lizzy smiles snapping me out my conversation with Gray, that's exactly what Gray told me. "I know, I thought being around somewhere you loved would help you along the difficult conversation we're about to have" I smile as the little bench comes into view, she smiles towards me as we both take a seat on the bench. "Preston isn't dead is he?" She asks looking over at me, I shake my head at her a little not knowing if that would be a good or bad thing "I kept seeing that he died but I just didn't get the feeling that he did, as his mate I thought I would know if something happened to him" she says pointing down to her stomach, indicating that she would feel it in her gut if something happened to him. "It's as if he died though, Gray's locked him up in the dungeons away from the world so basically the same" I smile but a question comes to mind "why'd you do it?" I ask looking over at her, she just sighs her attention moving to the floor. "I couldn't stay with that man a day longer, he killed my daughter and than acted as though I couldn't be sad" she says her voice cracking when she spoke about Matilda, a parent should never have to go through that. "Was he always like that?" I ask looking over at her, he might have acted all sweet when they met but after he got his claws in, he could have changed. "When we first met he was off, I just amused as he was King he had so much stress to deal with, he was bearable until I fell pregnant with Matilda" she explains looking at me for a second, why would he wait until then? "In his mind I had lived out my purpose for him, I was giving him a baby that would grow the bloodline, that was until I gave birth and the baby was a girl, almost immediately he was forcing me to get pregnant again, once again he was bearable but this time until I gave birth and we found out the baby was boy, from then he really had no use for me apart from looking after the children and when he wanted to....." she says giving me a look, I nod understanding what she was saying without saying it. "When Matilda and Grayson were growing up, he wouldn't try to hide the fact that he didn't like Matilda and let's be honest, he didn't like Grayson either but he tolerated him as he was in his mind the next King" she explains which is also what Gray told me, when Preston found out that Matilda was next in line that's what drove him to do what he did "he drastically changed when he found out Grayson was the second to the throne behind Matilda, I tried to stop him taking her that day but he was much too strong and just dumped Grayson in my arms and locked us in the bedroom" she says talking about the horrible day which I had to learn around for the case "I can't even describe the feeling I felt when he returned and my baby wasn't with him, the whole week of the search I begged and pleaded for him to tell me where she was but he wouldn't, he even said once what daughter? He didn't have a care in the world for what he did to his own daughter" she begins to start to cry, I slowly put my arm around her trying to console her. "I crumbled to the ground when I got word they had found her, my world just came crashing down and in that moment.....I didn't know if I could carry on, but then I looked over my shoulder at my other baby, I knew for his sake I couldn't just break down and had to keep going for him" she says which makes a little smile, Gray kept her going "I managed to hold firm and keep it together all those years, but once it hit the ten year mark of her death, that's when I knew I couldn't stay with that man anymore and thought of a plan to escape him. I wanted to take Grayson but I was still Queen which meant I had an obligation for my people, if I took Grayson along with me they would be out of a King so I had to leave him, as painful as it actually was" she sighs I could tell she still felt awful about the leaving him, imagine one of your children dying than having to leave your other one with the monster that took her away. "You did what you had to, I've heard stories about what that monster did and I don't blame you, neither does Gray, I think he's just hurting, you just need to give him time" I smile looking over at her, she looks over sending me a smile back. "Thank you Clara, I'm so glad Grayson ended up with a mate such as yo-" she starts but is cut off by something moving in the bush, I look up also noticing what she was. We both take a look at each other rising to our feet just as a man jumps out, my eyes immediately go wide and I instantly start running pulling Lizzy with me. "Gray Rupert's here help" I mind-link him as I feel Lizzy being ripped away from my arm, I turn around to see Rupert had her arm holding her there. "Elizabeth, I thought you died" he smiles before holding a rag to her mouth, she immediately starts to fight against him but she soon goes limp and falls to the ground. He then turns his attention to me, I start to sprint away just hoping Gray would pop out from somewhere. I'm grabbed from behind the same rag held over my mouth, I fight against him but I soon begin to feel drowsy. "Two for the price of one" I hear him say before the world goes black.