The Lost Rogue Heiress

THIRTEEN - Dear Grayson

The next few minutes seemed to creep by at a snail’s pace. She’d never held anything that belonged to either of her parents, much less had anything so personal as their words committed to paper. Anticipation and anxiety coursed through Olivia, making her fingers fidget as she waited for Grayson to return.

Lizzie sat in silence near her, still with the same awestruck look on her face that she had when they arrived at the castle. Her eyes roamed the room, soaking in every detail as though she was committing it to memory.

When Grayson finally returned, Olivia felt a weight on her chest dissipate as she saw the bundle of envelopes in his hands. He carried them as though they were the most precious things in the world, as though one slip would cause the only thing that he had left of his son to disappear forever.

“I wish I could have given you these a long time ago,” he said to Olivia with regret.

Her fingers trembled as she gently took the stack out of his outstretched hand. It wasn’t until she laid the pile in her lap that she noticed the envelope on the top of the stack was opened and addressed to Grayson and not to herself. Olivia raised her eyes to him in confusion.

“The first one was a letter to me from your mother. I don’t know what details are included in the ones addressed to you; I’ve never opened them. But I thought you deserved to know everything, so I wanted you to have this one as well.”

Olivia nervously looked back to the stack before picking up the top letter and pulling its pages from the opened envelope. The edges of the paper were worn and crinkled from the many times they had been pulled out of their home and poured over.

Grayson-

I am sorry for everything. I should have listened to you from the beginning and now I fear it’s too late. What I wouldn’t give if I could go back in time. I promise you that from the beginning I have only tried to follow my conscious, to do what I felt was right. Now I know that some loyalties are meant to be broken, and that both Tristan and I have been too trusting in the good of certain people.

Beta Derek is a good man. I have never met a more dedicated and loyal man in my life. He loves you and your family as though you were his own, and I am grateful that you will now have him to look after you in this difficult time. I only wish I could say that I felt the same about his son Damien. Please know, that if anything happens, Damien is the only person other than you that would have the knowledge to betray us. I needed to make sure you knew this before it was too late. It breaks my heart that he is the son of a man you love so much, but I do not trust him anymore.

I do trust Aries, however. I trust her with my life. I don’t know what happened, but ever since Olivia was born, she has seen Damien as an enemy. I can only trust that her instincts are true, as you taught me, in spite of the fact that Damien has always appeared to be loyal to Tristan. Aries doesn’t seem to think so.

From the time that I was little and she came out of hibernation, I always knew that Aries was special. It wasn’t until I met you that I truly understood how incredible she was, and how powerful she and I could be together. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you have given us and all you have taught us about our magic. The world needs more men like you.

Take a deep breath now, Grayson, because this isn’t the part you’re going to want to hear, but I need you to listen to me. I have seen a vision through Aries of some time in the distant future, and Grayson…Tristan and I aren’t in it. Our beautiful Olivia is, however, and so are you. Although I know now that Tristan and I will not survive this war, it brings me indescribable joy to know that Olivia will, and that one day she will have you at her side.

Unfortunately, that one day will not be for many years. She will grow up in the Jadewood pack, not with the Northern Rogue’s. It saddens and breaks my heart that my baby girl will have to suffer to become the woman that she will be one day, but this is the way it has to be. I wish I could explain why, but please know that if you don’t leave her with the Jadewood pack until she is ready, she won’t make it. I don’t know how or why or when. I just know that someone will kill my child. So as much it pains me to ask you to leave her with your enemies, I would rather her be a Jadewood that’s alive, than a Rogue that’s dead. I hope you trust my judgment and instincts as much as you taught me to trust them. I think we both know that Aries was meant for great things, and it’s because of her that I know this.

The only silver lining to this is that I sensed Aries’ spirit near Olivia when she’s older. I don’t know how she manages to find her, or what the Goddess has in store for my daughter and my wolf, but at least they will have each other. I also sensed that the one that Aries will belong to in her next life, will actually have the strength to match Aries. My hope is that one day, when she is grown and you no longer sense the threat, you will bring her here and tell her about Tristan and I. That you will help her find Aries if she hasn’t already and that you will teach them both everything you taught Tristan and me.

We have each written a letter for our daughter. I know you will keep them safe until the time is right. I trust your judgment in this regard, as I hope you trust mine in the other.

Please make sure Olivia knows how loved she is. That her father and I would have burned the world down and put it back together brick by brick for her if needed. Tristan is the other half of my heart, my soul, my mate. I hope you know how much your son has meant to me these last two years. And I hope that whatever happens, Olivia is happy and that she knows how difficult it was to leave her behind.

I may be leaving her behind, but I will always be with her.

With all of my love,

Sara

Olivia’s cheeks were wet from the few tears that managed to escape as she read her mother’s words. Through pages and ink that was over two decades old, her mother managed to make Olivia feel a type of love that she never knew existed. She had been wanted, loved, and even cherished.

Having already experienced Aries' visions firsthand, she could see how her mother would take it to heart if Aries saw something about her future. Did Aries still have visions of the future, or was that the only one? As Olivia stared at the paper with blurry vision, trying to process her mother's words, one detail struck her more than the rest.

"What happened to Damien? And your Beta?"

"Ah, him. Damien— he's no longer with us." Grayson sounded sad.

"So it was him. He betrayed my parents. And you. And your Beta," Olivia said softly before pausing to look in Grayson's amethyst eyes.

"Yes. He betrayed everyone," Grayson replied. "But your parents most of all. Tristan especially; he loved Damien like a brother. They grew up together and were very close for most of their lives. I never understood it. The Damien that loved your father was not the same Damien that betrayed them, I'm convinced."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Grayson paused. "I guess I mean that he changed. That wasn't the Damien we knew and loved. But in the end, your mother was right.

"Your father was meeting your mother before one of the last battles. This wasn't unusual, I think the soldier in both of them always knew it might be the last time they held each other. Damien was the only one that knew their meeting spots. And myself, of course. There was an ambush waiting for him and by the time someone found him, it was too late. Your mother found him just before he passed. That brought some comfort, knowing he wasn't alone. I was told she held him in her arms as he took his last breath."

Grayson's words were so raw with emotion; it was like it happened yesterday and not 25 years ago. Olivia reached over and gave his strong and weathered hand a light squeeze. Such a simple gesture, but a little light returned to the older man's face.

"So, Damien was killed?" She asked before adding, "that must have been impossibly painful for your Beta."

Olivia wasn't trying to be insensitive, but a part of her needed to know that the man that stole everything from her, everything from her parents, and everything from Grayson was no longer walking this earth. That he had been served justice for his treachery.

"We never found the body, but we assumed so. His connection to us was severed during the battle. It was later in the day that I discovered that there had been an ambush on your father. I knew it could only be Damien. When I received your mother's letters from a messenger, it only solidified what was already plain to me, though that didn't make it any easier to accept.

"Derek, he's still around, but he's retired in all but name. I will have no other Beta, but after losing Damien, Derek was never the same. Sometimes I think the only reason he kept going was because of the son Damien left behind. He was five years old, and through a cruel twist of fate had already lost both of his parents."

"He left behind a child also?" Olivia asked.

She knew she should feel sorry for a fellow orphan who lost their parents just like she did. All she could think of, however, was this child had the same genes, the same DNA as their treacherous father. In her experience, the apple usually didn't fall far from the tree. Lizzie was the only person she knew she could say was from an entirely different orchard.

"Yes, he did. Good kid. Hard headed, but good. I've helped Derek raise him over the years, and I think he turned out alright all things considered," Grayson paused to chuckle at himself.

"He typically fulfills the Beta duties that his grandfather is no longer able to carry out, and he's trained with me most of his life. He's stronger than most Alphas; the problem is he knows it. Actually, if I’m being completely honest, he’d be my first pick to take my place if I didn’t think you were capable,” her grandfather finished while holding her gaze so that she could see his confidence in her.

“You really think your Rogues will let me lead them? A woman?” Olivia’s strength and confidence was growing by the minutes these last twenty-four hours, but she still needed to hear it from him.

“Olivia, I think you will find that we do things a little differently here than in many traditional packs. Women receive equal rights, equal treatment, etc. This means, that it’s entirely probable that we will have a female Alpha someday. I just happen to believe that day is going to come sooner rather than later. Besides, with Desmond by your side, you will be unstoppable.

Olivia nearly choked on her coffee. Her cheeks began to flush at the mention of her mate’s name. How did he know? Goddess she hoped he hadn’t seen anything.

“How did you know about Desmond?” Olivia asked hurriedly, hands face like a child who’d been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

“What do you mean, Olivia? Desmond is Derek's grandson."