BLOOD LEGACIES
Chapter 246: Convenience

Chapter 246: Convenience

After putting everything back in the exact same spot I found it... Grayson hasn’t said a word to me and I was getting worried. I know he has always been a quiet person but this was different, It was like I could feel his pain. No one would take this well after finding out you aren’t the real child of your parents. It was heartbreaking seeing him like this and instead of dealing with it with tears, I hoped, he just settled for silence.

Seating on the floor with his back against his bed and his gaze leveled on the floor in deep thought.

I rivaled myself if I should go to him or leave him be, but I was confused and didn’t know what to do, I just stood at his door watching him with sad eyes, I relentlessly played with the tip of my cardigan thinking of what to do but nothing came through, should I leave him alone or go to him? I didn’t know what but I knew what was best right now, leave him because he looked so lost right now and wanted to be alone.

If I didn’t listen to that voice in my head maybe he wouldn’t be in such a state maybe he would still be happy with his parents but in the back of my head, I knew it was right for him to find out, to cover whatever blanks he might have felt in his life. I still didn’t know why the voice led me to that diary or why he heard it but whatever it is I felt like I have fulfilled whatever I was here for.

Maybe I should leave him be... I might approach him right now but he might not be in the mood to talk and that could make it worse so I backed away and walked downstairs, heading straight to the door, it was snowing now and I sighed knowing this sweater won’t keep me warm enough, but whatever it was I would risk it. So I took a step outside...

"Leaving so soon?"

At the sudden voice, I halted in my tracks and twirled, finding Grayson descending the stairs, all dressed up for the cold with his arrow and crossbow straddled at his back.

I scrutinized as he took loud steps towards me before stopping before me and giving me a coat. "Wear this... the temp is dropping already, it will be super cold"

I took it before I found my words. "Are you okay?" I asked worried as I put on the coat, now this was definitely his. It was so big and comfy and I loved the cologne on it. But it was not as sweet as Dace’s scent.

"I’m not sure," he said with a blank expression but I knew he was being honest right now so I didn’t push it. "You know I can’t let you go out on your own"

"Grayson, there’s no need to help me anymore... I think it’s best you stay and-"

"I don’t wanna be alone" he cut me off and I saw it again, the pain behind those forest green eyes of his, but it quickly masked with his emotionless expression. Also like he didn’t want me to see it and I understand, I won’t force him and I can’t protest either, I had a feeling I shouldn’t.

"Let’s go find your boyfriend"

~

It was a muted trek through the woods, I had no idea where we were maybe deeper in the woods. Grayson would stop on some occasions to check for tracks, I wonder how he could see anything in this mask of snow. I figured this was his specialty as a Venator.

"I can’t find any tracks" he faces me. "You still can’t feel him?"

"I don’t," I said.

"Let’s keep looking, hopefully, we will see some tracks," he said and I nodded while walking beside him. Just the sound of our shoes marching against the snow made noises. I constantly looked over at him and he just kept his eyes up ahead.

"Tell me about your boyfriend" he began breaking the silence and for some reason, the taut air seemed to shift to a more cozy one.

"Well as I said before he’s a werelion. His name is Dace Devereaux"

He stopped and faced me.

"What?"

"A Devereaux? You’re dating a member of one of the oldest families of Skinwalkers?"

"S-Skinwalkers?"

"Werelions are called many names but we mostly call them Skinwalkers. And that is not the answer to my question. Seriously, how old is that guy?"

I shrugged. "150... but he’s still a teen like us, they just age differently" I defended, which was nothing but the truth. I admit his age did bother me at first but it was totally nothing, he’s just a teen. Just the numbers that were super high up.

"Wow" he exclaimed only, continuing his walk and I followed. "Dating an old man"

"He’s not an old man!" I defended and he chuckled out loud which was unexpected but I would admit it made me smile because hearing that sound from him made me find peace within myself.

"He’s really sweet, caring and I..." I paused in my tracks as an ardent feeling overwhelmed me.

He stopped too... turning to me and I looked at him as then a realization struck me harder than I could bear because tears threatened to fall at that exact moment.

"Emma?"

"I-I love him, Grayson" like my heart was strangled and the pain was getting harder to bear but at the same time, I finally understood it. I thought I never understood the concept of love... I knew for a fact I cherish my mom and I love her, the same as my aunt but to the opposite gender I was yet to experience and understand it but I was wrong...

from the very first moment, I laid my eyes on Dace, holding his umbrella and looking down at me... I felt it then but it was a sensation that I was yet to understand. The time we spent together, his soothing words and his smiles as well as his touch, his presence making me feel complete and the need to be by his side no matter what, his affections, his constant gaze on me.

And I was stupid because it took me so long to realize it. I love Dace.

"Hey," Grayson said now standing beside me and I sobbed realizing I was crying.

"We will find him, okay?"

"Aren’t you hurt?" I asked all of a sudden. "You just found out your parents aren’t really yours, you must be breaking Grayson and I know it,"

He was silent now, unmoving and only the wind was the sound between us. Until he opened his mouth and I saw it all... the flush of emotions.

"I’m hurting, Emma... it feels like I will suffocate..." he began with hollow eyes and all the ache came to the surface and it was in perfect sync with mine.

"I wanna hate my mom for keeping something as important as this from me but I can’t. She loves me and I get it... but..." he sighed heavily. "It’s like my whole life has been a lie and I have believed I’m the true son of my dad and his heir but it turns out I’m not... it sets all my beliefs in a twist, Emma, it makes me feel like I have been living a life that isn’t mine and everything I choose to believe is not me and it hurts but I don’t wanna think about it because the more I do the more I see that I’m not truly a Venator... then what am I, Emma? Who am I?"

I hugged him because I couldn’t contain it any further, his outflow of words and feelings to me made my heart twist and I felt every bit of what he felt.

"She should have told me, Emma, she should have"

I hugged him tightly, I knew he wanted to cry but he was keeping it in and all it did was break his voice further, so I cried for both of us and it felt like my chest was being lifted off some kind of weight.

We just stayed there, under the faint falling snow in each other’s embrace, taking comfort and silence like medicine and it helped with the pain but both of us knew it... I just knew we felt the same way... like something was missing like a part of us.

*Rustling Leaves*

At the sound, I gasped and parted from him.

"What’s that?" I asked, suddenly scared because it had been impossibly quiet ever since and a sudden sound was suspicious.

"Stay close to me," Grayson said, drawing an arrow from his back and setting his crossbow. His eyes scanned the entire place and I did too.

My beating heart echoed in my ears and then it came again. We turned.

It came behind. We pivoted to it.

It came from the side. We pivoted once again.

It came by our left.

Behind again!

Like something was moving so fast and we couldn’t trace it with our eyes, we knew we weren’t alone.

*Loud Snap Sound*

We twirled and finally found the source of the racket and a growl belched.