“Thank you, all of you,” she said. “I appreciate your protection.” She hugged into me before sighing.
“Ok then,” she sobered with a worried look on her face. “We all go,” she clasped my hand as Gregg led us into the cell area.
Gregg keyed in the code that opened the door to the inner hallway, where all the cells were.Marshall, who had been quiet until now, suddenly stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. His eyes widened, and he looked at Becca in confusion.
“What?” she asked, confused at his reaction.
“No,” he said, “it can’t be?” His eyes tearing up, and he looked at me and then at Erica. I looked at her and she was crying again.
“Marshall,” she said, “I don’t understand it, but it is, isn’t it?” Marshall pushed past Gregg towards the cell and stopped and stared.
“Marshall?” Becca ran to him and he whispered something to her. She looked in the cell. A strangled cry came out of her mouth as she stared. Then I heard Grant speak from the cell.
“Hi Marshall,” and then there was a pause. “Hi mum.” My eyes widened as Becca broke down in tears and Marshall rushed to catch her. My heart skipped a beat, realisation crashing down like a tidal wave. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, yet the picture they formed seemed too surreal to comprehend. This was what Erica had been so desperate to confirm. This was the secret she had been carrying around all day. No wonder why she was so distracted.
"Erica!" I called out, but it was too late. She was already running towards the cell, tears streaming down her face. Her arms reached through the bars, wrapping tightly around Grant as if she feared he would disappear again.
"I didn't want to believe it until I knew for sure," she choked out, her voice strained by emotion.
“It’s okay, beautiful,” Grant said, smelling her hair. He looked up at me as I glared at him.
“I’m here, I got you,” he smirked at me over her shoulder. “I’m never letting you go again, I promise.”
Chapter 46
Liam
Thebarsofthecell were cold and unforgiving, but Erica's embrace was warm as she hugged Grant through them. Their whispers drifted to my ears despite their attempts at discretion.
"Erica, I can't believe it's you," breathed Grant, his voice thick with emotion.
"Grant... I never thought I'd see you again," Erica replied, her green eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Feeling a knot of anger and jealousy twist in my gut, I called out to her.
"Erica." She turned to face me, offering a tear-stained smile that pierced my heart. My father and Gregg looked just as confused as I felt. The air hung heavy with questions and uncertainty, but one thing was clear - our lives had just become a lot more complicated.
"Hey, Liam," she said softly, stepping towards me. I opened my arms, pulling her in for a tight hug. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to shield her from the pain and confusion that surrounded us. I could feel her body trembling gently, her warmth seeping into me as we held each other. As I glanced over her shoulder, my eyes met Grant's. His smirk taunted me, darkening the cloud of suspicion that already hovered in my mind. I tightened my grip on Erica, vowing inwardly to protect her from whatever secrets Grant might be hiding. This reunion was far from a happy coincidence; something darker lay beneath the surface, and I would do everything in my power to uncover it before it affected my family or my pack.
My father cleared his throat, drawing our attention to him.
"Erica, we need some answers. What's going on here?" Before she could speak, Marshall interjected. "Alpha, you’ve met Grant before. You would have known him as Christian Hughes. He's Becca and Trenton's first son."
"The Alpha heir of the Moon Key pack." Erica said, her gaze shifting over to Grant. The room was thick with disbelief as everyone tried to process this revelation. Shock rippled through me, and I could see a similar reaction in my father and Gregg's expressions. Damon, however, looked suspicious.
"That's impossible," he said, eyeing Grant warily. "Erica told us that Christian was dead. She said she saw him die." Erica nodded, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I did... I thought he was dead. It happened when I was just a child. That awful day has haunted my nightmares ever since." Her eyes were distant, reliving the horror of her past. Despite the emotional turmoil, I kept my face stoic, my eyes never leaving Grant. There was something about his reappearance that gnawed at me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story than met the eye.
"Is it really you, Christian?" Becca asked, her voice choked with emotion. The weight of the revelation seemed to press down on her, threatening to break her spirit. Grant nodded, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Yes, mum, it's me. I'm here now, and I want to make things right." His words did little to ease my suspicions. Deep down, I knew that I had to find the truth before it threatened the safety of those I held dear. And while I couldn't deny the connection between Erica and Grant, I couldn't help but worry about the impact his return would have on her. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, the anger and disbelief simmering just below the surface. Grant's revelation left everyone grasping for answers, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
“Where have you been for almost twenty years?” Marshall asked and Grant looked over at him.
"Until recently, I had very little memory before joining Silver Stone," Grant spoke up, his voice laced with vulnerability. "But on the recent mission... it all came flooding back." I studied him, noting the strained expression on his face as he turned to Erica.
"I was chasing after a werewolf who had kidnapped a pup, and suddenly, images of trying to protect you in the stone circle filled my mind." My heart clenched at the raw emotion in Grant's eyes. A part of me wanted to believe him, but the overwhelming need to protect Erica and my family urged caution. Gregg chimed in, his tone thoughtful.
"A similar situation triggering repressed memories makes sense." He paused, his gaze shifting between Grant and me. "Grant went berserk on the kidnapper, nearly beating him to death."
