Outsider (Outsider Series) (25 page)

“Gram, was my dad really in the military?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “That was a cover for all the moving you guys had to do. Your parents feared that if they stayed in one place too long that the Grimm’s might find them.”

“They sacrificed everything for me,” I whispered.

“No,” she spoke softly, “they sacrificed everything for each other. You and Caeden will do the same.”

I looked at Caeden and he looked at me, “I know,” I whispered, “I’m already there.”

I finished the crackers and Caeden said, “Alright guys, let’s go bury Leslee so we can get out of here.”

I squeezed his hand. “Thank you,” I said.

His blue eyes glowed with love. “I’d do anything for you.”

“I know,” I said.

He grinned. “I assume you want to come,” he said.

“Of course,” I said. “You didn’t think you’d get off that easy by just leaving me behind, now did you?”

“Of course, not,” he said, and picked me up.

“I think I can walk now,” I said.

“I’m going to carry you,” he said. Seeing that I was going to protest, he added, “Please, don’t argue about this with me. I don’t doubt that you can walk but maybe I just want to hold you close. You’ve been gone for almost a week. Holding you in my arms means that I know you’re safe.”

“I understand,” I whispered.

“Good,” he said. “Bryce,” he called over his shoulder, “come on.”

I saw Bryce emerge from the woods with red eyes and a puffy face. I was surprised when Charlotte went to comfort him.

We all started the trek back to the encampment, well except for maybe me; I just had to lay there while Caeden held me. When we came through the opening in the trees I hoped to see Leslee sitting up and smiling like nothing had happened. But of course, that wasn’t the case, she was dead. Murdered by her husband.

Caeden set me down on the wooden steps of the log house.
He went around back and returned with a couple of shovels. He tossed one to Bentley and one to Logan, keeping the third for himself. “Bryce, can you sit with Sophie?”

“Sure thing,” he said and hopped onto the step next to me.

The boys set to work on digging the makeshift grave.

Bryce and I talked for a while before he stood and said, “I’ll be right back.”

I watched him go and he returned with a large rock in his hands. He sat down next to me once again and then pulled a knife out of his back pocket. I flinched. He glanced over at me and murmured, “Sorry.”

He set to work carving something into the stone. It took him a long time but the end result brought tears to my eyes. He showed me the carving he had created,
Leslee Grimm, who was not a Grimm at all.

“Bryce,” I said choking on tears. I hugged him to my chest. “Thank you. This means a lot.”

“She helped you. I understand why you want to do this for her. I thought this would make it as close to a perfect grave as it could get.”

“Thank you, really, Bryce,” I said again. I was still hugging him and his hand rubbed soothing circles on my back. “How did you guys find me?” I asked.

“Archie,” he said. “Your familiars can always find you.”

“Oh,” I said. “I forgot about that.”

He laughed. “So did we or we would have found you sooner. When you panic like we all were
,
coherent thought goes out the window. We just thought the dog liked to bark at us. Then once
we understood that he could find you it took a matter of understanding which way he wanted us to go. You can’t exactly talk to them and we didn’t want to walk because for all we knew you were halfway to Tennessee.”

I laughed, “That’s true. Where are we?”

“The mountains of West Virginia,” he said. “Deep in the mountains,” he said. “We would’ve never found you if it wasn’t for Archie. I think that dog and Caeden have formed some kind of weird relationship,” he said with a laugh. “Caeden has talked only to that dog for days straight, only stopping to yell at us, like he was going to answer back or something. I don’t know maybe he did. I’ve always found dogs to be quite human.”

I laughed and bumped my knee against his. “Despite all of this,” I said waving my arms to cover the entire area, “you still manage to make me laugh.”

“I try,” he said.

The boys finished digging the grave and Caeden went to get her body. I saw that someone had wrapped her in a blanket. They gently deposited her body into the grave and then started covering her with the dirt they had just dug up.

A few tears escaped my eyes and Bryce wrapped his arms around me. “It’s okay, Sophie,” he whispered.
“Go ahead and cry.”

And I did. I cried for me. I cried for Caeden.
For all the wolves.
My mom and dad.
Gram.
But mostly for Leslee.

She had lived through hell being married to Peter and then bore a son that was just as evil as his father. She had died to save my mate; not given it a second thought. Leslee had spent her entire life being a part of a pack that was nothing but evil. Yet, she epitomized everything that was good. She was someone to admire. She was a good person and her life had been cut short because of that. I could only hope that she was in a better place now, no matter how cheesy that may sound, she deserved
it
. She deserved to find some happiness in her death since she had
so
little in her life.

I wiped away the last of my tears with the back of my hand. “Better now?” asked Bryce.

“Much,” I replied and gave him a small smile, but it was forced and he knew it. I didn’t really feel like smiling af
ter all I had been put through.
But I was safe now. And that’s what mattered. The torture was over. I would never have to be put through that again. It was over. It was done.

The boys patted the dirt trying to compound the small hill that had risen. Caeden leaned against his shovel and wiped sweat from his brow. Normally the sight of him shirtless and glistening in sweat nearly sent me into convulsions but not this time. It still made my heart pitter patter but not at the magnitude it normally did. This week had changed me completely. I was forever changed. How could I not be? I didn’t want to let what happened to me ruin me but it wasn’t something I could just forget either. I hope
d
time could heal me. And if time couldn’t then I hoped Caeden could. “We’re done,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said standing and going to hug him. He wrapped his arms around me but loosely. I was thankful. My entire body was sore. I knew I must look horrible but I had vowed to myself not to look at my reflection.

Bryce came over carrying the large stone. I knew that a normal man would never have been able to lift it, let alone carry it without breaking out in a sweat.
Bryce placed the makeshift headstone at the top of the mound. He disappeared into the trees and returned with a bunch of frozen wild flowers in his hand. He shrugged and said sheepishly,
“It was all I could find.”

He gently placed the flowers on top of the marker and they all turned to look at me.

“You should say something,” said Caeden squeezing my hand gently like I was a fragile piece of glass that might shatter if he wasn’t careful.

“Um…” I started meeting all the eyes staring at me. I cleared my throat and looked instead at the grave so that I was speaking solely to Leslee. “I didn’t know you well. I know you were my mom’s best friend and I know that you saved me.” I sniffled. “You saved Caeden because I asked you too. You were a good person
but
you were with the wrong one. You deserved to find peace and since you didn’t find it in life I hope you’ve found it in death. Thank you for your sacrifice. I will never forget what you’ve done for me.”

I stepped away and let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding.
I looked up into Caeden’s clear blue eyes. “Ready?” he asked.

I nodded my head.

They put away the shovels and then we started back to the car. Caeden let me walk this time but he kept a firm hold on me and lifted me over various obstacles. I was thankful for his solid presence at my side.

We made it back to the cars all in one piece. I didn’t tell Caeden but I was still expecting Travis and Peter to come out and attack us. I didn’t trust them and I knew they’d be back and with a vengeance. That was both of their personalities. They didn’t give up.

Gram had stayed behind and dozed quietly in the front passenger seat of the car. The sun had almost completely set and darkness was slowly taking over. Caeden dug in his pocket and tossed his keys to Bryce, “You drive,” he commanded his brother.

“Sweet,” said Bryce, running around to take the driver’s seat. Caeden shook his head at his little brother. He said a quick thanks to the others who then hopped in Bentley’s GMC and took off.

Caeden gently helped me into the backseat of the
Jeep
and then laid me down with my head in his lap.

“Home,” I breathed.

“Yes,” he whispered, “I’m taking you home.”

“Not if I can’t get this stupid thing to work,” said Bryce hitting the built in navigation system.

“Hey, hey,” scolded Caeden. “Don’t hurt it.”

“Stupid Chinese,” muttered Bryce, “can’t they make anything simple?”

“Don’t diss the Chinese just because they’re smarter than you. It’s unbecoming,” Caeden said with a laugh.

Bryce mimicked his brother in a high-pitched voice. “Don’t be an ass, how about that?” he grumbled.

Caeden rolled his eyes. “A simple navigation system has your panties in a bunch? What am I to do with you?”

“One: I don’t wear panties. I prefer to go commando. Two: why don’t you just feed me to the wolves? Oh right, I am one,” laughed Bryce.

“Too much information,” said Caeden. I sat up so that Caeden could lean forward and fiddle with the navigation system. Five seconds later he sat back and muttered, “Was that so difficult?”

“Very,” said Bryce, turning on the headlights and putting the car into gear.

“What’s all this grumbling about?” groaned Gram. “Can’t you see an old woman trying to sleep?”

The boys laughed. “You’re not old,” said Caeden.

Gram scoffed. “What planet are you living on? The planet of the completely blind?”

“How about the planet of the completely absurd?” added
Bryce.
Gram smacked the back of his head. “Ow,” he said rubbing his head. “What was that for?”

“For calling me old!” quipped Gram.

I started to laugh but immediately stopped when it hurt too
bad
. Caeden noticed and sent me a sad look. He pulled me back down onto his lap and ran his hands through my hair. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s not your fault,” I said. “Don’t torture yourself with something that was out of your control.”

“I can’t help it,” he said sniffling, his tears dripping from his chin onto my face. “I’m your mate. I’m supposed to protect you.”

“
Shh
, can we talk about this later?” I asked, my eyes already growing heavy.

“Of course,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said before sleep took me blissfully for the first time in a week.

fourteen
.

When the car stopped I was disoriented for a moment. Then I realized that we weren’t at Gram’s house but Caeden’s.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he murmured when my eyes cracked open.

“Why are we here?” I asked.

“Because I’m not letting you out of my sight.
At least not yet.
Lucinda agreed, right?” he asked Gram as she was opening the car door.

“Reluctantly,” she said.

“She said she’d only let you stay here for a few days if she could supervise. I told her that was completely unnecessary. My mom’s here after all.”

Gram said something unintelligible and started
towards the door
. Caeden helped me out of the car and into the house.

Gram and Bryce had already disappeared but Caeden’s mom stood in the doorway. “Oh, Sophie,” she sighed, “I’m so happy you’re safe.”

“Me too,” I said. She took in my battered body and winced.

“I’m sure you want to get a shower and get cleaned up so we’ll talk more tomorrow, okay? I’ll make you a big breakfast,” she said emphasizing with her hands how big. “You look like you’ve lost fifteen pounds. You’re no more than skin and bones, you poor thing.”

“I feel like skin and bones,” I said.

She came forward and gave me a light hug, her hands fluttering, frightened to hurt me. “Caeden will take care of you. I’ll make you a snack for when you come out of the shower, okay? And don’t worry, if you can’t eat anything, it won’t hurt my feelings
, but just try,” she said with a mothering look and patted my hand. I saw her disappear into the kitchen.

“Come on baby,” said Caeden. He held tightly to my hand and we started upstairs. I had never been upstairs before.

“Where are we going?” I asked.