Gray Valley

f i f t y - o n e

"SUICIDE," I whispered. "She took her own life because of me."

"Weslyn, I'm sure that's not it."

"No, it is," I insisted. "I remember what she said. She wanted me to return to Gray Valley when I was of age... When I was ready to become the Alpha." I closed my eyes, to suppress the pain from surfacing. "There was no way she could hide it from me any longer. It wouldn't have been long before I started to question the car accident story... But she couldn't tell me the truth because I still relied on her. She must have believed that I wouldn't be ready to return to Gray Valley until she was gone." I looked back up at him. "That was probably why she left the note."

"Note?" West asked. "What note?"

"It wasn't really a note... But more of a sheet of paper, with two words on it."

"Gray Valley," he murmured, running his hand through his overgrown hair. "You know, though... That's probably not the only reason."

"What?"

"Losing a Soulmate is the worst pain for a Gray Wolf," he explained. "The one experiencing the loss... Usually doesn't make it."

"Doesn't make it?" I repeated. "West, what do you mean?"

"They usually die," he told me. "They die unless they have something or someone, who keeps them alive... Some kind of attachment in this world."

"An attachment..." I trailed Like-"

"Like you, Weslyn," my brother finished. "It's a huge strain to stay alive after losing your mate, but our mother had to protect you. You were her attachment... But once you grew up, her attachment to you was no longer enough to keep her alive."

There was silence, as I let his words sink in. The pain that my mother must have experienced was haunting... I urged myself to change the topic.

"On that note..." I started; my voice unusually loud. "I was wondering what happened to Liam's mother?"

"Why do you want to know about Melanie Lachowski?" he asked. He made it sound as though I should've known who the unfamiliar name belonged to... Except, I didn't have the faintest idea.

"Who?"

"William's mother," West responded. "You were just asking about her... Weren't you?"

"I don't remember her at all," I admitted. "When I... Brought her up yesterday, Liam just completely shut me out."

"Well, for one thing, he absolutely hates Melanie..."

"Hate?" I asked incredulously. "She's his mother. What could she have done for him to hate her?"

"You're his soulmate and you know him better than I do; so, you tell me, Weslyn... What does William hate above everything else?"

Ever since I  met him, Liam seemed to love everything around him. There was nothing he appeared to hate... Until Blayze. But when I thought about it, I could easily tell that he didn't hate him as a person. He only hated him, because he was a threat. Liam's hatred and anger was something that branched from his deepest fear.

"Being abandoned." I glanced up at him for confirmation, only to see him nod in response. "So, she just left him?" I demanded. "How could she do that?" I felt my neck burn and from the way my brother recoiled at my gaze, I knew my emotions were slipping from my control.

"Weslyn," he muttered, clearly trying to calm me. "A mother wouldn't leave her child without reason."

"Reason? It's  her fault that Liam is so insecure about being left alone," I snapped. "What reason could she possibly have for abandoning her own son?"

"Melanie and-" West froze mid-sentence and took a deep breath to compose himself. "It's not my place to tell you."

As much as he tried to cover up what he had almost told me, I knew he was hiding something important. And for some reason... I felt like it was the key to everything.