“In Caswell,” I said, suddenly unsure. “It was in Michelle’s office. I… I know it sounds crazy, but I think I was meant to find it. I didn’t read it,” I added quickly. “At least not beyond the first couple of pages. But it didn’t belong to her. I don’t know why she kept it or even if she knew it was there.”
“She did,” Elizabeth said. “Nothing would have escaped her attention. The bigger question is why she kept it at all.” She looked at me. Tears fell freely now. “You’ve had it this entire time, haven’t you? Because of what you said that first day.”
I nodded, feeling like shit. “‘To my beloved. Never forget.’ I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was scared.”
“Why now?” She didn’t sound angry, and her scent was filled with tempered grief.
“Because it’s yours, and no one else should ever get to touch it unless you give them permission to do so. I don’t mean to make you sad.”
“I know. Thank you, Robbie. I haven’t seen this in years. I don’t think Thomas meant to leave it behind. But things were complicated back then.” She opened the journal, and I felt like I was intruding on something private. She traced a finger over the slanted writing that filled the pages. She took in a shuddering breath as she began to flip through the journal. “I wonder….”
I wanted to ask, but I didn’t think she would hear me.
It didn’t take long until she reached the back of the journal. She looked disappointed for a moment, but then her eyes lit up. “You sneak. Of course.”
She ran a finger over the back cover. There were tight black threads on one edge that I hadn’t noticed before. A claw grew from the tip of one of her fingers, and she sliced through the threads. I was alarmed that she felt the need to destroy her husband’s journal, but before I could say anything, she pulled out an envelope.
And then another.
And then another.
Three small squares that I hadn’t known were there.
Her smile trembled. “There you are. I thought you’d been lost.” She looked up at me, eyes bright. “Thank you, Robbie. You don’t know what this means to me. For us. For our family. For our pack. This is a wonderful gift. And now I have something for you.”
She handed me one of the envelopes.
On the front was the same handwriting from the journal. For Kelly’s Future.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“It’s for you,” she said. “And there’s one for Ox and one for… well. We’ll know when Carter knows.”
I looked up at her. “About what?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Not now.” She closed the journal in her lap, keeping the other two envelopes on the top. “My husband wrote you a letter.”
I blinked. “Me? But I didn’t know him.”
“Hypothetical you,” she said, running her fingers over the other envelopes. “Whoever Kelly chose to spend his life with. When the day came that Kelly would find his mate, Thomas planned on giving whoever it was this letter. He wrote one for each of his sons. He always planned on being here when it happened.”
She stood then, bending over and kissing Kelly on the forehead. She squeezed my shoulder before heading toward the door. She paused and said, “You deserve every happiness. Remember that.” And then she was gone.
The room was quiet, with only the sounds of Kelly’s slow, shallow breaths interrupted by the occasional sniffle. I looked down at the envelope again. I was scared to open it. I didn’t know if I deserved this, didn’t know if I could be the man an Alpha king would have chosen for his son.
But it wasn’t about his choice.
It was about mine.
And Kelly’s.
I opened the envelope. There were two pages filled with the same script.
Hello—
I write this on a sunny day.
I think that’s important.