Chapter 147
“I don’t understand,” Grimm said, “Is it point that there is no prophecy, or that everything we thought we knew about the prophecy was wrong?”
“Well, if I know Declan, I’m sure he’s expressed his opinion that prophecies are all a bunch of balderdash, but I don’t hold the same opinion. So no, I don’t think the prophecy is just make up, and I don’t think we were entirely wrong either,” he paused, rubbing his chin and gathering his thoughts. “I think the story of Little Red Riding Hood, or Little Red Cap, as she is sometimes also known, does hold the meaning of the ancient prophecy about a little girl, wolves, and the hunters… the question is, which version is the real thing.”
We all sat in silence, contemplating what Father Sean was proposing.
“Wait,” Declan said, “What’s the point? Who cares if that prophecy was a fake one to give hunters justification to keep killing off wolves? It still has no bearing on real life. On our lives.”
“But what if it does?” Seraphina countered. Declan pursed his lips to stop himself from arguing with his mate. “I don’t mean if there is a real prophecy,” she clarified, “But if there is another version somewhere out there, maybe there is someone else who believes in it and tries to come after Cam or you.”
“Sera has a good point,” Grimm said, “Your family and Cam’s were destroyed because of people who believed a prophecy. If there is a chance there is another prophecy out there, we need to know so we can protect ourselves.”
“We’re going to have to track down and read every variation of Little Red Riding Hood, aren’t we,” I asked, not looking forward to adding reading to all the things I needed to get done before the ceremony and Grimm’s surprise vacation for us.
“I wish Debbie were still here. She’d have been excited about this kind of project,” Seraphina said in a quiet voice.
I met her eyes and gave her a soft smile of agreement, feeling a pang of loss in my chest at Debbie’s memory. Seraphina was right, Debbie would have been thrilled to do this research.
I cleared my throat to break the cloud of melancholy that had descended on our group at the memory of our friend, “No time like the present to get started, I guess. I’ll go grab my laptop and a few pads of paper for us from my office.” I stood and did just that.
When I came back, I distributed the pads of paper and pens to the group. Seraphina wanted to return to her cottage to dig through some one her materials on prophecies, and I suggested Declan and Father Sean try the pack library, giving them a chance to also catch up one-on-one. This left Grimm and me with our laptops in Grimm’s office.
“Hey,” Grimm said, pulling me into his lap and leaning in to nuzzle against my neck, “Are you okay?”
I curled myself into Grimm’s chest, letting the warmth of the mate bond sooth my jumbled mind, “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised this whole prophecy thing isn’t over. It seemed too easy and like everything was wrapped up too quickly…”
“But?” he pushed.
“But then I wonder if it will ever end. Or what if what we find out from this research that there is some other big scary out there that is going to come after me?”
“Then we will deal with it. And the one after that, and the one after that,” he said, his hand rubbing up and down my arm in a soothing gesture.
“I don’t love the idea that there will be more and more,” I frowned.
Grimm chuckled lightly, “There are always going to be challenges we’re going to have to face. Even if they aren’t ‘big scaries’, then it will be… I don’t know, the plumbing in the pack house breaking or a storm that knocks a tree down onto the roof of the daycare, or the truck breaking down. But no matter what, we’re going to get through it together. You, me, Amy, Ryder, Sera, Declan, everyone.”
I blinked hard to keep the tears that were stinging my eyes from falling. I didn’t want to start crying, but the love and support from Grimm was making it hard. He was so right.
“There was so much of my life where I was on my own and had to deal with the tough stuff my myself. I sometimes forget that I’m not along anymore.” I admitted, “but I am so glad I’m not.”
After a few more minutes of cuddling, I pushed myself off Grimm’s lap and got to work on research.
We worked all afternoon, only stopping to have dinner in the pack dining room. Declan and Sera decided to take Father Sean out into town for dinner, to give him and Sera a chance to get to know each other. I was happy for Declan that Father Sean was visiting, even if it was giving us all more work to do, because I knew how much the priest meant to Declan.