Third Degree

chapter twenty-five.

Ethan's POV

I sigh and angrily hang up the phone. This is the second Christmas in a row where Grayson won't be coming home.

"Ma, he isn't coming." I break the news and my mother looks destroyed, but that quickly changes into something else. She's angry.

"This damn boy! Just because he's upset that he messed up with his mate, he's skipping out on seeing us on the holidays?! If he can't bear being without her then he needs to come home and fix what he messed up! He's missed so damn much already!" I frown and look at her funny.

"What do you mean he's missed so much already? Is something wrong? Why should he be here?" Questions spill out faster than I can even process them. What the hell is going on?!

First, I catch my mom and dad coming home with baby outfits and toys, which is already weird, considering that their youngest, Grayson, is recently turned 19. Then I see individual baby pictures of Grayson, or maybe even me, I can't really tell, that I had never seen before. My mom's eyes flash with panic before her eyebrows furrow. She's mind linking my dad.

"Ethan leave your mother alone, she doesn't have to tell you anything." My dad roars upon entering the room. My curiosity only deepens. What are they hiding?

"What are you guys hiding?! Why does Gray have to come home so bad?!" I demand. My father's features have never been so terrifyingly contorted with anger and worry. 

"As your father and your alpha I'm telling you to drop it and never ask again." He growls out. I need to find out what's going on, even if it means pissing off my parents.

"It's Thalia, isn't it?" I growl back. His eyes soften and worry grows on both of my parents' features as they exchange glances.

My mother quickly hides her anger and worry with a fake, nonchalant expression. "Why would it? We rarely see her other than when we check up on her. After all, she's still Grayson's mate." I quickly listen to her heartbeat, and to prove my point, it's racing. She's lying.

"Just tell me." I narrow my eyes. My father glares back and then I see his facade crack. 

"Get Cameron." He sighs. They look defeated as I rush to get Cam.

Once Cameron and I are standing in front of our parents, my mom lets out a heavy sigh.

"You two are to swear to by the pack not to speak a word to anyone." My father says, quietly. "Not even Grayson."

"Especially not him." My mother quickly states.

After some arguing, we finally comply. The story is told from start to finish. From the second my mother found out at Grayson's surprise party until today.

"So you mean we can't tell Gray that he has a child?!" Cameron asks, shocked and angry. "Both he and the child deserve to know! Why didn't you talk sense into him when he screwed up with her." Cameron growls. Cameron hasn't been very fond of Thalia since her and Grayson broke up.

"Get your act together and show respect." Dad spits out through clenched teeth. "You know your mother and I are very.. different Alphas. We believe that life should take its course and we shouldn't be forcing much, if anything at all. Grayson must learn what he's done and what he is doing by ignoring Thalia. He wants to change his future and we respect and admire that to a certain extent, but it is costing him greatly." My mother nods in agreement.

"He could've had an entire pack in his hands, land, and as much of anything that he wanted, but he has decided to pursue other things. It's costing him his son and his mate." My dad takes a breather. "You all chose different paths, and as much as your mother and I respect that, I am aging, and we need one of you to step up as Alpha soon."

My mother takes a deep breath. "Cameron," Cameron's widen twice as big as mine, "You graduate in less than six months. We ask that as the first born, you take your place as Silver Lake Pack's Alpha."

Thalia's POV

I quickly pull the beanie back on Theo's head and make sure he's as snug and warm as he can possibly be.

"Alright, let's surprise Nana and Poppa with their gifts." I smile. Nate bites his lip as he helps me get Theo out of the car.

"Are you more than 100 percent sure Grayson isn't here with them?"

"Yes, go knock."

Within seconds, the door opens and my smile falters.

"Oh..." I gulp, "Hi." How am I going to explain Theo and Nate?

His eyebrows release their frown before he realizes what's going on.

"Lia! Holy hell! Is that Theo?! He's a little replica of Grayson!" Ethan excitedly pulls me into a hug and then has us all come inside before helping Nate with the three boxes we brought over.

"Did I hear Lia and something about baby Dolan?" Cameron yells down the stairs as she quickly descends.

They chat as Lisa and Sean come in into the living room.

"Oh! Hello darling! What are these?" Lisa asks, pointing at the boxes.

"Merry Christmas?" I mutter, unsure of what to do in the situation, or what you would even consider to be 'this situation'.

How the actual fuck do Ethan and Cameron know?