Speaking of, she heard a bell ring, and she went to see what her grandma needed and to tell her the good news.
“My hot tea?” Grandma asked. “You finished your talk with David, I hear.” She still had the best hearing.
“Oh right.” Elizabeth turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen. She heated the water in the teapot, then brought in a cup of hot Earl Grey, her grandma’s favorite. “Okay, I have to tell you the great news. David found a mate.”
Grandma looked puzzled, but she was a crafty old wolf, and it didn’t take her long to smile. “Aww, I’m so angry with him.”
“Yeah, so am I.” Elizabeth left again, then returned with her laptop. She popped open the lid and showed her the pictures of David’s “mate.”
Her grandmother frowned. “Photoshopped?”
“No. That’s Owen Nottingham’s mate, Candice, wearing a wig. She’s the romance writer. She makes a great actress, doesn’t she?”
“I’ll say. I would have believed it.”
“In his posts, David doesn’t call her by her real name, though, just Candy, so no one will really know who she is. And the wig looks real. I saw her once on a Skype call, and she doesn’t look at all the same.”
“Does she have her photo anywhere else? A Facebook page that shows her and her real mate or something?”
Elizabeth checked Candice’s account. “She shows Owen is her mate, but see? She doesn’t look anything like the pictures David uploaded.”
“You’re right. Between the makeup and hair, she really doesn’t. And she doesn’t look anything like you either.”
“Exactly, like he was going for someone completely different.”
“When are you going to tell Sheri?”
“After I cry a bit.”
Her grandmother laughed. “Make me some roast-beef hash from last night’s leftovers, and then you can cry over cutting up the onions.”
Elizabeth laughed too. “It’s a deal.” She went into the kitchen and started making the hash. While it was cooking, she FaceTimed Sheri, tears in her eyes from all the onion chopping. “David found a mate.”
“Oh, no, Elizabeth, I’m so sorry. I’ll be right over.”
Elizabeth hated lying to her best friend. “No, it’s”—sniffle, sniffle—“time for Grandma and me to eat dinner. She’s upset about it too. I just had to tell you.”
“I’m so sorry. You let me know when you want me to come over, then.”
“I will.”
“How’s Grandma doing?”
“Raging at David on my behalf but fine otherwise.”
“Well, as much as I hate to hear it, I’m not surprised. If he finally found someone, it’s understandable.” There was a pause, then: “He’s not a royal anyway. Maybe you’ll be better off with someone who’s…” Another pause, like she wasn’t sure what kind of reception this line of discussion would get. She plowed ahead though. “Who’s like you.”
Elizabeth wasn’t bothered by the whole royal thing, not that anyone from the territory who was a royal was interested in her. And she wasn’t interested in anyone like that either. But it did worry her that Sheri said “if” he finally found someone. Did Sheri have doubts about Elizabeth’s story?
“Right,” she said, playing along, hoping that Sheri bought it. “I don’t know what I saw in a newly turned wolf anyway. He would have been nothing but heartache, and having kids by him would mean our offspring wouldn’t be royals. Why would I do that to my own children?”
“Exactly. I’ll let you get to your meal and I’ll talk to you later. Feel better.”
“Thanks, Sheri.” Elizabeth was already feeling much better. She served up the hash on a platter and took it in to her grandma. She was still eating well and had an iron stomach, Elizabeth thought, which she was thankful for.
“Did Sheri take it hook, line, and sinker?” Grandma asked.
“I think so. And because she thinks that will somehow make everything all right with the pack concerning me, she’ll spread the word. Not because she’s a gossip or anything.”
“Hopefully it will throw Kintail and the pack off the track. They’ll figure you’ll have nowhere else to go. You won’t want to join Cameron’s pack now since you’d have to see David with his new wolf mate all the time.” She held a fork full of hash suspended in front of her mouth. “Whose idea was it?”
“Mine. I suddenly figured out what might work. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier.”
“Well, it’s an excellent plan,” Grandma said.
They finished eating and watched a wild thriller—her grandma’s favorite kind of movie. When it was done, Elizabeth kissed her good night. “Love you, Grandma. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will, dear. Love you too.”
***
Three days later, in the middle of the night, Elizabeth heard a noise coming from her grandmother’s room and went to check on her to see if she needed anything. She pushed open the door, listening to the quiet darkness within. Her grandmother had died peacefully in her sleep.
Tears ran in tracks down Elizabeth’s face as the reality of her grandma’s death pierced her heart. But like Grandma had told her, when the time came, she had to bury her sorrow for the moment and put a plan of action in place right away.
Elizabeth dried her eyes and called David, waking him from sleep. “David, Grandma’s gone.” Her voice cracked with emotion.
“Oh God, Elizabeth, I’m so sorry. How are you doing?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I have expected this forever, and yet it’s never seemed real to me. Even now, I can’t believe it. But”—the tears flowed again, unchecked—“Grandma died peacefully in her sleep, at home, just like she wanted, and she would tell me to get my butt in gear and get going. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“I’ll get ahold of Amelia right away and get a flight out as soon as I can. If she can’t do it, maybe her brother can. I already have a bag packed. Did you tell everyone in your pack that I had mated Candy?”
“I told Sheri. She would have told the rest of the pack.”
“Okay, good.”
“I’ll call to have my grandmother’s body picked up. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think they’ll do anything…with her…” Her voice went soft, nearly a whisper, as she struggled to say the words. “With her body until morning at least.”