"You don't have to ask."
"Don't be so quick to answer." She turned to stare at the Garcia's house. "I need you to speak to Tobias and get him to agree to an autopsy."
Grant stared down at his mate's grandmother. "Now? Is that absolutely necessary?" he demanded.
She nodded. "Yes. The sooner the better. The longer we wait, the more information we lose." Her eyes drifted to her granddaughter. "Right now, she is focused on the living. She's running from what she knows she has to do. She can't face the Garcia's pain right now or she'll fall apart." When she looked up at him, her eyes shined with tears. "Please take this burden from her. As a wolf and an Alpha, the Garcia's will listen to you where they might shut everyone else out."
He would do anything to spare his mate this task. "I'll do it."
"Thank you, son. Watch her closely; when everything around her stops and she's able to hear herself think, she will break from this."
"And I will be there to hold her together," he promised.
"You're a good boy Grant."
"Thank you Marjoram."
"You better call me Gram."
"Thank you, Gram."
*****
After arranging for Keegan to organize the warriors' help with moving the children, Grant found himself standing at the Garcia's back door. It wasn't even a few days ago he had stood here after spending the night with Benji and the Hamilton boys. It felt like a lifetime ago. He looked over his shoulder to where Adora sat quietly with Benji, rocking him back and forth. For one so young, he had been touched by death too much.
With his stomach churning, he knocked on the door. When it opened, Tobias looked at him, his shattered soul evident in his eyes. "Alpha?"
"Can I come in?"
Tobias nodded and moved to one side. "It must be important since you're not one to pry."
Standing in their kitchen, surrounded by empty highchairs, felt surreal. Grant steeled his heart. "We need your permission to conduct an autopsy on Clara."
Tobias' eyes flashed in anger. "We have to discuss this now?" he shouted.
Grant braced himself to face the man's impotent rage. "Yes, the sooner the better. The longer we wait, the less that can be learned."
"Do it," a raspy voice ordered.
The men turned and Susan stood in her human form wrapped only in an afghan.
Tobias hurried to her side. "Honey, we don't have to think about this now."
She looked at Grant, her eyes a bit vacant. "You're here because if Ellie came, she would break down, and she can't afford to. No matter how much this affects her, she has to keep going. Even when everything inside her is screaming, she is putting the other children first because that's how much she cares."
Grant nodded and swallowed hard. Tears flowed unchecked down Susan's cheeks.
"Do it because that's what Clara would have wanted. She would have wanted to help the other children. My Clara was such a kind girl," Susan choked on her tears as her voice broke. When her legs collapsed under her, Grant pulled her to his side. With his other arm, he grabbed Tobias and cradled them both to his chest.
"I can only offer my strength; it's all I have. But you can take whatever you need," he said gently.
He easily supported their weight as they clung to him breaking down. Within his chest, he felt his wolf reaching out to the weeping parents to lend them his strength as well.
They looked up at him, their eyes shifted to canine yellow. "Alpha." They breathed the word and continued to lean against him.
Grant knew why he preferred to stay alone. It hurt too much to care.
*****
After he had left the Garcias and let Marjoram know he had obtained their permission he threw himself into helping to move the children and get them calmed down. He had wiped so many tears his sleeves were soaked.
A couple hours later, once the children were dozing for a nap he looked around and realized that, in trying to get the children settled, he had somehow lost track of his mate.
He had assumed--incorrectly--she would be in the new hospital. Walking quickly down the middle of the first floor, he peeked in on all the alcoves, looking for his mate.
When he saw Marjoram standing with Stefan, Demetrio, and Adora, he jogged over to them. "Where is Ellie?"
Marjoram pointed to the floor. "She left a little while ago to tend to Clara in the lab," she said simply, avoiding using the term 'autopsy' on the floor with the children.
Grant gritted his teeth together. "Why aren't you with her?"
Marjoram shook her head. "I would only be in the way, though she may need you about now. She should be done."
He was about to leave when Stefan grabbed his arm. When Grant met his eyes, he saw gratitude. "Yes?"