"Well if you're going to go off chasing after your marginally less psychotic little brother, then I'm going to drop in and see Eleanor and say my goodbyes to little Devante as well." Lexi informed them.
"Wait, all of you are leaving as well?" Brad asked in surprise.
"We aren't here to hold your hand for the rest of your life Brad," Lexi snorted, "We brought you your son and I can see that Eleanor has taken to being a grandmother like a duck to water so I really don't think that there's any need for us to stick around."
"That's fair."
"I'm not sure I like you going off on your own Lexi…" Greyson frowned, earning a small noise that sounded like something somewhere halfway between a snort and a laugh.
"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself, okay?" She answered flippantly as she headed towards the door and paused to look back at them, "I'll meet you back at our room and we can get things ready to leave tomorrow as well."
Greyson nodded reluctantly and sighed heavily as soon as the door had closed behind her.
"She never has been one for doing as she was told." Brad chuckled.
"We wouldn't have her any other way," Allen answered with a proud smile.
"We should try and get hold of Hudson before my brothers lock him away." Greyson said as he too headed towards the door.
"Sure. I have another meeting in twenty minutes anyway. Let me know if you need anything." Brad said seriously, moving to shake hands with the both of them, "And thank you, for all that you've done while you've been here."
After they said their goodbyes, Greyson and Allen headed out to search for Hudson, knowing full well that they had a lot of ground to cover and potentially only a small amount of time to get a hold of him.
They swept the pack house efficiently, both of them meandering through the corridors and staying in touch via text, updating each other with their locations as they moved around until eventually they met back up in the entrance hall.
"Anything?" Greyson asked, his frustration beginning to show as he fidgeted restlessly.
"No. But, he can't have gone far…"Allen attempted to reassure him but Greyson's sharp exhalation showed that he didn't agree with him at all.
"You don't know my brothers like I do." Greyson muttered darkly.
"Ok, well, are they likely to head into the town?"
"No, I don't think so. It would mean mixing with people that they see as beneath them. They have a superiority complex that is completely unfounded." Greyson sighed.
Allen pursed his lips disapprovingly as he thought.
"What about the gardens within the grounds of the pack house then?"
"Hmm, it's possible. He was probably the most proficient at finding quiet spots to avoid my brother's reign of terror." Greyson nodded, "Okay, we'll split up and come full circle so that we don't miss him. Sound good?"
"Sure," Allen nodded and they both left on their respective routes, with Allen heading out the front door and Greyson making his way through the downstairs corridors and out to the gardens at the back.
As soon as Greyson stepped outside he was hit with the almost comforting smell of the orchards that bordered the perfectly manicured lawn.
The burst of nostalgia that filled him at the scent almost brought a tear to his eye as childhood memories of his time with his mother and youngest brother during the freedom of their escape flooded his mind.
He pushed the emotions aside as his gaze fell on a solitary figure that stood amidst the apple trees . His strides quickened across the lawn and as he grew closer, he silently willed the person to turn around, just so he could see his face and make sure he didn't terrify a perfectly innocent member of the pack.
But as he rounded the hedges that separated the two distinct areas, it was perfectly apparent that this was one of his brothers, and when the male turned in surprise at the noise behind him, he was greeted by Hudson's shocked expression.
"Greyson!" He exclaimed in surprise, looking around quickly to make sure there was no one else here, "What are you doing here?"
Greyson relaxed his stance slightly and jammed his hands into his pockets, adopting a lazy grin in an effort to not spook him.
He had no idea if Hudson was still the same brother that he remembered or if Sebastian and Logan had managed to successfully corrupt him as well. Taking into account his behavior at their initial meeting when they arrived though, Greyson had to cling to the hope that some semblance of reason and humanity remained inside of him despite the horrors he had experienced.
"Taking a walk, enjoying our last few days here before we head back to the palace…What about you?" Greyson replied casually as he came to a stop at his side.
He was quiet for a moment before he sighed heavily and his eyes dropped to the floor as he turned away from Greyson.
"Questioning why my life turned out this way, honestly," Hudson answered bitterly, "Despite what everyone else thinks, I know you did the right thing leaving…I wish I had the strength that you did to take control of my life."
Greyson's heart ached with sorrow for his younger brother, but he knew there was no possible way for him to intervene and make things better for him.
"If I could help you, Hudson, I would. But breaking free of them…it has to come from you." He said gently, placing hand on his shoulder in what he hoped with a reassuring gesture.
He turned to look at Greyson and his lips curled in a small smile briefly even though his eyes were filled with despair.
"I know, brother. I just…I don't even know where to start."
"Listen…if you need a safe place to stay where they can't reach you…" Greyson offered but was cut short by Hudson's cold laughter.
"You know better than that, Greyson. No matter where I run to, they will find me and whoever grants me safe haven is going to find themselves pulled into a world of shit that no one truly deserves."
"That's not true. I know a certain Queen who would gladly take the heat to grant safe haven to even one person who was fleeing the horror that we've all been exposed to at the hands of our father." Greyson answered seriously as Hudsons eyes filed with interest.
"Do you think it's possible? But what about the war that might follow?"
"The war is coming either way, little brother," Greyson answered with a humorless laugh, "AS soon as she rejects the alliance proposal do you really think father will take it lying down?"
He thought for a moment and nodded slowly.
"You're right…then…if you can guarantee this…then I'll find a way to make my way to the capital."
"Why wait?" Greyson said, stepping around him to grip him excitedly by the shoulders, "Leave with us tomorrow! Come home with us, Hudson, and be free of his insanity... as well as our brothers."