Mated to the Beast of the Wasteland novel Chapter 151

Chapter 151 Sterling Heirlooms

Chapter 151 Sterling Heirlooms

+20 Free Com

1

Mábel ran her fingers across the metal box, her eyes soft with a longing that ran bone-deep.

If she had kept Gillian out in Wasteland City all those years ago, the baby would have only suffered for it

“Take a look first. If everything checks out, you and Elara can pick what you want and split the rest.

“Grandma, Elara isn’t here. Wouldn’t it be wrong to open it without her?”

Gillian wanted to wait so she could open it with Elara at her side.

Mabel beamed at Gillian, quiet pride warming her face. Gillian had truly grown up, mindful enough now to put Elara’s feelings before her own.

“Don’t mind me. I’m getting old, and one idea trips over the next. You’re right, though, it’s better with Elara here. Why don’t you ring her and see if she can swing by again?”

“She might already be back at the legion by now.”

With her palm flat against the lid, Gillian gave the box a gentle pat.

She dialed Elara on her wrist terminal and angled the video out so the camera caught the metal box.

“Elara, this box has Mom and Dad’s things in it. I’ll hold off until you’re back tomorrow and we’ll open it together, yeah?”

The view through the car window looked familiar, and Elara had clearly just rolled up to the base. She rested her chin on one hand, eyes flat as the scenery slid past, and Gillian’s words barely registered.

“Go ahead and open it. I lived with Mom and Dad back then. I’ve already seen everything they owned.

“No way. I want to wait so we can see it together.”

Gillian shook her head firmly.

“Gillian, the truth is, I’m the one who left that box behind. I wanted you and Grandma to have something to remember them by. I only took the photo with me.”

Elara was no longer the fragile girl she’d been all those years ago, and Gillian didn’t need to walk on eggshells around her anymore.

“Open it, Gillian. There’s a gift inside I left for you when I was little.”

With every word Elara spoke, her expression softened a little more.

A memory seemed to rise up in her then, of being led away by the hand and turning back with every step

She’d watched Mabel walk off in the opposite direction with newborn Gillian cradled in her arms.

She had wanted so badly to follow them, but she’d known she couldn’t. The truth about how Mom and

00

3

1/3

M

|||

O

Г

11:23 Wed, Jun 3 D

Chapter 151 Sterling Heirlooms

Dad had really died had to come out first.

+20 Free Coins

“Gillian, there’s a crystal snowflake inside. It was my toy when I was little. Not worth much, but back then it was my favorite thing in the world.

“I wanted it to keep you company in my place, but Grandma never told you about it. If you like it, keep it.”

Once the call ended, Gillian set the wrist terminal aside.

She drew in a slow breath and finally lifted the lid.

The box didn’t hold much, really.

Inside lay a handful of jewelry, a few medals and shoulder insignia, two logbooks, and one broken wrist terminal.

The most childlike thing in the lot was a flower-shaped crystal sandsphere.

The liquid inside had yellowed with age. Gillian gave it a hard shake, and tiny black-and-white snowflakes began drifting up inside the sphere, each one wrapped in a small bubble, sifting down onto the little flower-bowl at the bottom like a real snowfall.

Within seconds the bowl had filled to the brim.

Gillian leaned in for a closer look. Something about the sphere felt off.

“The two logbooks are completely blank. Nothing special about them at all.”

“What about the metals and the insignia?”

Mabel picked up one of the badges. The Seventh Legion was engraved on its face. Aldric had earned that piece for first-class merit, but when he died they’d never recovered his body, and even the shoulder insignia he’d worn that day were lost with him.

Merrick took the badge from her with care and worked through the rest piece by piece, including the jewelry that had clearly belonged to a female.

The best find in the whole lot was a single cryogold ring, nothing more.

The remaining necklaces and bracelets were all mithril, valuable enough but nothing extraordinary.

Merrick gave Mabel a small, gentle shake of his head. “Grandma, you’ve kept these in such good shape for so many years. That took real work.”

“No trouble at all.”

Mabel understood exactly what Merrick meant. They hadn’t found anything useful, and the disappointment sat heavy in her chest.

As for the broken wrist terminal, it was just a standard military model, its core shattered past any chance of reading.

D

ઉ

M

2/3

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify