Page 64 of Crossed Fates

“We’ll bury him tonight,” Alaric decided, taking charge. “Just family. Give him the moment he deserves, then avenge him by bringing this asshole to justice.” Hestalked over to his father and grabbed his shoulders. “And when this is all said and done, we’ll give him a proper ceremony.”

His father met and held his gaze. Then he pulled his son into a hug that would crush a smaller wolf.

Warmth spread through me, Alaric’s actions speaking volumes about his future. He’d been slowly changing, taking the mantle without even registering it, because it came naturally.

Hawk’s right,I thought as the two men continued to embrace one another.Alaric’s absolutely meant for this. He just needs to realize it for himself.

Alaric

I pressedmy palm to Tyler’s gravesite, my eyes closing as I whispered a mental goodbye to the man who would always be my idol.

Run free, brother,I said to him.Until we meet again.

Time seemed to stand still around me.

The air froze, allowing me this brief second of grief.

I took it.

I swallowed it.

I embodied it and allowed it to settle in my soul.

This was the sort of moment I would always remember. The moment I would avenge. The moment that would shape my future.

Not because of my alpha legacy.

But because of Tyler’s legacy.

I’ll kill them all,I promised silently.You will rest easy, brother. I vow it.

My father’s warmth seeped into my side as he murmured a blessing out loud, praising Tyler for his life and the sacrifices he made for the pack. They were old words meant for a traditional ceremony, but only five of us were here to observe it.

Me and my parents.

Makayla and Savannah.

It was oddly fitting. A small ceremony of family. And yet, I barely knew Makayla. However, when my father had shown up in his all-black suit, I’d automatically grabbed her hand to take her with me.

I refused to consider why. I refused to think about it all. Tyler had my focus, my heart, my mind, my grief.

I swallowed, my fingers curling into the free dirt. We’d buried him ourselves using shovels. An old-fashioned method, but an oddly calming one. The task had consumed my mind, allowing me to thrive in the present with my brother and family.And Makayla.

She stood just behind me, her floral perfume a welcome scent on the incoming evening breeze. I was no longer frozen. Time no longer stood still. Life revived around me.

My father had stopped speaking, all of us saying our own form of goodbye. I couldn’t even remember when I’d crouched or how long I’d been squatting. My legs ached, my hands were filthy with dirt, and yet my heart beat a little steadier now.

I’d said my goodbyes.

I’d made my vows.

And now it was time to carry out those promises. To seek vengeance.To kill.

Except I needed rest before I could properly take on those tasks. I’d meant to sleep earlier, but the events of this morning had bled into the afternoon and evening. And now here we were, close to midnight, standing over a freshly covered grave with nothing but the moon as our witness.

I stood and wiped the dirt from my hands on my black pants, then I faced my father.

Alpha Hawk Calder.