Page 39

CHAPTER 39

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T he gray skies and persistent drizzle perfectly fit the somber mood of everyone gathered here. It’s been a week since we stormed the Knights’ stronghold, and we’re finally holding the last funeral for Wyldhart pack members who died in the battle.

Aunt Abbie is crying silently next to me as she waits for the funeral to start. Bastian’s clutching her hand as he stares worriedly at his mom. She’s been crying almost constantly for the past week since we told her the news. By we, I mean the Wyldharts and Saint because I was passed out for a solid three days.

It turns out that losing a chunk of your soul and being sliced open from belly button to sternum takes a lot out of someone. Apparently, it was pretty touch and go for me for a while. While my physical wounds were healing, I was still randomly flatlining intermittently for the first two days. The pack doctor and mage healers couldn’t find anything that would be causing that, so they just had to sit back, wait, and hope I would get through it.

The best I can come up with is that my soul was confused and kept trying to leave this plane to follow the other part of it to the next life. Fortunately for me, it eventually realized it was supposed to stay here, which was when I stopped flatlining and eventually woke up.

Shaking my head because I doubt I’ll ever know what actually happened, I focus back on the present and listen to the soft sounds of crying that break the quiet of the dreary midmorning.

I wish there was something I could do to comfort Abbie, but there aren’t any words I can say to make the losses hurt any less, for any of us. The only thing that will help is time and the wound not being so fresh.

Microphone static sounds before a booming voice says, “We are gathered here today to say goodbye to the heart and soul of our pack. To the man who selflessly gave his life to protect the future of our pack and break the curse that has haunted us for nearly a thousand years. Without his sacrifice, I wouldn’t be standing here with you all today.” Vale breaks off and squeezes his eyes shut. When he composes himself, he continues giving the eulogy. “Samuel Charles Anderson was the best beta a man could ever ask for.”

Vale continues talking about Sam, laughing about the trouble they caused as kids, remembering all he did for the pack, and even shedding a few tears about what life will look like now that he’s gone.

After we saw Vale get shot and collapse, Sam jumped in to cover him. He ended up taking thirteen bullets meant for Vale, although three more did get past him. While the mages portaled the two of them off the battlefield as soon as they could, there was nothing the pack doctor or mage healer could do for Sam. His heart was too destroyed.

While Vale was shot six times, Sam kept the Knights from injuring his heart or head any further. The doctors were able to patch Vale up, although he’s still supposed to be on bedrest. There was no way he was missing his beta’s funeral, though. I’m sure the doctor would have a heart attack seeing Vale standing up there for twenty minutes, but Vale was determined to give the eulogy for his best friend.

Once he’s done giving his speech, Vale limps over to the first row. Bastian stands up to give his dad his seat and comes over to sit in front of me on the damp ground. Sam’s funeral is packed. We definitely don’t have enough chairs, so Bastian isn’t the only one sitting on the grass or standing.

The cold and wet seeping into his black suit pants doesn’t seem to bother Bastian as he wraps his arm around my legs and leans his head on my thighs. All of my mates have been by my side since I woke up, none of them wanting to let me out of their sight after I almost died. Again.

In my defense, it wasn’t even my fault. Dido was the one who used the potion that almost killed me, so my mates can’t even be upset at me.

At the thought of Dido, a familiar ache blooms in my chest. I’ve only known about her for a matter of months, but she was a friend, a source of comfort, a guide, someone who always listened to me, and so much more. I feel a persistent emptiness in my chest that I don’t think will ever go away.

All I can hope is that Dido is with her mates now. She lived so many more lifetimes than she should’ve, and I know how much she missed her mates through it all. Neither of us knew what would happen to her after using the potion, but I choose to believe she’s happy now.

After everyone is done speaking, they lower Sam’s casket into the ground and cover it with dirt and fresh flowers. Even though I didn’t know Sam that well, there are still tears trailing down my cheeks as the people who loved him say goodbye, including his mate, mate group, three daughters, and five grandkids.

Although the last week has been filled with sadness and grief for our pack, the other shifters who fought with us, and the mages, there have been bright spots, too. Just yesterday, the first female wolf shifted after volunteering to drink the wolfsbane potion that all wolves have to consume before shifting. We were all nervous that she wouldn’t shift, but it happened pretty quickly, thankfully.

Now that we know the curse is broken, female wolves are lining up across the world to get their wolves. The pure joy and excitement I’ve seen from the women around here at the prospect of shifting for the first time makes me feel on top of the world. While I don’t know that anything can make losing nearly three hundred shifters and mages worth it, this at least brings joy to mix with the sorrow.

As people start filtering out of the private cemetery on Wyldhart land, I push up from my chair and stretch my hands over my head.

“Careful,” Malachi chides as he places his hands on my waist to steady me.

I turn in his arms and smile up at him, not having the heart to be exasperated by his bossiness. This past week has been hard on all of us. And, if I’m being honest, I need my mates’ comfort as much as they need to reassure themselves I’m still here. “I’m all healed, you know?” Surprisingly, I’ve made a full recovery, even though I was stabbed in the stomach yet again.

Xander steps up against my back, his arms wrapping gently around my front. “We know what the doctor said, but you just had a chunk of your soul ripped out. We’re going to worry about you for a while, sweetheart.”

Leaning back into his hard chest, I enjoy their embrace for a long moment.

“Are you kids ready to get back?” Vale asks, interrupting the moment.

I look over at him with his one arm that isn’t in a sling wrapped around Abbie. Giving him a genuine smile, I nod. “Yeah, I’m good to go in. I promised Ava and Annabel we could bake cookies for everyone still recovering once we were through here, so I bet they’re getting antsy.”

Ava has taken Annabel under her wing as an honorary little sister, and it warms my heart to see how much they’ve already grown to love each other. It’s like Ava was made to be a big sister with how great she is with Annabel, and I know the extra love is helping Annabel recover from what happened at the facility a little more each day, for which I am so grateful.

Every time I see Vale, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude that he and my mates are still here. Rhys, the other alphas, and most of our forces escaped the confrontation with their lives, but we still lost a lot of great men and women that day.

Pulling out of Malachi’s and Xander’s arms, I start walking toward the house. Bastian catches up with me in no time and snags my hand. “So, what kinda cookies are we baking today?”

I laugh because he and the rest of my mates won’t be doing much baking. Ava and Annabel are both very particular about who they allow to help in the kitchen. My mates will do plenty of taste testing, though.

“What’s this I hear about cookies?” Rory asks excitedly as she bounds over to give me a side hug. Ronan offers me a small smile as he walks on Rory’s other side.

“Ava, Annabel, and I are baking some sort of cookies. The type is undetermined, but I’m sure they’ll tell me when we get in there.”

“Oh, fuck yeah. I love your guys’ baking, so I volunteer myself for the cookie quality assurance team.”

I snort. “I’m not sure how many taste testers we need, Ror.”

She gives me a put-out look before sprinting back toward the house. She calls over her shoulder, “Early bird gets the cookie. See you losers later!” She and Ronan quickly disappear over the grassy hill in front of us, and I can’t help my smile at her antics.

Saint takes my other hand now that Rory’s gone. He gives me a comforting squeeze and a reassuring smile. “How you doin’, little shadow?”

“I’m okay,” I tell him, and for the first time in a while, I actually mean it. Sure, my heart is battered and bruised right now, but we destroyed the curse, killed a ton of Knights and their leadership, put a serious dent in their operations, and allowed female wolves to shift.

My whole life has been ruled by the prophecy. Now that I fulfilled it, my future is up to me, which is simultaneously terrifying and exciting. I know I can handle whatever life throws at me, though, with Malachi, Xander, Bastian, and Saint by my side, plus the support of my family and newfound friends.