I’m still trying to deal with the information that’s been thrown at me. So much was hidden. There's one thing I keep falling back on, however. That all this happened for a reason. I hate thinking that, though. My dad dying. Cace dying. Brayden almost losing his life. All for a reason. That's hard to wrap my head around. But this was put into play long before I was born. The consequences of my grandmother's, Travis', and my grandfather's actions, all brought this life to me.
Now I'm living in a house full of wolf shifters and one vampire. A vampire who teleported away a few hours ago to feed. A shiver rushes up my spine at the thought of Ford drinking blood from someone. Not that I've never seen it. He killed that fox shifter right in front of me. But swallowing blood out of necessity—no. I don’t want to think about him doing that.
There have been bright spots in the midst of everything. Without them, I would have fallen down the dark hole of depression and not come out. I have Rion. And Ford. And this entire wolf pack. They are all my family now, in addition to my mom. I'm thankful she wasn't in the car with Dad. And that whoever was following her didn't kill her, too.
My dad's funeral is set for tomorrow, if it's even called that. I'm not sure what they refer to it as. To me, it's the last time I'll see him. The last time he'll be near me. Logically, I understand he's not here anymore. It's only his body. His soul has since gone on to whatever awaits us after we leave this life.
There is an emptiness inside of me. This part of me that he filled. It’s now a vacant abyss. I'm giving myself the rest of today and tomorrow to grieve. But after that, I'm forcing myself back on this path I'm traversing. I have to do it for him and Cace. For Lena and my mom, who both lost the ones they loved. They died for me, and I'll never forget that. I need an edge on Travis, though. Something that gives me an advantage. One that doesn't include Ford biting me again.
“All you have to do is say the word,” Ford says, leaning against the doorway of my room. When did he get back?
“How was your lunch?”
I’m sitting on the bed with my tablet. I thought I’d try to read while Aries, Rion, and the pack strategize some more.
He shrugs. “I've had better.”
“Did you kill whoever you drank from?”
“No,” he laughs. “I visited Kiara. We feed from each other when needed.”
“Is that all you do with her?” The words leave my lips before I have time to think about what I'm asking.
Ford steps into the room and closes the door behind him. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.” No, but curiosity is getting the better of me. He could be in love with her for all I know.
“One, I'm not in love with her. Two, yes, she and I are more than friends but not in a relationship. We have needs that the other one sates from time to time. It's as simple as that.”
“I want you to have what I do with Rion.” I hate the pain that Ford is in. I wish someone would come along and ease him of it.
He leans heavily on the door. “I want that, too.”
Fate. Another question I have is: why was Ford placed in my life? Was it merely to rescue me every time I needed it? Or is there a greater plan for him? Maybe I'm the one who will eventually lead him to his mate. One thing is for certain, this path is dangerous, and anyone who walks it with me could be hurt or killed.
Ford walks over to the bed and lies down beside me. I keep my thoughts off him and his feelings for me as I lie down and turn to face him. I don’t think of the jealousy I have over him being with Kiara. It's there, tangible. However, not the same as if I heard Rion was with another woman. I'd turn murderous if that happened.
I need to focus on something else. “How do I get an advantage over Travis?” I ask.
“I wasn't only with Kiara while I was gone.”
“I don't need to hear about your conquests.”
“I found a group of mages who want to help. They’re younger, not as powerful as some Travis certainly has on his side, but together, they’re a formidable ally.”
“How many?”
“Five.”
“How did you get them on our side?” I can't believe he got more paranormals to fight with us. Ones who can perform magic, too.
“I told them what Benedict did. They were once friends of his. I'm not going to sit here and say Benedict doesn't have some powerful mages on his side. I'm sure there are some who are thousands of years old. Although, once word spreads about what he did, I wonder how many will still stand beside him. The ones I spoke with promised to spread the news like wildfire of what he'd done. Soon, the entire mage community will be aware. Some will stay with him, while others will think twice about which side of the line they stand on.
“Travis is dark and ruthless. Everything he does is for his own agenda. Not everyone likes that. For so many years, paranormals have fought. Not just with each other but with humans. There's a reason we hide who and what we are. Think what would happen if the government, or even the people of this state, knew there were those out there who could shift into wolves, bears, and foxes. I shudder at the thought.”
“They'd want to do tests and lock them up. They wouldn't think the general population is safe with them running free.”
Ford nods. “And that's only the shifters. What about the fae and the mages?”
“The vampires, too.”
He chuckles. “Let them try and come for us. We'd kill them before they could touch us.”
“Why doesn't Travis strike now when we're not ready?” It's something I've been thinking about. Wouldn't a surprise be more beneficial for him? He could catch the pack off guard and decimate their numbers.
“For Travis' master plan to work, he needs to gather as many allies as he can. He doesn't just want to kill the members of the Avynwood Pack. Remember, he wants the land. And most importantly, you. And if he can’t have you, he’s going to try to kill you.”
“He should know better than to think I'd ever side with him. I'd sooner die than let him get his claws into me.” I’d sacrifice myself before that would happen. In his hands, with Benedict controlling my mind, I don’t want to think what would become of me.
“Travis doesn't think the way you do, Ari. With him, it's all about strategy and power. He reasons that by gaining everything the Avynwood Pack has, he'll be viewed as the biggest, baddest shifter in the state. There are a lot of shifter females out there who will want him if that happens. They want an alpha who will bring them to his bed every night, with promises of ruling with him. But he's not stupid enough to fall for any of them. Females are disposable to him. He goes through them like water. That is, until he gets the one he wants.” The one he wants. I hope he isn’t talking about me. I’ll never be in that shifter’s bed.
“How do you know all of this?” I can't believe I'm still on the top of his list. I guess the connection between my grandparents and his pack makes me all the more appealing.
“Kiara told me. She gathered all the information she could every time she was in his presence. I think, for a while, he truly thought she was on his side. If he were smart, he would have noticed she's on no one's side. Or wasn't until he bound her and kept her in his home. She’s on our side now.”
The door to the room opens and Rion comes in. He stops when he sees us both on the bed, facing each other. Instead of making a big deal about it, or wanting to fight Ford, he kicks off his shoes and crawls onto the bed, all the way up until he lies on his back smack-dab in the middle of us.
“This is cozy,” he states.
Oh, he’s angry all right, but he’s not letting it show. He’s trying to keep his wolf in check. There’s no way I’d go behind his back and have a romantic anything with Ford; Rion knows that. Surprisingly, Ford doesn’t make a joke or any comment about Rion lying between us.
“Ford and I were talking about Travis and his pack. And Ford also got a group of mages on our side.”
“Impressive,” Rion says. “The foxes and bears are making their travel plans.
Only Lealla's packs. I heard rumblings of more bears coming in to fight on our side. I'm not sure how accurate that is, though.”
“We need more,” I mumble.
“We do. How do you feel about a trip?” Rion asks. “There's a large wolf pack in eastern Pennsylvania, who we might be able to sway. If we can, it would give us an advantage.”
“Why that pack?” I ask. “Wouldn't any pack give us more of an edge on Travis? There has to be one closer than Pennsylvania.”
Rion smiles wickedly. “Travis' brother runs the pack.”
“No!” I gasp. Rion nods. “He'd be willing to fight his own family?”
“We won't know unless we go there. Aries tried contacting Travis' brother by phone, but he won't respond. He thinks sending you up there might be just what we need to sway him to our side.”
“It's a smart move,” Ford states. “He never agreed with the way Travis handled things, but he left for a reason. He doesn't like getting involved in stuff of this nature. He keeps his entire pack safe by staying out of other packs’ drama. What makes you think you can get him involved now?”
Rion scrubs a hand over his face. “We're running out of options. We have the paranormals in the state divided already. We're pulling in resources as fast as we can, but there is a good portion of the population who want nothing to do with our battle. We have to think outside of our state. Also, it would be the perfect surprise to get under Travis' skin. He wouldn't expect his brother here, let alone to side with us. Blood is thicker than water, or so they say.”
There is still so much for me to learn. People I need to meet. I'm not sure why anyone thinks I'll have the ability to sway someone, but it's worth a shot. Plus, it will give me something to do. Gets me out of this house—this whole state—and far away from Travis for a bit.
“I'll go, but I want to go by car. I don't want to teleport.”
Rion frowns. “It's safer if we teleport.”
“I'm sure it is, but I need a break. I have to get out of here. I'm tired of being watched over. I want to stretch my legs and see new things. I need this after losing my dad.” The last sentence is the truest part of what I said. Mom will be safe. I’m almost immortal. Plus, I think it will be good for Rion and me to bond more. To get away from everyone else and focus on us for a bit. The drive may only take a third of a day or so, but it's time for us to be alone together.
27
The walk from the mansion to where my father's body is up on the platform is done slowly. It's raining, so the ground is soggy. The evening sky is dark with clouds. My feet squish in the mud with every step. There is the option of teleporting, but I don't want to do that today. It's all about my dad and remembering him. And this walk, it's giving me more time to ready myself to say goodbye.
I didn’t bother asking how Aries got my dad’s body here so fast. I thought it would’ve taken longer. I’m glad he was returned to us so quickly.
My mom and I walk side by side. Her, with a black umbrella, and me in a black trench coat, with the hood pulled over my head. Rion walks beside me holding an umbrella for us. Ford is at my back, his signature leather trench coat gone and a water-resistant one in its place. He looks like he's about to solve a crime. All he needs is a magnifying glass and a pipe.
“I can hear you, you know?” he says behind me.
“I'm well aware, Detective Verascue. Tell me, have you found any clues yet? I thought I passed a broken piece of glass a few paces back. That may help you solve the crime of the broken window in the shed.”
“It's good to see your smart mouth is still working.”
I stick my thumb up in the air in response.
Dealing with anything serious isn't one of my strong suits. I've had time to process Dad's death. Although, I don’t think that’s anything I’ll ever completely accept. I’m still waiting for him to show up, even though I’m aware it’s not possible.
I make awkward jokes at times when I probably shouldn't. I start food fights when I should be mourning. I climb into bed and have a good talk with my wolf and vampire when I should be crying. It's how I’m dealing with his death, and we all do so differently.
Mom spent most of today in her room. I took her breakfast, but she refused lunch. She came out to get me when it was time, and that was that.
Mom and Dad both have wills. Although, it was more of a formality in case they died before I turned eighteen. What I didn't find out until this morning is that I get half of my dad's money. Apparently, he and my mom had separate bank accounts and a joint one. The joint one was used to pay their bills and anything they may have needed for me. The separate accounts were their “running money” as Mom called it. In case things got bad, they each had enough money to create a new life elsewhere if something were to happen.
I'm getting a million dollars put into a new bank account for me tomorrow. We have a special appointment at the bank to do so. My mom's attorney is coming with us to ensure everything goes smoothly. I don't want the money. I want my dad. This money will be nothing but a reminder of what I've lost. I have no plans to use it on anything. I have clothes, food, and a roof over my head. I'm good. Although, now that I'm thinking about it, I'll be contributing some of it to the pack. Mom and I are taking up space and eating their food. It's only right that I chip in.
“You don't have to do that,” Rion says in my mind. “The pack has a large bank account. We don't need the money.”
I sigh and put the wall back up in my head. Rion's heart is in the right place. I can't fault him for that. But everything is getting to me today. I'm irritable and want this day over with.
We reach the raised, wooden platform my dad’s body now lies on as Aries steps up to my mom and me. “We're ready when you are.”
My mom nods. Her voice wavers when she speaks, “Will it... burn in the rain?”
“Yes, we kept the pillars and everything below it covered until right before you walked up. Some of the wood is also coated with an accelerant, to keep the flames from dying out once we light it.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
We stand side by side. Ford, my mom, me, Rion, Paige, Bray, and the rest of the pack as Aries steps forward to light the wood. Lealla and Xeno are here. Kiara, too, along with some other paranormals I've never met.
The flames grow quickly as Aries steps back into the wide circle of people out here with us. My hand remains in Rion's. His is a constant presence and one that never falters. He’ll be with me today and every day going forward. I'm his forever.
Forever. My life could end tomorrow or years from now. There's no way to tell. Dad's life ended far too soon. Was there anything he didn't get to do? Places he always wanted to visit and never saw? Did he have regrets? Dreams left unfulfilled?
I'll never know. I'll never get to speak to him again or hear his hearty laugh. I'll never get to eat dinner with him or have a cookout in the backyard for the Fourth of July. We won't watch movies together. There will be no one to walk me down the aisle when I get married, if that's what even happens. Shifter life and all that. Dad won't be there when I have a child. So much was taken away from him, Mom, and me. All because of Travis and his pack. They dispose of life as if it never had any meaning. As if the people they kill didn’t have anyone who loved and cared for them. He's a selfish paranormal who needs to be cut down before his reign of terror widens and more lives are lost.
Mom sniffles beside me as the flames lick higher. I have no tears left. I cried enough late last night and this morning for the next ten years of my life. I cried so hard I couldn't breathe and my head ached. Rion held me tightly as I let it all out.
Saying goodbye is never easy. As the fire engulfs my dad's body, I send up a silent message, hoping he's somewhere close and can hear me.
“We're going to miss you, Dad. Every day. I hope I made you proud and will continue to do so. I'm sorry for all the times I talked back or said things out of anger that I didn't mean. I'm sorry for not listening more and not spending more time with you. But
most of all, I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you I love you one last time. I do, Dad. I love you so much it hurts right now. No one could have been a better dad to me than you were. I'll never forget you.”
No one speaks as the fire does its job and begins to lift my dad to the air. His ashes will fly far and wide, taking him distances and places he may never have been.
As the flames start to die down, one by one, every member of the pack, and the others who came to the funeral, stop by to pay their condolences to my mom and me. Rion releases my hand so I can hug those who offer it, but he never leaves my side.
Ford teleports Paige and Bray home after they both hug me, Paige’s cheeks covered in tears beneath the hood of her coat.
At last, there's no one left but the four of us. Ford takes my mom's arm and leads her back to the mansion. She didn't want to teleport either. Rion and I stay where we are as the rain picks up in earnest, the remaining embers finally burning out. My dad is gone.
After we leave, Cash and Carter will return to bury what remains of the pile before us.
We make the slow walk back to the house, my feet getting stuck in the mud again as we go. Inside the house, I kick my shoes off at the door. They add to the already large pile of muddy boots and shoes.
This group of men and women—wolves, humans, and vampires—they were all there for my mom and me today. Even Lena was there. She hugged me the longest. Her thoughts floated openly to me as we embraced. Nothing but love and support was there. She has to be one of the kindest people I know.
We take the stairs back to our room. When we reach it, my mom's door is already closed across the hall. I don't bother knocking. She needs time to grieve. Although, I don't think there will ever be enough time to overcome the loss of the person you spent your life with.
The Somber Call (The Ariane Trilogy Book 2) Page 19
