“You’re in too much pain aren’t you?” Worry etched her face and her soft hands cupped my cheek.
“I feel better now.” I replied. She closed her eyes and I felt her healing me. The pain I was feeling outside as well as inside slowly diminished till a soft, continuous ache remained.
“Thank you.” I whispered when she opened her eyes. Her hand slid down till it rested over my heart. “The pain you are feeling here cannot be dulled by anything but time, Dimitri. Instead of picking fights with those who want to help you in the hopes of a distraction, redirect the energy to do something that will actually make a difference.”
She was right. I had acted foolishly.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered.
“It’s not me you need to apologise to,” she stood up and tucked her wings behind her back.
I stood up and saw my entire family standing here for me. Sofiya was my sister by blood, but she was their sister too. Not by blood but it didn’t matter. They loved her like she was. And instead of being there for each other in this difficult time, I had acted selfishly.
“I’m sorry.” I apologised genuinely. “It wasn’t your fault, I know it,” I looked at Nikolai. “And I didn’t mean what I said,” I told Max who still looked pissed before I looked at Natalia, “I will regret it till the day I die. I’m so fucking sorry.”
She blinked back a tear and shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. The entire situation was fucked up.”
“I demand retribution,” Max said, his voice hard.
“What happened?” Andrei asked.
“Natalia got her heat while they were locked up in a cell in Pythonissam. Dimitri kissed her and fingered her,” he hissed.
“It wasn’t his fault, Max. It jus-” Natalia started.
“Did I fucking stutter?” He snarled at his mate. “I felt it, Talia. I felt the pain you felt. Regardless of the fucking reason, he touched what wasn’t his.”
“I accept it.” I said. He was right. I was out of line. I could’ve controlled better. I was the Beta of the largest pack of this dimension now. I should be able to control my wolf better than this by now. This was a mistake that I would never repeat again. “What do you want?”
“I will ask for it when the time comes. Be ready for it.” He said and I knew he would hold on to this. Max wasn’t the one who let things go easily. If he told me it would be asked at a later date, it would be. And whatever it was, I would do it.
We moved on to complete the cremation ritual after that. We collected the ashes of Sof, Valeralyn and Vladimir into ivory pots and then walked to the coast in silence before pouring them in the ocean. A few people from the Kingdom were still lingering here, bidding their loved ones goodbye one last time.
I kept looking at the vast expanse of the ocean in front of me, letting the cold water waves wet my legs. Cool breeze hit my face and I closed my eyes.
Sofiya was gone forever. I’ll never hear her again, I’ll never see her smile again, I’ll never be able to hold my niece. I’ll never be able to give shit to Vladimir again and poke fun at him ever again. Javier was gone. That old man’s dry humour never failed to make everyone laugh. He was like the father all of us never had. And we were left to fend for ourselves again, with no elder to guide us.
Redirect the energy to do something that will make a difference.
I spotted Rhazien and beckoned him over.
“Tell me everything.” I asked.
“Vladimir had devised a strategy and we left to follow it. The safe place of the palace was a secret room above the throne room and the kids and elders were all there. A small jet had flown over the island when we were taking our positions, all of us had seen it. We didn’t think much of it at that time.” He gulped and then his jaw clenched as he looked off in the far distance. “The palace was bombed sometime after. Vladimir ran back to the palace in the hopes that…” his voice turned thick… “No one inside the palace survived. When he came back out, he looked like a madman, determined to kill anyone in his way. We were outnumbered but Vladimir fought off and killed more wolves than we could count. He was like a fighting machine…” He took a deep breath. “He fulfilled his duties to the Kingdom before joining his beloved on the other side.”
I had always known Vladimir was a great man. But hearing this moved something inside me.
“And then after we won, he disappeared again. We found him lying in a pool of blood and a wooden stake in his chest besides Sofiya and Valeralyn.” His voice trembled. “It was bad Dimitri… they were… Sofiya was in worse shape. Her stomach was ripped open. I’m guessing Valeralyn was still alive and Vladimir cut her out before she died too. But the baby didn’t survive it. She was lying in Sofiya’s arms.”
My vision blurred with tears. I can’t even imagine the pain my brother must’ve felt. And to have a strength to fight after that… I can only hope to be as great as him.
“But there is a big question. Adrik planned the attack but he doesn’t have connections to procure bombs.” He pointed out. It was true, Adrik was against modernisation, he didn’t even have guns! How the fuck did he get bombs? The palace of Imporia and Poziarne were bombed too. “Verdura pack is the same. Someone has to have helped them.”
“Who would support Adrik?” Every single pack in the entire dimension hated him-except Verdura. He didn’t have the money to hire a jet and buy three bombs from the humans, nor did he have the technology to build them.
“The High Council.” Max appeared beside me.
“They worshipped the ground he walked on.” Nikolai agreed. “They kept calling him the King. I distinctly remember Xillian and Yolanda refer to him as the King instead of Alpha. It has got to mean something.”
“Guess it’s time for a little trip.” My eyes narrowed. Those three old warts were as good as dead now.