Page 80 of Crescent Warrior

Even before this battle, she had been trying to muster her courage to ask for his forgiveness. That need was now more urgent than ever. With the loss of Dru, she felt like she needed to solidify things between them.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice sincere.

He stared at her in shock before reaching up to cup her face in his hands. “I love you too.”

She leaned forward to hug him tightly, and he squeezed her close as she felt his body shudder.

“We need to get Dru,” she closed her eyes against the tears.

“Damen has him,” he murmured, and she pulled away to see her king kneeling in front of his father, his hands shaking as he lifted his limp body into his arms.

His face was stricken, and his queen stood at his side, tears streaming steadily down her face. Ares was there as well, reaching a hand out to stroke through his father’s pelt. He swallowed convulsively, looking away as tears spilled past his eyes.

Hippolyta stood, helping Cole to his feet. He settled most of his weight on her as Xander lifted a listless Nicholas to his feet.

Their entire pack was silent, all staring at the fallen wolf in Damen’s arms. In unison, they lifted their heads and howled to the sky, mourning his loss.

Damen and Ares’ voices were broken, cracking under the strain of the emotion pressing against them. Hippolyta knew that she was in shock. When the importance of who she had lost hit her, she didn’t know if she could recover.

Damen slowly trudged forward, taking his father, pressing a kiss to his head as he went. They all followed, Cole holding onto her for support. She took the brunt of his weight as they went.

When they arrived to their homes, spread out across a large space, Damen, Ares, and Selene continued forward toward the building they used for medical care. It wasn’t nearly as well kitted as the one in Minnesota, but he needed the space to prepare his father’s body for his burial.

Hippolyta followed with Cole next to her, knowing that she also needed to make sure that he received care for his leg. When they were inside, she realized that no one else joined them.

Damen put Dru on one of the beds, his fingers stroking through his fur. Hippolyta closed her eyes, wishing there was something she could do, but she was barely holding herself together.

Settling Cole onto another bed, she moved to where Dru was, reaching out to press her fingers against his flank. Damen saw her, his eyes red and filled with sorrow.

He opened his arms to her, taking her into a hug so similar to the ones she was used to from Dru that her breath caught in her throat and a sound of pain and distress left her before she released a wracking, painful sob. It was only then that she realized that Ares and Selene had joined their embrace, holding each other up as they cried.

I can’t believe Dru is gone.

She would never be able to run to him for his all-knowing words of advice. He carried their pack with his love and wisdom. Now they would have to bear the weight of that responsibility on their own and she wondered if they were ready. Losing herself in her grief, feeling safe and accepted, she cried until she had no more tears to shed.

Cole stared at the ceiling of the medical center, looking over to where Damen, Selene, and Hippolyta were cleaning Dru’s body of blood and dirt. Hippolyta came him to care for his leg, which was already healing on its own, before going back to Dru.

Females were imperative to their funeral rituals and Hippolyta, Selene and Ambrosia were the daughters he always longed for. Cole knew that Ambrosia was on her way to Greece.

The only members of the pack that were left behind were Harmonia, Kyril and Niles because she was still struggling with her pregnancy. Phaedra was so worried about leaving her that she would only be in Greece for one day to bid Dru farewell and show her respects.

Nicholas stood in the doorway, staring at Dru with haunted eyes filled with pain. He hadn’t left since he first staggered inside, supported by Xander.

His brother returned to the rest of the pack, making preparations for the oils and materials that they would need. Cole watched as Damen stroked his father’s silky head, parting his jaws gently to place a golden obol in his mouth.

When he was done, he leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Don’t forget to come back to me like you promised, bampás.”

Tears were still flowing freely from everyone’s eyes. Hippolyta reached out to touch Damen’s shoulder in silent support as his mate squeezed his hand.

“We should get the oils,” he murmured, keeping Selene’s hand in his as he left. Ares nodded, touching his father’s paw as he followed. “And someone needs to find Miles. I know he’s probably grieving, but we can’t be separated now that we know there’s another pack nearby.”

Hippolyta nodded at him, but stayed, still wiping down Dru’s pelt. “I’ll miss him so much,” she whispered, hiccoughing as she glanced up at Cole before looking at Nicholas. “Did you want to say goodbye?”

He shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. “I don’t deserve to.”

“What?” Hippolyta murmured, moving over to him.

Even now, in the midst of all their pain, Cole’s wolf lifted his head at the thought of her approaching an unmated male; touching him. Cole pushed him back, knowing that his sweet mate was just trying to comfort someone she considered to be a brother, but he stayed alert and ready to pounce.

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