Page 41 of Eternal Mate

"Jack?" Elias whispered, his voice tinged with desperation. "Where is he?"

There was a heavy pause.

I saw Ashe’s eyes slowly close, a hand coming up to swipe over his face.

We all knew what must have happened, even before my grandmother finally bit the bullet and spoke up.

"Elias," Credence began softly, her words laced with sorrow, "Jack didn't make it. He sacrificed himself to get us out of there."

Seven days. We’d missed our chance to save him by seven days.

If we’d actually gone out to seek Azazel instead of waiting for him so that we could kill him sooner, Jack would be alive.

Elias staggered backward, his face draining of color as the news settled upon him.

The room fell into another uneasy silence. The weight of shock and grief enveloped us all. Ashe, who had been standing silently by Elias's side, reached out a hand to steady him, his own expression etched with pain.

The tension in the room was palpable as we waited for the man's reaction, uncertainty hanging in the air like a heavy fog. We were all reeling at the news of Jack's fate, but Elias looked like he was about to fall apart entirely.

Eventually, he choked out a soft “Excuse me,” and then stormed out of the meeting room with Ashe hot on his heels.

Amidst the heavy atmosphere, a small gasp escaped my mother’s lips when she noticed someone else in the room.

Her eyes had locked onto Auren.

In a swift motion, she clamored out of her chair and closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. The room fell into another stunned silence as we watched this unexpected display of affection.

Lucy's voice quivered with emotion as she spoke. "Auren, my baby," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, my baby!"

Auren, clearly taken aback by this, hesitated for a moment before returning the embrace.

"Hey, mom," he managed to say, his voice both filled with confusion and choking up with other emotions.

I couldn’t even blame him; I hadn’t expected her to recognize him, either. The aviators obscured his features, but maybe his overgrown red hair had given him away.

Credence smiled indulgently from her seat, looking older than I’d ever seen her as she watched her daughter and grandson's reunion.

Aria nudged me. I got the hint—I leaned over to hug my grandmother, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she patted my arm.

The room erupted into a collective hug as emotions overflowed and spilled into the open. Tears mingled with smiles as our fractured family found comfort in each other's arms. The pain of loss was momentarily eclipsed by the joy of reunion, a bittersweet mixture that tugged at our hearts.

“I need to go get—” my mate started, only to stop abruptly.

Rebecca stumbled into the room with the twins on her heels, eyes wild as she scanned it.

Aria’s eyebrows shot up. She was obviously confused as to how her sister had already gotten the news when Harry had only just shown up, as was I.

Rebecca quickly spotted her husband. She took some hesitant steps forward, releasing the twins' hands so that she could reach out to touch his face, her shaking visible even from a distance.

“Daddy!” Mia was the first to cry out, bounding over with Caiya and wrapping around the man's legs.

Harry's eyes met Rebecca's gaze, filled with love and relief. The room held its breath, caught up in the tender moment.

With emotions brimming, Harry's voice broke the silence. "Rebecca," he murmured, letting out a trembling breath.

Rebecca managed only a choked whisper, tears welling in her eyes. "Harry, you're here—you're really here."

It was a statement encompassing disbelief and overwhelming relief, as if she’d been holding her breath for far too long and was finally able to exhale.

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