Page 50 of Ascension of the Pack

His eyes softened and he sighed. ‘Soon,’ he agreed. ‘Afterthe wedding.’

Tension eased from me; finally he was going to seek the help that he needed. God save me from stubborn griffins. ‘Good.’

He gave me a swift one-armed hug, shifted into griffin form, leapt into the air and flew away to go and watch Jess get married.

‘You could go,’ Greg suggested.

‘No,’ I said firmly. ‘I can’t.’ There was no way I could leave my pack now, not after all we’d been through. They deserved the comfort of their alpha.

I looked around the battlefield – what remained of it – and there was a lot of kissing going on: Marissa and Seren, Ben and Noah, and Wakado and Nova were next to Nina. He was leaning with his back against the wall, arms held carefully by his side as Nova initiated a passionate kiss, which he returned with enthusiasm.

Greg followed my gaze. ‘Did you know about that?’

I smiled. ‘Yeah, I knew the interest was there. He’s moving slow. I’m pretty sure she was raped by Larsden.’

Greg’s jaw worked. ‘He was such an asshole. I wish I could kill him all over again.’

‘Amen,’ I murmured. ‘Look!’ Against the mansion wall, Thea and Archie were kissing passionately, too. ‘What is it about battles that makes people so damn horny?’

‘The rush of still beingalive.’ He leaned down and kissed my neck, sending a shiver through me.

‘Table that,’ I said, looking reluctantly over his shoulder ‘We have too much to do. Later though…’

‘Later,’ he agreed, straightening. He followed my gaze. A car was making its way up our drive. ‘Leyla,’ he said. ‘I’ll show her to the most seriously wounded.’

I nodded. ‘And I’ll ring Tristan’s wife.’

‘I can notify her, if you want?’

‘No. I need to do this myself.’ I’d let Greg shoulder the burden with Xander, but afterwards I’d felt like I’d fumbled the whole thing. I made mistakes but I tried my damnedest to learn from them.

We split up, him to go to Leyla and me to find my phone and a bag in which to put the glowing orb; the last thing I wanted was to misplace it. As I waded across the battle ground, I smiled to myself as I saw Ivy and Ares eating their fill of our less crispy enemies.

‘No nibbling Tristan,’ I instructed firmly.

Ares gave me an affronted look as if he would never think of munching on friends. I patted him. ‘Just to be clear,’ I murmured. ‘I know you wouldn’t, but Ivy is young and she might not realise it’s not okay.’ Ares harrumphed and nudged me with his huge head: he wouldn’t let her eat Tristan.

I continued to the mansion and to my office. There was nothing I wanted to do less than notify Tristan’s wife of his death, but she deserved to hear the truth promptly – and from me.

I rummaged in a drawer, found a spare bag, popped the orb inside it and put the strap around my neck. I dialled the number I had on file for Candice but the call instantly disconnected – she’d hung up on me. Nonplussed, I stared at my phone.

A moment later a text message arrived from the same number:I’m on my way.I closed my eyes. Of course she already knew; she was a freaking seer.

Chapter 32

Tristan’s wife was petite and blonde with lurid purple skin. Her eyes were bloodshot and grief-stricken.

I offered her my guest chair and she gratefully sank into it. ‘You already know what I’m going to say,’ I said softly.

‘Yes,’ she said flatly. ‘But say it anyway.’

Say it quickly,Esme advised.

I took her advice. ‘I’m sorry, Candice. Tristan has died.’

She nodded dully, but her eyes filled with tears. She dashed them away. ‘I’ve been crying all day. I foresaw it. I tried to stop it from coming to pass,’ she confessed. ‘Since the moment you walked on the scene, I warned Tristan against you, tried to make him hate you, tried everything I could think to make him distrust you.’

She sighed. ‘But you won him over and he died for you, just as I had foreseen. All my machinations were for nothing. He told me that you’re a good person and he was proud to be part of your pack. He said you valued him.’

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