Page 53 of Ascension of the Pack

The orb was still tucked away in my bag. I freed it reverently from its cotton confines. This was what I’dbeen searching for; this small sphere would enable us to speak properly to the Great Pack. When I placed it on its pedestal, the world was going to change. Fingers crossed it would be for the better.

I walked slowly to the dais. Nina had placed a red-velvet cushion there, which seemed somehow appropriate – red for all the blood spilled for it. I reached out and nestled the sphere in the velvet and stepped back.

Instantly light poured from the orb, through Nina and up into the stratosphere. The whole house trembled. ‘Nina, are you okay?’ I asked anxiously.

I’m … something,she murmured.I can feel the Great Pack reaching out to me! Oh my goodness, they’re here. They’re all here!

We’ve missed you, Nina,the chorus of voices said warmly.

I missed you, too! I thought you’d abandoned me.Her voice wavered.

Never. We were ripped from you but now we are whole once more. Together we will guide all wolves home.

Yes,she breathed.We will. I’m so happy to see you.Her joy washed over me andall her inhabitants.

I untangled myself from them and left Nina and the Great Pack to celebrate their reunion. She would never be lonely again.

Chapter 34

My hair was in a tidy up-do, I was wearing minimal makeup and the most respectable black dress I’d been able to find. A lot of my black dresses were on thelittleside, but I had a work dress that I’d reserved for auditors’ visits. It came to mid-calf and made me look at least semi-respectable. Tristan deserved that.

Terrance was nestled in my hair.

I looked a far cry from the woman who’d killed Isaacs in battle. As I studied my reflection, I saw that my eyes were shadowed.Too tired,I lied to myself. Tiredness, my ass; it wasn’t exhaustion lining my eyes – though that was there too – but a hardness that hadn’t been there before.

I’d done my wailing and gnashing of teeth, and I’d bemoaned my fate as a deadly piper, yet even though I hadn’t utilised my piping skills to stop Isaacs’ heart like I’d done to Geneve, I’d still killed him. Did it matter a damn ifI’d ripped his throat out or piped his heart to stop? Either way, he was just as dead.

No, the shadows were there because maybe if I’d used my piping powers properly in the heat of battle, I wouldn’t now be saying goodbye to Tristan.

We did not kill him,Esme soothed.We could not reach him because of Isaacs’ cage of air. We will get better with our air magic so no one can do that to us again.

She was right, but if I’d thought of piping Isaacs I could have forced him to drop the dome. Ihadn’tthought of it; my failure to embrace my piping skills was why we were sending Arden to the Great Pack and it killed me. But I said none of that to Esme. It was a discussion for later.

Yes,I agreed instead.We will practise with our magic.ALL of our magic, because I didn’t want to feel that helpless ever again. For an almighty, powerful Queen, the feeling had been as humbling as it had been unwanted. Every time I thought I finally mattered in this deadly realm, someone swung by to try and make me feel like nothing more than a Common human.

Others cannot make you feel small without your permission,Esme stated.Do not give it to them.

That was easier said than done. Dammit, Icaredwhat people thought about me.

Arms wrapped around me from behind, breaking my introspection. ‘You look beautiful, Peaches.’

I leaned back into Greg’s arms and let his scent wash over me. ‘I love you,’ I murmured.

He kissed the top of my head. ‘And I you. Are you ready?’

I shook my head. ‘No, but I don’t think I will ever be. I hate this. I’d really grown tolikeTristan.’

‘Me too,’ he confessed. ‘Let’s go and pay our respects.’

We pulled apart and he took my hand. I was wearing my favourite skyscraper heels so for once we were the same height. I swayed down the stairs carefully; falling ass over tit would not be a good look.

The mansion had never looked so sombre. All of its occupants, even the pups, were dressed in black. That was rare because my wolves knew how much I loved colour and they had embraced all things rainbow. Normally we were a kaleidoscope of riotous hues, especially since Nova had introduced summer cover-ups for the women to wear after shifting. The sea of black was overwhelming and possibly not what Tristan would have wanted, but it was a simple way for us to show our respect to our third. Tristan had been a man to admire, infinitely superior to the foul, thuggish Mark Oates whom he hadreplaced.

My people lined the mansion walls as Greg and I proceeded through them. Candice was waiting for us at the double front doors, which Ben and Noah were manning. They swung them open and we walked out of the mansion.

Tristan’s mahogany casket was resting at the bottom of the steps on a wooden catafalque. Greg gave my hand a quick squeeze before letting go so that he could lift the casket. To hell with that: if he thought that I wasn’t helping to carry Tristan, he had another thought coming.

I followed him down the steps and stood to the rear of the coffin, opposite Greg. Liam and Archie joined us, then Seren and Marissa came to the front. As one, the six of us lifted it up and laid it on our shoulders.

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