Page 148 of Altered

When the flames eventually turned to embers and then to ash on the ground, and the sun began to rise in the sky above me, I exhaled a ragged breath.

Removing my sweater, I laid it out flat on the ground beside me before reaching into the ashes.

With trembling hands, I began to scoop them up, placing them carefully on the fabric.

"Hope," a familiar voice choked out before coming to kneel beside me.

I wasn’t surprised to see him beside me.

I'd known he was here.

Keeping watch over me.

Over Hunter.

"Don’t do this," Noah begged, covering my hands with his. "Please…he wouldn’t want you to do this."

"I need to bring him home, Noah," I whispered, tears streaming down my face, as my body shook violently. "Ihaveto do this." Sniffling, I reached for another handful of ashes. "He deserves better than this…"

"I know," he whispered. Taking my hands, he placed them on my lap, and said, "I'll do it."

And he did.

Numb to the bone, I watched Noah gather his ashes and wrap them safely in my sweater. "I'll take care of him, Hope," he promised. "I'll make sure he gets the sendoff he deserves."

Climbing to my feet, I glanced at the bundled piece of fabric in my uncle's hands, and felt the last strip of life peel from my bones.

And then I turned around and walked away, ignoring Noah's protests; saying it wasn’t safe to be alone.

I didn’t care about David Henderson anymore.

He couldn’t hurt me.

Not when he already killed me.

Not when I was already dead on the inside.

****

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Hope

Noah organized the funeral.

They played two of his favorite songs at the ceremony.

Ben Howard'sOats in the Waterand Hozier'sTake me to Church.

At least, that's what I had read in one of the countless messages I'd received from Teagan.

I didn’t go.

Noah brought him home to South Peak Road in a golden urn.

Again, that's what I had been told.

I hadn't been there since that night.

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