Page 72 of The Wolf's Prince
He nodded and as one, they turned, entering through the door that was held open for them to deposit Jin’s body.
Nikolai had not expected a mausoleum of sorts. He had expected burial or cremation, but the wolves continued to surprise him.
When the alphas emerged, a few minutes later, the formality evaporated. They each went to their friends or loved ones and Nikolai was ready with open arms when Soren came straight to him.
He held him tightly, rocking gently.
“You did a great job,” he found himself saying, “Alpha Jin would be proud.”
Soren inhaled a shaky breath and pressed a kiss to Nikolai’s hair.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“Is it done now?” Nikolai asked gently.
Soren shook his head.
“No, now we celebrate Jin’s life with all of his favorite things.”
That made Soren smile for the first time all day.
“He had such a sweet tooth. I hope you are ready for more desserts.”
Nikolai returned the smile.
“Always.”
CHAPTER16
NIKOLAI
Nikolai was surprised to discover that Jin had loved to dance in his time, and according to the stories, he'd had some good moves too. By the end of the stories, Nikolai regretted only having met the shifter once. At least he had been given that much though, and even Jin's blessing, which was clearly so important for Soren.
Jin's taste in food was even better than his taste in music. Nikolai didn't think he had ever eaten so much, but he kept going back for one last bite—especially of that black dip. He had no clue what it was made of, maybe mushrooms? Whether or which, it was to die for with a slice of hot flat bread.
“You all know how to feed a man,” he said, letting out his belt buckle.
Soren smiled warmly.
“You can thank Jin for that. For a time, our pack struggled. He made a system for us, a schedule really, drawing on everyone's strengths. If someone had a sharp nose, they looked for mushrooms or berries. If someone was fast, they caught fish from the river... I was too young to remember it. All I know is that I grew up in the most stable pack I've ever heard of.”
Soren's unspoken words rang between them.What would it be like now?
Nikolai reached out and placed a hand on his arm.
“You all still have each other,” he reminded Soren, who nodded somberly.
“Yes, but we need an alpha,” Botan suddenly said from nearby.
Nikolai glanced over, realizing that everyone was listening. The music had been stopped for food and until a minute ago, everyone had been having their own conversations.
It would take Nikolai some time to get used to the way the shifters listened.
“I know you're grieving,” Botan said, to Soren, “so I will take the lead this time.”
He pushed to his feet, everyone watching him somberly.
“It is time to decide on the new pack alpha.”
