Chapter 173

[ 1,633 words ]

Aria

This moment feels like deja vu.

No, like a parallel universe bringing me back to the moment I first stepped foot in BlackRidge.

Only this time I’m not an outsider.

Not looking back on the life I’m running from.

I’m thinking about the future I’m fighting for.

The people who hold both my duty and my affection.

The entire pack is dressed in dark, mourning attire. The quiet sniffles against a grey heavy clouded sky as we all gather in the packs graveyard clearing to honor the life of Rosa Delacourt.

All five of her children came to honor their mother as well as countless other friends from various packs.

“Rosa was an example of what we all should strive to be,” Ronan says with affection. “Open, warm, protective, gracious and kind. There wasn’t a person among us who didn’t feel seen within seconds of being in her presence. But in the wake of this great tragedy it is important to remember her life and all the ways she strived to make others better.”

Ronan goes and picks up a fistful of dirt and stands over Rosa’s resting place where the hole remains unfilled.

“As you Alpha I vow justice to those who took you away from us much too soon. May you rest in the loving embrace of the Goddess.”

He drops the dirt inside and moves to stand to the side as we all go one by one to say our words and drop our offerings with her.

After, her children fill in the graves, sealing her with the earth.

We all head to the pack hall, giving her children some final moments with their mothers resting place.

Quinnie walks around checking up on people and making small talk.

I walk over the refreshment table ravenous and look through the selection of foods. The kitchen staff did a wonderful job of putting together all of Rosa’s favorites.

“They look just like moms,” a voice says from beside me.

I turn and see Victoria, her youngest daughter, staring at the cherry dark chocolate muffins with a lost look in her eye.

“She taught Quinnie the recipe, if you try one I think you’ll find it spot on,” I say softly.

She gives me a small smile before taking one and holding it up to her mouth.

A tear slid down her cheek as she chewed.

I don’t know the woman.

But I know what it’s like to lose a mother.

“It’s perfect,” she whispers. “I should have taken the time to learn. I was always just so busy with the kids and now …”

I can’t take away her pain or even give her the assailants head on spike—yet— but I can offer her one small comfort.

“She wrote a recipe book. We have it in the kitchens. If you want it, it’s yours.”

“You would do that for me?” she asks

The way Victoria looks at me you would have thought I offered her immortality. And in a sense I did offer her something which is eternal. The memories and comfort.

“Of course I would. Rosa would want you to have it. She would want her grandchildren to eat her food and pass down the recipes to their children.”

“Yes, yes I’ll take it.” She wraps her arms around me, hugging with a surprisingly strong grip. “Thank you.”

“Alright, let’s not crush the BlackRidge, Luna.” Rosa’s second oldest son, Oliver says.

His pale eyes have been on my mind all day. They seem so familiar.

Not the color but the intensity of them. The hook of his nose and hard angles of his cheek bones.

His sister lets me go, rubbing the bottom of her eyes.

“Whatever, Oli,” she thumps his chest.

“I wanted to speak with you for a moment,” he says to me.

The severity in his tone makes me stand straighter.

My bond pulses and I feel my mate’s picking up on the shift in my mood.

There on their way.

“Sure, let’s step to the side and talk,” I waved at Quinnie,” can you show Victoria to the kitchen and get her Rosa’s cook book.”

“Of course,” she says, stepping up to us.

Oliver’s eyes linger on Quinnie, she looks up at him and gives him a smile and the corner of his lips quirk.

“How are you doing,” she asks, going into counselor mode.

“I’m holding up,” he says.

She frowns. “Come find me later if you need to okay.”

He laughs. “I forgot how good you were at reading emotions.”

“I’m even better now,” she retorts.

He lets his gaze roam over her face.“You were always extraordinary.”

Well, shit.

What’s this about? My wolf pushes to the front of my mind, the nosy bitch.

Jace steps in front of his mother like a shadow, staring at Oliver with an unimpressed look he must have inherited from his father.

“Dad is looking for you,” he says to his mother, not taking his eyes off the male.

Instead of being riffled by Jace’s rudeness, it seems to amuse Oliver.

“Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.” She looks at Oliver. “It was nice to see you again. Don’t be a stranger, even if you switched packs this is still your side pack.”

He nods and Quinnie takes Victoria away.

Kade’s hand wraps around my waist and he presses a kiss to my neck.

“You okay sweetheart,” he asks.

“I’m fine. Oliver just wanted to speak with me about something.”

“Kade, congratulations on your band bond. It’s quite rare,” Oliver says.

“Thanks Oli. I didn’t know you knew about i” Kade asks.

“Please your band was the talk amongst all the packs. You know it’s been one hundred and fifty years since there was a pairing like yours.”

Just have a confused look on my face because Oliver says, “I’m a historian. Shifter history is my speciality.”

“Wow. I’m impressed,” I say thinking of the wealth of knowledge this male must have.

“Don’t be. It’s quite a modest profession but it is fascinating to learn new things,” Oliver says.

“So what did you need from me?”

“i just wanted to speak about my mother’s investigation. I heard about the crows and I was just wondering if you guys found anything else since then.”

Theo walks up to us from the right followed closely by Barric.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have anything yet but it won’t be long before we find them. No one can hide forever,” Theo reassures Oliver.

Oliver nods a pensive look on his face.

Barric studies him for a moment. “Was there something you wanted to tell us?”

He looks into Barric’s eyes. “Yes, but I’m afraid you’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Try us,” Kade says.

“I know someone who might have wanted to hurt my mother.”

“Who,” I ask, my wolf alert inside of me.

“Some one who should be dead. Kane.”

I freeze, memories of that horrible day coming back to me, my mother thrusting the ice spear deep into her chest.

“What are you talking about? He’s dead.” My voice is harsher than I intend it to be.

“He should be,” Oliver amends.

“Let’s take a step back here.” Theo says. “Let’s say we believe you? Why would Kane want to harm Rosa?”

“Because he’s my uncle.” He pauses looking like he is collecting himself.” And he blamed my mother for his brother choosing her over their family.”

Kade is….no this can’t be.

I look around at my mates not knowing what to expect but from the look in their eyes they didn’t know about this little family connection either.

“Why do you think he’s alive?” Barric asks suspiciously.

“In the video you guys sent all the packs. Some of the males have a scar on the inside of his right wrist. It’s a long jagged scar that looks asymmetrical. He got it when he took me fishing when I was eleven. I was horrible at casting and the fish line sunk into his wrist leaving him with that scar.”

My wolf whines, noting the pitch in his voice

“There is something else. I say.”

He swallows. “A week before mom… before she was killed I received a note. It told me to choose a side to correct her mistake. I thought it was bullshit. Just some twisted tactic to make me afraid so I didn’t pay it any mind. Then mom was pronounced dead. I received a second letter after. It only had two words, wrong choice.”

“I watched him die,” I say. “My mother was bonded to him.”

“The bond can be broken,” he says simply.

“I doubt he had much time while he was bleeding out from a wound to the heart.”

He looks at me with sympathy. “Did you see the body after? Did you hurry it.”

I think hard. “No but—” my words trail off.

Kade puts a hand at the base of my spine to support me.

My chest starts to feel tight.

Could it be possible?

Did my mother die for nothing?

“Like I said. My siblings already think I’m crazy for suggesting it. But I had to tell you anyway. Even if nothing comes of it, even if it’s not him, someone was trying to recruit me before they killed my mom.”

Barric and Theo exchange a look.

They know something, my wolf says. Something they don’t want the outsider to know.

“Do you have any enemies?” Barric asks.

“Not like that.” Oliver scratches the back of his head. “Sure there are some males from my department who but heads with me when it comes to artifact theories, but they just compete to be spats, nothing more.”

“Thank you for telling us,” Theo says, placing his hand on Oliver’s shoulder. “We’re going to look into it. Until we have an answer make sure to reach out to us if you get another one of those notes.”

“I will. I tried to tell my Alpha but he dismissed my concerns. Perhaps if Ronan spoke to him he’d take what I told him seriously.”

“Well pass it along,” Theo promises.

“Let me go find Victoria. Thank you again Aria for giving her that cook book, it means a lot to her,” he says before leaving.

Once he is gone, Theo turns to Barric, “Do you think there is truth to what he said?”

“I think we’d be fools to overlook it.” Barric answers.

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