“It’s not your fault,” Ryder said again.
This time, I looked up to find him pointing past me. Craning my neck, I noticed the fireplace. I stared at the wooden knickknack on the mantle until I realized what I was looking at. There was an eye etched into the surface of it. Though there were burn marks at the base, as if someone had tried to destroy it, it seemed relatively unharmed.
That was what Alvin must have used to keep an eye on Candi and the house.
A wedding ring sat on top of it.
A part of me wondered…
Would it be so bad to give myself over to him so that the rest could know peace? Would a sacrifice like that protect my pack?
It wouldn’t. It was the easy option.
I was tired of fighting. This had to come to an end before I fell apart, before there was nothing left to fight for.
Ryder
Ness stood over the body.As Ness closed her eyes, her head tilted to the side as if she were trying to power through pain. Which, I guessed she was. Finally, Ness lifted her head and stepped away from the body.
We couldn’t call the human authorities now that we’d trampled over the crime scene. This was a matter for a witch.
Ness stepped into my arms and buried her face in my chest. I held her tight, but she didn’t cry.
Connor shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He looked everywhere but at the couch. I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t bring myself to enter the room, either. The way Ness’s face had blanched at the sight told me all I needed to know.
Ness had seen a lot. If this was enough to make her puke, then it had to be bad. Later, I would come back to pick up the body and give her a proper burial. I would pay witness to Candi’s demise then. For now, I would be strong for Ness and Connor.
“You did what I asked,” I told Connor.
His breath hissed inward between his clenched teeth. “I should have come sooner. If I’d been here like you asked…”
“Then you would be dead, too. Do you really think you could have taken Alvin on all by yourself? I don’t mean to belittle you, man, but if you could fight an Alpha on your own then we wouldn’t be here.”
Connor’s jaw tightened. Those hadn’t been the right words. I still couldn’t find the right thing to say. This wasn’t Connor’s fault, but a part of me agreed with him, and that wasn’t fair. Connor had done as I’d asked.
Alvin was the one to blame here. We had to remember that.
“Ness, go outside and keep watch.” I released her and turned to Connor. “Help me take care of the body. Since we don’t have a witch on hand, maybe we can burn the house to hide the evidence.”
Connor nodded. “I’ll call Vi. Her fire won’t leave a trail that arson investigators will catch.”
“I don’t need to wait outside,” Ness growled. “I can help. Give me something to do. I need…I need to be useful.”
Cupping the back of Ness’s head, I pulled her close so I could press a kiss to her forehead. “You have been giving everything of yourself for years. Just this once, go sit on the sidelines.”
She narrowed her eyes at me when I pulled back. Despite everything, a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. My beast growled with satisfaction. Something about taking care of my mate left me reinvigorated.
Ness would pout all the way out the door, but that would give her a break from death and pain for a short while.
Before she got far, I called out for her. “Give Cerridwen a call. We’re going to need a potion.”