Chapter 141-1
Troy
The burial of my two wolves was a somber affair. We don’t have a graveyard. It’s too much wasted
space. Instead, we gift the body back to the earth and plant a tree on top. The trees grow into a
memorial for anyone who wishes to visit.
Kiana, I noted, avoided Parker’s tree. I hoped that one day, she’d be able to visit and try to
reconnect with him. The body was gone, but that didn’t mean the spirit didn’t remain.
It wasn’t until afterward that she told me of what Claudine could do with Irene’s blood. I had half a
mind to lock Irene away until Claudine was good and dead, but I also wanted to trust the witches. As long as someone had eyes on Irene, Claudine couldn’t do any damage through her.
It did serve to distract Jenson. Another obstacle, especially with my gamma gone. I couldn’t help
but wonder if this was Claudine’s plan all along. Not to spy but to divide the attention of my beta.
She could have gleaned so much information during her time here. It was no secret to the pack that Jenson was circling Irene. What was a secret was why they were still at odds with each other.
Kiana was quiet during the funeral. She disappeared while I finished up my meetings, and when I sought her out for dinner, I found her in the courtyard of my house, sitting in the grass, with a fire extinguisher next to her. She was out of breath and clearly frustrated.
She was pushing herself. Again. That was my mate. I admired the desire, but I knew what could
happen if she burnt out too fast.
“Hey, baby,” I said casually as I walked toward her and joined her in the grass. “You’re hot, but I’d
prefer if you didn’t start any more fires.”
She glared at me. “How can you joke at a time like this?”
“It’s not always sink or swim. Sometimes, you just have to tread water,” I told her as I pulled her into
my lap. “Talk to me.”
“Two of our wolves are dead, and Claudine can reach me anytime she wants. I know it’s not easy
for her, but she can still do it. We have no idea how much of Irene’s blood she has. She held Irene
long enough to bleed her over and over again.”
“She can speak to you, but she can’t use her magic or Irene’s. And she’s being watched to make
sure she doesn’t sabotage anything or go anywhere sensitive. Finn and Willa are leaving tomorrow
to gather more information, and this will end. Soon.”
“Poor Irene. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. Knowing something could take you over at
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Chapter 141-1
any minute.” She glanced up at me. “How’s your wolf?”
Claim
“That was a virus,” I reminded her. I didn’t like thinking about how my wolf had lost control. “And he’s fine. Truth be told, when you nearly brought me back from the dead, I think you cleansed him. He’s never been stronger.”
Kiana frowned. “What do you mean, cleansed?”
This wasn’t something I wanted to discuss with her, but time and time again, she’d opened up about her darkness. I didn’t want to hide anything from her. “I don’t think my wolf has ever experienced failure until you came into my life. He’s had a pack to protect, but you mean everything to him. So, every time you’re hurt, he feels like he’s failed you. I feel the virus amplified
all that anger and misery. Amplified those dark thoughts. He didn’t just look like a monster. He felt
like one too. Even when the physical affects were reversed, he still felt that way.”
“Now he doesn’t?”
“Your magic… it brought him peace, Kiana. I don’t know how else to explain it.”
At that, she snorted. “Right. Like anything from me can bring peace.”
Knowing I couldn’t change her mind right now, I kissed the top of her head. “Are you still trying to
create your forcefield?”
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