The drive to Tristan’s pack territory was quiet, and I spent most of it staring out the window,
thinking about everything that had happened.
Seraphine and Daxon were dead because of their choices, because they’d chosen to side with evil
instead of protecting their own.
They let selfishness and greed blind them.
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I should have felt more, I thought. Sadness, maybe, or regret. But all I felt was tiredness and ready
for this to be over.
When we arrived, there were already people gathered. I could see Orion standing with Sarah, his arm around her shoulders, and Derek was there too, standing off to the side with his arms crossed.
The pack members had formed a circle around a pile of wood that had been arranged in the center of
the clearing.
Two bodies lay on top of the wood, wrapped in white cloth.
My stomach twisted when I saw them, and I had to look away for a moment.
Tristan squeezed my hand. “You okay?” he asked quietly.
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure if I was.
We walked toward the gathering, and people moved side to let us through.
I could feel their eyes on me, some sympathetic, some curious, and I kept my head up, refusing to
show any weakness.
Tristan led me to the front of the circle, and I stood there, staring at the two bodies on the wood.
Seraphine was never my friend. But she was Jess’s and Sarah’s friend. I didn’t feel anything for her but my heart bleeds for Tristan and Sarah who’d trusted her not knowing she was evil.
But Daxon was once my mate. Someone I’d loved and trusted, but didn’t know he was also evil and a
monster.
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Chapter 243
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I didn’t know he was among the people who had taken the ones we loved the most.
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Tristan let go of my hand and stepped forward, his presence commanding as he addressed the pack.
“This is what happens to anyone who betrays their own,” he said, his voice carrying across the
clearing. “And anyone who thinks they can stand against us should try and see how it’ll end for
them.”
His words were harsh, but they needed to be. The pack needed to understand that betrayal wouldn’t
be tolerated, that there were consequences for siding with evil.
“We’re werewolves,” Tristan continued. “We’re supposed to protect each other, not side with those who want to destroy us. We can’t let hate and strife live in us. We can’t go to great lengths for what’s
not meant for us or who isn’t meant for us.”
As he spoke, I watched him with pride. He was a good leader, strong and fair, and he knew how to
bring people together.
I found myself admiring him, the way he stood tall and confident, the way his words made sense and
carried weight.
And then, suddenly, I felt it. A wave of heat that started in my stomach and spread through my
entire body.
What the hell?
I shifted uncomfortably, trying to shake off the feeling, but it only got stronger.
My skin felt too tight, too warm, and I couldn’t stop thinking about last night, about Tristan’s hands on me, his body against mine.
I couldn’t wait to get home, to be alone with him again, to continue where we’d left off.
The thought surprised me, and I felt my cheeks heat up.
What is wrong with me?
This wasn’t the time or place to be thinking about that. We were here to say goodbye to the dead, to bring closure to everything that had happened.
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Chapter 243
But my body didn’t seem to care. It wanted Tristan, and it wanted him now.
I tried to focus on what he was saying, on the ceremony, but the heat kept building, and I found myself pressing my thighs together, trying to find some relief.
Tristan finished his speech and turned to look at me extending his hand.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
