32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Tristan's wife was petite and blonde with lurid purple skin. Her eyes were bloodshot and grief-stricken.

I offered her my guest chair and she gratefully sank into it. ‘You already know what I'm going to say,' I said softly.

‘Yes,' she said flatly. ‘But say it anyway.'

Say it quickly, Esme advised.

I took her advice. ‘I'm sorry, Candice. Tristan has died.'

She nodded dully, but her eyes filled with tears. She dashed them away. ‘I've been crying all day. I foresaw it. I tried to stop it from coming to pass,' she confessed. ‘Since the moment you walked on the scene, I warned Tristan against you, tried to make him hate you, tried everything I could think to make him distrust you.'

She sighed. ‘But you won him over and he died for you, just as I had foreseen. All my machinations were for nothing. He told me that you're a good person and he was proud to be part of your pack. He said you valued him. '

‘I did,' I managed. I didn't blame her for what she'd tried to do. If I saw Greg's death in a vision, I would do everything I could to stop it from happening. ‘I'm sorry.' I winced as I offered the empty platitude.

‘I know.' She sighed again. ‘He was really enjoying teaching the pups martial arts. It meant a lot to him. You'll find someone else to take up that mantle?'

I nodded. ‘If that's what you want.'

Yes. We must honour his memory, Esme added softly.

‘Yes. It was important to him.'

‘Okay.' I hesitated, not sure how to ask. ‘We would like to lay him to rest with Nina.'

‘Yes,' she nodded. ‘I'd like that.'

‘We'll do it shortly, once the healing is finished. I know that many will want to attend.'

‘He didn't want a eulogy,' she said. ‘He just wanted a simple service. He's not… He wasn't one for flowery phrases.'

I nodded. ‘I know.'

‘I'd like to see him now.'

‘I'll show you to him,' I offered and stood up. We'd covered Tristan with a sheet and put him in one of the rarely used reception rooms .

‘Thank you.' She followed me through the corridors of the mansion.

I paused in front of the door. ‘He's through there. Is there anything…?' My voice trailed off.

‘No.' She smiled wanly and patted my hand. ‘There's nothing you can do – but thank you.' She walked into the room and shut the door behind her, but even so I heard her wail of despair. My shoulders slumped and my eyes stung. Poor Candice. This sucked so much.

My phone buzzed with a message from Amber: You're not coming??

I replied: Things are dicey here. Don't forget to give her the amulet.

Do you need me to come? was her instant reply, which warmed my heart.

No, I'm okay. Make Jess's day as magical as possible, please.

I'm on it.

I checked the time. Night was drawing in but I still had a couple of hours before Jess's wedding. Time enough to say goodbye to Tristan.

Can we go and see Nina? Terrance asked. I would like to see her. His voice was anxious.

I thunked my head against my hand. Of course he was. Absolutely. We'll go now .

I stalked out of the mansion and paused at the sight of the clean-up still going on in my garden. I looked around automatically for David and then my heart thundered. David! How had I forgotten about him even in the midst of all this?

I looked around for Greg and saw him with Leyla, who was busy painting healing runes on my wolves. Jacob sat next to her, his shoulders slumped and dejected. I could only see the tip of one wing; I guessed that answered my earlier question about whether Layla could regrow the one the dark seraph had lost.

I went to him. ‘Hey. How are you holding up?'

‘I've been better,' Jacob said drily.

Sara nudged him with her hip. ‘You're fine. You're alive, and that's better than most of our fucking foes can say!'

He sighed. ‘I can't fly. What good am I if I can't fly?'

‘You don't need to fly to be a valuable part of our pack,' I insisted. And maybe – on another day – I could help him fly with the aid of some air power. I patted his shoulder and turned to Greg. ‘Did you see Elliott Thomas joined with Isaacs?'

Greg grimaced. ‘What a prick.'

‘He loped away when the tide of the battle turned. He's one to keep our eye on.' I paused. ‘Did you see David?'

He stilled. ‘No. Did you?'

I shook my head, then turned to the wolves who had gathered around us. ‘Did anyone see David on the battlefield?' I asked. We got various negatives in response.

‘I'll look for him,' Noah's mum Sally said, pushing away from a wounded George.

‘No,' I said firmly. ‘He's dangerous – he betrayed us all. Spread the word that he's not to be trusted. If anyone sees him or hears from him, they are to let me know immediately.'

Sally stared at me aghast. ‘David? Our David?'

‘He wasn't our David,' I snarled. ‘He was the Domini's puppet. He's the one that burned that message into the grass and told Geneve about our incursion into her land. If he hadn't done that, maybe Xander would still be alive.'

Sally paled. ‘I'll spread the word.' She hustled off.

I watched her go grimly. None of this was working out like I'd intended. Damn the Domini – and damn David.