33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Terrance's low-key anxiety was buzzing through me and it had me making double-time to Nina's front door. I knocked once on the doorframe and let myself in.

I had to hold back a gasp as I walked into my room because it had been destroyed. Chairs and tables were upended, books had been thrown to the floor and some even had pages torn out. What kind of a monster damaged books? Isaacs, that's who. He'd breached my inner sanctum and apparently he'd had one hell of a temper tantrum. The cushions on the seats had been slashed and their stuffing strewn around the room. A temper tantrum and a toddler-level meltdown. Asshole.

I'm so sorry, Nina wailed. There's so much to fix. I started with the loners' homes, but I'll do this now.

‘No,' I said aloud. ‘Please fix their homes. They need a place to feel safe.'

It's all my fault! she sobbed. David said the other wolves were your allies from the Norfolk and Oxfordshire Packs – Tarkers' and Wakado's packs. I had no idea they were Isaacs' until it was too late. I let them in and David led them straight to the orb and Terrance. She sobbed even louder. Is Terrance okay?

I'm fine, Nina, he reassured her. I came to check on you. How are you holding up?

I betrayed you all, she whimpered.

Not knowingly! Terrance said instantly. Never knowingly. It wasn't your fault, my dear one. He tricked you.

‘He tricked us all,' I sighed. ‘Nina, we want to lay Tristan to rest. Can you help with that later?'

Of course. She paused. Though honestly, all this fixing is draining my energy. I could do with some more bodies before then, she admitted.

‘There are plenty of bodies lying around,' I said grimly. ‘I'll have some brought to you.'

I left Terrance on a table with Nina whilst I ducked outside and collared a few of the wolves. ‘Bring some of the dead here,' I instructed firmly. ‘The seat of power needs to eat.'

It wasn't strictly true, but there was no reason to mess with Nina's already formidable reputation. Anyway, she consumed the corpses' energy so it wasn't a total lie.

The men blanched but did as I commanded and moved towards a few of the less charred bodies that Ares and Ivy weren't chowing down. ‘Bring them all,' I ordered. They may have fought against us, but Isaac's wolves didn't deserve to be riven from the Great Pack as a consequence. There would be no ceremony, though.

I watched as my wolves dumped our dead enemies haphazardly inside Nina's foyer. Her roof opened and the glowing remains of the wolves filtered up through her and into the sky. That's better, she murmured with relief. A glimmer and a shudder ran through the house and her windows sparkled. Now I can start fixing things properly.

‘Great. Can you give me access to the orb's room so I can restore it to its pedestal.'

The house shook with surprise. You awakened it? Her tone was full of hope.

‘I did. It turns out it needed all four elements.' And a dash of my blood, but no one needed to know that a fifth element had been required. That movie was one of my all-time favourites. Big badda boom.

The floor gave way as Nina showed me to the orb's room, but by now I was practised at the fall and landed lightly on the balls of my feet without Esme's help.

The orb was still tucked away in my bag. I freed it reverently from its cotton confines. This was what I'd been searching for; this small sphere would enable us to speak properly to the Great Pack. When I placed it on its pedestal, the world was going to change. Fingers crossed it would be for the better.

I walked slowly to the dais. Nina had placed a red-velvet cushion there, which seemed somehow appropriate – red for all the blood spilled for it. I reached out and nestled the sphere in the velvet and stepped back.

Instantly light poured from the orb, through Nina and up into the stratosphere. The whole house trembled. ‘Nina, are you okay?' I asked anxiously.

I'm … something, she murmured. I can feel the Great Pack reaching out to me! Oh my goodness, they're here. They're all here!

We've missed you, Nina, the chorus of voices said warmly.

I missed you, too! I thought you'd abandoned me. Her voice wavered.

Never. We were ripped from you but now we are whole once more. Together we will guide all wolves home.

Yes, she breathed. We will. I'm so happy to see you. Her joy washed over me and all her inhabitants.

I untangled myself from them and left Nina and the Great Pack to celebrate their reunion. She would never be lonely again.