24. The Funeral

TWENTY-FOUR

the funeral

The next few days pass in a flurry of emotion and turmoil. Investigations have been nonstop at the house, ending with a conclusion of a gas leak. Although we know the truth. Thorne has been quiet since Francis's death, and I don't blame him.

Apparently, the Charleston lycan own several homes throughout the city. Connor was kind enough to offer one large enough to house all four vampires, along with Luna.

Sliding into the black dress I purchased especially for the funeral, I find myself staring at the shell of Thorne in front of me. He single-handedly planned her funeral and took care of her estate, refusing to let anyone help.

"Are you going to be okay?" I ask as he slides his cuff links into place. It's a question I've asked dozens of times in the last three days .

"Aye," he answers. The emotion sounding through his voice is the opposite of his words.

Walking behind him, I wrap my arms around his waist. The anger I felt about Samirah has left, replaced by the love I feel for Thorne. "I'm here if you need me."

"Aye, I know." He turns, wrapping his arms around me. "I love you for it." A clock in the hall echoes into the room, chiming its bell eleven times. "It's time to go." He holds his arm toward mine, and together, we exit the stately home and walk toward the location for the ceremony.

Overlooking the Ashley River, a small group of vampires, lycan, and a few unsuspecting humans, gather. The cerulean blue sky is the perfect backdrop to say goodbye to someone we love.

Thorne clears his throat before moving next to the urn holding Francis's ashes. "Thank you all for coming." He pauses. "Francis was a force to be reckoned with. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her was truly blessed. She could do everything from making enough food to feed an army to sailing a three-hundred-year-old vessel." A few laughs leave the small crowd.

"She was sharp-tongued, sharp-witted, and loved. This world won't be the same without her in it." He wipes a stray tear. "I wish I could regale this speech with tales of her youth, but I only got to know her recently." He looks around the group. "I think I can speak for everyone here when I say she made more of an impression on me in that short time than many people have made on me through lifetimes."

Thorne picks up Francis's remains. "Thank you, my girl. You were amazing, and I am so proud of you."

Tears fill my eyes with his words. Thorne carries the urn toward the river with the small crowd behind. He opens it, lifts it high into the air, and shakes it, releasing her into the water below.

"You are free," he whispers, wiping tears.

"That was beautiful," Luna says as we work our way back to the home we're borrowing. "Your words were perfect."

"Aye, thank you. She deserved so much more," Thorne answers.

"I think she would've thought that was perfect." I lace my fingers through his as the rest of our small crew walks ahead of us.

Back at the house, the five of us sit, staring at each other. The small talk passing between us is nothing more than banter, ignoring the elephant in the room. Thorne has relaxed and the heavy energy he's carried since Francis's death feels lighter. I'm just about to bring up Kragen when Luna beats me to it.

"So…what are we going to do about the asshat that caused this?" she asks, looking around the room.

"He has to be stopped," Elias adds.

"I've been thinking about everything that's happened." Micah stands, moving across the room toward the fireplace. "Elsie, you thought, hell, we all thought that Kragen wanted to die. That he wanted you to kill him."

"Obviously, that's not true," Luna interrupts. "He's still alive, or dead…" She looks around the room. "Which is it? Alive or dead? I mean, I know you all have a permanent death, but what are you right now?"

Micah pretends she hasn't spoken and continues his thought. "Samirah had to be the one to set the bomb in Francis's house. It only makes logical sense. But why? He got his revenge for the death of Eudora." He nods toward me. "He stole you from Thorne's ship and turned you into a freaking vampire. I would think that would call it even. What is he trying to do? Why try and kill everyone?"

"Because he's a lunatic," I answer. "No matter how much you try to figure out the motives or reasoning behind anything he does, you'll be wrong. Kragen thrives on not following the norm."

"Psychopaths don't follow the rules of society," Thorne adds. "We could spend hours, hell, years trying to figure out why he does and did the things he did. We'll never know."

"He has to be stopped," Abram speaks for the first time.

Thorne stands, moving toward the stairs. "You don't owe me anything. All our debts are paid." He looks between the two vampires. "Thank you for being here, but I won't ask you to stay."

Abram stands. "I think I speak for the both of us when I say we will not rest until Francis's death is avenged. We are here to see this through."

"Me, too." Luna chimes in.

"Yeah, add me to that." Micah joins.

Thorne looks around the room at the makeshift paranormal Avengers. "Thank you, my friends. If you don't mind, I'm going upstairs to change."

I don't wait to be asked. I follow him upstairs, to the bedroom we've shared for the past few days. Thorne takes off the sport coat and tie he wore for the funeral. I copy his movement, shedding the semiformal dress and changing into my usual leggings and a T-shirt.

"Elsie, I'm sorry," he says from the edge of the bed.

I move in front of him, resting between his knees. "You don't owe me an apology."

"Aye, I do. If my men hadn't killed Eudora, none of this would've happened. You would have never been taken, and we could have been together the way we were meant to be." He wraps his hands around my waist. "This all happened because of me."

"You can't do that to yourself. None of this is your fault. If anyone is at fault, it's Kragen. He's the one who chose all of this."

"Killing Francis was his way of still punishing me. He's never going to leave you alone and killing you would be his ultimate revenge. All because of Eudora." He lowers his forehead to mine.

"You're forgetting one important fact. I'm the only one who can kill him. "

"I'm not forgetting that. I'm just not putting you in that place again. He took you away from me twice. I won't survive a third time."

"I'm stronger than you think," I remind him.

"I'm not." His voice is no louder than a whisper. "I'm sorry about Samirah," he starts.

I cover his lips with my finger. "That's not important anymore. I'm sorry I was angry. It was dumb."

Thorne places his hands on my cheeks, pulling my face gently toward his. The connection sends chills down my spine. I climb up the tall bed, straddling his hips with mine, and never losing connection with his mouth. Our kisses become deeper, and he pulls me closer.

I rock my body into his, eliciting a deep moan. Enjoying the sound he made, I copy the movement again, this time rubbing myself along his erection.

Thorne slides his hands under the waistband of the thin leggings I'm wearing and grabs my ass firmly, helping me to glide along the hardest part of him.

"Are you okay to do this?" I ask, pulling away slightly.

"I'm more than okay." In one quick motion, he strips off the shirt he's wearing, throwing it in the corner of the room.

I do the same, throwing my T-shirt and leggings nearby. Thorne's pupils dilate as he takes every inch of me in. Unbuckling his belt, I shimmy the dress pants he's wearing down his hips, freeing the part of him I want.

Rubbing my hand along the length of him, he moves in time with my hand. I slide low enough to use both hands. One on his balls, and one on his cock. I work them in tandem while he stares me in the eyes. The look on his face makes me want him even more.

I let go and slide forward, lining us up together. His hands caress my breasts, hitting the perfect spot on my nipples. Slowly, I lower myself onto him until our bodies are flush with each other. Thorne fills me.

I begin moving, lifting myself to the tip and sliding to the base of him. "You feel so good," he sighs.

It doesn't take long before we're moving in unison. I lower my body to his, kissing him deeply as we continue moving. The rhythm of our tongues matches the rhythm of our bodies.

The sensation starts low in my abdomen, covering my body in chill bumps. I sit up, just as the coil spins tightest, and take every inch of him inside. Thorne matches my intensity, and the two of us cry out at the same time.

I collapse on top of him, and it takes a few minutes for both of us to catch our breath. "That was…"

"Yeah." He fills in the blank.

A soft knock on the door draws us back to reality. "I'm sorry to bother you, again… I feel like this is becoming a pattern." Micah's voice echoes through the do or. "But Connor's here. He brought someone you need to meet."

"We'll be right down," I answer for the both of us.

A few minutes pass before we make our way back downstairs. Connor is standing in the doorway with a larger man not far behind.

"Elsie, this is Christopher St. James, the Alpha of New Orleans."

Thorne moves in front of the Alpha, the top of his head only coming to Christopher's forehead. "Good to see you again, Thorne," he says, shaking Thorne's hand. "Elsie, please call me Topher."

"It's nice to meet you, Topher. What brings the Alpha of New Orleans here?" I ask.

Topher looks down before speaking. "Connor has shared information about what's happened here and the death of your granddaughter. I'm truly sorry."

"Thank you," Thorne whispers. "Me, too."

"I've heard through several of my pack members that Kragen has been spotted off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf."

"Of course, he has," I spew. "Let me guess, in a pirate ship?"

Topher laughs. "No, in the swamps, and it was more like a canoe."

"Was he alone?" Elias asks.

"There was a woman with him."

"When do we leave?" Abram asks the small group.

"My plane is ready and will hold everyone."

I close my eyes. When will this be over? Will this ever be over?

"Okay," Thorne whispers. He turns toward the small group next to us. "If any?—"

"Stop," Luna interrupts. "We've already had this conversation…several times. We're all staying and seeing this through." She moves closer to her Alpha, who wraps a long arm around her shoulders.

"You've done well," Topher praises her, giving her a warm hug. "I have a car waiting out front."

The eight of us load into an extra-large SUV and arrive at the airport not long after. I have no idea what we're going to find when we get there, or what we're walking into. The SUV bypasses the airport and drives straight to the tarmac. Parked in the middle of a smaller runway is a private jet.

"The New Orleans pack must have more money," Connor laughs.

Topher returns the laugh. "That belongs to my wife. She inherited quite a bit of money from her maker."

"Her maker?" I ask, eavesdropping.

"She's a vampire, or at least, she was." Topher laughs awkwardly. "It's a long story."

The jet lifts into the sky, and the group falls mostly quiet. The lycan have been talking quietly, forgetting that we can hear them no matter how softly they speak. Most of their conversations have to do with pack matters and the future of both the Charleston and New Orleans packs.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Louis Armstrong International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing. The time is five-forty-five, and it's a balmy eighty-four degrees."

"Home, sweet, home," Luna says as the plane begins to descend. "Where there's always 100 percent humidity."

Minutes later, the plane is taxiing down the runway and stops in front of a second black SUV. Sticking my head out the door of the plane, I see a strikingly beautiful woman leaning against the driver's side door. Her hair reminds me of fire, and I can sense her otherworldliness instantly. Not only do I feel vampire energy, it's mixed with what I now recognize as lycan energy. Strapped to her chest is a small toddler with the same hair as his mother.

Topher passes me, hurrying down the stairs to greet the woman. They embrace with an almost embarrassing kiss. Luna moves next to me. "That's Amelia and little Edon."

"What is she?"

Luna laughs. "That's up for debate."

The rest of us deboard the plane and follow Topher's footsteps to the SUV.

"Hi, folks," the woman greets us. "I'm Amelia."

We introduce ourselves, each taking a turn to shake her hand, ending with Luna who gives her a big hug .

"I'm afraid I have some interesting news about your Kragen," she says, bouncing baby Edon. "He's definitely in the swamps, and he's not alone."

"What do you mean?" Thorne asks.

"I mean, he's amassed a small army," she answers.

"You mean he has a new crew," I fill in the blanks.