Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
D inner that evening was a subdued affair. The friends joined their pack mates, they tried to be happy but the usual laughter that always sounded in the kitchen was lacking.
“We saw Brook’s hoard today,” Willow suddenly announced, breaking the silence.
“You did?” Peyton asked in surprise.
Willow nodded. “It was amazing, full of gold and silver, with jewels, golden statues, jewellery, and so much more. Brook let me have this necklace,” she said, touching it. “It also has a bracelet with it.”
“He let me have two statues that look like the four of us,” Forrest added.
“The four of you?” Alex queried.
Forrest nodded. “Me, Willow, Brook, and Demi. We left Brook and Demi in the caves and they sent us back here.”
“Welcome to the family,” Ares said, looking at the twins.
“Wait, family?” Willow repeated before grinning. “You’re our grandfather!”
Ares nodded. “As is Jason.”
The table burst out laughing at the expression on Jason’s face. He looked at the twins. “You don’t need to call me anything but Jason.”
“We can do that, granddad.” Forrest gave him a cheeky grin.
The table roared with laughter again, the atmosphere lightening.
“Look at that, Jas, two sons and grandchildren,” Ashton said.
“Well,” noted Ares, “I have fourteen children I acknowledge, but there are many more out there.”
The laughter increased.
“I’m just going to stick with two for the moment, or my brain will fall out.”
“I would, my wolf,” Ares said, picking up his hand and kissing it. “And to put your mind at rest, technically Willow and Forrest are our son and daughter-in-law, as well as Brook.”
“We prefer ‘granddad’ though,” Forrest said.
Talk around the table grew lively after that and soon dinner was finished.
Blake clicked his glass and stood up. Everyone looked at him.
“I just want to thank everyone for their help today. Jason, Ashton, Nick and I, along with our mates, will be heading out when we’ve finished here to hold a vigil for Clara and Phil until twilight tomorrow evening when they will be buried. Puff and Tudor will be around if anything urgent crops up. If anyone wants to join us for an hour or so you’d be more than welcome.”
Blake continued, “Frederick, Shiloh, I understand a couple of Sentinels and enforcers will be arriving tomorrow. I’ll leave that with you two and meet them the day after tomorrow.”
“Blake, the estate is now yours, Puff’s, and Tudor’s,” Peyton told him.
“Excellent. Whomever wants to go and have a look around it, help yourself. It might be worth the two generals going to have a look as well. Is there anything else?”
Nothing else was forthcoming. “In that case, we’ll be off. Mum, Nancy, are you both coming?”
Martha nodded. “For a while.”
“Then let us away,” Blake said.
Everyone got up and followed Blake and Baylan out of the pack house.
The friends arrived at the chapel ruins and walked to the centre.
Baylan waved his hand and a large altar appeared.
The next moment, the bodies of Clara and Phil appeared lying on the altar, both still shrouded.
The four friends, Nancy, and Martha surrounded the altar, laying a hand on either Clara or Phil. Nancy had her hands on both of their feet. The mates stood close behind them. Further apart, their pack mates offered silent support.
Blake looked to the west, the sun was starting to set. “My brothers, it’s time. Let’s hold the space for Clara and Phil.” Saying this, Blake took a couple of steps back and shifted into his large wolf.
He watched Jason shift and saw Ashton and Nicholas undress before shifting. They all moved to stand in each of the four directions. Blake let out a loud howl, the other three joining in. The howls were filled with loss and pain. Finally, when they stopped, they sat down to keep watch over their friends, their mates coming to sit by them.
Nancy and Martha stayed standing by their feet until finally, Martha led Nancy away.
Brook and Demi were wrapped up in each other’s arms, both had been claimed and both were happier than they could ever remember.
“I hate to break this up and return to reality, but we should go and support Blake and his friends,” Demi said softly. “Ares told me the vigil for their friends has just started.”
“Then how about you clean us up, we dress and go and support them,” Brook said, kissing his chest.
“I can do that.”
They arrived at the chapel ruins a little while later and joined the pack mates in keeping vigil and supporting their Alpha and pack mates.
At some point, Willow and Forrest, along with the other children, joined them. Maddy went and sat by Blake and Baylan and Kieran went to sit with Jason and Ares. Willow and Forrest leant against Brook and Demi.
Tobin was standing off to one side, shoulders hunched, and his head down.
Willow broke away from her brothers and went and took his hand, leading him back to her family, where Demi and Brook pulled him into a hug and held him tight.
Finally, after a couple of hours, they took the three children back to the pack house and sent them to bed. Brook was pretty sure that when he went in and woke them in the morning, Tobin would be sleeping in the twins' room. Looks like he and Demi had gained another family member.