When I cleared the remaining trees, I found Gregory on the ground, holding Mary. He howled again, a loud, anguish-filled sound that echoed in the trees and pierced my heart. The loss of a Mate…his pain became my own.
I was too late,I sent Winifred, shifting and falling to my knees just beyond their grieving circle.Mary is gone.
The cubs turned and saw me. With tears in their eyes, they flew at me. I opened my arms and caught them in a hug, holding them closely as they cried. Mary’s sacrifice hadn’t been for nothing. She’d kept the boys safe. It didn’t ease my grief, though.
The children?Winifred sent.
Unharmed. As are Gregory, Paul, and Henry.
The three remained by Mary. Gregory held her while her sons touched her arm or leg. Aden wiped his wet nose on my shoulder and burrowed closer. Liam hugged close to my other arm, trembling and quiet, so like how he’d been the first time I’d met him.
“Uncle Jim,” Aden whimpered, clinging to my neck. “Is Aunt Mary dead?”
“She is.”
The little boy pulled away from me and nodded solemnly. His little chest expanded with a deep breath. Slipping from my hold, he stood and walked to Henry’s side. The young man looked up from Mary and gave Aden a weak smile.
Aden laid his tiny hand on the young man’s arm.
“Mimi says that mommy and daddy went someplace special where they’re waiting for us. Aunt Mary is there, too. You’ll see her again someday.”
Henry nodded, silent tears tracking down his cheeks, and hugged Aden.
There are more Urbat headed your way,Winifred sent.
Before I could relay the message to Gregory, he kissed Mary and gently laid her on the ground.
“I will love you after I’m gone, too,” he said softly. He rose and came to me, laying a hand on my shoulder while Liam still hugged me.
“She told me not to waste time grieving. I’m telling you the same.”
I stood with Liam, glanced at Henry, who held Aden, then back at Gregory.
“There are more coming. We need to travel fast,” I said.
“Skin or fur?”
“Skin for now.”
Gregory took Liam from me, and Paul went to their packs and threw me a pair of pants and a shirt to put on. Dead leaves crunched under my bare feet as I dressed. As soon as I finished, I took Aden, and Paul and Henry took the packs.
Hurry, Jim,Winifred sent.They are coming from the west and north-east.
“Stay close. Stay quiet,” I warned the group.
Two
OLIVIA…
I sat in the backseat and listened to Frank’s impatient tapping on the steering wheel. We’d been driving for hours since our last break near dawn, and I needed to use the bathroom.
“Can we stop?” I asked.
He growled angrily.
“Bathroom or food?”
“Both.” If I only asked for a bathroom, he would find somewhere to pull over and make me go on the side of the road…with him watching.
