After the baby nursed, Willow told the men to get out, and she helped El get cleaned up.They changed the sheets and settled El in a chair.The men had taken the baby with them.El’s heart squeezed with happiness, just watching them hold their child and kiss her sweet face.
Herb and Shawn had removed his mother’s body.Pantera’s burial rituals called for her to be shifted by a healer, and then buried within two days so that her panther could live on.El was determined to go with them to bury his mother, and Willow said she didn’t see why not.El’s body was practically healed from birth, but Willow wanted her to take it a little easier than normal since she had crossed over right after.
“Did you know what Shawn’s mother was planning?”El asked Willow once she was comfortably sitting in the chair.
“I didn’t.Honestly, had she come to me, I would have told her it would be impossible.I never dreamed to try that.I’ve been going over and over everything I know about the prophecy, and I had always heard it being told, asyouwould die, nota mother.I feel so stupid as if the answer had been staring me right in the face this whole time.”
“Looking back on things isn’t going to make a difference now.We just have the future to look forward to.Speaking of which, you and your mate?”
“He’s upset that I took off, but he’s forgiven me.Your mates have forgiven me as well, I think.”
“They’re all good men.We’re very fortunate.”
“That we are.”
“Now, if you wouldn’t mind.Go tell those good men to bring me back my baby.I miss her already,” El said with a smile that she felt down in her soul.
Willow laughed and headed off to go do as El had asked.El laid her head back in the rocking chair and closed her eyes.She felt Shawn’s mother there with her.There was a certain warmth the woman always had, and her home had that same warmth.El hoped she could forever embody that warmth herself and give it to her daughter.
Chapter 41
Ryan
“You just gave birth,El.Not to mention everything else you went through,” Ryan argued with his mate, knowing he wouldn’t win.
“I will not miss her burial service.I feel fine, and Willow has given me the all-clear to travel.Now, I just breastfed so the baby won’t want to eat again right away, so now’s the time to leave,” El argued, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Ryan sighed and looked to his brothers for help, but all of them were apparently not getting involved.
“Fine, let’s go,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air.
“Perfect,” El chirped behind him.
El leaned over and double-checked Destiny’s fastenings in the car seat, and then Trip looped his arm through the car seat and lifted it.It still seemed surreal to Ryan.He was still getting adjusted to walking on two feet after months of being stuck in his lion form.
The ride over to Shawn’s mother’s home was silent.Shawn was behind them driving his mother’s body.Everyone had offered to ride with him, but he wanted to be alone.Ryan understood.Shawn’s distance wasn’t because he didn’t want or need them to lean on it was because he knew he had them.El had helped him pick out the coffin, and she said she knew exactly which flowers his mother would want picked from her garden.
While Shawn was preparing to say his final goodbye to his mother, Ryan was trying to avoid his own.El had told him she wanted to try and forgive and forget and move forward with Leilani, Ryan wasn’t sure he could.He felt the same with Willow and Persia.His lion still growls eternally whenever one of them would enter the room.If he closed his eyes, he could see them taking El from them.
The baby whimpered in the back, pulling Ryan from his thoughts.
Destiny.
She was the reason for everything.Ryan was terrified of fatherhood, especially being Destiny’s father because they still had yet to figure out a way for her to live a safe and happy life.Ryan felt that weight on his shoulders, and he couldn’t seem to get a good grasp on it.
El was her normal amazing self.She was a wonderful mother, and she glowed so bright, Ryan was afraid maybe she really was gone, and it was just her angel they were all witnessing.She just giggled when he told her that.
“I think the baby is wanting to try and feed more.I thought maybe she’d decide to behave for the car ride,” El said.
“Do you want me to pull over?”Marcus asked.
“No, we’re almost there; she can wait.I know Shawn is anxious to get there, and honestly, so am I.It’s one of my favorite places to be.I guess it’ll be different now that she’s gone, though.”
El wiped a lone tear off her cheek.
“What do you think Shawn will do with this place now?”Trip asked.
“We talked about it some last night.We want to keep it just the way it is.To be honest, I’d like to discuss something with all of you.I didn’t think today would be the appropriate time, but since it’s come up.I’d like to raise Destiny here instead of at the Pride house.”
