Tempted (Book 5) The Brazil Werewolf Series

Chapter Seventeen/Healing All Wounds

My eyes were squeezed shut and my ears were ringing. I trembled as Luca's voice reached me. His hands were over mine a moment later taking the gun from me.

"Claire, open your eyes," he said, his voice calm. ""Don't look anywhere else but at me."

I pulled apart my eyelids and stared into his eyes. His face darkened as his eyes roamed over my face. "Is he—"

"He's dead, Claire," he whispered setting the gun on the blood soaked bed. "He will never hurt you again."

The air rushed out of my body as I glanced past him at John's unmoving form on the floor. A violent tremble shook through me and I shook my head. I had killed someone. No matter how horrible he was, I had taken his life.

My stomach rolled and I moved past Luca and stepped over John's body on the way to the bathroom where I emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Luca followed me. His face was lined in worry. His movements were hesitant.

"I'm sorry, Claire," he said, stepping close to me. "I'm so sorry."

He opened the cabinet and grabbed a towel and wet it before handing it to me, studying me as he waited for me to speak. I closed my eyes and shook my head wishing I hadn't killed him but realizing I had to.

"I killed him," I whispered as a sob broke from me.

Luca took me into his arms, rocking me back and forth. "You didn't have a choice," he said, his voice gentle. "There was nothing else you could have done. You saved yourself. You saved me."

"I know," I said through my tears. "But his life..."

He rocked me back and forth. "It's never easy to take a life, Claire," he said, rubbing my back and my hair. "You wouldn't be a good person if it was easy. This will be hard for you for a while and when it is the hardest I'll be here for you. I will always be here for you."

I nodded as I sobbed. He rocked me until all my tears were spent.

************

Luca packed my things and we left the motorhome. We didn't return until all evidence of John, Mary and Eva was taken away. The window and generator were repaired. The bed received a new mattress. John's body was removed and the blood was scrubbed away. Mirella was the one who told me what they did with John's body as we sat on chairs outside of the home she had shared with her mother and father.

"Don't worry," she said giving me a sad smile when I voiced concerns over the body's disposal. "They didn't dump his body even though that's what he deserves. They never do that. They sent it back to the Grey Wolves for burial."

"But the police—"

"They are never involved," she said and sighed before gazing into my eyes. "But would you want them to be?"

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "No, I wouldn't," I whispered afraid of the possibility of being arrested. "I just assumed the coroner would ask for his death to be investigated."

Mirella gave me a bitter smile. Her eyes darkened as she shrugged. "Not when the coroner is a werewolf," she said, causing my mouth to fall open.

I blinked and shook my head. "He's one of the Grey Wolves?" I asked, glancing around the motor home park. I tried to place a doctor among their pack but couldn't but I also couldn't place them within ours.

"No, but he isn't one of ours either. He's a rogue," she said with a shrug. "He's someone who doesn't take sides. He's a solitary wolf but he does do favors for both sides...For a good deal of payment, of course.'

"I'm sure," I said, shifting in my seat. Mirella's gaze swept over me.

"You know it wasn't your fault," Mirella said, frowning. "He came fore you. The alternative would have been much worse for you."

"Everyone keeps saying that," I said with a nod. "I realize it isn't my fault. It's just difficult to realize that I snuffed out a life...That I'm capable of doing that."

Mirella took in my face. The darkness settled in her eyes. "You know, I've always assumed that I would be happy when I killed the men who attacked me," she said as her shoulders drooped forward. "But I see that it's not going to be that way. Our goodness will be what plagues us."

I closed my eyes and then, shook my head. "No, it won't be the grand relief everyone expects it to be," I said, raising my chin. "It will only add another pain to what happened."

She grabbed my hand. "What do you want to do about it?" She asked, raising her brow.

"I'm not sure," I said and shrugged. "But as soon as I do, you'll be the first one I tell."

"Good," she said and then, smiled. "Until then, just know that I'm here."

"I hope you know I'm always here too," I said taking her hand in mine.

"Of course," she said but her smile was shadowed in darkness and I wondered if she would allow anyone but Garridan to be there for her.

**********

A baby's cry can heal all wounds. I truly believe that and two are even better. Lilly's scream had woken us and we ran to her home believing the wolves had found her. Instead we found Marco calling Fiona to come assist in the births of his children. Lilly's screams were loud enough to wake the dead. Three hours and a lot of screaming later, two precious souls were born.

Marco stepped out of the bedroom where Lilly had endured her labor. His grin spread across his face as he surveyed the room. "I thought I would come out and tell you that Lilly and the babies are fine though Lilly is tired and need rest," he said with his chest poking out as he glanced at everyone's expectant faces. "I guess you'd like to know their sexes...We have a boy and a girl."

"What are their names?" Mirella asked, raising her brows.

Tears glistened in Marco's eyes. "I realize mother and father's death is still fresh in everyone's mind but I wanted to honor them," he said and then, smiled through his tears. "The first born...My son is Gabriel Andre Brazil and my little girl will bear the name Sophie Juliette Brazil."

"How beautiful," I whispered as Luca put his arm around my waist.

The door opened and Fiona exited with a bundle wrapped in blue. "Here is your son, Daddy," she said and everyone gathered around to see the little boy with a shock of black hair. He was chewing on his little pink fist.

"He looks like you," I said and Marco grinned.

"I think so too," he said, his eyes misting again.

Fiona exited the room and came back with another baby. This one was wrapped in a pink blanket. Hair as dark as her brother's crowned her head. She let out a little cry until she was placed in her father's arms. For the first time since I had killed John, I felt the clouds lift from me and I took a deep breath. It seemed, at least to me, that the life given to these little ones had chased away death even if only for a moment.

"Do you think you might want children?" Luca whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes as the thought of having life moving within me filled my soul. It would be the ultimate way to heal.

I turned and stared up at him. "With you," I whispered back, "I do."

His lips twitched before moving into a smile. "Then, we should let Lilly and Marco have some time with their babies," he said loud enough that everyone could hear. "Congratulations, Marco. Give Lilly our love."

Marca gave him a nod as Luca pulled me out the door. Once we were outside, he wrapped me in his arms and kissed me, deepening it until I was breathless.

"You know I love you, right?" He asked, gazing into my eyes.

My chest warmed. "Of course I do," I said. "I feel it and it's just as strong as my love for you."

He pulled me against him and pressed his lips to mine again. My heart soared as the guilt from the last few days floated away.