Winter Wolf

Chapter 37

Lily ran down the path. Her heart was pounding. Sil was right there with her. She smelled the heavy salt in the air from the tears... and she could hear the crying from the young ones.

Lily paused abruptly as they hit the bend to take in the scene as she caught her breath.

It made her feel immediately heart sick.

"Lo." Sil said before she could continue to move toward the small group gathered at the end of the trail. Lily looked at her with glistening eyes.

"This is not your fault." Sil said firmly. Lily took a shaky breath and nodded.

"I know you. Do not blame yourself." Sil growled. Lily just nodded again as she looked to the group of wolves gathered. Her gaze immediately found Tristan. He was standing beneath a tree, a distance away from the others. He was facing away from her, his back was to her. Lily immediately made her way over to him.

The moment she slowly circled around to see his face, she felt an even deeper ache inside her. He looked dazed. He didn't even look at her.

"I'm so sorry." Lily said as she gently touched his arm. His gaze snapped to her face, as if he just noticed her there. Lily glanced at his hand when she saw the piece of paper he was clutching. It was rippled now, crunched and slightly torn in his fist.

It smelled of his father.

Lily swallowed painfully and looked at his face again, before she gently wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tight.

It was the only thing she could think of...

It took him a moment before he slumped fown against the tree and pulled her closer, nuzzling into her neck as he took in her scent with a shaky breath. Lily just wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight, willing her tears not to fall.

She shouldn't have talked to Ivan. She shouldn't have done that...

"He..." Tristan breathed. It sounded almost painful.

"He didn't even do it painlessly." Tristan said, sounding both disturbed and in shock.

"I... just talked to him... I didn't think..." Tristan took a hard breath as he buried his face into her hair.  Lily squeezed her eyes shut as tears dripped down her cheeks.

Despite what Sil said... she couldn't help but blame herself.

... did he blame her?

Tristan gently pulled away from her as feet approached them.

"Tristan... you need to address the pack." Noah's voice was tight. Lily looked beyond him to the house. Caretakers were going in and out, along with some enforcers. Lily swallowed hard.

... she could smell the blood. See the rags they were taking out in bags.

Ivan was an Alpha. They were preparing him for burial. Alpha's were always honored, carried out in front of the pack for the last respects before they were taken to their final resting place.

They must be trying to make him look presentable. And by the stress on their faces, it wasn't going well.

Lily tore her gaze away from them to look at Ada, and all her children. She felt her heart sink even further at seeing Tristan's youngest sister there, clinging to her mother.

She was still just a child, and she'd lost her father. Lily couldn't even bring herself to look at the pain in Ada's face. Edith was beside her, holding William in a tight hug as she attempted to keep her expression steady, but Lily could easily see how shattered she was when their eyes met. Lily felt more tears spill down her cheeks.