ONYX✔️

Chapter 66

When I wake up, I see stars.

But I'm not outside.

I'm in the room that I used to share with my husband.

Grief and pain hit me like a tidal wave, and I instantly regret my decision to choose life.

I have made the wrong choice.

"Onyx," Ronin says in relief, and I pull my eyes away from the stars to see him and Dean staring at me.

They don't even know.

"Finn," I try saying, and immediately break down, pained sobs shaking my body.

Dean sits on the bed and pulls me into his arms, and I cry even harder.

They don't know that their best friend is dead.

It should have been me.

"We know," Ronin says softly. "We know what happened."

His words confuse me so much, my crying momentarily stops. "I- What? How?"

"The Blood Alpha," Dean says, seeming surprised. "He let me look through his memories so we could see what happened. I didn't believe him but..." His voice trails off.

"Where... Where is Kallista?" I ask, hoping that they broke the news to her so I didn't have to. I couldn't even say the words.

Finn is dead.

"She found her mate," Ronin finally answers. "The Beta of Blood Lake. We... I already told her."

Kallista and Axel? In a weird way, I could see it. They were both goofy, strong-willed. They would be happy together.

And I would be alone.

"Astrid and Will?" I ask.

Dean and Ronin look to each other. "They were killed."

I gasp. "No."

I didn't know them particularly well, but I didn't...

Everything went wrong.

"They..." Dean hesitates. "They were going out and killing Blood Lake wolves. Cain's memories confirmed it. Astrid's Gift allowed her to lure Blood Lake wolves out, and Will killed them."

"Why?" I whisper. Why would they do that?

"Astrid was originally from Blood Lake. She was abused by a warrior there, and the Alpha before Cain didn't believe her when she told him. She... She was young when the old Alpha kicked her out. Cain had no idea," Ronin says softly. "She wanted revenge."

She was killing innocent wolves. It made me miss her less.

"Did Finn know?" I ask, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

Dean and Ronin shake their heads. "None of us did. We didn't know where they were going during the day, didn't ask," Dean answers.

I stare at the trees painted on the walls, the lump in my throat thick.

"I have to bury him," I whisper, dreading seeing his body. Scared to see him again like that. No longer full of life, the kind twinkle in his eyes permanently dead.

Dean rubs my back. "We took care of it. We... we didn't want you to see him like that."

I nod gratefully, tears streaming down my face. "Take me there."

***

I look at my husband's freshly dug grave.

Ronin had placed his most rare flowers over him. I ask them to leave me alone.