“Don’t be afraid.”
“I’ll try.”
“I’m here.”
She squeezes my hand tighter. “Thank you.”
Chapter
Forty-Two
CORDELIA
“Cordelia Fireheart has returned to us. The first of our stolen children. Our blood has cried out for our lost daughter and at long last, she’s come home.” Ronan points and everyone is looking at me. The weight of all those eyes would normally have me crumbling into a sweaty mess of anxiety but this time I’m cool as a cucumber.
Thorne’s hand is on mine, the weight and warmth of our hands resting on my thigh grounds me into the now. I don’t feel alone with him holding my hand and telling me he’s here.
There’s silence after Ronan’s speech but then someone claps, and then another does and another until the whole room is full of clapping and cheers. He motions me to come on stage so I do, even if I don’t want to let go of Thorne’s hand. It’s the first time that he’s touched me since the meadow and everything about it feels perfect. Like a puzzle piece sliding into place, except the puzzle it’s putting together is me. I stand and give him a last look. He’s not his normal stoic self, he’s looking at me with eyes warm and soft. He smiles and nods at me encouragingly before he lets go of my hand. I know if I asked him to, he’d come with me on the stage but I can do this alone. I turn back to Ronan andjoin him on the stage. Those few steps feel like an eternity but then I’m taking his hand and stepping onto the stage beside him.
“Welcome home, Cordelia Fireheart,” Ronan tells me. There’s tears in his eyes and it’s like I’ve seen this before. I’ve heard him say my name and look at me like he is. Pride. Regret. Fondness. All of it and more plays out in Ronan’s eyes.
“Thank you, Alpha.”
“Ronan,” he corrects and surprises me when he hugs me. “Your mother would be so proud of you. How strong you’ve been all these years. How tenacious. You’ve honored her memory.”
Tears prick my eyes, I don’t bother fighting them, even if I did it’d be no use. Ronan hugs me and I cry, we both do while the pack claps and cheers. When he pulls back it’s to hand me off to an Elder who repeats his words, “Welcome home, Cordelia Fireheart.” Elder after Elder hugs me and welcomes me home, until it’s Esme.
She gathers me close and gives me a hug so hard it cracks my ribs. “Welcome home, Cordelia Fireheart.”
“Thank you, Esme.” When I step back she surprises me when she leads me off the dais and into the crowd. I turn to look over my shoulder where Thorne, Piper, and Clover are. Clover and Piper are standing close together and beaming at me. They wave when they see me and I wave back. Thorne…Thorne isn’t there anymore. I scan the faces near my friends but his isn’t one of them. I don’t see his familiar form in the crowd. I know I’d see him if he was here. He's too tall and broad, his dark hair would give him away even if I missed him somehow but in all the shifters around me, Thorne isn’t to be found.
“What are we doing?” I ask Esme because now we’re down with the crowd.
“Formally introducing you to your pack,” Esme says. “Go on then and say hi.” She nudges me forward and the first packmember steps up to meet me. It’s a woman about Esme’s age with brilliant blue eyes and dark hair.
“Welcome home, Cordelia Fireheart,” she says and hugs me.
“Thank you.” I’m barely able to get out my thanks before the next shifter replaces her and hugs me, a girl of about twelve with a toothy smile. Then it’s a male, one of the Defenders I remember from the meadow who hugs me warmly like we’re old friends. Pack member after pack member hugs me and welcomes me home until I’m crying. It’s like all the love I’ve been starved of has suddenly rushed in, a flood to feed the famine I’ve endured. Everywhere I look there’s a smile and a welcome. I’m in shambles by the time Clover and Piper are the one to hug me and welcome me home.
“Are you okay?” Clover whispers in my ear.
I nod. “Yeah, I-I just, I can’t hold it in. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize for happy tears,” Piper says and then gives me a critical look. “These are happy tears right, bestie?”
I laugh as I burst into another round of tears. “Yes, they’re very happy tears.”
The rest of the pack meeting goes on like that until I’ve hugged and met every last Bloodstone Pack member. I’m a wreck of joy. It’s like trying to drink from a firehose but I wouldn’t change a thing about tonight. I’d do it all again, except…where’s Thorne?
I look around the meeting hall. Everyone is mingling and helping put away the chairs. “Music out in the courtyard!” Esme shouts to the pack and a cheer goes up so loud it shakes the rafters.
“How cool! You’re going to love music under the stars. We’re going to have so much fun dancing tonight!” Clover loops her arm through mine and then grabs Piper. “What a perfect night, huh?”
“Almost as good as a GNO, but we’ll go on one of those soon,” Piper says. She stops and looks at me when she sees me half paying attention while Clover charges ahead with the both of us in tow. “What is it?” she asks.
“What? Nothing.”
“You’re looking for him, aren’t you?”
