“Yes… who else would I be calling, son?”
“Sorry, ma’am,” Raphael said.
“You know how I feel about ma’am,” Iva said.
“Sorry,” Raphael said again.
“Y’all need to ready yourselves. They will expect to walk down to the creek and set him ablaze,” she said.
Everyone nodded and started moving, doing various things. I stood there awkwardly staring at everyone, not sure what I could or should do.
“Take a seat, Zalayuh,” Iva said.
I turned and looked at her. My heart kicked up a notch, but I couldn’t turn her down. I did end her husband’s life after all. I sat in the chair next to her.
“Don’t think you owe me an apology,” she said.
“It feels wrong not to, though,” I told her.
“He wasn’t always this callous, ya know,” she said.
“No? It seems everyone had disdain for him,” I said.
“Yes, they do, but years ago, when we met, he was different. I think taking the Novo position changed him. He used to be a great father, uncle, and husband. The man I married would have never kidnapped the mother of his grandchild,” she said.
My head dropped to my lap. My fingers rubbed against my thumbs.
“You don’t have to feel guilty about that… I think I’m just telling you that not because I want you to feel bad, but so you know he wasn’t always the cruel person who would cause harm to a pregnant person,” she said.
“He ruined my life,” I muttered.
“Don’t give him that much credit. It’s your life to claim, and darling, you’re so young. You and Quinnlyn can still have a beautiful life,” she said.
“We don’t even know what we are…” I whispered.
She turned her head toward me. “Hunny, you’re his. You might not realize it, but you’re the only one he will ever love, while you’re alive.”
“And what about you?”
“We weren’t truly bound mates, but I don’t believe in divorces. I’ll mourn the man he was, and I’ll live a peaceful life. My boys and the pack will care for me. Did you know that once I hit sixty, I won’t shift anymore? I’ll truly be free,” she said.
“I didn’t know that,” I said.
“There’s so much for you to learn. You’re always welcome here, darling.”
I looked up. “Being here is hard.”
“I understand, but it will get easier.”
“This place will always be the place where Izayuh was born, the place where I heard his whimpers, where he took his last breath,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t save him,” she said.
“Except that no one even tried to save me… until it was too late,” I said.
“For what it’s worth, many of us pleaded with Ravik to let you go. There were better ways,” she said, shaking her head.
“And yet… not even his Nova got through to him,” I said.
