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“Of... course. I-I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
The phone slipped from his hand, and he blinked, but I knew he wasn’t really seeing any of us.
“Kingston, what’s wrong? What happened?” I asked, going to him.
“My father... he’s dead.”
ChapterTwenty
KINGSTON
Ihadn’t even fully stepped through the door before Trouble flung herself into my arms.
“It’s awful.” My little sister’s muffled sobs were almost completely unintelligible as she clung to me.
I hugged her out of instinct, still too shocked by my mother’s news to do more than go through the motions. “It’s gonna be all right, Tessa.”
“W-w-we t-t-t-tried—” Her entire body trembled as she gasped and worked to get her words out. It reminded me of when she was little and fought for every single thing she wanted to say.
“Shh, Tessa. It’s okay. Take your time.” I stroked her hair, my gaze traveling over her head and to the pack Sunday had created.
Alek, Thorne, Moira, and Ash stood a few steps from the porch, sympathy written on their faces. Our hastily packed bags lay at their feet.
“Sh–sh–sh–she’s gone.”
He. She meanthe. Right? My gut churned. “Who’s gone?”
“Phe.”
The world dropped out from under me for the second time in as many days. “What? How?”
This couldn’t be happening. Why did it feel like my family was under attack? Taken from me one after the other before I could do any-fucking-thing.
“The illness that got your dad took her as well.” Doc’s soft twang reached me.
“What illness? We don’t get sick.”
“Perhaps it’s best if you and I speak in the other room. Alone.”
“I need to see Mama.”
He shook his head. “No. You need to come with me, Alpha.”
The seriousness of his statement, the fact that he ordered me, his new Alpha, to do something, meant this was more than I’d been prepared for. I released Trouble and silently made eye contact with Alek, asking him without saying a word to take over for me. The Viking wouldn’t be a threat to Tessa’s wolf like a vampire.
“We’ve got her,” Moira said, following Alek as they all entered the house.
Thorne stayed outside until I gave him a sharp nod. “You’re pack. Come in.”
The subtle tightening of his eyes and harsh clearing of his throat told me he understood exactly how big of a statement I’d just made. Not as the man of the house, but as the Alpha of the Farrell pack. For the first time in living memory, I’d just declared a vampire one of us.
Look at me, first day on the job, already making historic changes.
My grief was too raw for the thought to make me actually smile, but a part of me was relieved I was still the same asshole as ever. I’d get us through this. I had to. I just wished my Sunshine was here to helpmethrough it.
Fuck. Thinking of her wasn’t a good idea. A sharp pain tore through my heart, opening that barely protected wound, adding an additional layer of hurt.
I followed Doc into my dad’s office. Shit, now it was mine. I had to swallow down the shards of glass that seemed to have filled my throat before I could speak. “What happened?”
