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I let out a long, sad groan. Daphne bumped against me, trying to comfort me.
I shifted to human form. “Adans, shift back to human form and let’s take their bodies back to Santuario so we can bury them properly.”
We spent the rest of the day holding a funeral for the two that had fallen. The mission was a failure. Still, I wasn’t unhappy that we had tried Daphne’s plan.
Daphne stood next to Ban and I, as Ban recited the prayer to the Goddess of Nature to take the souls of our people to her. Our mate had a sad look on her face. I hoped she didn’t blame herself for Engel and Hanziel’s deaths.
We were at war, and casualties happened. While it pained me greatly to see the members of our sleuth die, I had to keep up the appearance that we had everything under control. The time to mourn would come later for Ban and myself in the confines of our home.
Chapter Nineteen
Daphne
The next day, after I finished my shift at the dining hall, I found Gabriel and Esteban waiting for me by the staff exit.
“Come walk with us.” Gabriel extended his hand to me.
I put one of my hands in his, and grabbed Esteban’s with the other. He gave me a soft smile. Gabriel led us to the gate past the two guards. I thought about all the times Adans and Engel had stood there, waving at me when Yoselin and I went out to the beach after work. Now Engel was… dead, and Adans had a few days off duty to mourn his best friend’s demise.
And all of it was because of me. Because I’d had the stupid idea to lure Victor out to the crossroads, and that woman Fabiana had come instead.
Suddenly Gabriel stopped walking. I took a few more steps forward before I noticed I was no longer holding hands with him and Esteban.
I turned around to face the guys. We were still amongst the trees, though the fresh air and the distant sound of waves hitting sand told me we weren’t far from the beach.
“Why did we stop?” I asked.
Gabriel and Esteban stared at me, worry etched on their faces.
“You’re beating yourself up so loudly in your thoughts, I swear I can hear them.” Gabriel scratched the back of his head.
“I…” I started speaking to deny what he said but he was right, and I didn’t want to lie to the Alphas. “It’s about the mission. I shouldn’t have proposed something so stupid.”
“The plan wasn’t unwise,” Esteban said. “Luring Victor out to fight him on our own terms was a good idea. We just had no way to be sure he would come.”
“And he didn’t,” I sighed.
“Yes, instead Fabiana – out of all people – came to get revenge on me.” Gabriel looked in the direction of the beach, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Is she what’s bothering you so much? Her relationship with me?”
I shook my head. “No, that’s in the past now. Before we met.” I would be lying if I said the way Fabiana had spoken to Gabriel hadn’t bothered me. She had tried to let me know she still had a claim on him but I had also noticed that Gabriel didn’t want to be associated with her. Everyone made mistakes. Fabiana seemed to have been one of Gabriel’s.
Gabriel stepped closer to me and took my hands in his. He gave them a gentle squeeze then leaned down and kissed my temple.
“Thank you for saying that,” he whispered, yet I could hear him well. “I was worried you’d be put off by what Fabiana said.”
I shook my head, more energetically this time. “No, Gabriel. What happened between you two was a good while ago and I saw you didn’t want to have anything more to do with her. I trust you.”
Gabriel smiled and kissed my lips. I felt Esteban step in closer to us, and his large hand patted my head.
When Gabriel and I broke apart, I smiled at the guys. “Did Fabiana really burn Santuario’s warehouse down?”
Esteban chuckled. “Yes, though the fire didn’t spread as much as she wanted it to, so we had no trouble putting it out. Fabiana was sentenced to Isla Paraiso for arson. Initially we didn’t know that fact because she’s a great liar.”
“She told us she was innocent, that she was just seeking shelter on the island,” Gabriel said. “So we gave her a home and the sleuth as family, but that wasn’t enough for her. She wanted me to mate with her but I didn’t feel the same pull towards her as I feel towards you. I refused and really pissed her off.”
I nodded. “She ran to Victor then.”
“I’m not sure what her position in Victor’s sleuth is…” Gabriel trailed off, thinking.
