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‘We got the asshole, Alpha. Everything okay over there? I would like to escort him back myself to make sure there are no more surprises today,’Gillain mind linked.
‘Celeste is fine, but Ruby is not. Come get this asshole as well. Celeste and I need clothes, and we need to transport Ruby’s body back to the pack house to give her a proper funeral.’
‘I had hoped we weren’t too late. She had already been through hell and back. She didn’t deserve this,’Gillian said mournfully.
‘The best we can do now is make sure this doesn’t happen again and take their whole organization down. We are going to overhaul the security measures in place, and I want to talk to Evergreen. It’s time for an upgrade.’
‘Yes, Alpha. I’m outside the cave now with clothes for you and Luna. We’ll come in once she’s clothed.’I grabbed the clothes quickly, my eyes never leaving the crumpled man against the wall.
“Celeste? Tuli, can you put these clothes on? Gillian wants to come take the prisoner to the dungeons,” I said as I put the shirt over her head. She put it through her arms and then put the shorts on. Gillian came in with another two warriors, and they grabbed the unconscious man and threw him out of the cave unceremoniously, where another pair of arms grabbed him and began taking him back up the cliff. I turned to grab Ruby but Celeste was already lifting her into her arms.
“Baby, let me,” I said, but Celeste shook her head when I tried to reach out.
“This is something I have to do.”
‘This is our duty. This is how we honor her life and ask her to forgive us for failing her,’Kara’s voice came through our head.
‘None of this is your fault,’Atlas answered for us.
‘It’s not about fault. You have your job, and I have mine. My job as luna is to care for the women and those that can’t defend themselves. Your job is to make sure her captors face justice. Make them pay, my love. I will take care of Ruby’s soul,’Celeste said.
‘It will be done. No more she-wolves will be hurt. I promise,’I promised as I made my way out of the cave behind her. One of the warriors came forward to take Ruby’s body from Celeste, but I stopped him.
“Our Luna will be carrying Ruby home. Prepare the pyre once the prisoners are secure in the dungeons.” Everyone bowed their heads as we made our way back up the riverbank. Celeste’s foot gave way in the loose dirt and she dropped to one knee with a grunt. I wanted nothing more than to run to her and take her burden, but when she saw my intention, she shook her head again and continued her trek up the cliff. As we arrived up top, Danny drove up to us in an SUV. Maya got out of the passenger side with a cry of anguish at seeing Ruby’s body.
‘Alpha?’Danny’s question was clear as he looked at Celeste carrying the body away from the SUV.
‘It is her choice, and I respect it. She is my luna, and this is her right.’Danny nodded, turned to the warriors, and handed one of them the keys.
“The dungeons are ready. Treat them with prejudice, but make sure they are alive. We need answers, and the council will want to question them as well. We will walk with the luna,” he instructed before he gathered Maya in his arms and fell in step behind Celeste. I walked beside her, wanting nothing more than to wipe the silent tears from her eyes. Five warriors left with the traffickers in the SUV while Gillian fell in step beside Danny and Maya. The remaining warriors shifted to their wolves and circled our group as we slowly made our way back through the forest toward the pack house. It took longer than it would have had we asked for another vehicle, but carrying Ruby home one last time was a sign of respect and honor for what she had been through. I sent a prayer up to the goddess on our walk home to allow Ruby to have an easier time in her next life.
It was almost a three-hour walk back to the pack house at our slow pace, but no one said a single word of complaint. By the time we got to the pack house, a pyre was ready, and the pack was waiting with their heads down in respect as we approached. Two women with ceremonial white cloths, water and washcloths were waiting to prepare Ruby.
Chapter twenty-eight
Celeste
Thewalkbacktothe pack house was exhausting. Every muscle was screaming at me, even with Kara feeding me her strength to make it back. When we got to the pyre, Markus finally stopped me.
“It’s time Celeste. We need to get Ruby ready to meet the Moon Goddess,” he said as he gently took Ruby from me. My knees started to give way, and I felt two arms on either side of me, holding me up. Gillian and Danny stood on either side of me, lending me their strength, Maya wrapped in Danny’s other side.
Markus gently laid Ruby’s body on the table, where the women quickly began cleaning her body of dirt and blood. Markus began helping with the final setup of the pyre. I wanted to help, but my legs wouldn’t move anymore. My eyes were glued to the body of Ruby as she slowly became her old self. She looked beautiful and asleep, and once they were done, they wrapped her up in the ceremonial white shroud.
Markus lay Ruby atop the pyre, then he came up to my side, taking over the task of keeping me standing by holding me firmly to the front of his chest.
'Celeste, can I?’Maya mind-linked me as I was trying to gather the strength to push forward and send Ruby back to the Moon Goddess. Maya had been closer to Ruby not only here but when we were in Blood Moon, so I acquiesced to her request.
‘Of course, Maya,’I said.
Maya moved forward nervously, Danny at her side. Markus looked at me in question, and when I nodded, he passed the torch to Danny.
“Ruby was not always the nicest person but she was always honest. She liked to do things her way and hated being told how to do her job, usually landing her in hot water with Alpha Geoff. She never screamed when she got beat. She was too stubborn for that. When she came here, she was softer, kinder. She didn’t have to put up that front anymore. While she recovered in the hospital, she told me she wanted to be a warrior. She didn’t want to find her mate; she just wanted to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves, like Celeste always did for all of us. She wanted to get strong and train. She would have been a fierce warrior. Selene, please help her become who she wanted to be in her next life.” Her voice broke at the end, and Danny came forward and lit the pyre.
We stood there all together until the pyre became ashes, then Markus led us all into the dining room where a light dinner was set out for us. As much as I wasn’t hungry, I didn’t want to worry Markus, and the doctor had already scolded me once about not eating, so I pushed some of my food around for a bit.
‘Luna, please eat. We need you strong. I can’t lose anyone else,’Maya’s voice came through the mind-link.
‘I’m fine, Maya. I am not going anywhere,’I said and smiled across the table at her before taking a bite of my food.
