Mysterious mate to the lycan prince (Addison and Max) novel Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Addison

The two front legs of the wooden platform rested in my father’s hands while the two legs in the back were each carried by

brothers. They all moved slowly through the woods, like one wrong step might wake Aunt Nora who was on top of it. my How I would’ve loved that.

Her body was strapped to the platform and covered with a white cloth that only looked brighter thanks to the moonlight.

I carried a large basket full of flowers and they were a mix of all the ones she used to love.

When they got to the riverbank, they gently set the platform down and it was just us. Jeffrey was around but had kept some distance. He’d been denied the opportunity to help carry my aunt to that riverbank.

Lyra and Madge were also present but high up in the air and alert. They were on constant lookout for any threats. There wasn’t going to be any cloaking spell that night.

The plan had been to let everyone in the pack bid farewell to Aunt Nora and the word had spread across my territory.

father’s

But a few minutes after we arrived on that riverbank, there was no one in sight and we just stood there for a while until Cole said something.

“No one’s going to come here. They’re afraid because it’s time to choose a side.”

“They’re part of this pack,” my father said. “They’ll be here. Trust me.”

Cole was in the middle of challenging the amount of faith my father had in the pack when he went silent, like he had just been proven wrong.

My father just stared at him with confidence for a few seconds until someone emerged from the shadows. It was a familiar face from our pack. He was Morgan, the eldest member.

Slowly, others began to arrive and it warmed my heart to see them all. I didn’t expect them to show up, but they did.

We formed a large circle around Aunt Nora and no one said a word, waiting for the Alpha to speak first, so he stepped forward with a flower in his hand.

He stood tall with his spine straight, just like the alpha and father I had known my whole life. His face was unreadable, but Į knew him too well and how much it hurt to just stand there like that.

Looking down at the corpse, he said, “I was meant to protect you. It was my duty as your brother. In the same world in which endless cruelty exists, you were the most gentle in every way possible. You took care of my daughter when I couldn’t and you gave it your best to keep her safe. I know I used to make fun of you at times that you were so soft that it made you weak, but you never were. It was because of your nature that you developed the bond you did with my daughter.”

After a few more kind words, he managed to place a flower right on top, stepping aside without shedding a tear. But I spotted the lump in his throat and that told me all I needed to know.

Up next was my mother. As Luna, she always stood strong in order to lead the pack, but that night, she could barely keep it together.

She picked out a flower from the basket and began to approach but as she was getting closer, she finally broke and the sound that left her lips was grief and devastation. She pressed her hand over her mouth as she sobbed uncontrollably. The woman who had fought wars and survived them all, couldn’t fight through the emotions she had been holding in.

It was so hard for me to see her like that, so I rushed towards her without thinking.

“Mom!”

I was unable to take another step when Dylan grabbed me by the wrist to pull me back gently.

“Let it happen,” he whispered. “Please.”

And with that, I moved further back until I was in my previous spot in the circle with the others.

My mother straightened her back, her breath shuddering as tears ran down her face. She wiped them with a shaky hand, looking down at Aunt Nora’s covered form.

When she began to speak, her voice came out cracked and fragile.

“I knew you better than most of those who are gathered here. To them, you were just this beautiful soul with the kindest heart, but you could actually fight. I remember that time you could almost keep up with me. We were so young back then. Thank you for looking after my daughter at a time when I couldn’t do it myself. You definitely did a great job because she turned out so well.”

I subtly shook my head as I didn’t feel I deserved such praise after those werewolves died because of me.

After her final words, she laid a flower on top of the corpse.

I thought she’d keep it together until it was all over but as soon as she stepped back and my father placed his hands on the sides of her arms, she turned around and gripped the back of his shirt tightly. She buried her face in his chest as she broke down again.

My father didn’t even tell her to stop. He just held her tightly and rested his chin against her hair, his eyes fixed on the river. Despite having that blank expression, I could see the muscles in his jaw flex.

Then, Dylan slowly stepped forward after picking out a flower. He was one of those who had carried her there but was now hesitant to get closer.

When he finally made it to her, he folded his hands in front of him and was hunched over like he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.

“I could always come to you whenever I had something to get off my chest, something that I couldn’t tell anyone else. You listened to me every single time and kept all my secrets, even the stupid ones.” He glanced back briefly at our parents before he turned back to her. “You knew I’d get in trouble if my parents ever found out. You told me you’d carry my secrets with you beyond the end of your days…and here you are, doing just that. If I ever get the chance, I’ll take care of your beautiful flowers back in Raven Mist.”

He barely had enough time to lay down his flower on top of her when Cole stepped forward with clenched fists like he was marching into a fight. He didn’t want to wait. While he was so mad that anger radiated off him, his eyes were red and glossy.

He stared down at her like she had personally betrayed him.

“How dare you?” he snapped, his voice rough and loud. “How dare you leave like that? You promised you’d watch me fight for a whole month. You said you’d be there in the backyard to see how strong I’d get in readiness for whatever Warrick would throw at us. It’s only been a week.” His voice cracked and sounded helpless. “Who the hell is supposed to watch me

now?”

His shoulders began to shake and he turned away quickly, dragging a hand over his eyes, but it was too late. The sound that escaped his lips was raw and ugly, nothing like the hard shell he’always had to cover up.

Dropping his hand, he continued, “I wasn’t ready and now I have to do this without you.”

With a sniffle, he picked out a flower and gently placed it down on her corpse, then moved all the way to the back so no one

would see him break down some more.

Then, it was my turn and I hesitated for a while. Everyone was looking on as they were waiting for me. I took my first step,H then the second and the closer I got, the heavier the air felt in my chest until I couldn’t breathe. I looked at the platform and the cloth covering her and I could make out her facial features. Something inside me just made me stop at that moment. I couldn’t go any further, so I shook my head and stepped back like a coward, wrapping my arms around myself like that might keep me from shattering.

It was so clear to everyone that I wasn’t ready but the last words of respect had to go on.

One of the elders, Morgan, was about to step forward when Jeffrey suddenly arrived and within a second, he picked out a flower and dashed in front of the platform.

The low murmurs were instant as pack members felt he had just disrespected Morgan. They narrowed their eyes at him with resentment. It was also because they knew who he was and who he served. They didn’t want him there, but no one stopped him because my father had allowed him to be there. He’d told everyone beforehand.

His voice was gentle when he began to speak and everyone was forced to listen in silence out of respect for my aunt.

“It’s been years since I last held you. I never thought I’d have you in my arms again. This was my unlucky day because it happened, just not in the way I expected. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything for you, but justice will be served. I promise you.”

Even though his voice was firm as he made that promise to her, no one seemed to believe him. He still answered to the Lycan King, ready to do whatever was asked of him.

He might have felt it too, but that didn’t matter to him at that moment.

After placing his flower on top of the others, his fingers lingered for just a few seconds, like he wanted to reach for her hand.

Then, he stepped back to join the circle but the others moved aside to widen the distance. He still wasn’t welcome.

He sighed in defeat, moving away from all of us to keep his distance like before.

The other pack members were also waiting to pay their last respects, but I felt I was ready, so I looked over at Morgan, asking him with the mindlink if he wanted to go before me, but he allowed me to go first,

I wasn’t going to retreat this time, so I moved my feet, not stopping halfway.

When I was close enough, I stared down at the cloth covering her and the flowers placed so carefully on top of it.

I was already in tears, but I found myself smiling as I remembered the first day I arrived in Raven Mist. I was terrified, angry and confused after what I’d done to Jess. My aunt did her best to make me feel at home because we would be together for a

while.

“You made it easy for me to adapt,” I finally managed to say out loud. “You didn’t push or ask questions that I wasn’t ready to answer. I’ll never get to hear you call me Addie again.”

For someone who had retreated earlier, I ended up spending the most time there as I had so much to say to her, but it got to a point where I opened my mouth so I could tell her everything she meant to me but the words got stuck in my throat.

Tears blurred my vision before I could even place my flower on top of her and as I did, I dropped to my knees, not wanting to get up because I knew that was the last time I’d get to see her.

It was my mother who wrapped her arms around me to help me get through it. I placed my flower and she pulled me up so I could get away from there.

Getting back in the circle, I turned and sobbed on her shoulder as she rocked me gently.

After the rest of the pack said their final words to her, my father stepped forward again with a lit torch. He didn’t even hesitate to light the fire.

Together with my brothers, they gently pushed the platform into the river and just a few seconds later, the current wasn’t

the best.

Word had already spread about what type of werewolf I was and I could see it within the pack as they turned to me, begging me to do something to ease the flow of the current for the sake of my aunt. Even my family joined in and I began to panic. Apart from Lyra, nobody knew that Saga had retreated. What was I going to do?