CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The view below us was magnificent, precious, and overwhelming all at once—ancient trees, tall and willowy, with large, fat leaves the colors of autumn. The sun was still low in the sky, the air outside crisp and cool. Wildflowers with petals of white, pink, and orange dotted the hills and valleys.
With Rune’s hand in mine, I asked quietly, “This is where he wanted his ashes scattered?”
Rune nodded once, pressed against my side to stare out the window with me. “This is where we shift and play together. There are no worries on this land. Only pleasure and happiness. No king or alpha. God was free to be himself here.”
The burn of tears left me blinking. “This is the perfect place for him to rest then.”
A shaky breath escaped his mouth. “When we found him in the wreckage of the building, I knew this day would come. I’ve prepared for it. But it still doesn’t seem real.”
I gripped his fingers tighter, the train descending. “I’m here. If you need me.”
“Today…” He cleared his throat as the train landed. “Today I’ll need you.”
I nodded and stood to my feet. I gently pulled him up.
I busied myself brushing any pieces of lint off his suit. “You can do this.”
He still stared out the window.
“Rune, you can.” I pulled on the bottom of his jacket, straightening it. “Don’t faint on me. I can’t carry your heavy ass.”
He chuckled half-heartedly, the wrinkles in his forehead staying in place. “That would be a funny sight.”
I lifted my hand and grabbed his chin gently. I turned his face away from the window and stared into his eyes. “You really can do this, Rune. I promise. It’s gonna hurt like a sonofabitch. But you can do it.”
He snorted. “Then I’ll move on?”
I peered back down to his suit jacket and brushed off his shoulders, where I couldn’t see. “Eventually, it’ll get easier. But your love for him won’t ever disappear. You’ll hold that in your heart for eternity because that’s how amazing friends affect you. They change your life in the best ways.”
His black brows pull together. “You lost someone.”
“I did.” I cleared my throat and started straightening my black dress. “I had a real friend once when I was young. She was the only good in my horrible life. She made me smile—and even laugh sometimes. Then my father had her killed. We were only ten-years-old then, but she made an impact on the person I wanted to be.”
His hands grabbed mine, stilling their movements. “I’m sorry.”
I tilted my head back and gazed into his eyes. “Don’t be sorry. I’m not sorry for the time I had with her.”
“About your father, Megan.”
I shook my head and looped my arm through his. “Today is about Godric. We should make our way out there.”
Rune puffed out a breath and turned his head to peer at his silent friend. “Are you ready, man?”
“No.” Alaric jerked his attention from his own window. He pushed to his feet and yanked on his tie, straightening it in a nervous gesture. “But your mate’s right. We should quit hiding in here. Poppy’s train is landing.”
Alaric led the way down his train’s stairs. I stuck close to Rune’s side as we walked through the grassy field, spurts of sunshine shining down on us through the fragrant foliage. Alaric walked on his other side, sticking close to us.
My brows furrowed, and I quickly released Rune’s arm to curve around him. Then I stepped directly between the two men. I hooked my arms into both of theirs. At Alaric’s surprised stare, I simply stated, “No one should be alone today. Everyone needs someone to lean on.”
Alaric swiftly peered over my head to his friend. “Are you okay with this?”
“As long as you are. She’s right,” murmured softly.
The three of us stopped at the edge of a small cliff where a river ran below.
All the others were lined up along the edge.
No one said a word. We just stared out into the sky, lost in our own thoughts, while we waited for Poppy to arrive with Godric’s ashes. Tissues were silently passed down the line, Mina handing them out from seemingly nowhere.
My attention jerked to the right when Poppy stepped up, standing in the middle of the long line. With her chin raised, the sun was shining down on her face. She breathed in and out, not crying, but clutching the urn with a white-knuckled grip.
My lips pinched, wondering who would say the eulogy.
Theron would be the logical choice, as the alpha king, but he was Godric’s father. Cassander would have been the next pick, outside of the laws that control shifters, but he was Godric’s brother. And Poppy was his everything. Family didn’t generally give the eulogy. For that matter, they were all as close as family.
My eyes widened as a newcomer came from behind and stepped beside Poppy.
General Carvene. Poppy’s father. And Godric’s biggest adversary for rule.
I quickly glanced up at Rune, but he wasn’t surprised. None seemed to be.
General Carvene cleared his throat, out of his dress uniform, and wearing a respectable black suit. He stared out at the horizon before us, and stated, “I’ll be honest with you guys. I never thought in a million years that I would be doing this. But when Poppy called me to tell me that Godric had requested in his will that I conduct his eulogy, I was humbled.
“Godric King was a man who I came to respect. Now, I’m not saying I agreed with all of his decisions—because I obviously did not. But he was a trustworthy, dedicated, loyal, giving, caring, loving, strong, and funny individual. I couldn’t have asked for a better man for my daughter. Godric had a vision for this planet, taking our world from a wasteland to a place with possibilities again—giving us hope for a brighter future. He loved us enough to give us a fighting chance for survival.
“Godric wasn’t only a business man, though. He was also a friend. A lover. A man who gave everything he had of himself to those he held closest. That would be all of you here. I doubt any of you knew this, but he would contact me occasionally to make sure I was doing well. Probably for Poppy’s sake, but he still did it.”
A few of us chuckled and dabbed at our eyes with the gifted tissues.
General Carvene continued gently, “There were times where our conversations would run long. And he didn’t just talk about the woman he loved with his whole heart. Godric would get off track and start telling me stories about his friends. With each word and with every laugh, his love for you shined through. I never once doubted my daughter was surrounded by people as good as he was.”
Rune leaned on me, his weight heavy. His chin quivered fiercely, but he kept silent.
I let go of his arm to run my hand around his waist, gripping him tight. He draped his arm over my shoulder and held me close…but it didn’t stop me from keeping my arm hooked through Alaric’s.
I sniffed hard and swallowed the burn in my throat. I needed to be strong.
General Carvene draped his own arm around his daughter’s shoulders when tears started leaking down her flushed cheeks. He continued his speech, “The thing about a man such as Godric King is simple. He won’t be forgotten. He made sure everyone on this planet knew who he was. And he didn’t do it with horrors. He did it through love. And that will last forever.
“Godric will be missed, but he won’t be forgotten. If it helps in your time of need, just remember this. You knew and loved one of the best men to have ever lived, and he returned your love—ten fold.”
Poppy openly wept, pressed against her father. Her shoulders shook with each sob, and she held the urn close to her chest. A woman who was breaking apart but still firm in her conviction.
Theron’s chest heaved, and he rubbed at his face—wiping away any wayward tears. “Godric… He was a better man than me. I felt so blessed when he came into my life, and each day afterward, I was reminded of what it was like to live. I had forgotten along the way somewhere, and he brought all the joy and happiness back into my life. I worry I won’t be the same without him here, but I pray that I have learned something from him. To be happy.”
He ran his hand over his face again. “Godric, I love you. Be at peace now and play in the sunshine until I meet you there.”
I rubbed my cheek against Rune’s jacket, hot tears now pouring down my face.
Cassander coughed. A few times. Then he began in a clogged voice, “I have one regret, God. And I dislike regrets. You know that. I can’t stand that you died with hate in your heart for me. I should have taken Theron’s advice. I should have listened to you, to what you tried to tell me. And I didn’t. I’m so sorry for that. All the lost time simply because we didn’t sit down and talk to each other. I’ll never do that again—with anyone.”
He chuckled on a choke. “Even in death, you’re still teaching me. And I love you for that. And I… I’m going to miss you so damn much.” His shoulders shook as he ran his fingers through his silver hair, crying as I had never seen a man do before. His expression was haunted, one I knew well. “I hope somewhere out there, you hear this. I’m sorry, asshole. I’m sorry.”
My breath caught as a warm breeze suddenly swirled around us, casting off the chill of the morning and basking us in its heated embrace. Our hair shifted in the tickling wind, twirling and swaying like a hug. With one last touch, it faded away, slipping up our bodies to the sky…and I could have sworn I heard something.
Cassander peered to the heavens, whispering in awe, “Thank you. And I always wondered where souls went.”
Poppy was standing up straight on her own, her eyes wide upon her face. “He was saying good-bye. I heard him.”
Rune wiped off his face, a look of wonder etching his features. “He called me a prick.”
General Carvene was visibly shaken. “I won’t tell you what I heard.”
“I think he said something different to all of us,” Theron swallowed, his throat bobbing.
Rune glanced down at me, his brows lifting in silent question.
I repeatedly blinked, muttering quietly, “I thought I heard him say…”
He waited.
I shook my head. “It didn’t make sense. I don’t think I heard him right.”
Magic. These beings were made of magic. I had to remember that. Nothing would ever be normal with this group.
“Maybe I can help you.” Rune kissed my forehead.
“Well, what I heard was…” My face scrunched up. “Give him a bad nickname.”
Rune’s eyes widened, then his head tipped back as he laughed in the quiet chatter—everyone talking about what they’d heard if they wanted to share. He shook his head adamantly, hurrying to blather, “Please don’t. Don’t listen to him. He hated that I called him God. And it stuck. All of his friends started calling him that.”
I blinked. “But it’s a dying man’s wish. I can’t deny that.”
His expression turned serious in an instant. “Please don’t.”
My lips pinched in subdued humor. “I guess it wasn’t technically a dying man’s wish.”
His chest heaved in relief, truly worried I would have done it. “Thank you.”
“But if he comes back to haunt me, then I’ll do it.”
“Ghosts aren’t real.”
“Are you sure? Because what would you call what just happened?”
“A final good-bye. God was powerful. If anyone could have waited a few days, it was him.”
“Is he actually gone now?” I questioned honestly.
Rune’s eyes flew to the sky, his lips thinning into a straight line. “He’s gone.”
I pulled his muscled body closer to mine. “I’m here. Remember.”
He nodded, staying quiet.
Gradually, all the discussions and excitement quieted down.
Poppy held the urn and stared down at it. “I feel silly now doing this.”
Theron stepped back and walked to stand beside her. “I’ll do it. It’s okay.”
She shook her head instantly. “I’ll do it. It’s what he wanted.”
Her father held her shoulder tight as she stepped to the very edge of the cliff.
She removed the lid and handed it back to her father. He took it with his free hand.
“I miss you,” Poppy whispered, a fresh wave of tears falling. “I love you.”
Her hands tilted the urn to the side.
And Godric’s ashes flew through the air, fluttering across the expanse of the ravine.
A man who was loved. A man who would never be forgotten.