Chapter 145 Chapter 145: A Small Splash

Chapter 145 Chapter 145: A Small Splash
Kalev’s POV

We stood on the edge of the cliff. The facility stood behind us. The wind was strong, as though it knew what I was about to do. The waves swelled with white crescents then crashed down onto the shore.

I don’t know why I’d chosen this spot. I hated the facility. But somehow, it had seemed right. So many wolves had been siphoned here. It seemed like a fitting place, since Orrin would be the last wolf to ever be siphoned.

The sky was overcast and gray. A slight drizzle of rain had started. Just like the wind, the weather seemed fitting. It would have been strange if the sun had been shining. I much preferred the drab weather. Besides, Orrin had always like the rain.

And in my hand, I clutched the siphon.

Senna and I hadn’t even talked about it again. But over the past few days, the decision had been clearer and clearer. Keeping Orrin was cruel. He was unhappy. He would never get better. Doing this was showing him mercy.

All he wanted was to be with Verity. Neither of us knew where Verity was. We didn’t know where wolves went when they died. But Orrin was convinced that he could join her. And that he could be happy again once he did.

“You’re sure?” Senna said.

I nodded.

The rain picked up.

We’d read the siphon’s designs at length. This was a special siphon that Viktor had designed himself. As such, it was programmable. That’s what the designs said. He’d programmed it before he gave it to Thor. Verity had gone through the siphon and into Viktor, and Senna had been locked in a void. That’s what Viktor had planned.

But I had reprogrammed it. Orrin would be siphoned into the siphon itself. Then I would toss it into the ocean. It would sink to the bottom of the ocean, never to be found again. Orrin would sink with it.

Without a human, Orrin would die.

It was risky. I wasn’t entirely sure that I’d programmed it right. But I was pretty confident. Confident enough to do it anyway.

Senna touched my hand.

“Orrin?” I said. He looked at me with sad eyes, just as he’d done for the past six months. He said nothing. He only let out a little whimper. “I need to talk to you,” I said. “One last time. I need to…” Tears sprang to my eyes. I was getting very emotional. The thought of him not being there, not being inside of me, was almost more than I could bear.

But at my words, he lifted his head. His eyes flickered something, hope it looked like. And for the first time since Verity left, I saw the faintest trace of happiness in his face.

“I need to thank you,” I said. “For being a good wolf.” I looked out over the ocean. “And for being my friend. But I’ve been listening to you. And I love you. I love you enough to let you go.”

He cocked his head to the side. Then he stood up, on all four legs.

“Really?” he said. “I can go and be with Verity?”

I chuckled, biting my lip. The siphon was cold in my hands.

“Yeah, buddy. You can.”

All my memories of Orrin flashed through my mind. The first day I’d met him. The first time I shifted. The first time I let him out to run.

I could see him and Verity, in my mind’s eyes, running through the private forest at the estate. He’d been so happy. So had she.

They belonged together, wherever together was. And in that moment, I knew I was doing the right thing. It didn’t make it any easier though.

“Kalev,” Orrin said. “That is the best gift you could have given me. I love you too.”

My throat felt tight. My mouth was dry. My eyes were wet with tears. My heart hurt in a way I didn’t know it could hurt.

“All right,” I said. “This is it then. I hope you find her, Orrin. And I hope you find happiness.”

“I will,” he said. “Take good care of Senna.”

“Always,” I replied.

Then I took a deep breath and flicked the switch on the siphon. A bright blue light flashed before my eyes. For a moment, all I could see was blue. Then a sharp pain engulfed me. It was hot and raw. It caused me to buckle over.

I felt him. I felt him leaving my body. His essence drained from deep inside of me. It was the most awful thing I’d ever felt. It hurt like hell.

Within moments though, it was over. I felt empty. Like there was a hole in my heart and a vacant space in my head. Every single day since Orrin had awakened, I’d reached for him. He was a constant presence in my life.

And now that presence was gone.

“It’s done,” I whispered. “He’s inside the siphon.”

I swallowed, even though my throat felt too thick. My hands shook, so much so that I almost dropped the siphon. For a split second, I wanted to take it back. I already missed him. But then I shook my head.

This was the right thing to do. Wherever Orrin was, he was at peace.

Senna didn’t say anything. She just held onto my arm. I lifted my hand over my head. Then I threw the siphon as far as I could, off the cliff and into the waves.

It made a small splash. That was it. Just a tiny splash. We both watched it sink.

“He’s gone,” I said. The tears flowed freely from my eyes. “He’s gone to be with Verity.”

“They’ll be happy,” Senna said.

I turned to face her. Her hair whipped across her face from the wind. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold. She had raindrops on her eyelashes. She looked at me with so much love, it made my heart swell. “They will,” I agreed. I kissed her on the top of her head and pulled her in close. “And so will we.”