Chapter 255
Chapter 255
Lucas
The seating arrangement at dinner was a study in pack dynamics. Max had insisted on sitting next to me, practically shoving Sophia out of the way to claim the chair.
The little girl had pouted but ultimately settled for a seat across the table where she could still watch me with those unnervingly perceptive eyes.
Grace sat beside Silas, Archer's Beta's mate, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.
I knew she'd only agreed to join after both Vivian and Selene insisted it would cause more drama if she refused. The tension radiating from her was palpable, at least to me.
I sipped my wine, observing the conversations flowing around the table. Silas was regaling Harrison with stories of Katherine's heroism from years ago.
"Katherine has always been brave," Harrison said, squeezing his new wife's hand tenderly. "It's one of the many things I've admired about her."
Katherine leaned against his shoulder, her complexion pale but her eyes bright. "I only wish we hadn't wasted so many years."
She rested her head on Harrison's shoulder, and I politely averted my gaze to give them privacy.
My eyes landed on Vivian instead, and I found myself contemplating the strange timing of her return to my life.
'What if we had met years ago?' I wondered, not for the first time. What path might my life have taken if I'd found my mate before the darkness in me had grown so deep? Before I'd made choices that couldn't be undone?
My thoughts quickly shifted from philosophical musings to more immediate desires as I studied her profile.
The elegant curve of her neck, the way her hair caught the light, the slight furrow of concentration between her brows as she listened to someone speaking...
"I caught you," Vivian's voice suddenly broke into my thoughts, her eyes meeting mine with amusement. "I thought you'd be more subtle when committing crimes."
I reached for her, placing my hand on the back of her neck and pulling her in for a restrained kiss. What I actually wanted to do would have scandalized the dinner party, but I managed to control myself. Barely.
---
A crash and the sound of coughing broke us apart. I turned to see Katherine doubled over, blood spattering the pristine tablecloth as she coughed violently.
Vivian was instantly on her feet, rushing to Katherine's side. Archer moved just as quickly, practically leaping from his chair to reach his mother.
"Katherine, dear," Harrison said, his voice tight with fear as he clutched her trembling hand.
There was so much blood. I instinctively shifted to block Max's view, though the boy was craning his neck trying to see past me.
Archer grabbed a napkin and placed it beneath his mother's hand, trying to protect her dress from the blood.
The gesture was oddly touching—a son's futile attempt to preserve some dignity for his mother even as her body betrayed her.
Several of the adults stood, but Archer waved them back with a sharp gesture. The children had gone silent.
Vivian checked Katherine's pulse, her expression becoming increasingly grave. "Her pulse is irregular. She needs to rest."
Katherine tried to speak, but her words were slurred and indistinct.
The color drained from Vivian's face at whatever she heard.
'She's getting worse,' I realized, watching the scene unfold. Katherine's condition had been deteriorating for weeks, but this sudden decline was alarming even to me.
"I'll carry her upstairs," Archer said, preparing to lift his mother.
Harrison stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Let me, my son."
A flash of something crossed Archer's face before he nodded. "Of course..."
Katherine's eyes fluttered open, and she whispered something to Daisy about bringing Harrison some food upstairs later. Then she turned to Harrison, her lips forming the words "I'm sorry" without sound.
The realization hit me suddenly—they weren't going to complete the mate bond. Katherine's body was too frail to survive the intensity of the bonding process. They would remain forever incomplete, a final cruelty of fate.
---
After Harrison carried Katherine from the room, an uncomfortable silence settled over the table.
Max, never one to respect social norms, broke it with characteristic bluntness. "Mom, is Grandma going to die?"
Selene opened her mouth but seemed unable to find words. Beside her, Daisy continued crying softly as Archer pulled her into a comforting embrace.
"She's not dying..." I said, drawing everyone's attention. "Her body is changing. She's just getting ready to go to heaven... that's where good people go."
Max's brow furrowed in concentration. "Oh... like a transformation... So when you go to hell, Uncle, will you transform first?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, kid, I will. But don't worry, when I go to hell, I'm taking you with me."
Max grinned at that, clearly pleased with the idea.
"Max!" Selene admonished, then turned to me with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Lucas."
Vortend snorted. "The psychopathic behavior is definitely from the Frost side."
"But Uncle, you won't go to hell," Ethan piped up earnestly. "You're too nice."
I looked at the innocent belief in the boy's eyes and felt something twist inside me. "No, kid, I'm not nice... you just don't know me."
Selene attempted to restore normalcy. "Well... let's eat. The food is getting cold..."
"Yes, let's eat," Sophia added quietly. "Grandma Katherine told us to eat too..."
The other flower girl, Jasmine, nodded in agreement. Both girls were pale but clearly trying to comfort the adults around them.
Archer muttered, "Please excuse me," before leaving the room.
Daisy wiped her tears and went to prepare a tray to take upstairs.
---
Silas's wife turned to Grace. "Are you alright?"
"Mm," Grace responded quietly.
I reached out through our pack bond. 'Are you really okay?'
'I'm fine,' came her curt response.
'But he's not. Does that affect you, Grace?'
Her mental voice carried a note of irritation. 'I know you're my Alpha, but can you not?'
I deliberately pushed her buttons. 'He really irritates me. His face is annoying too. It's just the kind you want to punch 24/7.'
'He's not that bad. Besides, I don't know if you've noticed... but he looks a lot like Vivian.'
I felt irrationally offended. 'He looks nothing like her. And aren't you supposed to be on my side? Since we're on the same team?'
Grace fell silent, and I decided to back off. This was Vivian's problem to handle, not mine.
---
I reached out to Vivian through our mate bond. 'How is she?'
Vivian's response came quickly, tinged with despair. 'She's not good. Her test results are worse, and the doctors can't do anything...'
'I can't do anything either. I feel like such a failure.' The raw pain in her mental voice made my chest tighten. 'I spent all those years not knowing her, and now that I've finally found her, my birth mother, I have to watch her die.'
'I wish I could stop her from dying...'
"It's not your fault," I replied softly, wishing I could offer more comfort.
"We can't control death," I added, knowing the words were inadequate even as I spoke them.
'I wish I could do more,' she responded.
'Don't we all?' I thought to myself, watching as the dinner continued around us, life moving forward relentlessly despite the shadow of death hovering over us all.