Epilogue

I heard the car pull up to our house. A few seconds of silence and then a car door opened and closed. I wasn’t particularly worried, more curious at what I smelled; it was Robert outside and he was afraid and nervous. I had become very attuned to the emotions of other people around me, even people I didn’t know.

The doorbell rang and I opened the door for him. He was pale and very worried. I asked him inside and wondered what this could be about. I didn’t have the energy for this. I had been on my way upstairs to sleep. The ceremony had been very taxing on all of us and the pack didn’t linger afterwards.

“Evening, Officer Jones,” I said to him and showed him to a seat at the kitchen counter. He was not wearing his uniform so I could only assume he was here in his personal capacity.

“Kiran, I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother,” Robert said and I thanked him. I thanked him because it was the polite thing to do and Karani would want that.

“Thank you, Officer Jones,” I said.

“Call me Robert, please. Is your father home?” he asked me. Malachi entered the kitchen through the sliding doors and looked quizzically at Robert seated at the counter. I shook my head at the question Malachi had asked me, “What does he want?”

“Evening Malachi,” Robert said, his face neutral.

“Evening Robert,” Malachi greeted him and offered him a drink.

“Thank you,” Robert said as he took the tumbler from Malachi with shaking hands. Robert stood up and looked uneasy.

“Let’s go through to my study,” Malachi suggested and Robert nodded. I watched them leave and went upstairs. Adara was sitting on the bed, clearly waiting for me.

“Kiran, I want to know how to help you deal with this,” she said softly as I walked towards her. She stood up from the bed and looked at me.

“Adara, no, I can’t right now,” I said and took her hands off my chest.

She put her hands back on my chest and something inside me just snapped.

“I said stop!” I shouted at her and instantly regretted it.

She sat down on the bed and started crying. I couldn’t take the emotions—shock, fear, anger, pain. It swirled in front of me and threatened to consume me.

I walked out of our bedroom and heard her muffled cries as she buried her face in the pillows. I stormed into the drawing room and slammed my fist through the door. My knuckles broke and started bleeding. I sat down at the table and took out a piece of paper and started writing.

‘Malachi, I can’t stay here. I need time. I need to heal and figure out how to rid myself of all of this. I’ll come back when I’ve figured it out. Tell Adara…I’m sorry.

-K’

I left the note on the table and walked down the hall to the sliding doors and left. Malachi would find it when he was done with Robert or the following morning when I didn’t come down for breakfast.

I got into the Jeep and started driving. I didn’t know where I was driving to but just that I had to get out of there. I looked back in the rear-view mirror and a weight lifted from me.

⬺

“What’s troubling you, Robert?” Malachi said and he caught glimpses of Robert’s conversation with Adrian. Malachi handed Robert another tumbler of brandy and sat down on the couch and indicated to Robert that he should also sit.

“Well, I don’t really know why I’m here,” Robert said and Malachi remained quiet.

“Adrian is just, I don’t know what to believe anymore,” Robert continued. He was rubbing his hands against each other even though the house was heated.

“Adrian Peters killed your pack members,” Robert said and Malachi looked shocked.

“Are you sure?” Malachi asked him.

“Yes, I am,” Robert said while nodding his head. “I owe your family a great debt. One that I can never repay, especially…” Robert said and stopped himself.

“It’s not your fault that she died, Robert,” Malachi said softly.

“Did she really die in that accident?” Robert asked suddenly and then apologized for being insensitive.

“No, another wolf we had locked up killed her, Robert. I might as well tell you the truth since you are now part of the inner circle. If anyone is to blame for her death, it’s me,” Malachi said and Robert shook his head.

“I’m so sorry, Malachi. I don’t mean to be insensitive but Adrian…He has these lists on his living room wall and…” Robert said and faltered. “I feel it’s my responsibility to warn you, he’s lost his mind. He knows, Malachi! He knows all about wolves. He showed me these books, very old books. Diaries from his father,” Robert was rambling and thinking at the same time.

“Robert, stop. You’re confusing me. You can’t talk and think at the same time,” Malachi stopped him. Robert looked at him, total confusion on his face.

“Can you hear my thoughts?” Robert asked, shocked.

Malachi nodded and rubbed his eyes. “Start at the beginning and don’t think about what you want to say; just tell me what happened.”

Robert took a deep breath and started his story with the night they followed him to the hotel. He told Malachi about Adrian’s uncle in prison. He revealed the invitation to Adrian’s house, the living room wall, the names on the list, the pictures. He told Malachi everything he had learnt from Adrian.

“He said he wasn’t going to kill you and your family yet. He’s planning on obtaining warrants and wiretaps to search your home, office and that warehouse you own on the other side of the hotel,” Robert informed Malachi.

“He thinks Judge Richard Gardner is dirty too. He’s been watching him and I don’t know if the Judge is next on his list,” Robert finished.

“Yes, I know of Igor Petrov, especially in our circles. He hunted many wolf women and slaughtered them,” Malachi confirmed.

Robert looked as if he was going to be sick.

“Robert, thank you for the warning. You just might have saved some lives tonight. I need to convene with my pack if you will excuse me,” Malachi said and Robert stood up.

They shook hands and Robert let himself out of the house.

Malachi knocked on Kiran’s door and slowly opened it. Adara was on the bed asleep, she had cried herself to sleep, Kiran wasn’t there. Malachi walked over to Adara and lightly shook her.

“Adara, wake up. Where’s Kiran?” he asked her as she sat up.

“I don’t know. We had a fight and he stormed out of the room,” she said to Malachi. He turned to walk out and called out to Kiran, but the house was empty. He walked into the drawing room and saw the note on the table. Adara had followed him inside. Adara sat down on the couch, disbelief in her eyes.

“Why would he leave?” she asked desperately as they read his note together.

“He needs to heal, Adara. But this might just save his life. You need to leave as well,” Malachi said to her.

“What? Why?” Adara asked.

Malachi told Adara everything that Robert had told him, the threat to their lives and livelihood and the threat to their pack.

“It’s for your own safety. I think you are safest in Ireland for the time being. You aren’t being punished, Adara. I couldn’t lose you or Kiran too,” Malachi said and Adara nodded.

“I’ll call Peter and explain the situation. They will welcome you back with open arms, Adara. Take this time to also heal yourself, get to know your Irish roots and stay alive. If you aren’t here, he can’t kill you,” Malachi said. She knew Malachi was right.

“I don’t want to leave you here alone,” Adara said.

“I’ll be fine, Adara, I promise you. I don’t want you in the middle of this thing. I’m the Alpha and I will rid us of this problem,” Malachi said.

Adara picked up her phone and walked out when Peter answered.

⬺

I looked down as my phone started ringing. It was Malachi. He had found my note, sooner than I had hoped he would. I didn’t know what to say to him right now, so I let it go to voicemail.

“Kiran, I understand. I love you, more than you know. I will always be right here. Come back when you are ready. Take care of yourself, trust your instincts, and remember, you are my son. You can fix yourself. I believe in you. Call me when you can.”

I listened to Malachi’s voicemail again. The tears started flowing again as I realized how hard that message must have been for him. He had not mentioned Adara, and I wondered if he knew what was happening to me.

I couldn’t talk to him right now. The pain of the loss of my twin brother that he had buried so deep in his soul was haunting me. He had been older than me. He would have been the Alpha. So many thoughts went through my head. Why hadn’t they told me?

I switched my phone off and drove into the night, following the moon.

To be continued......

*Kiran's story continues in Gravity