Part Ninety-Two
Adara spent all of her free time with Karani and Claire and according to them she made tremendous progress with her powers. Peter took us to see Castlewellan Castle and told us that it was now government owned but that it was built in the 1850’s by the Annesley family. We took a tour of the castle and it was impressive. I could see Adara was having the time of her life.
It was hard to believe that we had been here for almost two weeks. Malachi and Peter asked me to join them in his study one evening while Adara was out with Karani and Claire. Claire had taken her to see where her parents had lived. Adara said I shouldn’t join her as her emotions would get so bad that I would have a hard time keeping my grip on reality.
The stronger my connection to the person affected, the more it affected me. It had become so severe that I would start vomiting as a result of the intense pain I would experience all over my body, I would have difficulty breathing which would occasionally lead to a black out.
“Kiran, your father tells me that your main goal for this visit was to ask permission to marry Adara,” Peter said to me as Malachi made himself comfortable in a chair by the fireplace.
“That’s correct, sir,” I said respectfully. He was an Alpha too and I had to show him the proper respect.
“Call me Peter, please. I know your father taught you well. Malachi’s reputation is well known,” Peter smiled and sat in another chair. He nodded his head to the other empty chair, and I sat down.
“I’ve already told your father that the negotiations aren’t necessary as Adara has already been accepted into your pack. But if you insist, like your father, we will go through the process,” Peter looked at me and I nodded.
I had initially agreed with Malachi that this was the right thing to do.
“Do you promise to protect Adara with your life? Do you promise to provide for her? Do you promise to love her all the days of your life? Do you promise to ensure her safety? Do you promise not to withhold her from any of her desires?” Peter asked the questions in succession.
“I do, Peter. I promise to uphold all those things put before me,” I answered and I smiled. I finally had permission to marry Adara, not that I needed it, but doing the traditional negotiations made me feel at peace.
“Well then, Kiran, I have some news for you that I discussed with Malachi and Karani before you flew to Ireland,” he continued. Was this the surprise they were discussing on our first night here?
“Adara’s parents were married on the 13th, which is two days from now. Now, I know this might sound like it’s very soon to you, but we all thought that you two might like to get married on the day her parents did. You could even have the ceremony in the same church as them,” Peter concluded.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose suddenly and I felt chilled to the bone. Something was very wrong. I didn’t feel Death here in Ireland but it howled at me from Alaska. I could feel it claw at my soul from a great distance. I looked at Malachi and his phone vibrated.
“Sorry, it’s Garrick. I have to take this,” Malachi excused himself. He walked to the door as he answered his phone.
“I’m sorry Peter, I do want to marry Adara. Now is not the right time though,” I said to Peter. I knew the phone call from Garrick was bad news. I saw Malachi’s anger; I hadn’t listened in on his conversation while Peter was talking to me.
“We’re going home,” Malachi said as he ended his call with Garrick. I felt afraid suddenly, something was very wrong in Alaska and I felt the intense need to get home.
“What’s wrong Malachi?” Peter asked him as Malachi rubbed his eyes.
“Marrick Goldman, one of my pack members, was just found dead in his house,” Malachi said and my heart sank.
“Marrick’s dead? Where’s Susan and the children?” I asked him as I physically felt the pain go through my body.
“They are all dead. I’m sorry, Kiran, I know you had taken Jackson under your wing,” Malachi said. I couldn’t comprehend the news I had just received. It couldn’t be, yet I knew it was true. My feelings were never wrong, sometimes early, but never wrong and I couldn’t stop the tears from forming in my eyes.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Malachi. I will do what I can to help speed up your travel arrangements. We have some contacts at the airport,” Peter offered and Malachi thanked him. Peter made some phone calls, and we were booked on a flight back to Alaska the following morning.
I was quiet and withdrawn the entire twenty-four hours it took us to get home with all the layovers and connecting flights. I was heartbroken and Adara cried on and off for the entire flight home. She hadn’t known them long but connecting to the pack when she transformed connected her with every member of the pack and she felt the loss as strongly as we did.
I finally slept in the car while Malachi drove back from Anchorage to Seward. By the time we got home most of the autopsies would be complete and we would have a better idea of what had happened. On the phone, Garrick had simply said that they were all dead.
We stopped in front of the house and James’s Jeep was parked in the driveway. He had come to switch on the heating and to welcome us home. James hugged me and I held on to him a while longer. I needed this contact with him, I needed to feel his beating heart.
“Garrick phoned with an update for Malachi,” James said as we sat down with coffee in the living room.
Malachi nodded for James to continue. “Marrick, Jackson and Sumari were shot in the head. Kyle and Rupert were poisoned. Susan was poisoned with wolfsbane. He’s not sure yet what poison was used on Kyle and Rupert. He said that the living room looked like a scene from a horror movie.” James said to us.
“What does the police say?” Karani asked, her emotions were in turmoil, dark, sad and angry.
“For now, they say home invasion. The house is still taped off, so we haven’t been able to go inside yet, Garrick got the call to collect the bodies.” James said. It made no sense to me. Who would want to kill them? Marrick was the nicest guy you could ever meet.