CHAPTER 70

Mila watched with silent tears running down her cheeks as Rose's body was lowered into the grave. She could not explain the hurt that threatened to suffocate her as the Alpha bent and shovelled heaps of sand unto the coffin.
His face was hard and impassive as he methodically heaped a shovelful, then another. After that, he dropped the shovel and let the men around the grave fill it up. All the while, he looked as unruffled and nonchalant as ever.
But then, anyone who looked close enough could see the grief and pain in the Alpha's expression. He was holding himself back by an immense amount of self control Mila would have admired, if she had not watched his breakdown the day before.
To put it mildly, he had gone crazy after Rose's death was confirm. First, he had been unable to accept it and he had kept checking for a pulse repeatedly until his bodygaurd had dragged him away from the body. Then he had become so quiet and still, as if waiting to wake up from the ghastly nightmare he found himself.
All the while, Armando was busy making phone calls and searching for Elise. Before long, the Alpha's home was filled with security men, the Council; excluding Thomas of course, and a better part of the pack. Everyone had come after they heard the agonized cry of the Alpha.
From where she stood, Mila had crumbled down and cried her eyes out as she watched Rose's body being prepared for her funeral. Just like that, the vibrant woman's life had been snuffed out of her, killed in a place which should have been the safest part of the territory.
In a way, Rose had predicted her own death. Ever since Mila told her about her vision, there had been a kind of acceptance in the old woman's voice when she had told her, "I can feel that my time is near but I've to do whatever I can for him before I go." She had had her own premonitions before her visions and at the time she had made that statement, Mila had still believed in her heart that everything would be alright, that the Alpha would never have to moan a loved one.
Mila whished she had seen her alive for one last time before she died. She wished she had not been staying cooped up in her little house with Cole. Maybe, if she had been there, she might have been able to protect either Rose or Shana.
Her vision was happening right before her eyes, just when she thought everything was under control. Her head had swollen twofold when she saw Asher holding Rose in her own pool of blood, wailing just like she had seen. He had come apart, and Mila knew it was not the end yet, far from it.
With Rose gone, a lot had been left unsaid to the mourning Alpha. It was time she took matters into her own hands and walked up to him. She had been chosen, a gift had been given to her to use, not to just stand around and watch everything around her come apart.
The Council and the Beta remained after everyone left to send Rose off safely. Mila left and stayed out of sight as they performed their age-old chant, her gaze never leaving the silent Alpha. Beside him, his Beta stood stiff,his face suffused with remorse.
It was not confirmed yet but everything pointed at his father's involvement in the cold-blooded murders. After it all happened, Thomas and Adele had suddenly gone missing. No one had been able to contact them and when the Beta had gone to his father's house to check on his family, he had reported back that they seemed to have left in a hurry.
Mila knew what it had cost the Beta to make such a report to a man who was grieving from the wicked actions of his father. But he had made the report nonetheless, before the Alpha and the pack. After that, Mila had seen him go from a loved son of the pack, whom everyone was proud of to an outcast.
Yes, it took that little time for everyone to change their feelings about him. They were humans after all and no one who had seen the way nine wolves had been killed, coupled with the killing of Rose would have wanted anything to do with anyone involved in such grievous act. Everyone was avoiding him and the few among them who were humane just threw him pitying glances.
Now, they were all on the Alpha's side.
It did not take his kindness and consideration for that to happen, neither was it his achievements and everything else he had going for him. But it had taken a life changing, sad experience for everyone to finally see him for who he truly was, instead of the bastard son of a nobody.
"The old Luna brought him up so well. It's obvious he's grieving for her," some whispered among themselves. "It's such a pity he kept the traitor's son by his side for this long. They must have taken him for granted because they know his background," some others said. "He does not deserve this! To think they even have his mate."
Everyone was casting their pity votes, forgetting that he was a bastard and his mate was a Crier.
Humans, they never ceased to amaze her.
None of the two strong men before her deserved the mock pity and ostracism of the pack.
They were barely done before the Alpha turned on his heels and left, his stride purposeful.
Mila followed shortly after. She needed to speak to him alone. There was the issue of a whole man hiding in her home.
The burial site was behind Rose's house, right beside her dead husband. So they were at the Alpha's in no time. When he got to the front door, he turned to look at her suddenly.
"Where were you at the time?," he asked her without preambles.
Mila stopped dead in her tracks, her tongue feeling like it was stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her vocal cords could not withstand the blazing, controlled anger in his blue eyes.
"Answer me,Omega. Where were you? You were here, weren't you?"
"No, I wasn't. I swear it."
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"But you should have been," Asher muttered. He could not stop thinking that if things had only been a little different; like getting home just an hour earlier, giving Shana a call for her to meet him on a date outside their home or sending Armando to get her, or if he had been there himself. Then, Rose might still be alive and Shana would still be by his side without any harm coming to her.
He was being irrational, still thinking things might have been different if the frail Omega before him had been there. He knew deep down she would be six feet under just like Rose if she had been that unfortunate. She looked like she couldn't even manage to kill an ant on her own, more human than a wolf if he was to voice his opinion about her but then, he could not stop thinking about everything that could have happened differently, no matter how hard he tried. A part of him was still waiting and hoping to wake up from the dreadful nightmare he found himself.
Rose was gone, and Shana was nowhere to be found. He thought he had imagined it at the time but he knew the exact moment she had been kidnapped. Asher had heard her call out for him but he had brushed it off as a figment of his imagination because he was in a hurry to get to her and apologize at the time. But now, he regretted that he had not answered back and he had not told Armando to speed up the car. Better still, he could have shifted and raced back to her.
He had rounded the territory so many time in order to see where she had disappeared to but had found nothing, and neither had the hunting party sent out for her. The camera footages around were destroyed and he was left with nothing.
Except the knowledge about Thomas's involvement in everything. But there was no proof, save for the man's hasty departure from the pack. It was really nothing to act on but not anymore.
Asher could not help feeling hostile towards Mark, despite all evidence that he was not in support of his father's atrocities. Since it all happened,he had been ignoring his Beta like he did not exist.
So despite his offer to help in whichever way he could, Asher knew he was going to do this on his own, starting now.
"What do you want?," he asked Mila in a clipped tone. He really looked at her for the first time and be wondered what Rose had seen in her to bring the girl under her wings.
"There's something you need to know. Rose knew about it and she was going to tell you but.....," Mila trailed off when she saw the muscle ticking in his jaw.
'Rose, Rose, Rose,' Asher thought to himself. He hurt whenever he heard her name. Obviously, there had been something she wanted him to know but because of his stupid ego, she had left the world without him speaking to her. He also had a lot he wanted to say to her but he could not anymore. All he was left with was regrets for how he had treated her in her last days and memories of the good times they had together.
His chest constricted, remembering how she had called for him to come back and listen to her.
"Does it have anything to do with finding my mate?," he asked. For now, that was the only thing he cared about.
"Yes," Mila answered uncertainly. She could not be so sure if Cole was the key to finding Shana.
"I'm all ears," he said.
"Not here," Mila answered resolutely,looking around the heavily guarded environment. She didn't want a third party to even overhear a word they say. Besides, Asher needed to see Cole in the flesh.
"Where then?" He was impatient and he didn't care to hide it in the way he spoke to her.
"I'll need you to come with me. I need to show you.