Page 165 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess
I try to think of what Mom told me; how there is no wrong way to be there for Arden. He just needs to know that I’m here and that he is allowed to grieve on his own terms. I have to respect that. After breakfast, Arden wants to discuss some things with Eric.
He takes my hand, kissing it softly. “Why don’t you head out to meet with Tori and Nox and check on them? You have duties to attend to. I know that better than anyone else,” he says. “I… I am okay here with Eric, I promise.”
I feel torn. I hate to leave him alone, but he is right; I haven’t checked in with either of my friends yet, and they are all going through a lot.
“I will be here,” Eric reassures me. “I promise.”
I decide to trust my mate and my cousin, and after promising each other we’ll link when we are done, I leave Arden with Eric. Val accompanies me, her expression sad when we walk towards the infirmary. “If only I had been there,” she says. “It’s eating at me all the time. I had the power to save Vander.”
“You couldn’t have known,” I say quietly. “You can’t save everyone, Val.”
“The same goes for you,” she tells me. “It’s not your fault what happened. And not Arden’s. It was Night who pulled the trigger and Matthieu who got involved in his business.”
“Knowing his dad was involved truly broke both their hearts,” I say.
“I was heartbroken when I knew my sister was involved in criminal activities,” Val says. “She did horrible things, but at least she didn’t target me. Matthieu, however, targeted his sons by abducting Coralie and Léna. It’s so cruel.”
We barely make it to the infirmary when Tori runs towards us. “Aurelia,” she calls out, basically jumping into my arms and hugging me tight. “I heard it from Val, last night,” she mutters. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it.”
“Me neither,” Lion says. “I… I don’t know what to say. If I can do something for Arden, tell me. I will do anything.”
“Thank you,” I say, squeezing them both. “How are you holding up, Tori?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” she says, “though,someoneinsisted I stay here the night!”
Lion looks flustered. “Just to be sure she isn’t hurt!”
“And Coralie… and Léna?” I ask.
“Coralie got her wounds treated but didn’t stay here,” Tori says. “Léna was devastated and cried nonstop, Auri. Coralie decided to go with her back to the pack to see that she arrived safely. She wrote me a message in the morning and said Léna is with her parents, and they are watching out for her. She said she will come later today to meet with Emilien. He needs her statement for his report.”
“She’s really changed,” Val says. “I’m surprised, but now I’m glad that Léna has her to rely on.”
“Meg and Nox?” I ask at last.
“Nox didn’t leave her side,” Lion says. “I briefly checked on him and brought him something to eat and drink. As for Meg… she has a long road of healing ahead of her.”
“Nox knows more details,” Val tells me. “As Lion said, some of her outer wounds are healing, but she is severely underweight and hasn’t seen much light during the last couple of years. Her mental health, however, will take the longest to heal.”
“Did she wake up already?”
“Yes, she is surprisingly aware,” Val says. “It helped that Annette visited her. I think Meg was very close to breaking and losing her sanity. We barely came in time, but it was still in time.”
“Does she know Nox is her mate?”
“I’m not sure,” she admits. “I just spoke to her briefly. She knows about wolves, fortunately. And she seems to want Nox to stay with her.”
“That makes sense,” I say. “Despite the trauma, Nox’s presence as her mate will give her the most comfort. Nox is a great guy,” I say. “And patient. He will be careful with her. I would like to see him if that’s possible.”
“Of course.” Val takes my hand and pulls me along. “Tori and Lion, you two should go and get breakfast.”
Lion takes Tori’s hand into his and nods. “Tell us when you need something.”
We all hesitate for a moment. None of us says it out loud, but we all feel it. Yesterday, Vander was still with us; today, he is gone, and yet we can’t do anything else but make sure that the world is still turning.
“Thank you,” I finally say. “Take your time, the both of you.”
I turn back to Val and follow her down the corridor. Meg’s room is the furthest away to give her the peace and quiet she needs. As the others said, Nox is in her room, sitting in the chair next to her bed and making sure she is safe.
