Chapter 232
King Braedon POV
Finally, it was just her father left to speak. He stepped forward, glancing sadly at the headstone. "I was not the best father to Blair," he said hoarsely, his face red and puffy from crying "In fact, I was a monster. I favored her sister above her, I did unspeakable and unforgivable things to her. She didn't deserve to die as she did. She faced death with the courage that she always showed. She sacrificed to save the children she bore in her belly. She treated life like it was precious. She forgave even when some of us didn't deserve it" he said gruffly "Her heart was bigger than anyone's I know. I vow to you Blair" he said turning to the headstone, fresh tears trailing down his cheeks "that I will be a proper grandfather to your children. I will make amends for being the terrible father I was. I will do everything in my power to protect your children. I beg your forgiveness" he sobbed "Forgive me. Long live Queen Blair" he choked out, sinking to his knees and crying loudly as James moved forward to help him back to his feet.
My face contorted into an expression of grief and pain. Sarah was quick to notice "I think that it's time to leave King Braedon alone and let him have some privacy," she said quietly, sobbing, herding the pack members away.
I dimly heard James helping Alpha Johnathon to his feet and leading him back to the packhouse as he sobbed. I tightened my jaw and then stepped up to the headstone, my hand reaching out to touch the large cold stone. My fingers twitched.
"Blair," I said softly, tracing her name, sinking slowly onto my knees, unable to bear the heavy burden of grief that was weighing me down, my heart hurting with so much pain I could hardly breathe "Blair, I'm so sorry" I whispered, my words lost in the sounds of the wind as it continued to pick up.
I pounded my fist on the ground, disturbing the grass, feeling a sharp pain in my fist. Anger, reckless anger took over me. "f**k" I yelled, "Damnit Blair, how could you do this" I roared, so angry that I was shaking "How could you just choose to leave me like this?" I shouted, panting heavily as I grabbed at the headstone, my fingers gripping so tightly that my knuckles turned white. "Why damnit why?" I screamed my voice loud in the shrill of the wind. "I can't do this without you" I added bitterly, sinking back onto my knees, my eyes still teary, the pain in my chest refusing to subside. "If you had just held on, a little longer," I said thickly, bowing my head "just a little longer, they might have managed to save you. We were so close, so close to the hospital" my voice broke "and then you had to die. You didn't even give me a chance to say goodbye" I whispered, stricken "I didn't get to hold you, I didn't get to tell you how much I loved you. One minute you were there and the next you were gone. You told me to save our babies, but at what cost? At the cost of your life. Well, I'm selfish Blair" I said bitterly, "I wanted to save you too. I wanted you and not just our children. I wanted you for the rest of our lives together. What am I supposed to do now?"
Silence. I kept my body facing the headstone. I grabbed the roses and flung them hatefully to the ground. "Am I supposed to just forget you and find another mate? Find somebody else to mother our children?" I was growling now, my fury reaching a critical point "That's not good enough" I yelled, aware I was alone and venting at the headstone but in so much pain I didn't care "The children deserve to know their mother. They deserve to know you. I would have given my life for yours" I hiccuped "I would have gladly given it in exchange for you to go on living. I don't know the first thing about raising children. I don't know how to be kind, or loving, or compassionate. I don't know how to teach them what they need to know. I'm going to fail them" I whispered, "I'm going to fail them and it's all your fault."
A lone tear trails down my cheek and drips onto the ground below me. I don't even feel it. I'm numb. So numb I'm not even feeling the cold or the chilly air. The heavens begin to open up and rain begins to pour down. I don't move. Part of me wants to throw myself on the headstone and remain there with my mate. My wolf is hurting. I'm hurting. I can't bring myself to leave. Not yet. I close my eyes, "You were my everything Blair" I whisper, "and nobody is ever going to replace the love I had for you" I promise her, gently touching the headstone.
I sense a presence. My body remains where it is. Bent over the headstone. Something whizzes by and then I feel something embed itself in my leg. Even as I rip it out, I register that it's a tranquilizer dart. Probably filled with wolfsbane because I can't communicate with my wolf when I try to reach him. I can't shift, but I'm remarkably calm when I stand up and begin to turn. I have a sense of foreboding that I know exactly who is here and I accept that the time has come. One way or another it's time to end things once and for all. If not for my sake, then for Blair's. I narrow my eyes and then stare at her, the silence stretching between us before her face stretches into a smug smirk.
"I I guess even Blair isn't invincible, is she Alpha King Braedon" she taunts and I let out a low growl of anger, my hands ready to wring her neck and finally kill her for good. This ends now, I thought, for good. Too many people had been hurt at her hands and she had been given too many chances. Today this would end, either in my death or hers. But either way, she wasn't getting away. Not this time. Not again. I was going to make certain of that. If she thought she had taken me by surprise, then she was in for a rude awakening. Her actions were easy to anticipate and I knew she would come today. It was inevitable.