BASTIAN
It feels strange standing here, almost hidden behind a tree, watching the funeral of the man I hated for so long and who ended up saving my life.
I look at Elina and feel a lump in my throat.
Her golden eyes look empty, the dark circles under her eyes tell of the nights when she probably hasn't slept at all, and the frown gives her face a hard look, the anger and frustration of the first few days seeming to have faded to make way for fierce determination.
As she looks at the smoldering pile where the remains of the man she decided to marry lie, I wonder if she really married him out of convenience or if perhaps she felt something more than gratitude for him.
The Crimson Woods alphas, who were apparently not very enthusiastic for their new queen, seem to have left behind their
