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“There could be other things, though, ones we don’t have the medical knowledge to see,” says Memphis. “It’s safest if we do something to alter the body, something that could explain any discrepancies.”
“A forest fire,” I say. “A controlled one. If the body’s burned enough, it should be unrecognizable. They’ll be able to see it’s an Omega, but they won’t be able to tell how long it’s been out there.”
“No. We can’t do that to her,” Brooklyn objects. “She was a person. An Omega, just like me, taken advantage of by the worst kind of Alpha. We can’t mutilate her like that.”
“If that was your body,” I say, “wouldn’t you want it used to save someone’s life? To make sure those evil fucking Alphas don’t win?”
I already know the answer. We all do—brave, strong Brooklyn would absolutely give an Omega in trouble her own body. She looks down, and it breaks my heart that she’s better at grieving other people’s pain than her own. “It’s not right,” she says quietly.
“I know it’s not right,” I say. “But we’ll give her a proper funeral first. A ceremony, with words of remembrance. We’ll give her flowers.”
“I’ll build her a pyre,” Memphis volunteers.
“We’re not seriously starting a forest fire, are we?” Camden says. “What if we can’t contain it? We all saw the damage from the last fire. It could get out of control, fast.”
“We won’t let that happen,” I say, getting impatient.
Cam shakes his head. “How are we going to stop it? With what fire hose? There are too many variables. It’s going to go wrong.”
“I don’t give a shit,” I growl. “I’d burn this whole damn park to the ground if it meant keeping her safe. If that makes me a villain then fine, I’ll be the villain. I’d rather her be alive and able to hate me than six feet under, wouldn’t you?”
Camden raises his hands in defeat. Memphis nods in approval, and Brooklyn—the look on her face is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s full of wonder, joy, and affection.
Maybe I’m being too hopeful, but I think it could be love.
—----------
We find the Omega’s body in the mid-afternoon. She’s partially covered in debris, in the leaves which blew to cover her. It’s a small comfort that she hasn’t been left exposed and vulnerable.
I examine the body as quickly as I can. I can tell that it’s upsetting Brooklyn to be near it, and I can understand why—if she hadn’t run from the Castles when she had, it could have been her body out here. Grayson is sick enough that he probably would have let his Alpha friends have their fun with her, then drag her body out where no one would ever find it. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.
“As far as I can tell, she’ll pass for Brooklyn,” I say, standing. “I’m no expert on anatomy, but she’s the right height and no obvious bone breaks.”
Brooklyn looks pale, but before I can worry about her, Memphis puts his arm around her. Holding her up.
“We’ll send her off right,” Camden says. “Flowers, ceremony, everything.”
“We should check the area before we start the fire,” Memphis says. “Make sure there aren’t any animals with dens nearby, or especially dry kindling.”
“We don’t do it tonight,” I say. “For this to work, we have to be absolutely sure that Brooklyn’s bond has fully faded.” I’m careful not to mention Grayson’s name, in case it upsets her. I’m guessing she realizes that because she shoots me a look of thankfulness.
“How do we know when it’s faded?” Cam asks.
“Brooklyn, you should be able to tell that, right?”
She nods. “I feel it most strongly when he’s angry or upset, which happens fairly often. It’s been a few days since I felt anything, but there are still some traces.”
“Is there anything we can do to speed the process up?” Memphis growls. I can practically feel his anger—of course, territorial Memphis hates the idea of Castle having any part of her.
Brooklyn takes his hand in her small one, reassuring him. “Just being around you helps. All of you. Forming…connections with you has seemed to make the bond weaker.”
I suspected as much. Being around Alphas after so long away from anyone would mess with Brooklyn’s biology, which would include her body and her mind. And we’ve been close to Brooklyn in every possible way.
“If we’re not doing the fire tonight,” Camden says, “I’d like to build a coffin for her. So she has someplace to rest until it’s time.”
Brooklyn’s eyes shine with gratitude. “Thank you, Camden,” she murmurs.
“How about you and Memphis get camp set up?” I say. “Camden and I will work on chopping wood for it.”
