The men, who had only just learned of the moment, began to buzz, along with the staff of the mansion. All eyes were on Alexander, who was so proud of his son, but he wasn't there.
"Today, all the staff of the mansion have been relieved of their duties to attend the wake. As for the others, I need them to remain at their posts and take turns so that everyone can spend some time with Alexandre and the other families. They are currently in the chapel of this estate, together with their families.
Anna felt dizzy. It had never crossed her mind that a child would take part in a war. And Genevieve? No!" And tears welled up in her eyes. Everyone left after the announcement, leaving only Kate, Caricature, Adam, Ian and Anna.
Anna looked at Ian. He was visibly shaken and struggling with all his might to stop the tears that glistened in his eyes from running down his face. For Anna, seeing her son like that was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. She turned to Adam, but he had a cold, indifferent look on his face and wasn't looking at her or Ian. Anna noticed that he had a different gleam in his eye. There was an inner struggle going on inside him, and from the look on his face, neither of them winning the internal struggle would be a good thing.
Adam sat down at the table, and some of the men did the same, while others went to the shed that Anna had had built a few years earlier, so that they could all share a meal together. They had no appetite, but they knew they needed to eat, as no one there had eaten dinner the night before.
"Where did they go?" Ian asked suddenly. His eyes were blazing with fury.
Adam looked back at him, but his expression remained the same.
"What are you talking about?" Adam's question was cold, almost cruel.
"When a person dies, where do they go?"
"They don't go anywhere, they just cease to exist." Adam said mercilessly, and Anna stared at him indignantly.
"I want to be there when I avenge their deaths. Genevieve was... my friend." Ian said resolutely.
"Genevieve? What do you know about her? Adam asked, suddenly interested and frowning.
"I know everything."
Adam stared at him in silence, then turned his attention to the bread in his hand, which he devoured automatically. He was indifferent. At least, that's what everyone who didn't know him, and didn't see his tears like Anna, would think. It was just a way of masking the pain.
After coffee, everyone went together to the chapel and said their last goodbyes to the dead. A celebration would be held by some werewolves, discreetly, but they couldn't take part, because they needed to do it in peace, and at that moment there was a war, where Adam was the target.
Lory hugged Anna in tears, and was comforted by her. But Anna couldn't stand there, watching a child wearing a suit, inside a white coffin, as if he were just sleeping, and not think about her children. An urge to get Ian out of there, to take him away from Adam, so that he wouldn't meet the same end, took over all her will. She spotted him, looking at Genevieve, while nodding in agreement with something Adam said to her, and she left and went to the mansion.
She couldn't stop her son from saying goodbye to Genevieve.
Anna went upstairs and changed her clothes. She needed to do something to stop thinking. She went to the kitchen and cooked potatoes, along with carrots and a little salt. Once cooked, she blitzed them in a blender, put them in ice cream jars and stuffed them into her backpack. She went outside and met Adonis, who was at the door.
"I need you to take me to the old house." Anna said, as soon as she got close to him.
"Everyone's in mourning, Anna. Don't you care about the family of the dead?"
"Yes, I do. Much more than you can imagine. She was my friend and we had a bond of affection. And in order not to think about my son, who will soon be lying there, I need to occupy myself."
Adonis looked her in the eye, making it clear that he didn't agree with her attitude, and picked up his cell phone and spoke to the train, which he always needed to accompany them. Once everything had been decided, he turned off his cell phone and put it in his pocket. Then he looked at her again.
"That won't happen to Ian. His father would never allow it. And he has eyes in this place, watching his grandson's every move. You don't have to worry about that."
Anna frowned.
"He can't buy the loyalty of one of the werewolves, Adonis."
"Why not?"
Anna eyed him suspiciously.
"Are you one of those eyes?"
"I think that was pretty obvious yesterday, wasn't it?" He said, referring to the help he had provided to get her and Max alone.
"I need your understanding, Adonis. I've grown fond of you and I don't want you to believe that I'm cold and have a stone of ice in my heart. It's important for me that you understand that each of us has a different way of grieving."
"I understand." He said sincerely and his cell phone rang. As soon as he picked it up, he listened, saying yes a few times, and after he hung up he spoke to Anna again. "The boss gave me permission to take you. But he said to make it clear that he's not happy with the way you're going."
"What do you mean?"
"He said you're prioritizing revenge. It should come from you, the will to stay and console your son... He also said that you can only stay until lunchtime. Noon, he wants you back here."
"I won't be cooking today. I don't have time for that. And you're all wrong. I'm sorry to hear about everyone's death. But me staying here isn't going to make them get up out of those coffins, is it? And I can vent my frustration while I take my revenge."
"Anna, Genevieve was someone who had a strong bond with her son and..."
"He won't like having me around now, Adonis. Children can stand their ground when their mothers aren't around. Ian needs me to allow him to feel like an adult now."