El was gone. My friend, my dear, sweet friend, was gone, and there was nothing I could do to bring her back. I don’t remember much after that. I know I laid Noah down in his bassinet and then somehow found myself in El’s room, staring down at her lifeless body, her face pale and serene, as if she were simply sleeping. I knelt down beside her, taking her cold hand in mine, and whispered apologies, over and over again. I begged for her forgiveness, for my failure to protect her, to save her.
I don’t know how long I stayed there, but eventually Stephen came and pulled me away, telling me it was over and they needed to move the body. I looked up, tears streaming down my face and asked him what he meant. Had they called someone? Was an ambulance here to take her away? Stephen became angry and snapped at me, “What do you think? If I called anyone we’d all be arrested for murder. We have to move the body, now, before someone comes around asking questions.”
“Where?” I asked.
“The woods.” Thomas told me. “Behind the mansion, in an unmarked grave.”
“You’re going to bury her in the woods?” I couldn’t believe this was real. They were planning to cover up her death, bury her, alone and forgotten in the woods. No proper burial, no funeral, no one to mourn her. How could anyone be so cold, so heartless? And Stephen, he was her brother. Didn’t he care at all?
“It’s not right.” I whispered. “She deserves better than this. She deserves a proper burial. A funeral. She deserves to be mourned and to be remembered. We can’t just–”
But Thomas cut me off. “No.” He said, his expression hard and cold as he stared down at me. “No funeral. No grave marker. No trace. It’s the only way.”
I stood, nearly stumbling as I clutched at the bed post for support, shock and disbelief causing me to stagger. “You can’t do this. El deserves to be laid to rest with dignity, not thrown into an unmarked grave like she was nothing. We have to call the authorities and tell them the truth–”
But before I could finish, Stephen grabbed my arm and roughly jerked me forward. His presence was commanding and cold. He stared at me with impatience and contempt, as if I were a child throwing a tantrum.
“And what would that truth be, Eric?” He asked, anger flashing in his eyes. “That she fell? That it was all an accident? Do you actually think they’ll believe that? Don’t forget, you helped Lilian deliver that baby here, instead of taking her to the hospital. You’re as guilty as the rest of us so don’t start growing a conscious now. If it comes down to it, we’ll tell the police that you pushed her. That it was all your doing. You can try and defend yourself but do you really think the police will believe you, an omega, over us? They won’t. They’ll take one look at us–wealthy, powerful alphas–and one look at you, and they’ll believe whatever we tell them.”
I wanted to argue, to scream at him, but the truth lodged itself in my throat. Stephen was right. In the eyes of the law, I was nothing compared to them. A worthless omega. They could spin whatever story they wanted and I’d be powerless to stop them.
“Think about it, Eric.” Stephen continued, his voice lowered to a menacing whisper. “You’re in too deep now. If the truth comes out, it won’t be just you that suffers. Who would care for Noah if we’re all in prison? And what about your parents? Your mother is ill isn’t she? Dying? Your father barely scraping by? What do you think will happen to them if you’re locked away? They’ll be left to rot and it will be all your fault.”
The room spun around me, my breath catching as I realized the full weight of what he was saying. My mother, who needed constant care, and my father, who couldn’t live without her. And then there was Noah–what would happen to him if I weren’t around, if none of us were? Tears blurred my vision as I thought of Noah, so small, so innocent and totally unaware of the nightmare he had been born into. I wanted to fight, to scream, to do anything but relent. But Stephen’s words, sharp and cold, sliced through my resolve.
I asked him what he wanted me to do. The last bit of my strength began to crumble away. Stephen had won. He and I both knew it. I just didn’t have the will to fight him anymore.
“I want your silence.” Stephen told me. “Let Thomas and I handle this. Just keep your head down and your mouth shut. Don’t make any trouble for us and I’ll see to it that you leave here with a sizable bonus on your last check. But, breathe a word of this to anyone…and you’ll lose everything.”
I looked over at Thomas, hoping for some glimmer of opposition, some hint that he would stand with me, help me in some way, but his gaze was fixed and hard, his silence more damning than any words he might have spoken. And so, I relented. I let them take her, my best friend, the woman who had trusted me and believed in me. I watched as they wrapped her in a sheet, her body cold and still, and carried her out of the room. My heart shattered as they disappeared down the hall, and with every step they took, a piece of my soul went with them.
Hours had passed it seemed though I can’t be sure. Time seemed to have lost all meaning as I wandered the halls of that cursed mansion. I couldn’t think or feel. Cold, numbing grief had taken hold of me and settled in my chest. When the men finally returned, I could barely look at them. Stephen left to take a shower, leaving Thomas and I alone. I didn’t want to speak to him, but I had to know. I asked him to take me to her grave, so I could say my final goodbyes. At first he was hesitant but then I reminded him that I had as much to lose as anyone, maybe more, if the truth came out.
I watched him consider my request. He’d always seemed so cold and unfriendly to me, like a palace guard, emotionless. But for a brief moment I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Regret maybe or maybe just weariness, I wasn’t sure. Finally, Thomas sighed and told me to follow him. He led me out the back of the mansion and into the thick woods surrounding the estate. We walked deep into the woods, farther than I had gone before until we came to a large spruce tree, its branches were heavy and dark, casting long shadows over the ground.
“There.” Thomas said quietly, gesturing to the freshly disturbed earth beneath the tree. “I’ll leave you to say your goodbyes.”
He turned around and began walking away, leaving me there, alone with the knowledge that this unmarked grave, hidden away from the world, was all that remained of Eleanor Reaney. I knelt by the tree, my hands trembling as I reached for the pocket knife I always carried with me. A gift from my father on my sixteenth birthday. It was meant for protection but that day it served a different purpose. With painstaking care, I carved her initials into the bark, the letters rough and uneven, but it was all I could give her now. Beneath the letters, I carved a single rose, a symbol of the life she had lost.
Tears streamed down my face as I whispered how sorry I was. “I failed you.” I sobbed over her grave. “But I swear to you, I’ll look after Noah. I’ll make sure he grows up safe and loved, just like you wanted. I’ll never forget you, Eleanor. I promise. I love you.” I then kissed two fingers and pressed them against the tree, El’s tree, a final goodbye to the woman who, for the few short months I had known her, had shown me nothing but kindness, compassion, and friendship. “I’ll miss you for the rest of my life.” I told her.