The next few days passed quickly. I arranged a quiet funeral for Alice, inviting the close friends she had known.
James barely spoke to me. He was too busy fussing over Mia, making sure she and the pup had everything they needed for the gathering.
The day before the gathering, I found James in his office, going through arrangements with the event planner on the phone.
When he saw me, he held up one finger, gesturing to me to wait.
I stood there silently while he finished his call, discussing like he hadn't killed Alice.
Finally, he hung up and looked at me with irritation. "What is it?"
"I need you to sign these." I placed a folder on his desk. "For Alice's death certificate and burial arrangements."
He glanced at the papers without really looking at them. "Right."
He picked up his pen.
"I'm sorry about your foster mother," he said absently, signing the first page. "But it was her time, wasn't it? You said it yourself, the pack clinic called to tell you her wolf was fading."
My jaw clenched.
He kept signing and talking, not even reading what was in front of him. "These things happen. She was old. Her wolf was weak. She lived a full life."