He couldn't hear Claudia's concern. He couldn't feel the officer guiding him into the chair. He couldn't see the looks of pity the nurses and doctors were giving him. He couldn't do anything but drift in shock. They were gone. The illustrious Hale family burned until only 3 were left; A shaken young woman that was barely coherent due to the sudden acquisition of her mother's alpha powers and disintegrated pack bonds, A shivering teen that couldn't manage to hold his head up as tears trailed down his ashen face, And a comatose man whose mischievous visage was now marred with horrible burns from his attempt to help his family escape.
A solid weight in his lap finally caught the man's attention. He glanced down into the sad and misty doe eyes of his god son. He slowly wrapped the boy in his arms and dragged him into a tight embrace hoping that it would give the child some comfort. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he rocked them side to side before crooning a song, through a cracking voice, into Mieczysław's ear.
"Earth angel, earth angel
Will you be mine
My darling dear
Love me all the time
I'm just a fool
A fool in love, with you"
Tears trailed down Harper's face as he choked on the lyrics to the song. Life was going to be hell from now on, but at least Peter was alive. Harper knew he wouldn't be leaving the wolf's side. Peter was and will forever be the only one the dryad could love.
At some point Claudia gathered the grieving wolves and her friend into he little blue jeep and to her home. She settled the teens in the guest room Harper curled around his godson in the child's small star wars themed bed. Claudia could see how much this event would change life for her best friend. She just didn't know what those changes would be.