Nate
It was two days before Bree’s funeral and I was walking hand in hand with Neo through the airport, our entourage that included my parents, his sisters by extension, and Nolan. Ness and Vin had returned home the day after the dinner and making their announcement; I had a feeling she was going to put in for a transfer to Pacifica so she could be closer to her family. I hadn’t flown much, and I was nervous but Neo hadn’t flown anywhere before, and I could see the nerves even if he looked calm, cool, and collected on the outside.
“It’s going to be okay. The flight will be over before you know it.”
“I don’t see why we can’t just drive.”
“We could’ve but we got held up at work; in order to make it in time we have to fly.”
The intercom announced that our flight was boarding so I grabbed his hand and gave our boarding pass to the attendant at the gate. Once seated, I gave Neo a sleep aid to knock him out for the flight. A human would be knocked on their ass for twelve hours, but with our enhanced healing and metabolism, the drug would last as long as our flight.
We landed in the human city that bordered Purple Moon just as the sun reached its highest peak in the sky. I roused Neo gently and he looked around surprised we were on the ground once more.
“How long was I out?”
“About four hours. C’mon there’s a car waiting for us.”
My dad shook his head in amusement at our exchange, but he didn’t say anything. I waited until the plane was almost empty before deplaning. The thought of so many people that could potentially touch me or hurt me was almost enough to stop me from going to the funeral at all…but I couldn’t save either Hammonds sibling so I owed this much to Bree.
“Are you okay? Airports can be pretty packed.” Neo whispered,
“Better than I thought I’d be. Having you here helps a lot.”
Neo blushed at my words and took my hand that wasn’t holding my carry on. The car that Alpha Jefferson had sent was a mini-van that could hold all of us at once. We climbed in the middle, with Nolan and the twins in the back.
“Was bringing my guard necessary? No offense Nolan.”
“None taken, it wasn’t Neo’s idea, I offered to come.” Nolan answered, defending Neo and himself in one breath.
“As long as you weren’t forced to come to my home-pack.”
“No, I wasn’t forced.”
“I for one am excited to see where you grew up, Nate.” Lilah said,
“It’s just a mid-sized pack in the northeast of this country.”
“Will you show us around?”
“Atlas offered to show you two around actually.”
“The new heir?”
“Yes, he’s thirteen but he’s always been more mature than his brother.”
We passed the sentry point with little difficulty, the guards all knew my father from training and knew what we were here for. Dad pulled into the Pack House, and Atlas and Alpha Jefferson were standing in the circular drive waiting for us. After Dad parked, I opened the van door and Atlas rushed forward and flung his arms around me. I let out a surprised huff before putting my arms around the gangly thirteen year old. I could smell the salt of his tears even if he wasn’t making a sound,
“At, it wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you.”
“I’m sorry Nate. I wish I would’ve known!”
“What could you have done? This isn’t your fault.” I knelt in front of him and grabbed his shoulders, making him look down at me, “Nothing Beckham did is your fault, I do not, could not blame you for his actions.”
“Really?”
“Really. I also believe you are going to be an amazing Alpha one day, now I want to introduce you to my sisters-in-law and my personal guard. Atlas, this is Lilah, Lucilla, and Nolan.”
“Hello.” Atlas seemed shy when he saw the twins, ah right. Puberty. They were cute.
I shook my head in amusement at my revelation and then turned my attention to Neo who was getting the bags,
“Neo, babe, come meet Atlas.”
Atlas looked downright terrified when I said Neo’s name and once Neo came into view, Atlas hid behind me; he was shivering.
“You must be the future Alpha. It’s nice to meet you, Nate speaks highly of you.”
“Y-you don’t hate me?” Atlas whispered,
“Why would I hate you?”
“My brother…”
“Your brother’s actions weren’t yours. I believe if you knew he planned to hurt Nate and Bree you would’ve spoken up.”
“Atlas, I told you these boys couldn’t hate you.” Alpha Jefferson said, “Now, why don’t you show everyone where they’ll be staying.”
“Okay!”
I knew my way around pretty well, I practically grew up inside the Pack House, I stayed back so I could talk to Alpha Jefferson,
“Where’s Auntie V?”
Alpha Jefferson’s eyes darkened before he beckoned me to follow him. I did so, Neo close behind. I doubted that he was going to leave my side for the duration of our stay. Alpha Jefferson stopped just outside the Luna’s Courtyard, which was basically just a private garden for the current Luna of the pack. Vilde was there, holding a small blue blanket and she was crying softly.
“She hasn’t let go of that blanket since the pyre. She was angry at first…mostly at herself for not realizing how disturbed Beckham had become, then she was angry at Neo for killing him, now she’s just sad.”
“Would she talk to me?” I asked,
“Most likely. We’ll wait here.”
I walked through the gate, and the latch clicking back into place was what caught Vilde’s attention; when she saw it was me she stiffened and hid away the blanket behind her. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, I didn’t want her to be afraid. I lowered my gaze, and my head…a clear sign of submission before I heard her startled intake of breath.
“You don’t need to bow your head to me, Luna Nathan of Pacifica.” Vilde said quietly,
“You just looked…startled, I wanted to put you at ease.”
“I was just surprised you went looking for me.”
“Of course I’d want to see my Auntie V…you aren’t to blame for the actions of your son. I don’t blame anyone other than Beckham for what happened. I love you and Atlas, and Alpha Jefferson. Nothing, no one could ever change my feelings for all of you.”
“You are such a good boy…I wish you hadn’t had to go through what you did, but I want to thank you for being his friend for so long even though it ended in tragedy.”
I hugged her, held her tightly in my arms and let her cry. She clung to my shirt and I just let her cry it out to someone that wasn’t her immediate family, not someone bound by familial ties. When she was finished she released me and smoothed out my shirt,
“Now, introduce me to your mate.”
I looked towards the gate hidden by wisteria petals and saw Alpha Jefferson and Neo looking at us with expectant eyes, I indicated with my head for them to come in, and while the two Alphas looked scared of their respective Lunas they entered the garden,
“Are you feeling better, my love?” Alpha Jefferson asked Vilde, taking her into his arms,
“Much, I am still sad but at least I still have two of my boys.”
“Auntie, this is Neo.”
“I’m really sorry everything ended the way it did. I didn’t want to kill him.”
“I know that now.”
Then, Vilde did something that shocked us all…she pulled Neo into her arms and held him tightly,
“Thank you for saving Nate and putting an end to my son’s misery.”
“Y-you’re welcome.” Neo said after he had found his words. He hugged her back and a weight seemed to lift from my shoulders, and from Neo’s.
Neo
My encounter with Vilde was…shocking but it seemed to put Nate more at ease, and I was all for that. Neo took me up to the guest floor and to the last remaining room, it even had our name and titles on it in a temporary placard. It was nice room but I could sense Nate’s restlessness,
“Babe, what’s wrong?”
“I want to go visit Sam’s grave, is that okay?”
“Do you want me to come?”
“No…you stay here and get some sleep.”
I watched him go, I knew this is what he needed…time alone with his thoughts but I didn’t like him being by himself. Not here in foreign territory, a pack that had bred that monster. I paced around the room for a little while until I decided to go snoop. I know, probably not the smartest idea…but I was bored and there was no television in this room. I walked up a flight of stairs thinking that this pack house was laid out like mine, with the Alpha and Beta apartments upstairs on the top floor. I was right, a lot more personal photos lined the walls. I saw one of a much younger Beckham with a gapped tooth smile and shaggy hair, another of him at the same age but joined by Nate and Sam, and then one that matched the one at the O’Rourke’s. It really was a shame that Beckham turned out the way he did.
I slowly walked down the hallway looking at the photos, the age of the subjects progressing until they stopped altogether.
“Can I help you?” the feminine voice didn’t belong to Vilde so I turned,
I had only seen pictures of the girl before me, and Nate hardly ever talked about her. This was Beckham and Atlas’ older sister. She had turned down her father’s offer of becoming the first female Alpha in Purple Moon’s history and opted to transfer to her mate’s pack. I couldn’t recall her name,
“I’m Alpha Noah…I’m visiting.”
“You’re Nate’s mate. I’d say it's a pleasure, but you killed my brother.”
“Not like I had much choice--”
“You can call me Valkyrie. My friends call me Ri.”
“And what do you consider me?”
“Unsure, but you don’t belong up here. I suggest you go back to your room.”
“Yeah, I’m going. Hey, do you know if there’s a tv in the guest rooms?”
“The remote on the side table, hit the purple button.”
“Thanks.”
I returned to the room and did as Valkyrie suggested, I watched in fascination as the tv rose from the footboard of the bed,
“I gotta get one of these.”
I hopped onto the bed and found a streaming service and found a random movie. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep.
Nate
I walked into the Purple Moon Memorial Cemetery after a ten minute walk from the Pack House. I seemed to be the only one there. I knew exactly where Samson was buried, but what I wasn’t expecting was to see the gravestone for Beckham underneath the apple tree. I stopped in my tracks and just stared at the hand-carved script, the loops in his name. The dates of his birth and death and what Auntie had decided his epitaph should be.
Here lies Beckham Vicrum Jefferson
Born Nov. 25. 20-- Died Aug. 18. 20--
May Your Soul Find the Peace You Couldn’t Here. We love you.
“Hammy, why’d it have to end up this way?”
I stood there for what seemed like forever, waiting for an answer that was never going to come. Unwanted memories surfaced and I was too emotionally exhausted to fight them off, images of younger Beckham and Sam came to the forefront of my mind. So vivid it almost seemed like I could reach out and touch them. This was one of my favorite memories of the three of us. I knelt to the ground and let the sweetness of our youth, untainted by blood and obsession, wash over me.
Beckham chased after me with the dead snake, laughing as he did. My peels of terrified laughter echoed off the trees that decorated the park where we played, I wasn’t truly scared…not of Beckham or the snake; it was all part of the game. Beckham would be the villain that Sammy had to save me from. Beckham and I ran around the park, until finally Beckham had me cornered,
“SAMMY! SAMMY, HELP ME!”
Sam appeared on top of a rock outcropping, his little fists on his hips. The sun haloed around his hair, casting his facial features in shadowy silhouette, shaggy hair, gapped tooth smile, and a twinkle in his eyes; Sam was adorable.
“Don’t worry Nate! I’ll save you!”
Sam jumped from the rocks and tackled Beckham to the ground, the two boys wrestled until finally Sam pinned Beckham to the ground and was declared the victor, saving me in the process.
The memory ended and I felt my face, I was crying softly. The tears flowing freely, I must’ve been crying for some time because the front of my shirt was soaked through. I stood, looked at Beckham’s headstone once more and shook my head,
“We were best friends, why did you have to want more…and why couldn’t you accept that I didn’t?”
I continued on until I reached Sam’s grave. This one was older, it had been visited recently; judging by the flowers. Sam’s headstone was decorated with lichen, and the inscription was hard to read. All I could make out was that he had died a week after his sixteenth birthday. The memory was still fresh in my mind, and the tears still flowed…
“Sammy, I wanted you to know that I’m okay now. Or I will be, I have a new hero now and I think you’d like him…and I want you to know that I’ll always love you. Rest well, and I’m so sorry. I tried to save her…I’m sorry.”
***
The next morning was the funeral. I woke before Neo, and walked into the bathroom. Today was going to be excruciating. Not physically but it was going to take all my mental fortitude not to break down in the middle of the ceremony. I had dark circles under my eyes, thanks to a long night of restless sleep and dream walking through memories of happier times with my friends. Friends that were now dead.
I turned on the cold water in the shower and stripped down. I hoped that the water would wake me up faster than caffeine. I rested my head against the tile and willed myself not to start crying again. Did I even have the right to mourn Bree? We hadn’t been close in years, and I resented her for being Beckham’s mate…if only I had known. Even if I had, it wouldn’t change the outcome, maybe Bree would be alive but someone would have died.
“Love? Are you okay?”
Neo’s voice was just outside the glass door of the shower, I turned off the water and stepped out, and right into his awaiting arms,
“I love you.”
“It’s going to be okay, I’ll be right there with you.”
I knew his words were true, Neo would never leave my side. I hugged him tightly, forgetting for the moment that I was naked and soaking wet.
“I know.”
“C’mon let's get some clothes on you.”
Neo walked with me clinging to him, which would look comical to anyone if they saw. Neo set me down on the bed, and I pouted at the loss of contact.
“I’ll cuddle you once you’re dressed.”
Neo extracted a black button up from the closet and a pair of black jeans, followed by boxers and a pair of black socks. He returned to my side and took one look at my face and pulled me into a hug,
“You are not to blame for any of this. You have every right to mourn your friends. You’ve lost Bree, Sam, and Beckham. That’s your whole childhood--gone. Take all the time you need, be angry, be sad, be whatever you need to be and I’ll be right there next to you through all of it. Cry all you have to, you don’t always have to be strong. When you fall, I’ll pick you back up, when you aren’t at one hundred percent, I’ll pick up the slack. So today, I’ll pick up the slack and be your strength. Cry all you need to, show whatever weakness you need to show and that will be your strength.”
I couldn’t stop the tears this time, I broke down fully in Neo’s arms, still buck ass naked but I didn’t care. I cried in my mate’s arms, shoulders shaking, sobs that broke my already broken heart, and hurt my throat coming up. I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore, and then I got up, kissed Neo on the forehead and got dressed.
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