Beatha (completed book 7 of the blood moon saga)

20

I whisper, he freezes and looks down at me with a worried expression

"Why?"

"To see if it will stop the pain"

I whisper back, he nods and kisses me slowly, pushing my hair back from my shoulder. He sucks on the sensitive skin and although it sends a spark right to my core my body doesn't react in the same way.

"I wanted to make this special but I don't like seeing you in this much pain"

He sucks on my skin harder then he bites down. The white hot pain that rips through me is actually quite comforting, it feels good compared to the pain radiating over my entire body, but when he hits bone it turns to complete pleasure and I moan as I feel his emotions slam into me like a hammer.

I feel our connection solidify and get stronger. We were finally one and it felt good, when he pulls his teeth out and seals the mark I sigh in relief as some of the pain dissipates and my body relaxes. I close my eyes and sigh as Luca places featherlight kisses all over my face.

"Baby you need to wake up we need to get ready for the funeral"

I open my eyes and they feel like sandpaper, I don't say anything I just climb off his knee and go to the closet. I pull on black leggings and one of Arthur's T-shirt's, I throw on a hoodie and my doc martens then return to the room and light a joint.

Luca gets changed and I take a breath and brace myself. The thought of losing sight of his face forever makes me cry again. I go to his body and I sit on the floor and pull the blanket from his face.

"Hey you, apparently I need to say goodbye but it still doesn't feel real, I'm just terrified that I won't ever see your boyishly good looks again in real life, I keep thinking that this is a prank and your going to wake up again"

I rub my fingers down the side of his face and cringe at how cold he is.

"See, I even stopped so you could talk back. I just can't believe you're gone. You changed my life Arthur. You will forever be the first boy I loved, the first boy to take my virginity, and the first person that I lost. You are the beginning of my story and so far it's been the best and worst story I could ever imagine. I love you so much and I won't ever forget you"

I kiss his head, his nose, his eyelids and finally his lips. I silently sob into the crook of his neck when a knock comes to the door. I pull my head back and wipe my tears.

"Come in"

A man I don't recognise walks in with a white sheet followed by 2 men carrying a plank of wood.

"Hey alpha, I'm joe and I'm here to prepare the body"

I sob at the word alpha. I turn back to Arthur and cry into his shoulder again, then I feel warm arms embrace me from behind.

"It's ok baby. It's ok"

I turn and cry into Lucas' shoulder as he lifts me and Carries me back to the chair wrapping me in his arms.

"I want to keep his shirt please"

I whisper to joe, he looks at me sympathetically and he starts to prepare the body. I turn away from them and look to the lake. I can't stand to see him so stiff and lifeless.

I smoke a joint as they take Arthur and bring him out to the little wooden boat so the pack can say goodbye. I wipe my face and stand up.

"I need a drink before we start"

Luca stands up and takes my hand. We go to the kitchen and I take a jar of the poitín that Arthur helped me make and I put it in the cupboard then I open another and take a drink and pass it to Luca. He downed over half of it so I opened another.

"We should go baby"

We left through the back door and walked to the site where the boat would leave. Everyone and I mean everyone was there. They cut a path through the crowd for me and Luca to get to the front. All the eyes on me made me tear up again.

Luca squeezes my hand as we make it to the front. Dad and mum both hug me followed by Arden and Fay. They hug Luca too then Arden holds my hand.

I concentrate on the feeling of Lucas Touch and try to forget why I'm here, the elder starts.

"As you know our alpha has lost the battle of a lifetime, but he's no longer in pain and he is finally at peace. Alpha Arthur's little cousins Isla and Ailm have prepared something at the alphas request. If you would all like to take a seat on the grass and watch"

Dad pulled down a large projector screen, and suddenly Arthur's face appeared on it. I gasp as he smiles and waves at everyone.

"Hey everyone, if you're watching this I'm dead and you're currently sitting on the grass at my funeral. I just want to start by saying that it has been an honour to be your alpha, it has been an honour to lead this pack and I won't ever leave. Not really, I'll always be in your hearts."

I wipe the tears from my face but my eyes never leave his face as he continues

"So a few weeks back I asked these 2 little turds to help me with something for you all"

Both girls lean over him and wave to the camera with large grins on their face.

"We decided that the best tribute to the pack and all of you was some pranks. I've sent the girls out in secret missions to terrorise you all and now they are recording my reaction, so buckle up and enjoy"

The screen changed and Arthur is now on a smaller screen in the top corner as we watch the girls enter dad's office and start to glue everything to the table then they hide the phone. Arthur chuckles as dad comes it and tries to lift a pen, he frowns and tries to yank it free pulling a lump of varnish from the table

"Aww balls!"

He mumbles, he checks the rest of the table trying to lift the stapler then his pencil. He growls

"Those little bastards Im going to kick there fucking asses"

Arthur laughs loudly, then it switches to the girls laughing loudly as dad runs after them

"I'm going to kick your asses! Fucking little bastards"

Arthur roars and laughs as dad lifts a stone and throws it at the giggling girls. Next is the girls putting cling film on all the toilet seats. One after the other dad, mum, Luca, me, frank, Scott, Arden, Fay all come out of the toilets and scream at the girls and curse them out. Arthur howls in laughter.

Next is the girls at night running through the streets of the pack and each one let every single tyre to all the cars down then they set cameras all over the place. People wake the next morning and they are so confused, all of them cursing each other out and blaming their neighbours for their busted tyres.

It moves on to the girls placing a bucket of water over the door of the house. They knock on the door a few times then run and hide. Luca walks out and pushes the door looking confused as the bucket of water falls on top of him. He growls furiously as Arthur snorts and laughs, it's only made funnier when the girls appear and start to shoot him with paintball guns. He growls and chases them as they scream and giggle, running like fuck

"You're going to regret that you little assholes!"

We watch as Luca catches Isla and throws her over his shoulder and throws her into the lake.

Arthur snorts and laughs so damn hard I'm surprised he didn't Pee himself.

Next is mum and dad waking up with mustaches and they don't even realise, they leave to go to training and it skips to 30 minutes later and they storm back into the house pulling isla and Ailm by the ear. They sit on them and draw all over their faces with permanent markers then they lift them and drag them outside and throw them in the water.

I'm not sure how long it lasted but Arthur's laugh rang around us constantly. When it finished he settles himself and his face comes back to the full screen

"I just want to say don't blame the girls, this was my idea but they did take great pleasure in doing it for me. I just wanted to take a minute to say to our girl aspen.

Babe I love you, I love you so much and I can't believe I was lucky enough to be mated to you. You are my everything. You made me realise that me and Luca were dumb and should have been together without fear but it took you coming into our lives to realise that. So you see, you gave me you, you gave me luca. You gave me these 2 little turds, and your family. It might have only been a short time but it was the best time. There are no words to describe the feelings I have for you and Luca. Make sure and look after each other, don't be afraid to move on and have a life. Look after our packs and build that pub and please never stop laughing. That laugh could change a man's heart in an instant. It could brighten the world and make you see everything different. Love each other without fear and hold on tight when life gets hard. I love you both so much and I promise I'll always be there watching over you try to merge our packs and turn it into pine ridge. Look after our people and each other and know I'll always love you both"

He blew a kiss to the camera and it shut off. My heart felt like it was ripped in 2 as I sobbed into Lucas arms. The pack was crying, Luca was crying, my family was crying, the elders were crying. For a while we just cried, all of us would miss him, all of us would feel his loss.

The elder stands up and wipes his face then he looks at me. And waves us up. Luca helps me to my feet and takes my hand and walks us to the front where Arthur's body lay in the boat covered in white. I lean over and pull the sheet back and I kiss his lips one last time, Luca does the same and I stand up and Luca and Arden push the boat into the water. I looked to the crowd and cleared my throat

"One of the things Arthur loved the most was how our fire could be manipulated so I want to call the girls to the front to help me"

The girls were holding hands, they were crying so heavy I'm surprised they were able to concentrate and listen to me. They stood on either side of me and we all ignited our hands and rolled our wrist so the fire became a ball in our hand.

The crowd gasped as we threw our fires into the air together, Ailm connected all of them and swirled them around making the shape of Arthur's face. Then it warped and changed and she spelled out the words 'goodbye our beloved alpha. Sleep well'

My tears were heavy, it was beautiful and he would have loved it. The fire turned back into a ball and she sent it to the boat. It immediately went up in flames.

Luca came to my side and held me as we watched as Arthur's body burned and the smoke rose into the air along with his spirit.

After that the pack paid their respects to us, shaking our hands. My eyes were trained on the boat until the moment the fire burned out and there was nothing left of him or the boat.

I was numb, I couldn't talk, I couldn't feel and I couldn't handle the attention so I left and went to our room and lay on the decking. Luca kissed me but let me go and promised to join me soon. I pulled the small couch over to the door and lay on it and I smoked wrapped under a blanket.

I didn't want to sleep in the bed, not yet. Soon the door opened and Fay and Arden joined me. We don't say much but I'm happy they are with me.

"Thank you both. I really do love you both so much"

They smile and squeeze my hand without adding anything, we lay in silence and watch the sun go down. It made me cry, this morning I watched it rise with Arthur and now it's setting and there isn't a trace of him left.

Luca joined us soon, he pulled me onto his knee and we continued to sit in silence until sleep finally took me.
-----

3 days later....

"Baby you need to eat it's been 3 days"

I shook my head, I wasn't hungry and the thought of food made me feel sick. I just close my eyes again and wish the day away, I wish this pain away. I crawl back over to Arthur's side of the bed and snuggle into his pillow.

Lucas worried about me but I'm just so tired, I'm so numb I can't feel anything, only exhaustion. He lays down beside me

"Pease eat just a little for me please"

He kisses my head and studies my face.

"I can't Luca, the thought makes me feel sick"

He sighs and pulls me against him tightly and soon sleep takes me once again.

"Wake up baby"

I open my eyes and groan, the sun is only starting to rise in the sky.

"What?"

"We are going for a ride come on"

"Just let me sleep please"

I beg him. Iv done nothing but sleep but I'm just so tired.

"Please just come for a ride with me"

He really wants me to go with him, I can feel it through the bond. I groan and push myself up and out of bed, I throw on sweats and a hoodie and sneakers. Then I return and lite a joint, Luca comes in and hands me coffee. I take it afraid it's going to make me Sick but I need the boost so I take a sip and moan.

I feel a little kick of energy hit me and I smile taking a drag of the joint, when I'm done I wash my teeth and put my hair into a messy bun. Luca takes my hand grinning at me and walks me outside. I growl when I see my $80000000 dollar car, my La Voiture Noire.

"You are not driving my car"

I snap at him he chuckles

"Well you can't drive it high so I'm driving it, get in. Come on it will be like a birthday present to me"

I sigh and climb in the passenger seat.

"If you crash this car I swear I'm selling your part of the buisness to buy another"

He throws his head back and he laughs, then kisses my hand

"I won't crash it baby"

I put on my belt and smile a little, I did miss this car. He turns it on and it purrs to life making my entire body shiver in anticipation. He drives out of the territory slowly but when he hits the highway he puts the pedal to the Matt and we take off, I open my window slightly so I can feel just how fast we are going

I close my eyes and enjoy every part of the ride, and suddenly I realise that I can feel again. Adrenaline passes through me and makes me smile, I look at Luca and he is grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you"

I say to him, he smiles and nods

"I knew you just needed to feel alive again And what better way then to release this beast"

I chuckle

"True, where are we going!"

He shrugs

"Wherever you want to go"

"Let's stop and eat"

A grin spreads across his face and he starts to slow down, we drive to a diner and I order pancakes and bacon, suddenly starving of hunger. I looked at Luca and I just knew with him by my side I would be ok. When I feel dead he will help me feel alive again. When I'm sad he will cheer me up, when I wallow he will kick me in the butt. But most importantly he will love me through it all.
------

6 months later...

I open my eyes and scream as a pain rips through my body, Lucas by my side immediately, eyes wide with worry. Dad and mum run into the room and start to curse as another one of our patrol men die.

It had been 6 months since Arthur died, it took a while but I finally started to take on the alpha duties, we wouldn't merge the packs until all the construction was finished.

But over the last month we have lost over 4 of my people and Luca has lost 3. All on duty all the time. We know it's amber but we don't know why, or how she is doing it and we know she has the help of witches but we can't track them.

Fay and Arden had welcomed a beautiful baby girl called Ella who was now 4 months old and she was a complete sweetheart.

Mum and dad continued to live with us, they were overseeing the construction and expansion of the pack, honestly I'd be lost without them at this point.

Ailm and Isla spent nearly every weekend with us and the pack adored them and so did we, they were still wild but not nearly as wild as what they use to be.

It took time but I was eventually able to live on without Arthur, Luca never left my side and did most of his duties from our house.

Life was funny like that, you don't ever forget the pain or miss them any less but you do learn how to deal with it better. I do know for sure, if I didn't have Luca I would never have gotten this far and he felt the same too.