Part of the Promise (Book 3 in the 'Part of' Series)

Chapter 1 Losses

Chapter 1 Losses

Aiden's POV

The sky was grey even though it was the middle of the day. The grass that I stood on was mushy, wet and slippery from the rain which continued to pour down. We were all huddled together with only about two umbrellas for our large group. The children clung to their parents as sobs and sorrows rocked their small bodies. The adults stayed quiet in respect, wit head bowed and silent tears streaming down their faces.

It had been one week since Lathen's body showed up at the packhouse.

It was a shock to everyone. It was fortunate Moss was the one to discover the body as opposed to one of the children. He looked frantic for the first time since we met. Even when we were being attacked or when the wolves were injured, he didn't look frantic until he saw the corpse of his alpha on his doorstep.

The funeral was quite similar to one that we would do in human society. There were markings on rocks above the grave, each one made by a member of the pack. Even though I tried to tell them that I wasn't an actual member of the pack, they allowed me to make one anyway. Harlow didn't know Lathen too well but he also did one. It was sad and beautiful as the words from the eulogy hung in the air.

It took a very big toll on the pack. I couldn't imagine what it could feel like for them to lose their alpha. The pack was so connected, it was a gigantic family, Lathen was probably the rock for some of them. I stood and listened to stories that they told, Eben's was probably the most heartbreaking out of them all.

"Lathen, my friend." He had started to sniffle again. "We have known each other since we were boys. We grew up together in these very trees. I still remember when we planted the tree in the garden. It's grown so tall now, I'm sure we could do what we planned in a few years time. Have a small swing there to enjoy nature." He smiled and looked down at his feet. "You encouraged me to do so much, some not as sensible as others but all the same. You were a trustworthy and headstrong alpha, friend and brother." He then had to stop talking because he was crying so hard.

The children understood what happened, it was something which surprised me slightly but I didn't think of it much. They were prepared for attacks and invasions, they must have been educated on the matter. I stuck by Harlow and Ralph, who had Eben and Randall on his other side.

It had been extremely difficult for Ralph. Ever since Lathen's passing had been confirmed, he felt the pressure of benign alpha more than ever before. I knew that he stayed up at night worrying about how he was going to do things. His previous alpha was no longer with him as a guide. I could feel his worries and anxieties when I lay beside him. He stayed up the majority of the night and played with my short strands of hair as he thought, fretted and worried over the future.

We had returned to the packhouse three days after arriving at Dean's old packhouse. We had decided that it would give us an advantage over the wolves, we knew the place well and were able to train. They may not have expected us to go back there.

The factor of it being comforting and familiar to us was also a big aspect to it all. We could have lived in the woods for quite a while before returning back, but we needed something of comfort.

"Don't do it." I mumbled to Ralph as the others started to move away from the grave, it was nearing lunchtime and the schedule was still something important to keep up with.

"Why?" Ralph asked me bitterly as he looked down at the rocks. Eben and Randall were a bit further away, I trusted them not to listen to our conversation. Harlow had other things on his mind right now.

"Because it's not your fault." I lent into him slightly. My words were firm. I would say them a thousand times if it meant that he would believe me.

"It feels like it is." I shook my head as he looked down to the ground. His eyes had stayed dry, that would soon change once he was alone. He wasn't really one to show emotions in front of people. "We could've gotten him out."

"We were outnumbered." It was starting to feel a little easier saying 'we' now we had been through a lot together. "You couldn't have done much about it, your pack was injured severely. It's not your fault." He heaved a sigh, a sound I'd heard quite a lot now.

"I could've tried harder." I squeezed his hand gently in an attempt to comfort him. "I should've fought more for them." I bit my lip. He was just going to do this all day if I let him, I couldn't really think of anything else to do. I cringed slightly at the fact that he included Karim and Emi into the equation. We still didn't know if they were alright.

"We're heading off." Randall had turned to Ralph. "We're going for a walk, if you'd like to join us?" That wasn't really a question. We had decided that we were all done with splitting up. The furthest we would go is out of ear-shot of each other./ There were no more patrols. It was risky but it helped us not be taken by surprise, we think.

"Good idea." I nodded as an answer for all three of us. Harlow shuffled beside me as we walked through the woods, with the rest of the pack now within our sight. We buried Lathen next to his family members. It was difficult to believe that there was an entire graveyard here, yet it didn't really surprise me too much.

"You can't say it's not atmospheric." Hollis mumbled in a very muted tone. It was something I had only witnessed the other day, it was a sign that there was definitely something wrong. Nobody had really been the same. Abilene hadn't been as cheery as she usually was, Tempest wasn't as fierce, Rhodes stayed in her room the majority o the time, and so on. It was only natural.

"Nobody was going to." Moss mumbled and looked up to the gray clouds above the trees. "Nature's mourning with us." I blinked in surprise before nodding. The walk was quiet. Elowen carried Melina the entire time. Channon and Channing were fine walking throught he woods, Oran had tripped a few times but he had quickly been helped up by Lowell.

The sight of the house was a welcome one. Yet, it was still just as dark and cold as the weather outside. There was no life left within it. I knew that would soon change, whether it'd be for the better or worse. We'd either gather the strength and life we needed by ourselves or we would be forced to find it.