Bloodbond

Chapter 16

It always amazed me when the weather could so accurately mirror someone's mood.The sky was completely covered in gray clouds that theatened rain with each passing second. I looked around at all the pack members who had gathered to mourn their fallen loved ones and noticed that, like the rain, their tears were barely contained. Knowing how much these people were cared for and knowing how broken Claire was over the loss of Markus, I felt my own tears close to the surface.

Everyone gathered to form a half circle around the six small pyres that had been erected for the bodies of the members who had died. They were simple and had been fairly easy to make. Gabriel, in spite of his injury, and some of the other men had built them this morning so that the funeral rites could be held in the early afternoon. He stood at the head of the crowd while I kept back a bit, wanting to pay my respects, but feeling that all those present had a much stronger connection to the dead than I did. For quite some time, no one said a word and the pyres remained unlit.

Just when I'd begun to think that standing here all afternoon was a part of the ritual, Gabriel turned around to face his pack.

"It's a terrible tragedy to have to bury six beautiful young souls well before their time." This inspired a few people to lose control of their barely contained tears. "Each and every one of them was a cherished member of this pack and they gave their lives to protect it. The sour taste of betrayal haunts their deaths and the regret stems from how easily it could have been prevented. While it pains me to know that I cannot bring them back. I hope that we can all find a tiny morsel of solace in knowing that the cause of their deaths will pay. Rules have been broken and criminals must face the consequences of their actions." As Gabriel continued his speech, I noticed several people breaking from the crowd and walking over to stand behind one of the six funeral pyres. I saw Claire take her place behind Markus' body.

"We will avenge these needless killings and restore safety to our pack. We send off these six souls with the love and respect that they earned in life." As soon as he said this, each one of the people standing behind the pyres took the lit torches that were placed next to the structures and laid it near the bodies. Each pyre quickly erupted in flames. The sight was beautiful and heart breaking all at once. You knew it was the last time you'd ever see their faces outside of a photo.

It didn't take very long for the pyres and the bodies to burn to dust. Once the flames had died down, each of the six inddividuals who had lit the pyres went to gather the remaining ashes and placed them into a rounded, elegant looking jar.

"Each one of our fallen members' ashes will be spread in a place that was most special to them by their loved one when the time is right. Pray that they find the peace they deserve." Gabriel bowed his head, as did everyone else and we all lapsed into silence. This lasted until, gradually, people started to break apart and make their way back toward the house.

I walked over to where Claire was standing. She was staring off into the distance and didn't really seem aware of what was going on around her. "Claire, honey?" I spoke softly so as not to startle her.

"Do you need anything?" I asked when she looked over at me.

She shook her head, the movement slight and barely noticeable. "No. I think I'd like to be alone." Her voice was barely a whisper and it killed me to see her like this. The cheerful, sweet, and full of life girl from before was gone. The love of her life had died, taking a huge piece of her with him.

"I understand. If you need anything, know that I'm here for you," I told her. To my surprise, Claire leaned in to place a light kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you, Cassia. That means more than you know," she said, before she turned to walk off toward the woods. I watched her retreating back and wished that she didn't have to go through this pain that Nadia's father had caused. Walker had just killed his sons. How could he associate with him after that? What kind of monster was he?