Gone

79. Epilogue

Sara's P.O.V

It's been a week since our pack was under attack by the vampires, hunters, and rogue wolves. Our pack territory has been packed with military officials, old friends, and allies who've decided to come to Amoura's funeral. Alphonse was here, he apologizes to Heminsworth for his families disgraceful behavior. He brought along a few friends that knew Amoura some time ago, but I have yet to meet them myself. I'm currently sitting in the balcony silently overlooking the pyre set up. Mirai and Amari have been sleeping in Amoura's bed while Hemsworth's sleeps on her sofa.

Lisa spends most of her time trying to bring Heminsworth back from the deep end, no one blames him though. He waited ten years for his mate now she's dead. Jamie our pack Doctor says that Amoura's silver hair and eyes were because of all the silver she had in her system that bonded with the healing enhancer Just like Amoura said, Heminsworth found my mother alive in one of Blackharts hideouts and brought her home, she's been connected to an IV to keep her from collapsing, but that hasn't stopped her from not leaving my sisters body since Heminsworth brought her home. Our pack has no Alpha, my mother doesn't want to lead, I am too inexperienced and Heminsworth is too lost to take care of his own pack. I think Zevon and Alex are going to take over the packs for now. It's like we're all in a dark and gloomy haze, and we don't know how to snap out of it. "How are you, Sara?" Lisa walks up to me and I watch her sit down.

"Numb mostly. I feel like I don't have the right to grieve. I didn't know her we didn't have enough time to bound like I wanted. I don't feel like I should be grieving." "You may not have gotten all the time you wanted but she is still your sister she's still you Alpha," Lisa tells me as I turn and watch them finish the pyre. "I'm worried about my mom since Heminsworth brought Amoura back she's hasn't left her body. And Amoura's in a freezer." "Amoura was your mothers first born. Her miracle baby. They tried so hard to get pregnant and then they had Amoura. She was their only child for ten years before you came along and added to their joy." Lisa says to me. "Do you think he'll ever recover from losing Amoura?" "I wish I could say yes, but honestly he lived for Amoura, I don't know how he's going to live without her."

"I didn't even know her. When I was eight she was graduating and going off to the military. I remember her always smiling at me all the time and telling me she'd be happy to play with me when I asked. I remember her always bringing me back sweeties each time she went out. I remember watching her cook. I remember her making me laugh. I remember her watching my favorite cartoons with me Saturday mornings. I remember sneaking into her room and sitting on her back while she studied. I remember her but we never got to do things together when she was here. She kept to herself and to her daughter. I didn't even notice she was falling apart." I say and I realize I'm crying. "No one did Sara." "I'm her sister! We're family I should have noticed! Majority of soldiers who return from war are traumatized and have PTSD."

"Stone wasn't a normal soldier." A tall built man with a Russian accent says "aye, we are selves only saw Stone lose her cool once and that was because her husband was being moved to another base. Aside from that moment she always stayed focus and always put the job ahead. No one noticed it and the only person that would have noticed it was killed in the bombing of Russian bases." The Russian man says. "So don't blame yourself, your sister had two strikes against her the moment she saw Clive under that white sheet." Another woman who is American finished for the Russian.

"We all served with Stone in Russia, a few of us knew her since Tuscany. Your sister was brilliant, kind, generous and one of a kind, but it's those traits that broke her, we're sorry she's gone. I'm Sarah Lang by the way." She says and they all introduce themselves to me and Lisa. "May I ask where her daughters are?" "They're with her mate. They've grown attached to him." "Commander Austin!" I turn and look down. "Nonsense Commander Granger I'm stopped being Commander the moment I gave Stone my position." He says "who's that?" I ask the people who served with Amoura. "Ex-Commander Austin, he's the one who Stone took over for. He handpicked her from the start," the U.S Commander comments, Lisa ushers us down to the dining hall where we'd be holding a wake for Amoura before burning her body outside on the pyre at sunset. "No, you can't take her from me, not yet. No, you can't have her. No please stop." I hear my mothers broken plead filled voice from downstairs so I follow it to the basement where the morgue is.

I see a wet-faced May holding my mom back as they pry my sister's body from her. "No, you can't take my baby from me. She still needs me, my daughter still needs me." I walk over to her and I hug her as I lower her to the ground. "You did help her mom. You helped her and now she can move on. You did everything and she loved you for it, but it's time to let go." I say against her hair. "It's okay, somehow it'll be okay," I say to her as May and I hug her.

May and I pick her up and we walk upstairs to the dining hall, where people were giving speeches about Amoura. Heminsworth was standing in the back staring solemnly at Amoura's body while the twins cling to his arms. I look down at my weeping mother and I hold her as May leans her head against my moms. When everyone was done saying something they took her body outside to burn and we had to have my mother sedated to keep her from jumping into the flames to get my sister out. I cover my mother in a thick blanket before heading to the dining hall. "How is she?" "She's still out cold," I say as Lisa squeezes my hand and we walk out and I bump into someone. I look up and I see a man with amazing green eyes and blonde hair. "I'm sorry-" I say as something clicks inside me. "Mate..." I mutter and he stares at me before smiling. "She did say I'd find my mate. I always knew Stone would lead me to good things." He says with a small smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. He sticks out his hand. "Clyde Jural. Everyone calls me Jural." He says and I shake his hand. "Sara Stone," I say to him. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry about Stone. She deserved better, the council really did her wrong." He says and he drops my hand and turns to look at the flames. "So I've heard."

He walks up to my mom who is sitting on a chair and he gets down on his knees, "Mrs. Stone my name is Jural, I used to be your daughters' co-captain. We-" he turns and motions for a group of people to step forward, "-owe our lives to your daughter. She gave up her freedom for ours. Which is why we owe you an ap-" "No. Saying those words is like saying, I raised my daughter wrong. But I didn't, I raised a good, strong, beautiful daughter, who loved with all her might and protect those she cared for. I was proud of her then and I'm proud of her now, I am glad her sacrifice then wasn't in vain. You can honor her by living." "Mrs. Stone do you remember me? I'm the one Stone was teaching how to bake? I'm Luna." The girl with pink hair says and my mom nods. "I remember, you wanted to open a bakery?" Luna smiles and nods.  

It was almost midnight when my sister's body was almost ashes and everyone slowly but surely goes home, my mother sits by the flames and Lisa joins her and Heminsworth outside. No one mentions that the whole vampire region in our county is gone, or that the bodies are still there, the one command the pack fighters couldn't obey, they refused to bury the dead who caused their Alpha's death. No one talks about the fact that Amoura killed them all on her own. Or that she killed Blackharth's partner in crime before killing herself. No one brings up the fact she decapitated herself so she wouldn't heal. No one brings it up and I don't think anyone plans too. My mother is stuck together with duct tape right now and Heminsworth doesn't even respond to the world. The twins have lost both parents and Heminsworth is taking them because he promised Amoura he'd do so before she died not that his mother or mine would ever let Amari and Mirai raise themselves. I walk outside as Lisa brings Heminsworth and my mom inside, I stand by the dying flames. "We're safe because of you. I don't know if that's a good thing, but here we are. They're all right, you deserved better. I'm sorry you didn't get it Amoura. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to help you. I'm sorry I didn't even notice, I guess no one did, I'm sorry for all the pain you had to endure. May you finally find the peace you've been searching for."