Howling Fury (Book 1) (Being Edited)

Chapter 33

We slowly make our way to the room where Lucas’ body lays. Mark’s face is drawn and tired looking; it’s never an easy thing when an alpha loses a member of his pack. I clasp my hand to his and he looks at the floor as we continue.

Once there, we are met with several pairs of sad eyes. There are dozens of pack members swarmed outside the room, their faces a reflection of Mark’s. As soon as they see us, they part to create a path which leads to an open door. Inside I can hear sobbing and my heart thumps in my ears.

Mark squeezes my hand gently and we slowly push our way into the room. Tears swell in my eyes as I look around. Alex, Starr and Harley are standing by the window, clutching each other with tear stained faces. They seem to be holding each other up and all of them are shaking severely. Lucas is lying on a bed with white covers wrapped around his body. The fatal wound in his neck is covered but I can see the blood beginning to seep through the sheets. Yale’s body is draped over Lucas; as though he simply collapsed there and the sobs which I could hear before entering the room are clearly coming from him. Skylar has a hand pressed onto his back in an attempt to comfort him. There are tears down her face as well.

Mark steps forward. “Alright everyone. We have to decide what we are going to do. Yale, as his mate you have the right to decide what to do with his body.” Yale raises his face and looks at Mark. “We would normally send the bodies away to be cremated and the ashes scattered in the woods, but if you want to do something different with him you can.”

Yale’s face fills with anger and he pushes himself up from the bed so quickly that Skylar yelps in fright and falls back. “What would I like to do with him?! He’s not some object that I can do whatever with Mark! He is my mate!” His body is shaking and he growls at Mark, who raises his hands slowly.

“I know. We all loved him too. He was a member of the pack. He was family. We will all mourn him and the only way that we will be able to move on is if we stick together and help one another.” He moves forward slowly and rests his hands on Yale’s shaking shoulders. I see his shoulders tense before he relaxes and collapses into Mark. Mark quickly grips Yale’s body before he can fall and Yale begins to sob uncontrollably into his chest.

The pain in his sobs tears into my heart and I feel my eyes fill with tears. I look around the room at the faces of my friends and see sadness and loss reflecting in their eyes. Emotions that I had the capability of preventing if only I could have protected Lucas from Valentine. The only reason Valentine was even here was because of me. He was sent here to find me and most likely to capture me as well, which has cost Lucas his life, my friends a family member and Yale a mate.

Yale screams loudly and I flinch away from the sound. I can’t take it anymore and slowly slip out of the room. No one seems to notice and I head directly to my own bedroom. Once there, I open my door and shove it closed again, leaning my body against it. I rest my head against it and allow myself to release all of my emotions.

They hit me like a tidal wave and I slide to the floor. Tears begin to stream down my face and I can do nothing to prevent the sobs from escaping my chest. I can’t help but replay the scene. My friends fighting for their lives; Lucas fighting expertly in his human form, against a lycan no less; and Valentine sinking his teeth into Lucas’ throat. I remember his eyes filling with disbelief as the life drained from him. Then, after what seemed life eternity, his dead eyes watching my every move. His death was my fault and he knew it, I could see the accusation in his dead eyes. He blamed me, just as Yale and the pack will.

After a few hours of crying; my eyes puffy and my throat aching, I crawl towards my bed and pull myself onto it. I wrap myself into a tight little ball and don’t move. I stay that way for what feels like an age until someone knocks gently on my door.