Chapter 2

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It was unseasonably chilly for the month of August. My pack stood in unity on a little clearing in the woods, near the edge of our border where we buried all our lost pack members. The rain has been pouring since last night and even though it finally let up, the sun stayed hidden behind grey clouds.

Next to me, Lucy swayed like the branches the wind blew this way and that way. I held her tight as my mom enveloped both me and Lucy in her warm embrace. Next to mom, dad held Ian and Eli with a hand on each of their shoulders. The three of them stood tall, strong as pillars, even though I knew they were hurting just as much as us.

I stared at the freshly dug grave at my feet in pure disbelief. My dad dug it himself. Last night he and Sam found Owen and Sophia thirty miles from our territory. They were on their way home when the rogues jumped them. Sam said the rogues had set a trap for them. A fallen tree blocking the road. Once Owen and Sophia got out of the car, they were attacked. Their death was quick and painless. Or so I chose to believe. The fact that they didn't use the pack's mind-link to call for help supported my theory. That, however, brought little to no comfort. We never should have lost them in the first place.

My head lifted when dad left our side. He walked over to the other side of the grave and turned to face us. He seemed to have aged a decade overnight. The exhaustion showed on his unshaven face. His bloodshot eyes looked haunted, making me shiver as I imagined the horror of the scene he and Sam must have faced last night.

After placing a kiss on Lucy's hair, mom made her way to dad. When our parents left our side, mom's parents stepped up. Grandpa settled behind Ian and Eli as grandma's tiny arms did their best to wrap Lucy and me in a tight hug.

As soon as mom joined dad, his arm wrapped around her and she curled into his side. Leaning on each other, with the woods behind them and the mountains towering over our land, they were a sight for sore eyes. They were unity and strength, despite all the hardships. They were my biggest inspiration in life. My role models.

Standing above their friends' graves, dad started his speech. He chose pack's mink-link as his way of communication. I knew the ten of our pack members currently on patrol duty were grateful for his thoughtfulness. They wanted to be here, but after what had happened only an hour away from our territory, we weren't taking any chances.

"We gathered here today to pay our respects and say goodbye to two of our beloved members. There are many things to be said about each of them. They were brave and strong, pack members any Alpha would be proud to call his. They were also my friends. I knew Owen my whole life. He was a troublemaker as a kid, a shameless flirt as a teenager, and he became a man the moment he found his mate, Sophia. She left him no choice. He had to get his act together if he were to win her over. And we all know Sophia always got her way."

Everyone cracked a smile at that. Sophia was a force to be reckoned with.

"Owen was not only the best Beta a guy could ask for, he was my best friend. He stood by my side, always. When I had found my mate and decided to join her pack, both Owen and Sophia packed their bags and said lead the way. We lead this pack together, we raised our kids together and I always thought we were going to die together too."

Goosebumps spread across my skin like wildfire. The four of them were as close as Eli, Lucy, Ian and I. Possibly closer, given they've been through more together. Lucy's hand found mine and we laced our fingers together.

"I know they're both looking over us now. Owen is probably calling me a sentimental fool. He wouldn't want me mourning him, he'd want me to protect you. To protect his kids as if they were my own and to protect this pack from the monsters who took them from us. So, I swear to you. I will bring you justice and I will protect this pack with my dying breath."

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⏰ Last updated: Sep 21, 2018 ⏰

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