My secret side

Chapter 9

The funeral is today. Starting now, actually. The whole pack is there, and they actually have clothes on. Granted, they're all dressed in black except my dad, Jared and I. We are dressed in white. It shows the immediate family. Some of my moms close friends are here too. We're her only family here. Both her parents were only children so she doesn't have any aunts or uncles. She was an only child too. She's the only one left in her entire family. Former Alpha Nick is there, too. He's dressed in red. Him, Cherry, my dad, and Jared are the only ones I see. Everyone else is just a black blur.

This is no normal funeral in a funeral home and a coffin. No, this is a werewolves funeral. We dressed my mom up and put her in a cardboard box. Then, we lit a huge bonfire and set the box in the middle. I guess you could say it was cremation, but it felt different somehow. It's hard to explain. Jared comes over and wraps his arms around me.

"You okay?" He asks. I stare into the fire. It's broad daylight but the smoke is as black as pitch.

"Yeah" I say absent minded. I look into his eyes.

"I only know you're telling the truth only because I feel your calm. It's actually kind of eerie." He chuckles.

We hear shouts and a struggle appears by the campfire.

"NO! STACY COME BACK!" My dad is shouting as he leaps into the burning flame. Dylan, Terry and several other pull him out. I start screaming. I can't lose my dad too. I start to cry as they drag his limp, smoking body out of the fire. He has burns all over him and most of his hair is gone. I'm scared to ask the question everyone's dying to hear.

"I-is he dead?" I finally manage to choke out. Fionna, in her flowing black dress, walks over to him and checks his pulse. She gets up slowly and looks me. Her eyes hold sorrow and regret. She gives a small nod of her head and I fall to my knees. I sit there motionless for a second. So suddenly, I surprise even myself, I lurch to my hands and growl. I notice hair start to grow and hear the breaking of my bones. I don't even feel the pain anymore. I tilt me head back and howl before running full speed off into the woods.

Everything's a blur. I don't recognize where I am and I don't really care. This can't be happening. They can't be dead. They're all I've ever known. They're my parents. I let out another howl as I speed up.

'Slow down!' Connie yells at me.

'I can't.' I state.

'Sab, running from this won't do anything.'

'Yes it will. I can get away from here.'

'And leave Jared?' I start to slow down. She's right; I can't leave Jared. I hear a howl behind me, a few hundred yards away; Jared chased me. I keep running until I get to a meadow with a stream and I stop. I lay panting and drink from the stream. Jared comes up and lays down beside me.

'They started his funeral if you-' Jared tries but I stop him.

'No,' I say flatly.

'You know, it's not as bad as it seems.' My head snaps toward him and I bare my teeth.

'Nope! Totally not!'

'No, listen. He was suffering being alive. And when he died, he died with her. He wanted it that way.' I start to calm and I snuggle up under his chin. I whine and bury my head into his fur.

'Why? They can't both be dead. It's unfair!'

'I know.' He places his chin on mine. 'We should go back'.

'Yeah, I guess you're right.' I start to get up, then I freeze. 'What's that?' Alarmed, Jared gets up too.

'What's what?' He asks. I sense that he feels my panic. I close my eyes and strain my ears. Then, I hear it again; a low pitched growl. My eyes snap open and I feel them narrow. I bare my teeth and growl.

'That.' I turn toward the source of the sound; a small bush off to my right. A giant golden wolf steps out and crouches. He has a patch of white over his left eye. He gets into a ready stance and so do we. I run at him and jump into mid air. He meets me five feet off the ground and we both go rolling in the grass. It hurt more than you would think.