Rogue Squad

The Good-Bye (End)

3rd Person:

The funeral was held only three days after the incident.

The bodies were presented in closed caskets, as they were not presentable for viewing. Emily held onto her weeping niece as she stood beside her brother-in-law, Greyson. Leo and Rina were next to her. Tears escaped every single eye that came for the viewing that day, as the caskets were burned. A large bonfire, suitable for the occasion, was set far in the woods behind the Hellion pack house. There was a large open field used especially for occasions like this.

Burning was the way in which the Hellion pack sent off the dead. The originators of the pack had started this tradition after their first massacre. The pool of lifeless bodies was so large, that they couldn't bury them all at once. Therefore, burning had been the most suitable option. Since then, it has become a custom, their way of saying goodbye.

Dawn hadn't stopped crying since the accident. She barely ate, barely did much of anything. The young child had lost everything, including her will to go on. Greyson barely kept it together. He hadn't shed a tear in public, but when he had uninterrupted time, he couldn't contain himself. He wallowed and cried, and broke down into shambles. He had everything he could ever have wanted. He had Lucia. He had a family with her. He had a son.

Now, he had Dawn. He knew he had to be her strength, but he hardly knew how to do that when he couldn't be his own.

He took the weeping girl from his sister-in-law, and held her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to ball her eyes out. He caressed her back soothingly but couldn't say a word in fear that he himself would break down into tears.

The pack swarmed Greyson and his daughter. They offered their condolences, shared their stories about Liam and Lucia. None of which helped poor Dawn in her devastated state of mind. Greyson had wanted to dismiss them all, but knew none meant him any harm. Instead he passed his daughter off to Rina and listen to every pack member who approached him until his father came by and shooed the pack away.

Aaron turned to his son, wrapped him in a bear hug and held him there for a moment longer than normal. Greyson's mom followed suite, running to her son and clutching him in her grasp. She let out a few tears, which finally stirred some silent ones from Greyson. They held each other, they hadn't a thing to say, but they had been there for comfort.

Lucia's new found family was also a wreck. Faith was devastated. She finally found her long-lost daughter. After searching for years, and always having hope of her still being alive, Faith finally got her back. Yet, it's as if the fates hadn't wished for that, and once again Lucia was ripped away from her. Faith held onto Wells as the caskets burned in the background. Wells held his mate in his arms, and shed some quiet tears himself. He had just been getting to know his daughter again. She was everything he thought she would be and more. She grew up to be so strong, not just physically but emotionally. He was and is so proud of everything she's accomplished in her life, and how far she had come. He only wished he could've shared more time with her and his beloved grandson. 

The stench of burning bodies surrounded the pack, only making the situation that much more real.

Emily, who finally got to meet her loving new sister, was a pile of tears. She knew they'd be fast friends, and they were. They rapidly became the best of friends, along with Rina. Emily was so glad that they were able to pick up where they left off as kids. Lucia was the sisters she had thought she lost a long time ago, but this time the loss was real. Lucia was gone--dead, along with her handsome little nephew, Liam. She weeped and cried.  

Rina was so shaken she could barely function properly. Her first female friend, no, her first friend who had become a sister to her, was gone. There was nothing she could do to change it. She sniffled back her tears as she held the last remaining piece of Lucia in her arms. She squeezed Dawn a little more than necessary but Dawn didn't take notice. The tears flowed in Rina's eyes and she glanced over at her mate. 

Leo had been so dreadfully sad. This was a first for him, a true death in his family. He could barely stand. He knew from the moment he met Lucia, that they had a connection, he just wished he knew she was his twin earlier. He would've taken more time in the Igor pack to get to know her, to treat her like the sister she was. He was regretting the time he didn't spend with her, and it was eating him apart. He wish he had taken better care of his nephew. He wished he had offered to look after the kids that night and given Greyson and Lucia some time to themselves. None of this would've happened if he'd done that... He knew how stressed Greyson was, after all, he is his second in command, the destined Beta of the pack. He wished he'd followed through with being a babysitter for the night, but alas, he couldn't live in a world of "what if's."

Liam and Lucia would surely be missed. It had been evident in the way the pack reacted to their devastating travesty. Everyone had gathered. Everyone had cried. Everyone would most certainly remember this day, for the rest of their lives...

In the distance, watching the smoke rise up above the trees from the top of a small hill, were four black shadows. They watched the grey clouds dissipate into the blue sky. They seemed to watch the smoke until nightfall, until it could no longer be seen and the fire eventually burnt itself out. With a small sigh, one of the shadows finally stands up.

"I think it's time we go." Two other shadows quickly follow suit, standing and getting to their feet.

The fourth, however, took it's sweet time. Glancing out into the distance. After a moment, there was a nod. The soft, shaken voice replies, "I suppose it is time, isn't it?"

The fourth shadow follows the other three into the thick of the forest, far away from the devastating scene below.

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*Author's Note - 

Hey guys, thanks for reading my story (and being so patient with my slow postings). I hope you guys enjoyed it! (I'm working on a second book to follow this one, but I honestly can't promise when that will be!) Love you all and thanks for reading!!! <3333