Killing the Wolf

1. Funeral

Just in case, you skipped Things you should know... Killing the Wolf is book number 3 of She-Wolf Pack series. Book 1 is Chased by a wolf. I recommend reading it before this one :)

But now...

Enjoy the story :)

A tall and lean man dressed in black clothing eyed the room that no longer had any traces of a massacre. He had to roll his eyes. The red glow was ostentatious. But she had always been a snobbish kind of a woman. While sitting in the front row of Christian Dior or Valentino fashion shows, Harriet Trinh had built an empire. Now Harriet Trinh was gone but the empire remained. He was not grieving for the woman who had brought him into this world. Nor had she, if her only child would have died in a gruesome way. They were nothing but business partners. Besides feelings and emotions, all together, hardly ever surfaced in ravens. 

"Sir, the office is ready," his closest servant spoke. 

"Good. I want our hostage to be sent there," he answered and walked across the corridor to his new office.

Harriet Trinh had made several stupid mistakes. He would do better.

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Fay stared at her image in the mirror. She could hardly recognize herself. Every bit of her old self had died on the day she had walked into a ravens nest. She didn't need her wolf-side to wish for her own death. Leaving Seth behind was the greatest mistake of her life. He had died alone in the hands of ravens. 

Fay had no recollection of how the black dress had been put on her. Like she had no recollection of the last two weeks. Her heart was beating but she was not alive. 

Her hair was loose and there was no makeup to cover the signs of sleepless nights. There was no need to cover her grief since everyone knew what she had seen and experienced. They knew she could not be left alone. Someone always had to be there to make sure she didn't do something to herself. They knew someone had to force her to eat and drink. And they knew, she couldn't sleep without seeing blood and Seth's agony.

Low kneeled next to her and slipped her feet into black shoes. Then she looked at her friend's reflection through the mirror. 

"Do you want a cardigan? It is quite chilly outside," she asked.

Fay didn't reply. She didn't care if it was cold or not. Low sighed. She picked up the black cardigan from the bed and put it on her stiff friend. 

"You're ready. Let's go downstairs, ok." Low said. She had stayed with Fay since they got back from New York, only leaving her side for a couple of hours to shower and sleep. 

Low had to pull Fay with her. Silently they walked downstairs where people were already gathering. When they saw Fay walking down the stairs, they didn't hide their emotions. Some pitied her, some blamed her. 

Low took her to the living room and helped her sit down between Qiana and Fanny. Qiana put her arm around Fay's shoulders and Fanny held her hand in hers. It was to show her, they were there for her, but most importantly it was a sign of protection to every werewolf in the room; Fay Holloway was not to be harmed.

Shawn walked in. Everyone straightened their backs and stopped talking. Shawn had always had a serious air about him, but now the severe look on his face was deeper than ever. He nodded to the pack's elder members and guests and walked next to his mate, Evelyn, who was already by the fireplace. 

"I thank you all for coming," he started and cleared his throat. "We honor the life of the alpha mate Elise by performing the ancient Vaara ritual."

People watched curiously as Shawn and Serafina placed items on a table covered with a white table clothe. Those items had once held great meaning to their mother. Shawn stepped back and gave Serafina room to continue.

"I, who bear the name Serafina Cage..." Serafina couldn't reach any further before tears started to flow. Her silent cries filled the room. No one tried to comfort though. Shawn's stern look stopped them. After a while, Serafina wiped her tears and continued with a frail voice.

"I, who bear the name Serafina Cage, remind the winds... waters... stars and the living souls of the blood of Elise Cage. The blood that gave her life and death. Let it be remembered for the rest of our days. Now, let us honor the daughter of ice by our own blood."

Shawn came back to her side and offered her a small knife. She took it and held it up for everyone to see. Then she lifted her other hand and placed the blade against the palm of her hand. With a swift movement, she cut her skin and blood started to drip. Serafina wiped the blood on the white table cloth. Then she gave the knife back to her brother who did the same. 

"If you wish to honor Elise Cage, step forward and take the knife," he said.

People stood up and took turns cutting their skin and wiping the blood on the white fabric. When everyone else had gone back to their seats, Fay stood up and walked to the table. Shawn gave her the knife. Fay took a look at the items on the table. A book, a leather notebook, a necklace from Elise's homeland and a picture of her mate and children. They represented the life of the mysterious Elise Cage, the woman Fay had feared, despised, hated - and loved. There was a sad smile on her face as she cut her skin. "I honor you, Elise," she whispered and let her blood stain the fabric.

Serafina and Shawn wrapped the items inside the bloodstained fabric and placed the bundle and the knife inside a wooden box. It was to be buried next to Philip Cage. 

Shawn and Serafina led the funeral procession. The graveyard was on the outskirt of the town.  The final resting place of the Cage family was surrounded by a lush forest. It was a tradition in their pack, that once the funeral procession reached the graveyard, no one would talk. The burial was to be done in silence. The wooden box was lowered into the grave. Every member of the pack threw a handful of soil onto it. The pack lowered their heads and honored their former Alpha's mate in silence. Finally, Shawn nodded as a sign for pack members to leave. Only he and Serafina remained by the grave. This was the only moment that day, Shawn could let his feelings free. 

"Thank you, mother," he whispered and pulled his sobbing little sister by his side. Serafina leaned her head against Shawn's shoulder.

"We love you," he continued and allowed himself to cry with his sister. 

"Mom, I'm so sorry for everything," Serafina said. "I love you."

Together they started to shovel soil into the grave. This was also part of the pack tradition. 

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