Gray Valley

s e v e n t y - s e v e n

IT TOOK A WHILE FOR THE TEARS TO STOP.

And when it did stop it was because there were no more tears in me.

"Weslyn?"

I whispered in a broken voice. "Y-yes?"

"Here... Weslyn."

A shirt was draped onto my body.

Blayze.

I had forgotten that he was beside me.

And when I looked up at the forest around me I realised that the members of the Pack had also arrived there by that time.

And with the Pack I recognised the familiar faces.

Bryan held Martyn, in his arms, as tears trickled from their eyes. Bryanna, too, was in tears, as she stared at me. 

And West watched Mary.

She was wounded.

She had started to heal but she was wounded.

And she was wounded because I attacked her.

I took a breath.

"Luis." I turned to him. "Could you take her to a cell in the House?"

"I have a request. I wouldn't ask if it was for me, but... The request I have is for my father."

I looked at her but didn't respond.

She continued.

"Could you please send him off? A Ceremony where Martyn or his Soulmate send off his Soul."

"I can't send him off."

It was Martyn.

Her, now, silver eyes shifted onto her brother.

"Martyn... I know that you hate me. And it's alright. It's alright that you hate me. But... Please. Please don't hate our father."

"I don't hate him." He hesitated. "But the things he did were wrong. They were wrong. The things he did to you. And..." His fingers interlaced with those of Bryan. "The things he did to us. And so, while I don't hate him, I can't forgive him and I don't love him. And, if I don't love him, I can't send him off." 

Her eyes averted from his eyes.

"I understand."

"And... I, too, understand."

"Really?"

" I understand why you did what you did. Love... Your love for our father. I can't forgive you. And what you did was wrong. But... I understand your love. And I understand why you did what you did."

"Martyn," she murmured. "Thank you, Martyn."

And with that, Luis and other members of the Pack approached and took her by the arm, before leading her to the Pack House.

And, as they did, I sensed the pain - I could feel it consume and tear through me.

But I also sensed it through the pain.

Warmth.

 A warmth that emanated from his body which remained in the grass.

It was his warmth.

It was the same warmth that was in his smile. It was the same warmth I sensed when we touched. It was the same warmth that was in his voice.

I stared at him.

"Weslyn?"

It was Martyn, but I could not answer, as I stared at Liam.

"What is it, Weslyn?"