One for All and All for One

Chapter 10

I know it;s short but my computer was broken and i had to finish it on my ipad :( I'm still looking for a new cover and title :) Don't forget to comment and vote :)

I let out a long, mourning howl, raising my head to the sky and letting the pain of the loss of my trusted beta and friend flow into the howl. I heard paws pound into the ground, unsteady as the wolves leapt over bodies and slipped in blood.

More voices joined my haunting song. After a few minutes the howls ended. We all bowed our heads when we heard a solitary howl, more pained than I had ever had the misfortune of hearing. It made my heart clench. It was Karen, Duncan’s mate. I stepped back to allow the mourning wolf a path to her deceased mate.

I motioned with my head for everyone to give her some space and they did. Tammy, oh, Tammy. She’s going to be a wreck. She and Duncan have always been so close.

I felt a warm, furry body press into my side and leaned into it, valuing the comfort a pack member could give at a time like this. Losing a beta was hard on an alpha and I felt like I had just lost a family member. I pretty much had, knowing him for as long as I did. And now he’s just…gone.

I looked over to see bright green eyes and a midnight coat. I buried my face in Tyler’s long, thick fur, finding comfort in contact with my pack. We didn’t speak to each other, just stayed in close proximity. Eventually I stood up from where I had been laying down. I nodded to Tyler.

“Start getting rid of the rogues’ bodies. There’re too many to bury. We’ll burn them. Take a few pack members and start a fire.

He nodded slightly before rushing off to take care of the bodies.

I started helping some of the other wolves push the bodies to the opposite side of the clearing where a large fire was just starting. The rotten, filthy stench that came off of them was disgusting. They clearly never bathed.

I started to seek out Benny, a wolf who had control over the weather, although only small things like rain and small winds. We could get Duncan’s body inside so we can mourn and then we could get the field cleaned up with a little rain.

The smell of burning fur and flesh assaulted my nose and I rushed away, trying to get out of reach of the horrid scent.

Only once everything was taken care of and I had made sure every pack member involved was okay, did I allow myself to think about what the death of a beta means. I would have to appoint a new beta.

But who would make as good a beta as Duncan? He was my one and only choice, and he had been perfect. Who could possibly take his place?

I didn’t realize where my feet had carried me at first but when I realized where I was, my thoughts jerked to a halt. I was standing a few feet from a crystal blue lake. It had trees surrounding it and it was very quiet and peaceful. I remembered when I had last been here.

But it was different now than it had been. It was haunted with memories. It was beautiful but just watching the ripples run along the surface of the water made my hands shake. The last time I had been here the sun shining down through the trees had made me feel happy and warm, now the rays felt like a cruel, burning thing, like someone was holding a torch to my back. I saw a blue butterfly circle over my head and was quickly distracted from my thoughts. I followed it to the edge of the lake and stopped, watching it flutter away.

I looked down at the blue water like I remembered doing before. And then the reasoning for my sadness struck me again. The momentary distraction of the butterfly was just that. Momentary.

In the reflection on the shining water, there was one person. I could see myself as clearly as I could in a mirror. My wavy brown hair, almost to my lower back, my strange purple eyes, my black skinny jeans, blue off the shoulder shirt, and black converse that went almost to my knees. I could see every detail.