6

Forever in Our Hearts

“As we lay to rest our beloved Alpha and Luna; Aaron Flynn and Letitia Flynn, we honor not just the person they were, but the fierce spirit that dwelled within. May Aaron’s and Letitia’s primal essence find peace in the embrace of the earth and may their howls echo through the forests of our memory forever. Though their form may have been wild, their heart was pure. Let us re …”

I drone out the priestess voice. My head is already filled with enough voices and it is hard concentrating on one voice in particular. Everyone is dressed on white as is customary for sending off the dead but I am dressed in black and white.

Black was my father’s favorite color – most of all the clothes he owned were black – he often said it was the essence of life and my mother loved the color white for its purity. It is only fitting that I send them off this way.

This is the last thing I thought I would do. I had always thought my parents would be the one to bury me. Whenever I imagined my father, I always saw a man who could beat death. But I guess he is mortal after all, everyone dies but I couldn’t have known that it would be so soon.

“Crystal.” A voice calls and I turn slowly towards it. The priestess smiles sadly at me and gestures for me to take the lighter from her. “It is time.” She says. “You are the only one who can send them off.”

My feet moved towards her of their own accord. Like what had happened on the day I identified their lifeless bodies, I am not in control of my body. My wolf – Eliza – has taken control and I can only watch from inside. She takes the lighter slowly from the priestess and move towards the canoe where my parents’ bodies are laid.

Even in death, they look beautiful. This must be how they had envisioned that they will die. Together, even till the end. Yet they left me here. A tear slips down my cheek and I make no effort to wipe it off.

Eliza pressed her hand down on the lighter and withdraws back into our body, giving me room to take control. I am immediately aware of where we are, how close the sea is and the fact that I am soaked from the waist down in the sea.

I panic but Eliza holds me down. We have to do this. She says and I close my eyes. I am a pro at keeping my emotions and feelings in check, I tell myself. Five minutes and this would be over. I just have to say goodbye to my parents and then I can leave.

Another tear trails down my cheek as I bend and burn the wick in the canoe. I stand slowly as the flame slowly engulfs their body, consuming them in its embrace and the smoke wisp up into the air.

The priestess begins to chant the song of the dead and after life behind me and the rest of the werewolves join in. More tears flow from my eyes lips repeat the words after them. In my head, memories of all the times we spent together replays and there is a sudden longing in my heart.

I bend down and push the canoe into the sea and as it floats away, I tilt my head up and howl loudly realizing all my pain, all the love they have given me, all the regrets into the air. It would follow them into the afterlife and maybe, they would remember me.

The rest of the wolves join in and echo my howl. They each approach the sea one after the other and drop their lanterns into the sea, howling as it floats away.

I feel a warm hand on my shoulder and know by instinct that it is the beta. Although the beta and I did not agree on so many things, although I did not really like him and even after today I might like him less, I appreciate the support which he is offering me.

I lay my head on his chest and he run his fingers through my hair. “They are in a better place now.” He says and wipes the tears that run down my face.

I say nothing and we just stand there and watch as the canoe floats on. It is like a burning torch which is paving the road for us. Illuminating the darkness and showing us that there is always light. Soon, it disappears completely and all that is left is the light of the full moon shining down on us.

Gently, the beta thrust me away from himself and leads us back to the shore. I almost smile, I had complete forgotten that we were still in the water.

Once our feet touch the smooth beach sand, the beta let’s go of me. “I have to go and tidy up somethings.” He says then glanced around. Almost all of the other wolves are gone and the few that are left are getting ready to depart. He turns his head back to me. “Would you still stay here?”

I nod slowly. “Yes. I’ll come back to the pack house soon. I just, I just…” I trail off as I feel new tears brimming in my eyes. If I keep talking, I am sure I will begin to cry.

The beta’s expression softens and his thumb grazed my cheeks. “Come home once you are done. I will make sure no one disturbs you here as instruct the staffs to prepare water for you.” He smiles sadly. “You are strong.”

I swat slightly and try to smile but I think my face just contorts into a grimace. “Thank you, beta.”

He nods, spins around and gone almost instantly. I watch as his car departs until it disappears then I stare back at the sea. It is so calm now, so innocent but it had killed my parents.