Wolf-less Omega Luna novel Chapter 74

Alana’s POV


The last few days had been… unreal. It still felt like a dream to me.

For three nights, I had woken Axel up with screams and pants from images of the battle replaying so vividly in my dreams. And today being the fourth, the pack was gathered to send the heroes of the pack to be with the Moon Goddess.

My eyes were red and swollen and one of my few consolations was that death wasn’t the end for our kind. It was a transition into another journey. Like a door that led somewhere else. Coral had gone through and soon, we’d all go through and join her and the rest of the pack mates we lost.

Another good thing was that Coral went the way she wanted to. I could still see how her eyes would glow whenever she talked about fighting for the pack. The girl refused a mate because she wanted to fight. This was what she wanted and I’m sure to her, it was one good way to go.

I couldn’t help but wonder though, how she would feel knowing all the things she missed out on during her time on earth. The things she didn’t get to do. And the things I didn’t get to do with her as her friend.

I didn't even get to say goodbye.

Whispers flew around too. People echoed thoughts of how they never got to discuss certain things with the lost packmates,  how they never got to know them better than they did or treat them better than they did. 

Realization was dawning on me. I could be living and breathing today, and be mad at someone I love for a misunderstanding, and I could be no more alive the next. I realized that life was as fragile as an egg even for creatures like us.

Axel’s hand slipped into mine and pulled me a little bit closer to him. The ceremony was about to begin and I had to shove my thoughts to the back of my mind.

“You okay?” He asked.

I tipped my chin to meet his warm blue eyes. I wasn’t. One of my closest friends was gone. Good soldiers were gone. My dad was dead, leaving me to be an orphan within days. But still, even still, I had more to be grateful for. Axel being one of them, the little life inside of me being another.

So I cleared my throat and bobbed my head. “Yeah. I’m fine. You?”

Axel’s body was a mess when I woke up in the pack’s clinic twenty-four hours after the attack ended. I was out for a whole day and Axel sat by my side throughout. He didn’t move to take a shower, change his clothes, or even have his injuries stitched by the doctors.

When I opened my eyes, he only had on a tattered shirt that for sure didn’t belong to him and nothing but a clinic bed sheet wrapped around his waist. He had no shoes on, his skin was pale, and the tear on his midsection was getting infected. I thought Axel was possessive when it came to me. Turns out that when it became two of us to protect, his instinctive actions doubled in fuel.

“I’m good,” he nodded and squeezed my hand.

The hold on my free hand became tighter. I turned to see Lexi sobbing quietly, also holding hands with Tyler. 

“We'll be fine, Lexi. We still have each other. And the pack.”

“You’re right,” she sniffled.

“How’s he holding up?” I tipped my chin to Tyler who was staring into space absentmindedly. He hardly spoke a word since it all went down. A bigger part of me wished that it was Britney who was laid on the sheets in Coral’s spot, covered, and about to be sent back to Earth.

“Not good,” Lexi smiled sadly. “But not bad either.”

Coral’s and Tyler’s parents sat away from the crowd, sobbing in each other’s arms. I couldn’t help it anymore. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I didn’t even try to stop them.

Kennedy stood on the opposite side of us, sandwiched between her parents who refused to let her out of their sight since she came back from the pack clinic with a bandage on her head.

It was a silent process. The burial. The holes were dug in a large clearing deep into the woods of the pack, surrounded by trees, rocks, a stream, and animals. The fallen heroes were going to be one with nature, just as they were through their lives.

After the holes were dug, songs were sung, and incense was burnt, the families of the deceased came forward to say their goodbyes, and to give a parting gift of a handful of earth to the loved ones they were sending away.

Axel and I did the same for all of them and pack members followed. 

We stayed around for a while longer after the ceremony was done, sharing our favorite memories of the lost werewolves with each other before the crowd finally started to disperse.

“I still can’t believe that there’s a pup in there,” Lexi said to lighten up the mood as we made our way back to the pack house. Axel stayed back with the rest of the pack members who were still mourning. Excitement shone in Lexi’s features still. “Who would have thought?”

Me, that’s who. It’s what I’ve wanted since I’ve been in the company of the pack’s kids. “Turns out Jake was right. It was only a week old so that explains why we must have missed it. It also explains why I was sick and kept throwing up the days before. I’m glad nothing serious happened.”

“That would have been awful. It was surprising though, right? For you to not have noticed first.”

“I didn’t think I was going to be getting pregnant anytime soon after what happened the last time. But it seems that as I got Rox back, I got everything I lost back. And I didn’t need to be on heat to conceive.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you, Lexi. For everything. For being my friend since forever. I love you.”

“I love you too.” We held each other in a tight hug for a minute till I felt content enough to let go.

“I’m sorry you had to learn that about your dad. I know how much your family meant to you.”

“You’re right, Lexi. My family means the world to me. But I got carried away. My family was right here. You. Axel. Coral. Tyler, and the pack. I kind of forgot that for a minute.”

“Here’s to never forgetting again.”

“Here here!”