Chapter Twenty-Two: A Funeral and New Friends
Hudson:
Evie was busy in the kitchen, Selena working away next to her. The fake smile dimmed her face, the cooking keeping her busy. Someone called her name down the hall, her black sweater dress hugging her body. Tossing a black blazer over her dress, she ran out into the hall. The distant look in her eyes told me that she was not ready for today, her emotional bottle ready to explode again for the second day in a row. Playing with the hem of her dress, she was ready to run and hide.
"I need you to see if we wrapped the bodies right." Latia prodded her gingerly, dragging her outside. Watching from the window, Selena's heels clicked up to me. Tapping me on the shoulder, this damn suit feeling oppressive. The black shirt dress shirt blended in with my black suit, her tender voice relaxing my muscles. Her hair was pulled into a simple bun, the grief wearing at her.
"Is she okay?" She asked cautiously, drying off her hands. "She hasn't said a single word all morning. I tried to get her to talk about it, but she refuses to talk about anything. I feel like we're at square one with her. I get the sense that she was closed off before, and you got her to open up. I miss my brother a lot, and the look she keeps giving me a guilty look." Wiping the tears from her eyes, James wrapped his arms around her waist. Kissing the top of her head, she cupped his hands. Looking extra fancy today, his black suit matched mine. A blue rose stuck out of his pocket, his shaking fingers adjusting it. His blue eyes welled up in tears, his wolf feeling Selena's grief. My wolf was screaming out for her wolf to calm down, her emotions fogging up my head. Stepping outside, Evie was tying the knots. Identifying them was a pain in the ass, a separate ceremony was to be held later for the fire starter. Placing a personal item of each person, a couple of honks snapped her out of the trance. Motioning for them to open the gate, the alphas came in with the respective family members. The clan all watched from their homes, making Evie feel more like an outsider. Greeting them warmly, she allowed the family members to go to their loved ones. A couple tried to run at her, their alphas keeping them in check. The sea of black suits and black dresses spread across the common, the tensions rather high. Alpha Evan wrapped her arm around his elbow, the other ones protecting her from angry werewolves. James and Selena walked out, her clan welcoming her. Jealousy flashed in Evie's eyes, a snarl curling on her lips. The hurt broke her soul, dark thoughts bouncing around her head. A black shadow darted behind all of them, the scent of the banished members catching my nostrils. Leaping out of their circle protection, Lucian's hair danced as he spun around. Five white wolves bounded towards the funeral, Evie leaping into action. Black vines snapped in their direction, wrapping around their paws. Everyone watched in childlike wonder, orange flames devouring her vines. Yips of pain rang out in the still air, a ring of ice protecting them. Looking up at the sky for a second, the lead wolf's blue eyes glowered into her brown eyes. Her bones cracked, her dress ripping to shreds as body transformed into her wolf. Her white fur danced in the breeze, her brown eyes narrowing. Charging at them, the clan members came out of their homes. Teeth sank into her side, her claws tearing into the sides of her opponents. Ignoring the pain, my inner wolf yipped in raw agony along with hers. Blood matted her fur, the leader bounding towards the crowd. A silver bullet whizzed by her head, Evan shooting the white wolves around her down. The lead rogue was inches from Hudson, her teeth sinking into his side. Snarls erupted from their snouts, blood raining all around us. Tossing him around, his claws dug into her sides. Latia pleaded for her to stop, blood squirted all over her muzzle as her teeth ripped out his throat. The warm tissues and ligaments squirmed in her mouth, blood painting the dirt red. My vision blurred, his throat splashing into the pool of blood underneath her red paws. Leaping over the wall, the urge to run dominated hers and my mind. Trees flashed by me as I chased after her, my wolf yelping for me to chase her faster. A trail of blood followed her, bloody paw prints telling me where she was going. Skidding to a stop, her body was hurting. Curling into a ball, a howl exploded from her snout. Blood pooled around her trembling body, the blood painting her fur red. Voices called out to me, my inner wolf telling me to run. The pain of her wounds slapping me in my face, her form fading back to human. My wolf told me to help her, the smell of a vampire poisoning the air. Watching from a distance, Bloodsworth held me back. His look told me that she needed a second with him, my eyes scanning his silk scarlet Victorian suit. Did he always have to dress up like he was going to a ball?
"Why can't I do anything right?" She wheezed, coughing up blood. "Maybe I should die just like they asked me to do." Dirt crunched behind her, her body unable to move. Black feathers floating around aimlessly telling me that Grappos was above her. Hovering his hands above her , her wounds sealed shut. Still feeling like a train hit her , he helped her sit up. His casual look threw me off, the black t-shirt not covering his hickeys. Chuckling to herself, his slender hands taking off his t-shirt. Passing it to me, she tossed it over her head.
"You really are too hard on yourself." He groaned to himself, not caring that we all saw every piece of evidence of his nightly activities. "She told him that you are like my little sister. I sensed that you injured yourself. Besides, you missed our daily call so I had to find you." Tying his hair up into a bun, he sat down next to me. Resting his hands on his knees, a warm smile exposed his fangs.
"So you turned into my stalker." She joked lightly, clutching her chest. "I see you two have been having fun. Are you trying to be my brother, or my father?" Cocking his head to the right, he stuck out his tongue. Smiling weakly to herself, her arms wrapped around his neck. Patting him on the top of his head, he passed her a blue ice pack. Pressing it against her side, he hovered his hand over her bump. A steady heart beat rang through the still night air, all of us sighing with relief. Bloodsworth was right, she needed this. Her real smile lit up the forest, the two of them just laughing for a moment.
"I am your big brother, so I can show up when I want to. Now let's get you home to make you beautiful and something to fear." He urged her jovially, her smile falling. "I know that you are scared of facing everyone and the carnage you probably left, but maybe they will think you are a hero." Helping her up, Bloodsworth shoving me out of my hiding spot. Bowing her head in shame, her fingers played with the hem of the borrowed t-shirt. Refusing to look at me, my strong arms wrapped around her. Melting into my arms, her body was trembling. Looking back at Bloodsworth and Grappos, an idea struck me.
"Do you guys want to stay the night?" I offered kindly, her perking up a bit. "Maybe we can watch a couple of movies of the horror type." Both of them nodded, shooting us a thumbs up. Placing her on my back, she looked broken. Tears soaked my shoulders, her sobs shattering my heart. My wolf was yelling at me to fix her inner wolf, her bloodied hair brushing against my neck. Sneaking past the funeral, she leapt out of my arms. Slamming the bathroom door behind her, the shower turned on. Peeking in, she was sitting down on the bottom of the tub. Pink water spun down the drain, the warm water cascading over her.
"Go away." She barked bitterly, trying to get me to leave her alone. "I am not in the mood for anything right now." Rolling my eyes, she tried to stand but kept falling back down to her knees. How foolish was she for trying to do anything right after transforming? Taking off my jacket, my nimble fingers rolling up my sleeves. Holding her up, she washed her hair up real quick. Helping her out, her scent sent my wolf into a frenzy. A soft knock on the door alerted us, a gloved hand passing me a black bra with an A-line cocktail dress. Helping her get dressed, Latia burst into the bathroom. A pink makeup back swung in her hands, fresh scars covering her skin. A good half hour passed, and her face was flawless. Scarlet painted her lips, a simple cat eye emphasizing her almond eyes. Latia twisted her hair up into an intricate bun, my breath hitching as Evie hooked her arms into the crook of my elbow. Stepping down the stairs, cheers erupted the moment she came into everyone's view. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes, the clan was mingling with the guests. Walking to the front of the crowd, she said kind words for each person. The heads of the families lit up each body one by one, sobs echoing around us. Members of the clan helped pass out the food, allowing Evie to mingle with the other werewolves. Holding up her finger, she ran back into the home. Dragging Bloodsworth and Grappos out, they looked impeccable in their black velvet suits.
"These are my friends, so treat them well. I expect you to treat them like they are your family, 'kay." She chirped cheerfully, everyone nodding in agreement. "Mingle a bit." Sitting in the back, a couple of hours passed. Passing the family each a personalized urn, they all bowed as they left. The madness died down, the purple rays of twilight peeking through the trees. His family approached us, her guiding them to his wrapped body.
"I know he did some awful things, but everyone deserves a decent funeral." She explained calmly, passing them his diary. "I looked through it to find where he went wrong, but I couldn't find anything. Please take it. He was just trying to get better. I am sorry for your loss." Embracing each member of his family, her black dress dancing in the gentle breeze. Placing her hand on the body, orange flames devoured his body. Tears swam in her eyes, the family pressing a black box into her palms.
"We apologize for his behavior, and we honor you as Luna. You are the best Luna we ever had." The tired looking brunette woman promised honestly, taking my hands into hers. "Thank you for giving him an honorable funeral after everything he did. You truthfully have a golden heart." Hugging them all one last time, she hopped onto my back. Black bags hollowed out her eyes, a ghost having a brighter tan. Carrying her through the threshold, Theros was waiting for her with Diamond by his side. Stephan stood next to him, holding Raven. Leaping off of my back, her body slammed into Theros. His arms wrapped around her, his slender hand whacking the back of her head.
"You have another brother. I have to admit that I am a bit jealous." He teased lightly, Grappos waving from the door frame. "What did you do to get him to be your brother as well?" A tender blush rose to her cheeks, her eyes taking in the sea of simple t-shirts and sweatpants. Diamond looked tiny in Theros' long t-shirt, Latia wearing Grayson's black tees. Pulling one of my tees over her head, she shot me a crooked grin. Dragging her to the living room, they sat down on the couch. Sitting down on the floor, she rested her head on my lap. Another horror movie began playing, my heart was already racing.
"You have this, Hudson." She comforted me, sitting on my lap. "Just hold me tighter when you get scared, and I will pretend to act frightened." Why was she so sexy right now? The cocky grin on her face made my heart skip a beat, her lips looking so kissable. My inner wolf growled for her to take me, a jump scare causing me to jump ten feet in the air. Laughter erupted around us, a bit of popcorn tumbling to my lap. Turning around for a minute, her lips pressed against mine sweetly. My heart fluttered, my wolf howling for joy. Scarlet burned my cheek, Latia whistling and winking at me. Laying down on the ground, my arms wrapped around her waist. Grappy tossed me a pillow, our heads crashing down. Cupping her hands around mine, she dragged my hand down to my bump. Flashing me her real smile, my heart melted.
"Stop teasing, Evie." I growled huskily, her eyes falling back on the screen. "You are amazing, and you will be an amazing mother." Holding her like my life depended on it, she turned to face me for a moment.
"I love you, Hudson." She whispered softly, gripping my dress shirt. "Don't you forget that." Smiling to myself, gentle snores telling me that she was sleeping. Watching her sleep peacefully, Theros poked my shoulder. Diamond and Theros were putting their jackets on, waving goodbye before hopping out the window. Latia and Grayson were heading upstairs, the way they were giggling telling me what they had planned. Playing with her hair, Grappy was snuggled in the arms of Bloodsworth. His black hair mixed with his gray hair, their fingers intertwined. Having them around, I felt safer for some reason. Exhaustion won me over, sweet slumber taking me to her dreamland.