The funeral procession snaked its way through the Moonlight Pack grounds like a slow, suffocating serpent.
Every step of the way, eyes turned toward Gaia bald head gleaming under the sun, black gown clinging to her like a second skin. She cried without pause, her sobs perfectly timed, each gasp so raw it could’ve convinced even the gods she was broken.
Inside the car, she had rehearsed the tears. Outside it, she performed them like a professional executioner making the killing look like mercy.
As the vehicle stopped, Gaia didn’t wait for a helping hand. She flung open the door and stumbled onto the dirt path, tears streaming, mouth trembling. She ran toward the pyre where Alpha Rio’s body lay his corpse wrapped in ceremonial cloth, resting atop neatly stacked sticks ready to burn.
The
