CHAPTER 20
1026 Words
The pack house stood shrouded under the overcast sky, the odour of death lingering in the silence of every breath.
The funeral stretched from morning until late evening. The old lady who once commanded the pack house with the tip of her cane, now laid peacefully still in an elaborate coffin, surrounded by an elegant yet lifeless sea of white flowers.
Ivy found herself wondering whether her Grandma would've complained about it. She could practically hear the old lady clicking her tongue and demanding the flowers be replaced.
Ivy stared at her grandma's lifeless face, wondering why she couldn't see the tranquility that her she chased throughout her life.
Even in death, her grandma seemed to wear a frown brimming with worries.
"Ahem, if I may have your attention."
The low hum of conversations gradually faded as the priest stepped into the elevated platform. Dressed in dark blue ceremonial robes, he adjusted the microphone before looking out at the sea of mourners gathered beneath the grey sky.
"The silver mane pack has always believed that death is not the ending." He began, his voice carrying steadily across the crowd. "It is the beginning of a far greater journey. Something for more beautiful than life itself could ever be. Out beloved Luna, one of goddess's most cherished children, has returned to our mother's embrace and now walks the path that leads to nirvana. Today we gather not only to pray for her peaceful passage but also to celebrate the life she shared with us.
The priest paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle, before continuing.
"She inspired countless lives and helped shape the people who will carry her legacy forward. It is only fitting that the person who knew her most intimately speaks on her behalf. Please, Alpha Victor."
The old priest had mist in his eyes by the end of his speech. He wiped them off with shaky hands as he stepped aside to surrender the platform to the Alpha.
From somewhere within the crowd, Ivy finally lifted her lifeless gaze.
Her eyes settled on Alpha Victor as he approached the podium in a perfectly tailored black suit.
His neatly trimmed beard, straight posture and perfectly composed expression made him look every bit of the respected Alpha the pack admired. He unfolded a sheet of paper and glanced over it's contents before speaking.
"My mother, the previous luna of silver mane pack, was an incredible woman."
His deep voice immediately silenced the remaining whispers.
The speech that followed was dignified. Every sentence was carefully structured, every pause deliberate. He spoke of her generosity, her devotion to the pack, her wisdom and sacrifices.
The words themselves were beautiful. It painted the woman into a perfect Luna.
Yet none of them felt like Grandma Norma.
The woman Ivy knew had laughed top loudly at her own jokes. She had snuck extra dessert into Ivy's place when Luna Doris was looking. She spent entire afternoons kneeling in dirt while tending to her roses and complained endlessly about her aching back afterwards.
None of that existed in Alpha Victor's speech. What remained was a polished version of Luna Norma, stripped of every flaw, every quirk, every piece that made her human.
Alpha Victor's carefully rehearsed grief grated against her nerves like salt rubbed into an open wound.
Ivy listened in silence while a strange coldness spread through her chest. As if grief itself has turned into ice blades and churned her heart into mush.
Grandma deserved warmth and love, not polished words.
The numbness Ivy had been carrying around all day finally turned into unbearable pain.
When the speech finally ended, Alpha Victor lowered the paper and bowed his head. "My wish for her is to find peace on the road ahead and to bless us when she reaches her final destination. The time has come. Please join us at the cemetery, where we shall return her to the loving embrace of our celestial goddess."
Dressed entirely in black, hundreds of people made their way towards the old cemetery situated behind the main grounds. Like every major pack, silver mane maintained two burial grounds. One belonged exclusively to the Alpha bloodline and those directly connected to it. The second, located on the other side of the territory, was reserved for ordinary pack members.
The Alpha cemetery was known as the celestial pavillion.
Unlike traditional graves, each resting place was build upon a raised stone platform adorned with a life sized statue of the deceased. Generation of Alphas stood frozen beneath the moonlight, immortalized in marble and stone.
As a child, Ivy used to be terrified of the place. Every year during the moon festival, she would cling to luna Doris and refuse to walk among the statues, convinced they would come alive the moment nobody was looking. Yet she had always been dragged there to pay respects to the ancestors.
Today that long standing fear was gone. She walked calmly, packed between the unfamiliar faces as they approached the designated spot for the burial.
The burial began when the first rays of the moonlight fell on the spot meant for grandma Norma. The rites belonged primarily to the son, so all the attention was on Alpha Victor and Luke. The fact that Ivy wasn't present among the Reed family didn't cross anyone's mind during the solem ritual.
The ceremony concluded nearly half an hour later and the mourners slowly went back to the pack house for the second half of the funeral traditions.
According to silver mane beliefs, death was merely the first step towards a new beginning. Excessive mourning was strongly discouraged once the deceased had been laid to rest.
Family and loved ones were expected to keep vigil through the first night, sharing food, stories and music in honour of the departed. The house was not allowed to welcome sunrise with grief lingering inside it's walls.
The pack house was dressed in lights from top to bottom. Music spilled into the streets, deafening out conversations and laughter. The aroma of food drifted through the air, twisting the mourning courtyard into something that felt oddly, painfully festive.
- Writer
