My mother wasn’t religious, but I think she’d have loved that.
The morning of the funeral dawns crisp and clear, a mere two days after I returned from the front. The Garden is closed down for my mother’s ceremony, and Killian has spared no expense.
The plot he chose is on a grassy hill, sheltered by an enormous moonbloom tree dripping with gorgeous deep green needles. The headstone is white marble, simply but elegantly engraved with her name and the wordsBeloved Mother, Friend, and Neighbor. Mother’s polished mahogany casket is alreadyperched above the open grave, decorated with an arrangement of fragrant white roses.
Tidy hedges grow all over the garden, providing privacy between the larger family plots. Some of them even have hardy winter-blooming flowers on them. There are several greenhouses on the garden property where flowers grow so that families can stop in and pick fresh ones to lay at their loved ones’ graves.
I have to admit, after seeing this place, the thought of burying her in the dreary common burial grounds near our neighborhood is… not great. It’s a comfort that she’ll spend the rest of her days here, in this lush vista where the air smells clean instead of like smoke and poverty.
Killian’s right. Shedoesdeserve it. And Saela would like to visit her here. My sister always loved flowers.
She’d love this ceremony, too, despite the awkward clash of my two worlds coming together. Everyone we know from the Eastern Quarter is here, dressed in their best. They look shabby and uncomfortable in the midst of all this opulence, but I’m still happy they came.
They huddle together on one side of the grave—the women from the laundry, plus a few neighbors and friends. Igor stands straight-backed at the head of the group, looking unexpectedly dapper in his formal military uniform from his service days. His wife Prina is beside him, wearing a new dress.
On the other side are Izabel, Venna, Tomison and Nevah, dressed in formal Bonded attire. I’ve barely had a chance to see them since I got back from the front.
Anassa is here, too, waiting outside the Garden gates with the other wolves. She’s been quiet with me the past two days; not shutting me out, exactly, but making her displeasure about my engagement known.
Still, she’s here for me when it matters, and there’s a tender nudging from her across the bond.
Killian remains at my side, dressed in an uncharacteristically simple black suit. He still looks like a prince, of course, but I can tell he chose the outfit carefully, so as not to draw undue attention to himself—a deliberate setting aside of his royal status that says he’s here simply to support me.
His thoughtfulness and sensitivity through all of this have touched me so deeply—I can’t even put it into words.
Just before the ceremony is about to begin, Anassa pricks up.“More coming. Wait to start.”
More…?
Then, cresting over the hill, the rest of the Strategos Rawbonds arrive, led by Gamma Daegan. He’s panting, face flushed—clearly they’ve run to get here on time. My eyes widen in disbelief.
“Did we make it?” he asks me as he approaches, out of breath. “Sorry, we didn’t know?—”
“You didn’t know because I didn’t tell you,” I say, my tone softer than the words. “Why…?”
“You’re our Alpha,” he says like it’s obvious, then bows. “Of course we’re going to be here for you. The moment Alpha Stark told us?—”
“Wait, Stark?” I ask sharply. Then I see him, trailing behind the last of the Strategos.
Stark stands tall at the top of the hill, his dark presence saturating the clear morning air. His unruly hair whips around him in the breeze, and his eyes find mine, locking me in place. He inclines his head toward me and I stiffen, then nod back, acknowledging him.
I’ve locked him out of my brain over the past two days. Whatever happened in that tent is of no consequence, especially now that I’m engaged to another man. But still, my chest is tight.It astounds me that he thought to tell them. Touches me, as much as I hate to admit it, that he thought it was important that they be here.
“Thank you,” I say to Daegan, and discovering that I mean it. The pack has come to support me, and I vow that as their Alpha, I will look out for them in the same ways.
The ceremony begins with my eulogy: a speech I’ve been struggling to compose for the last two days. I’ve been so nervous about it, wanting to do my mother proud. But as I step forward to speak, I’m surprised to find the anxiety gone—washed away by the warmth and support of everyone present.
“My mother had a difficult life,” I begin, my voice carrying clear and strong through the cold winter air. “But it never made her hard. She raised two daughters alone after losing her husband to the war. Those of you who knew her well know she also struggled with a debilitating illness—one she fought against every day. Yet even in her darkest moments, she never stopped loving her children.”
My eyes connect with Igor’s and he nods at me, encouraging. I reach up, playing with the opal at my neck; it felt right to have it on today.
“She never gave up,” I continue. “Never stopped trying to be the best version of herself—the best mother she could be. She was kind. Compassionate. Understanding. Even when life was cruel to her, as it so often was. Even when her mind and body turned against her.”
I pause, throat tight, seeing the many misty eyes among my friends and neighbors and pack.
“I’m so glad you all came to honor her memory,” I say, voice trembling slightly. “She would be happy—and proud—to know how much you care. And I know that I speak for all of us when I say that I hope, in her eternal rest, she will finally find the peace she deserved in life.”
There’s a swell of sniffles and muted applause as I step back.
