Chapter 183: Let’s Go Make History
Selene’s POV
The procession was held in Bloodmoon. Somewhere in Winterwood, I knew Lucian would be burying his Celeste, the beautiful wolf who had died in Icefang.
I didn’t think Lucian had loved her at all. Maybe that was why she died. If he had loved her, he wouldn’t have been trying to grope me in a bathroom during the festival.
All the same, it was a time for mourning, and we had no choice but to do it. The deed was done, and we couldn’t bring the dead back.
The fuck! An alpha and his Luna dead at the same time. It annoyed me for so many reasons, and under the annoyance sat something heavier that I refused to name.
It was an all-white ceremony. We were all dressed in white, and people were crying openly. I understood why. They had lost their alpha and their Luna, and with them, their leadership. The whole territory looked like it had been left out in the snow.
He had been cruel to me, and the most wicked leader I had ever met, but he still had people who loved him. His Luna had been loved too.
We took our seats. The graves had been dug open, and the coffins waited to be lowered into the ground, the final signal that a life was over. It had been such a good run, and now it was just two holes in the earth.
The first person who came to welcome us to the ceremony broke into tears halfway through her greeting. I knew right then that this wasn’t going to end soon.
I just wanted my turn to come so I could give my speech and get the hell out of there. I had criminals to catch.
Fuck!
"Hey, Selene." It was Astrid, who came to find me where I sat with my mom and dad. I stood and hugged all three of them, holding on a little longer than I meant to.
"How are you?" I asked my parents.
Their eyes were wet. Their voices were thin. The death had gotten to them, and I felt it in the way my mother’s fingers trembled against my back.
"There will never be a better alpha for Bloodmoon than Roran," my dad said.
"Yet we have to move forward," I told him gently.
"Of course, Luna." My mom cupped my face. "I’m really happy for who you’ve become."
Those words almost undid me, right there in front of everyone. I swallowed hard and nodded, because if I opened my mouth, something would come out that I couldn’t take back.
The announcements began, and everyone returned to their seats, my parents and Astrid included. I noticed that her husband wasn’t with her. He never followed her anywhere. He was one proud wolf. Who didn’t want to greet a Luna?
The outdoor ceremony looked like it would be cut short. The weather had turned strangely while the dignitaries offered their condolences, the sky going heavy and gray, the wind picking at the white fabric of our clothes. It looked like rain.
Hold it, I thought. Hold it until I’m done with my speech. That was all I wanted.
Then my name was called. Finally.
This was my land. I was born and bred in this territory, and I owed these people a heartfelt speech.
Cipher welcomed me to the stage, and it was an honor to be welcomed by the man who was practically my father figure. There was no time to exchange embraces. It was a mourning ceremony. But he squeezed my shoulder as I passed, and that small gesture steadied me more than any words could have.
I stood before thousands of people, and for a moment I couldn’t speak. It wasn’t that the crowd frightened me. I just couldn’t understand how this many people could turn up for their Alpha and Luna’s procession. They had loved him. Truly loved him.
"I am a born and bred Bloodmoon, and today I stand here to give my condolences to the direct family of Alpha Roran and his Luna Sienna. It was an unexpected loss. One of the things I remember most about Alpha Roran was his resilience in carrying out and implementing the law without sentiment. That was the building block of my own stability and integrity, and I know it is the same for many of you across several spheres right now. It is a privilege to be from Bloodmoon, and I know this territory will feel lonely for a while. But his blood runs through our veins, and we carry his attitude into a better tomorrow. We carry his resilience. He was not just our Alpha, and Sienna was not just our Luna. They were family. Rest in peace, Alpha and Luna. I personally hope you both find peace in the beyond, and that the goddess welcomes you warmly."
I let the mic slip from my hand and hurried down from the podium. They were clapping, but I barely heard it. It sounded far away, like applause underwater. It must have been the heaviness of their hearts that pulled those words out of me, because my eyes were already filled with tears.
I hadn’t liked him. I hadn’t loved him. That was the truth.
Then why the fuck did it hurt like this?
I had to leave immediately. My guards led the way, and I walked out just before they lowered the two coffins into the ground. I didn’t want to watch. I didn’t want that image living in my head.
We drove back to Icefang within minutes, and I kept wiping my eyes, not wanting anyone to see I was close to crying.
Yes, he had been the alpha I knew from a very young age, the first figure of leadership I had ever experienced. That shouldn’t have mattered. I hadn’t known I was still attached to those memories.
The little wolf in me wanted to make me vulnerable, to curl up and mourn like a pup. I wouldn’t let her. Not today.
We reached the room where Lucas waited.
"Hey, Lucas. We’re ready, aren’t we?" I asked, keeping my voice level.
"How was the procession? A lot of tears, right? Yeah, I know. I cried like a baby when my mom died," he said.
"Yeah, all that. He’s buried now, about to be forgotten. But let’s go make history."
He got up and put on his jacket, and I felt grateful that he didn’t push me to say more.
We got into the car and left Icefang. Inside, I didn’t make a sound. I spoke to no one. I just sat there thinking about how I was going to win this shit.
I imagined how it would look when I confronted Draven. It would be the second time I’d seen him. I pictured looking him in the face and shooting my first betrothed mate in the head, and my chest tightened. Not with doubt, but with the weight of what it meant.
Astrid wouldn’t like that.
But the bloodshed had to happen this time. The humans of Bernia were not all going to pay for the sins of a few people in government. I was nothing like them. I wanted only the ones who had been involved in the massacre of my people at Icefang and all over Morvaine.
That was why I brought so much reinforcement: twenty-two soldiers with heavy guns and armor. I wasn’t left without my own weapons either. Damien stayed behind at Icefang to handle administration, and Lucas was with me.
We weren’t weak, so we shouldn’t come back defeated. Unless they were expecting us, which was possible.
We arrived in Bernia and separated into groups of five. No way were these motherfuckers going to know we were werewolves.