Colton lets me loose and nods to two guards who appear beside me in the now dim and less dark light. I note he’s sending the two who threw up, sensing neither will be any good at helping with what he has to do. They stand patiently and obediently wait for me to move.
“With many wolves digging it should be fast and then….” He sighs knowing he has to somehow get that mess buried in some kind of respectful way and I nod, knowing what he’s thinking. I don’t envy the task of clearing this up and putting every piece of her and her blood in the ground to honor our ways. He may have to scorch the area and burn the surrounding landscape to properly send her soul to the fates.
Taking one last much needed hug to try and calm my distraught heart I turn on my heel to go but pause a second. Knowing I should catch up and stay close to Meadow, even if my powers make me more capable than most wolves, but something crosses my mind.
“I’ll ask the Shaman to start preparing a ceremony. Help Carmen with closure and allow her time to grieve. Give the pack a proper funeral service to grieve a kin member…… Tawna’s mate?” I ask absentmindedly, knowing that Carmen maybe needs to grieve two parents and not one and we should give her that, even if he’s not someone we should remember. Colton’s face tenses and he signals yes with the slightest of head movements that makes my heart sink even further.
“Dead, the second her heart ceased to beat. My dad will be in chaos on the mountain too as he just lost his second in command. Her death wasn’t for nothing but…. I would rather her here with us, than my father losing some control. Ask the Shaman to mention them both, but only honor Tawna. This is for her, not them.” Colton’s eyes are filled with unshed tears once more and I can only bite on my lip and agree with a nod, again crying softly despite the overwhelming empty and numb coursing through my veins. All of this just feels so overwhelmingly awful that my brain can’t process it at all. There’s a dark heaviness taking over me that I know is sadness and I can barely breathe. I can’t imagine how Carmen feels right now.
“Stay safe, don’t be long.” I add in haste, one last glimpse of his disheveled face and take off after Meadow with my two guards in tow, making light of the distance in hyper speed. I try and focus on doing rather than feeling and aim to catch up.
I won’t be. I’ll follow once this done. Stay safe, Baby. Knowing your home will make me feel better about being here.
Colton’s voice follows me and in such a short time I manage to catch up to Meadow running with Carmen, although not at full speed as Carmen seems to be struggling to pull herself together. I slow as I get to them and pull up on the free side of Carmen’s sagging posture, pulling her arm into mine and holding her up a little. Her body is icy cold, giving off a wave of devastation around her and she doesn’t even flinch at my touch.
She’s sobbing, staring blankly ahead as her feet stumble over debris she isn’t trying to avoid, and Meadow is struggling to keep her steady, casting a glance at me that says ‘she’s a mess’. Overwhelming empathy runs over me, both from her and my own internal emotion piping up at the sorrowful state of Carmen. I wish she didn’t see what she saw, and I don’t blame Colton for tackling her and holding her tight. No one needs to see someone they love end that way and it will forever haunt her. Knowing her mom’s last moments were in terror and agony and untold suffering before she took her last breath.
What are we going to do with her when we get her home?
Meadow breaks into my thoughts in a private link, and I try and sort my own feelings from the two invading next to me. Carmen’s despair is so strong I’m finding it hard to keep my own logic and mind straight.
Take her to the med bay, maybe Doc Maigo can give her something to relax her and make her calm down, I don’t know.
The homestead looms into sight and the rustle behind us of the following guards alerts me that they are still close and keeping watch over us. I turn and glimpse over my shoulder as I feel the physical change in the air of us crossing the frequency boundaries and the static sizzle of safety that means we no longer need assistance. We’re safe.
“Go back and help. We don’t need you now. More hands make swifter work. Sun isn’t up yet and there are dangers for our pack out there.” I order and get two unquestioned nods as both males turn and take off back towards my mate and my people in a gust of breeze as they hyper speed away.
Meadow gets tired of dragging Carmen and stops to hoist her over her shoulder in an unresisted maneuver and frees our clumsy deadweight. She takes off in front of me at speed and I follow, running and skipping through the last half mile of forest floor and fallen trees until we end up on the illuminated gravel drive. More wolves are out here, some of the less capable sentinel guards which were left behind, so the house was not completely unprotected, and some from the village have ventured out to find out what’s going on. Mostly concerned males worried their families are in danger because news spread fast that most of the capable had spread into the woods to chase Tawna.
“Everything is okay…. Go back to your homes and we will call a meeting for the whole village before noon. To explain. The pack will be home shortly and there’s no need to worry about them, sun’s coming, and all is quiet now.” I announce as loudly as I can before following Meadow indoors and we head straight for the sick room. I know those who heard me will pass the message on and I hope it brings some calm back to those left behind.
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