I came back running towards Cassidy's body lying on the ground.
“No...” I whispered, trying to regain my composure as I lay her head on my arms. “NO!!!”
But despite my cry, the air was thick with a somber weight like the skies themselves had donned a shroud of mourning. It was a blow that echoed through the heart of the Volatile Hounds Pack, some are howling in their wolf forms, leaving an ache that seemed unbearable.
I stood at the edge of the gathering, my eyes fixed on the scene before me. Luna Cassidy's body lay before us, her once-vibrant form now stilled, as if she had merely drifted into a deep slumber. I could hardly believe that the force of nature we had all revered—that we had all treasured, vanity consuming us—had been reduced to this fragile vessel.
The wind’s whistling carried with a sense of finality that clenched at my heart. In a hushed voice, I stepped forward, the damp earth cool beneath my feet.
My gaze swept across the gathered wolves, each one bearing the weight of their loss in their eyes. Cassidy’s death is our loss, not just mine. She had been our guiding light, her strength and wisdom a beacon in the darkness. As Alpha, it was my duty to honor her memory, to weave her tale into the very fabric of our pack's history. The pack that was not once mine became mine through her help. Volatile Hounds Pack’s now glory and beauty will never be without Cassidy.
The image of her body dissolving into a flurry of snowflakes lingered in my mind, a poignant reminder of the impermanence of life.
One moment, she was in my arms. Now...only the legacy of her name remains. “All of the wolves gather around,” I commanded, my words drawing their attention.
“Kneel, not out of submission, but out of respect. To her. For her. To pay homage to the warrior spirit that once burned within our Luna. To acknowledge that her legacy lives on in us, in every hunt, every howl beneath the moon.”
The ones in their human for knelt, while the ones in their wolf forms howled. Altogether, in synchrony and in symphony.
I could feel the weight of their gaze, the collective sorrow mingling with determination. Tears escaped in my eyes as I looked at her now-cold body.
With a slow, deliberate movement, I lowered myself to one knee, feeling the earth's delicateness as I did so. The wolves around me followed suit, a sea of fur and eyes reflecting the pain we all shared. We knelt—not in weakness—but in unity, in a silent promise to carry Luna's legacy forward.
I looked up at the sky, the first stars of the night began to twinkle into existence, casting their gentle light upon us. Cassidy's spirit lived on in the celestial expanse above, just as it lived on within each of us. The winds whispered her name as we offered a short prayer to the Moon Goddess, carrying with them the essence of her strength and courage.
“Even until the end,” I swallowed, my voice reverberating even with its softness, “we remember, we honor, and we continue.”
“My condolences to you, Alpha Zarion.” It was Chancellor Caesar Franklin uttered, tapping my shoulders afterwards. “We’ll be leaving now...now that all has been settled. All grudges been answered.” I did not move. I was still kneeling in front of my beloved, my wife. Cassidy, on the ground lifeless. I could have seen the children she’ll give me, their eyes identical to hers. Their hair the same beauty as mine.
Most of the members of the Volatile Hounds Pack return to our fortress, not to celebrate but to spread the news. Although we won the war, I freaking felt defeated more than ever.
The days that followed Cassidy’s death were an unfathomable storm of anguish that refused to relent. Each morning, I awoke to a world stripped of color and life, as if her light itself had been extinguished forever.
My Luna, the core of my existence, had been ripped away from me in the cruelest of ways, leaving a void that seemed impossible to fill. The very air around me felt heavy, brimming with the weight of sorrow that clung to my heart.
The pack, my loyal brethren, also bore the scars of the recent war. The clash against the nefarious forces that had dared to threaten our lands had been brutal, leaving wounds that ran deeper than mere flesh.
As the Alpha, it was my responsibility to lead them towards recovery, but I found myself faltering too. Lost in a sea of memories that tugged at my every step. The Madfur Claws Pack, Brandon’s Pack and the very Pack my father left to me, now existed only as a ghostly memory. The war that had unfolded had culminated in a violent clash against their forces.
But it wasn't just the Madfur Claws Pack that had felt my wrath. The Rogues who had aligned themselves with them were no exception. In the wake of the war, I had hunted them down, one by one. A reckoning force of anger fueled by vengeance and the need to protect what remained of my shattered world.
Each confrontation was a dance of death and defiance, a testament to the power that surged through my veins as Alpha of the Volatile Hounds Pack.
***
The days passed, but the pain did not wane. It gnawed at me like a constant ache, a reminder of the void that Cassidy’s absence had left behind.
The heaviness of my thoughts feels like an anchor dragging me down into the depths of my own mind. It's as if I'm trapped in a never-ending darkness, a place where hope struggles to exist.
Depression is a relentless specter that clings to every corner of my being. Its grip tightens with every passing moon, making even the simplest tasks feel like insurmountable mountains.
The moon hangs high in the sky as I stand before Beta Achilles, the silver light casting an ethereal glow upon his masculine figure.
“I have something to tell you.”
His eyes, a mirror to his strong spirit, hold a mix of concern.
“My time as the leader of the pack is coming to an end.”
“What do you mean, Zarion?” he asked, dropping the title of an Alpha. Achilles’ forehead furrowed at what I just said.
I told him that he's going to be the Alpha soon, since he's my most-trusted Beta. “Caleb is busy with Bridgette. And they sure deserve each other. With Cassidy gone, only the happiness they found on each other can put a smile on their faces…”
“Are you crazy, Zarion?! Cassidy would never like this!”
I throw a punch on his face because of what he just said. “You don't dare mention her name in this!” I spat on his feet furiuosly.
Emotions are now spiraling out of my control. Even with the demon leaving my body now due to Brandon’s death and Cassidy’s sacrifice, it seems my emotions are still the purest form of demons I have to battle.
Beta Achilless spat blood on the floor. “She may be dead, but you are not, Zarion! You still have life. I'm sure Cassidy wants you to continue living and lead the pack for good!”
“I'll be gone for a couple of weeks,” I told Achilles, ignoring his sentiment. My gaze fixed on the moonlit horizon as I struggle to keep my tears at bay.
He licked his lower lip, chuckling without humor. “You're a fucking coward—“
“I need to find her, Achilles. I need to find the witch and seek a way to free myself from this prison of the mind.”
“You're fucking fucked, dude!” Achilles shrieked and grabbed the collar of my shirt. “Let me tell you. As a man to a man. You're going to regret this.”
“I still have to kill my mate. That is my vow to myself. To eliminate the mate the Moon Goddess chose for me so I, myself, could rest as well…”
Achilles just shook his head in disbelief.
“If I don't come back…” I continued, my voice steady despite the gravity of my words, “You'll be the Alpha. You'll lead the Volatile Hounds Pack, and you'll guide them with the strength that I know resides within you.”
His challenging eyes met mine. Loyal, yet still brotherly kind. “What if I'll tell you I'm not going to accept this responsibility?”
“Then think about the families going behind once I'm gone. Think about the new pups, the young wolves.”
He looks at me with a gaze that could kill me now.
Achilles looked away, soaking under the moonlight. Thinking of thoughts that only he knows what they are.
“Think about what I said, Achilles. You're the Beta... the second rank of the pack. You should follow what I just ordered. And you know I mean it well.”
His gaze met mine again. There was a profound understanding that passed between us. It was a pact, an unspoken vow forged under the watchful eye of the Moon Goddess. I could see the conflict in his eyes—the conflict between his loyalty to me and his readiness to step into a role he might have never thought he'd assume.
“I have no choice, I guess,” he breathed.
“Thank you, Achilles.” I hugged him tightly, like a brother I never had. “Thank you.”
Then I left.