C5 Chapter 5

Vance's POV

As I watch Talia slowly pass away, her spirit breaking free, something dies in me.

Seeing life bleed slowly out of my once heartthrob and fated mate, kills something in me.

“That would have been you.” Nadia says in my ears. I suddenly realized that.

“Step away from me.” I'm feeling hurt, regret, and betrayal. I loved Talia. And I don't think I would want someone like I want her.

Get back, Alex.

I'm in a broken place. Falling for Talia was my mistake. Beyond the love and happiness while it lasted, we both weren't satisfied.

“I’ll see you around.” Landon says as he heads out. I can't make out how Landon feels from his tone as he has been very good at masking his feelings. I don't expect him to be cool with the death of his sister, however, it's pack rules. She was a threat to the Alpha and had to be taken out.

Talia's burial is to take place ASAP to prevent her wandering spirit from haunting us present there.

Landon left, leaving Nadia and I to do most of the work, as the next closest to her.

“Wrap her up!” Even my simplest statements sound like a military command. An alpha is never weak, not especially after losing a Luna who killed his heir and made an attempt on his life.

Talia was a darling to everyone in the pack, so what just transpired is not going to sit right with them. I have to be on guard and hold the reins tightly for the next couple of weeks.

“We are ready.” Dave, the Gamma, says, snapping me out of my thoughts and bringing me back to reality.

Talia's body is wrapped in expensive black velvet and borne on the shoulders of men clothed in the same material.

My once young and vibrant bride, wife of two years and the Luna of Moonstone, gone!

“You need something to eat.” Nadia says. Rubbing the small of my back. The thought of food right now is scary.

“This meeting is over. See you all next full moon, or when someone tries to usurp my position. This is a warning, to every fucking one of you.” Not as little as breaths are heard, the message has been passed clearly. It is not the first time in the history of Moonstone pack an attack has been made on the Alpha by his Luna.

“Let's go.” Nadia says, tugging at my arms. We follow Talia's body till we arrive at the thick uncharted woods.

Talia's burial is a solemn and somber affair. No word is uttered over her undecorated body.

Her passing and the circumstances are controversial, and I don't expect solidarity from the pack.

The burial is exempt from all the ritual fit for a Luna.

‘Why would he do such to his Luna?’

‘Talia was such a good person.’

‘He is definitely as brutal as they say he is.’

‘She wasn't given a chance to prove herself.’

I hear the thoughts from pack members. Alex's senses are heightened at times like this.

The one minute silence for Talia isn't so silent in my head. So much is going through my head, including the unfiltered thoughts of Talia's sympathizers.

“It's done.” Nadia's voice tears my gaze off the freshly overturned earth which held Talia's body down. “Let us head back.” She says.

Like people under spell, every single member of the pack turns and heads home. It's been a long day, for Nadia and I especially.

She just lost our child and still made it here for the burial of her once best friend.

I don't know what the future holds, but Nadia is my choice mate, come what may, for now, we all have to heal from the trauma of the last twenty-four hours.

In pregnant silence, we head back to my house. It's two hours past midnight, the night was almost spent, and so are we.

“How are you?” It's the first thing I've said to Nadia since she called me to tell me Talia's plan on the phone. I owe my life to her.

“A little shaken.” She says, shifting a little in her chair and drawing the blanket up her legs. “I also still feel sore.” She held her empty belly while staring into space.

Somewhere inside me is very sore too. I already had his name. I was adjusting to becoming a father.

“The doctor will be coming up soon?” Nadia pulls me out of my thoughts again. She has been doing that throughout today. She is definitely someone I want to have around. It's so bad that we started with a one night stand, that became the heir I wanted so badly, and now, this. I feel so bad for dragging her through this. “Hope you don't mind us using here?” She asked me.

“I don't. Ask Tracy for the key to the spare room. Ask her for any other thing you may need, feel comfortable.” I'm exhausted and I have no plans for further discussion tonight. “See you later.” It is the last thing I say to Nadia before heading to the room I shared with Talia.

“Who’s Tracy?”

“The head maid.”

Sleeping wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My hands roll over the empty space beside me, where Talia, my Luna is supposed to be. Seeing her waste away wasn't as easy as I made it look.

My thoughts were all over the place, they still are. The turn of events were too sudden. We were not the best couple, and it's so sad Talia had to resort to doing what she did, but I think I miss her. I was way happier having her in the same house, even if we were in different rooms.

‘Why did you kill me? You said you loved me, you said you would take care of me. You said you didn't care if I was weaker, that you would defend me against predators. You made me trust you and you broke my trust. Why did you kill her? She was my only sister. Why did you take what was mine’

I wake up to Nadia shaking my arm with a worried look on her face.

I had been dreaming. It felt like I was being talked to by both Talia and Landon.

“You were screaming.” Nadia says after a while. “I didn't let Tracy in, you may not want her to see you this way.” She is right, but I don't need her care either.

“That will be all. Have a nice night.” I say, standing up and adjusting my trousers to reduce the visibility of my dick print.

“Goodnight.” Nadia offers no resistance, which somehow makes me feel bad.

“Thank you.” Its the last thing I say before shutting and bolting the door.

Is this how you are gonna keep on going. Alex asks me through our mindlink. It's a question I have no answer to. Glancing back at the part of the bed I had sweat profusely on, and the other empty, neatly arranged side, I knew I was gonna cope with this loss for a minute.