Half of You

A Bite - Eighteen

All twelve of the warriors are laid out on cots of white leather, simple log footings keeping them raised off the ground. Each has their own space on the edge of the clearing, and the trees seem to slink around them in a cushion of green leaves and branches. It's as if nature has came to reclaim their corpses for herself.

Around their bodies are pictures, belongings, clothes, and other items that held importance to them before they passed. Their scent still lingers on these items so that if their bodies were not here, one could be convinced that they are still living. If nothing else, it masks the faint scent of death that surely clings to them.

It's a hard sight to witness, one that brings tears to my eyes even though I knew none of them. There are families huddled around them, holding their belongings, hugging each other, there are mates who have dropped at the sight of their other half. The silken streams of moonlight show off in glimmers that their marks are starting to fade. The worst part, still yet, is the pups. One or two who aren't even old enough to walk, still held in their mother's arms.

To the left side of the clearing is a table, and a woman sits behind it, her face solemn. Around her are maybe hundreds of bundles of flowers all tied together with white string, placed carefully so that the petals aren't crushed. Each bundle has six flowers, one of each color: red, black, white, blue, yellow, and pink. Wolves come up and take multiple bundles for themselves, before walking off. Most of them without a word towards the woman seated amongst the boquets.

I stand at the left side of the doors, with maybe thirty feet between the flower woman and I. I'm unsure of what to do, since Kassidy left me a little bit ago saying that she needed to check on Nora. "She has been taking this really hard." Is what she muttered before leaving the room in a hurry.

Thankfully Payne steps out of the door and finds his way to me. His sleek button up shirts and jeans does nothing to take away from the exhaustion seeping into every feature. Even his posture is slouched, if only a very small amount - it's just a slight curl of his shoulders that I'm not sure anyone else would notice.

"I've missed you," Is all he says, his arms wrapping me up, hands squeezing my hips. He does not hide this display of affection, and neither do I, sinking into his chest. His scent is relieving, even with the overwhelming sadness that sticks to the air and makes it thick.

I look up at him, the green of his eyes sparkling against the paper lanterns strung throughout the trees. How all of this got set up so quickly is beyond me. How the lady has so many flowers of the same colors on hand is beyond me. I wish he would lean down and kiss me, but right now, my reaction to him would be beyond inappropriate. I still haven't learned how to control my body when his touch is involved.

"I missed you too. Are you ...okay? As okay as you can be, I mean?" I say. He nods his head yes, and I can hear and feel him take a deep breath in. "I'm okay, but it's not me I'm worried about." His eyes glance over at all the families saying their final goodbyes. Without a word I feel his pain for them.

I pull back and take one of his hands in mine, squeezing it. "So what are we.. supposed to do? Kassidy told me a little bit, but she had to go. I don't want to be disrespectful." I would hate to cause more stress and hurt at a time like this for not understanding their customs.

"Just do what I do. First, we will need a bundle for each of the twelve warriors who passed. We won't be able to carry them all so we'll have to make a couple of trips. Normally, a wolf would only grab enough flowers to honor someone they were close to. I think it's important as the future Alpha, that I honor each of them personally." A twinge appears in his jaw as he twists me carefully, putting his hand on the small of my back so that we can begin to walk towards the flower lady.