I'm Sorry, Who's Your Mate?

Chapter 29 (Part 1)

So I know the last chapter was a bit of a downer and I hate to say it but this chapter (both parts) are kind of sad too. Chapter 30 will pick up on all the lovey dovey stuff but it'll jump in time. 

Just to explain why I'm posting Chapter 29, it might me a little boring, I just want to explain Paige's state of mind and her thought process. Ariel was her best friend and when you have someone like that, especially someone who went though the hardest part of your life with you, taken away, it shocks you. Hopefully this chapter will help clarify the feelings Paige has

Thank you to everyone who votes/comments/fans! It's amazing to see the feedback from you guys :)

Part 2 is already written so I'll post it in a few days, maybe sooner if you guys would like

(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes)

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Chapter 29

Paige’s POV:

            Ariel’s funeral was a week later.

            The day was bitter grey and cold, not a ray of sunshine to be seen. As if the creatures of the woods could sense our sorrow, there were no chirps from birds and no scurrying from squirrels. It’s tradition to hold a funeral outside for a werewolf to honor their more animalistic side. Ariel’s family had decided to bury her on the neutral territory between our packs so both sides could visit her grave site. Everyone in my pack sat on the left side of the aisle while everyone from Ariel’s pack sat to the right. It was silent as we all filed into the seats that held a single card with Ariel’s picture and her birth date followed by the date of her death. People from both packs sat in silence while we waited for the ceremony to start.

            I sat numbly in the first row with James clutching my hand. My eyes refused to leave the coffin that was on display in the front. I’d spent the last week engulfed in sadness and grief but most importantly, guilt. I replayed her last minutes hundreds of times in my head and in my nightmares, I saw Brian’s hand carelessly and viciously snake out to deliver her final blow. I was haunted by thoughts of what I could have done differently, images of how I could have saved her. I was told by many people that there was nothing I could have done but I didn’t agree. There had to have been something I could have done.

           

            James squeezed my hand and looked at me with a concerned expression. I looked back at him blankly before flickering my eyes to Sutton and Evan. They sat on the other side of James and stared back at me with sorrow in their  eyes. I loved them both dearly but I couldn’t help but feel angry deep down. It was because of their actions so many years ago that I had been kidnapped and it was because of them that Brian had decided to take revenge. They say that every person who has lost someone close to them has someone they blame for their loved one’s death.

            I couldn’t help but place the blame on them.

            “If you’re already, we’ll begin now.” I looked up as the stranger before everyone spoke. He was a respected person from Ariel’s pack designated to lead the service. “We come here today to honor a life so callously taken from us.”

            I inhaled sharply but reigned in my tears. My gaze didn’t waver from the chestnut colored coffin but my grip on James’ hand tightened. I tried my best but I couldn’t block out the endless sobs Ariel’s mother let out. I knew that if I turned to look at her I would see her face pressed into her husband’s chest while her hands gripped his shoulders and her body shook with the force of her sadness. I knew I would see her husband’s hands holding her to him tightly while his eyes glittered with tears. I also knew that if I turned to look at them, my carefully constructed emotionless façade would crumble and I too, would break down.