The Wild

-26- Resurrection

"But I really think my shift was a one-time thing. I don't feel very different," I told her, but she instantly shook her head.

"No, dear, it wasn't. I can see it in you, just like your mother... I can feel it, too, and so can John. And he's been around a number of Alphas, so I think we can trust him on this one," she told me, and gave a short little laugh when she poked fun at her husband. If he was here at the moment, I figured he'd be as unresponsive as usual.

"It's because of that, I think. I can't... pinpoint what it was, but I think he was afraid of me after I had shifted. It's why he confronted me, and if I hadn't shifted in the first place, maybe-"

"You had no control over it, honey. Sh, don't say that! There's a reason for everything and you can't change it. We just have to deal with the consequences when they come," she told me firmly, and I knew exactly what she was talking about before she even mentioned it. Tyler's men would make sure I paid for what I did to their leader, and I couldn't imagine how furious they were. They were all probably losing their minds at this very second, trying to figure out what was wrong like Brian did.

The screen door swung open, and a second later, John nudged the wooden door out of his way so he could step inside, swiping a hand over the side of his face and looking thoroughly exasperated. This wasn't what he had in mind when it came to a casual, relaxation day.

"The others will be here any minute. We can't move his body much farther from here without making them suspicious," he explained to us, kicking the door closed and walking over to the counter. His boots fell heavy on the wood flooring until he stopped and turned to me. "It's probably difficult for you right now, but Brian is adamant. The funeral happens here and no where else."

"What funeral? They aren't... burying him here, are they?" I gasped, voice squeaking. Mary hastily shook her head and looked to me.

"No, of course not. It's customary in their pack to burn the dead rather than bury them. It's been a tradition for as long as I can remember," she informed me. I felt like fainting right then and there. I knew Brian hadn't meant it as punishment to me, but I could smell Tyler's blood wafting in from the basement, and later, I'd have the stench of his burning flesh to remember him by. Great.

John seemed to sense my reservations and gave me a stern look as he said, "Lily, it's the least you can do. Letting them grieve here at your home will improve their image of you. It shows that you don't mean to start a war with them."

I remained silent as Mary began to discuss how they would manage the uproar with Tyler's father. Surely he wouldn't see his son's death as an act of violence against his pack? I wanted to bash my head into the counter. Their damn Alpha, who had practically enslaved Mary, didn't exactly seem like one to compromise in situations such as these. He was a retired Alpha, old, too aged to lead a group of men with steadfast endurance and tempers to match.

"What will they do now?" I asked them, returning their attentions to me. "What will they do now that Tyler's dead? If his father can't lead them, who do they go to?"

Mary seemed stumped, so she turned to John, who automatically said, "That's for Brian to decide. As Beta he had control of the pack until further notice. He can't stand on his own for long because he doesn't have the capabilities Tyler had."

—-

Late that night, when Amaya and Bennet came around to see what all the commotion was about, they stumbled in on a bed of wooden logs, branches, and sticks. They found every one of Tyler's men glaring at them with such ferocity, that it was no wonder they thought the burning of Tyler's body was instead for me, and that they were next. They came running into the cabin, only to relax the second they found all of the lights on, and my favorite record playing in the background. I was, in fact, as safe as I could be at a time like that.