The Dying Wolf

Chapter 19

-Tavyra's POV-

The cemetery gave off almost a haunting feel to it. Like I could feel the spirits radiate off of the tombstones. And there were many of them. It was obvious this cemetery has been around for who knows how many generations. I walked past the front gates with Montavius in the black dress shirt I bought at the store and black dress pants. The sun was still high in the air but it still made the earth rather chilly. The fallen, dying leaves on the ground crunched under everyone's feet as they trudged to the first burial site. Alpha Zane's. 

We headed all the way to the back where the bloodline graveyard lay. There were maybe five or six tombstones back here, but there was plenty of room for the few. In fact, it was a whole other section itself, closed off with fences and everything. It was a graveyard within one. As we walked past the second gate, I saw the hole prepared in the ground for Zane, next to one of the more recent tombstones. The engraving read, 

"Here Lies Luna Annie Tyler

A Wonderful Mother and Wife

May Her Death Not Be In Vain

RIP"

It sent chills down my spine thinking about it.  

Alpha Zane's body laid beside the prepared burial site, not in a coffin but on a raised platform for his body to lay, his arms across his chest and his eyes closed. Whoever the embalmer was did a pretty good job, because if I didn't know any better, I would've thought he was sleeping in a nice tux, red tie, and dress pants and shoes. 

The crowd was getting bigger and bigger as time passed. I mostly stayed closed to Montavius, helping the grievers and talking to some of the pack members. I wasn't exactly focused on the conversations, I was more looking around for Zannic. He'd yet to respond to my texts. I even talked to Tyson and he said he didn't speak to him either. I was worried. Maybe I was worried about the fact that he'd never speak to me again, or maybe I was worried about him being okay. I couldn't tell if I was being selfish or not, but I felt my heart skip a beat when I did see him. 

He was wearing his own suit, black from head to toe. His hair was slicked back, showing more of his facial features and putting his bruises and scars on for show. There was no doubt his eye was only mostly open and his skin on his cheek was turning blue, but that seemed to be covered with concealer. 

Even though his face was still looking beaten up, the rest of him looked rather cleaned. Polished and almost shining in the afternoon sunlight. The biggest thing that I noticed on his outfit was the indifferent look on his face. Like he was being more headstrong that he should. 

He walked through the gates and did not talk to anybody, simply made his way over to the burial site and looking from his father's body to his mother's gravestone. I wanted to go up to him and comfort him so bad, but I felt he still needed his space. He didn't even look like he wanted to be here. 

I rocked back and forth on my feet, antsy to go over and hug him and make sure he's alright. Just as I had grown the courage to do it, Rufus beat me to the punch. 

He stood rather close to Zannic, probably whispering in his ear about something. I sighed and tried to focus on the conversation Montavius was having with a pack elder, but I wasn't very that interested. I was more interested on what my Alpha was talking about. 

-Zannic's POV- 

"Here Lies Luna Annie Tyler"

I haven't visited Mom's grave in a while. It's been too long. I kept reading her name. Dad wanted to avenge her through Tavyra. I simply thought to myself, hoping my mother could hear, "But Tavyra didn't kill you, Ma. You have Dad with you now."