Ascension of a Gamma novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46 Opening Locks 

–Anna 

The elders prayed to the Moon Goddess with the rest of the pack silently prayingo n their own. Dressed in black from head t o toe, we gathered around the graves of the brave men and women who fought for us. Their families wailed in their dirt covered graves, clutching at the headstones that summarized their entire identity, the life they lived. Soon, plants o f their choosing would be planted by their spouse, or their parents, or their children, whoever they have left behind. 

Today was particularly chilly. Mud dirtied our shoes and the atmosphere, melancholic. 

I watched all these unfold with a heavy heart, holding back the tears as I felt their pain – the pain of losing a loved one. They were warriors to me, as someone else to the rest – a son, a daughter, a mother, a father, a wife, a husband, a friend. They lived their lives with a different identity to each person in their life but died with the same everyone had and will remember them by. 

It was nothing short of cruel, but such was reality, and it‘d take time to overcome the grief, though it didn‘t always happen. 

The memories were our attachments to them that transcended their physical company, and it‘d continue to remind us that they once were, by our sides. Sometimes the feeling of a ghostly presence would linger when we found ourselves staying in places where we used to spend time with them, and the nights were worse because of the eerie silence that filled the room. 

At least it was how it was for me. I felt their pain in every way because I knew what it was like to lose someone, to have someone fight bravely for me that it cost them their life. To me, it was an exchange. Their life for mine – so I could live one more second, one more day, one more year – then celebrate a “birthday“. 

They were brave, fearless even; my only regret was never getting to know who they were when they were still around. It was an honor, to be a part of the pack they served, loved, and protected. 

they served, loved, and protected. 

The warriors stood straight in formation, with Rigel and Gale on the front. Their faces solemn, hearts grieving and undeniably even more furious than mine. 

Gale shifted first, into a gray wolf with black patches of fur and clear blue eyes. Rigel followed, then the rest of the warriors. 

Liam let go of my hand, then shifted into his own. Bigger than the rest, he was a beautiful black wolf, too dark it almost looked like a thick dark blue, his eyes black. He sat on his hind legs, then raising his head, he let out a long, pained howl, soon succeeded by the warriors. Then everyone in the pack had shifted into their own wolves and howled along with him. 

Their families had shifted too, some of them whimpering. I wished I could shift too. At this very moment, I wanted to. I wanted to join the pack in their grievance, in sending them off, a farewell for our dead, but I couldn‘t. 

Tears didn‘t measure, and so I continued t o pray instead. Afterward, the pack started to leave until it was only their 

rted to leave until it was only their families. Then, it was only Liam and me. He laid on his stomach, his head on his forelegs. I squatted to reach his level, then ran a hand on his back, soft, thick fur enveloping my fingers. 

Luca whimpered. I kissed the top of his head. Looking around the graveyard, it was near impossible to get a picture of the number of the deceased for there were different plants growing around, from flowers to shrubs to evergreens. The pack lost many, yet at the same time, it didn‘t feel that way with the view. Perhaps this was their way of immortalizing their loved ones – by giving them another life in this world. 

His tongue darted out and licked my hand. I scratched from below his jaw down to his side. I smiled softly at him. H e didn‘t do anything, but I could feel just how much it grieved him, and the regreto f not supporting them sooner weighed on his shoulders. 

It‘d be easy to tell him it wasn‘t his fault. I treally wasn‘t. He shouldn‘t blame himself for their deaths. However, I felt like keeping my mouth shut and just 

He keeping my mouth shut and just staying beside him would speak more than whatever word might leave my mouth. In whatever way I could, I‘d let him know that I was right here with him, all the way. 

Getting up on his paws, he rubbed his head on my thighs before turning around. I walked beside him, occasionally rubbing his back. He kept his head down, ears flat on his head. I wished I could do more... 

Instead of walking out the graveyard, he led me behind a curtain of thick vines. Hidden and separated from the rest were more headstones. The graves had different plants, too, and as we passed them by, I noticed on the visible headstones a recurring name, “Rose“. It was his family‘s 

He stopped in front of two graves that were side by side. White roses grew on each grave. He laid right at the middle before these, closed his eyes, then whimpered. One read “Sarina Rose“, his first mate, and the other, “Samila Rose“. I didn‘t know who the latter was, but I could tell both of these women mattered the world to him. 

He kept whimpering like he was physically hurt but he wasn‘t, it was more than that. I sat on my butt this time and patted his head. Holding both sides o f his head, I motioned for him to spread himself across my lap, to which he did. 

His massive body was heavy. But he was also warm. I could tell he was being careful to not put all his weight on me. I ran my hand soothingly across his massive body, sometimes leaning forward to kiss him wherever. His scent was stronger, and it calmed me down. He also quieted down; his eyes still closed. 

Then he blinked them open, got off my lap, and shifted back to his human form. He sat beside me with a plain expression. Putting a hand on his shoulder, he raised those eyes at me. Profound sadness stared back from his brown gaze. They said, “eyes are the windows to the soul” – I was staring straight into it right now. He was letting me in, showing me what was usually concealed. Oh, Liam. 

A tear escaped an eye and I wiped it with a thumb. After all these years, he carried i talone – regrets, grief, anger... 

Talone – regrets, grief, anger... 

He was no different than I for although I acted like I had moved on; the truth was that I still cared so much about the past. Living with the White Lake Pack was all I had to keep me going. Their sacrifice and a promise – I would’ve ended my life a long time ago if it wasn‘t because of them. 

Going to the human world was me thinking I‘d live a better life away from werewolves. That maybe, if I wasn‘t involved with them, I‘d find a reason to continue living. I should‘ve realized it was far from that. I questioned the Goddess often why I didn‘t die that night, why I was saved by a second mate. And perhaps this was her answer – we were a somewhat perfect fit. Just two broken souls trying to live life because of a past that chained us down. 

His lips parted, then he bowed his head a sa sob broke from his throat. I pulled him to my chest, running a hand down his back as he clutched on my sleeves and cried. And I cried with him. 

Surrounded by the graves of his bloodline, in their silent embrace, our tears fell freely, and the only sounds we 

rs fell freely, and the only sounds we heard were our own cries. At this moment, the world faded, and it was just the two of us once more. 

Eventually, our wails turned to sobs, to hiccups, then heavy breaths. My clothing was soaked where he cried, and so was the back of his shirt, for my chin rested just past his nape. I took out a handkerchief from a pocket to blow my nose and he let go of me and turned to his side to do the same. 

Then he turned to face me, and I chuckled. Eyes swollen; nose, red; and his lips still quivering. He offered a small smile, then tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Between the two of us, I think you look worse,” he said, then we laughed aloud like we haven‘t been crying just a minute ago. 

It felt good to cry, and have someone to cry to, but it felt better to have someonet o laugh with. I rested my head on his shoulder. My lower back ached from our previous position. He intertwined his fingers with mine, and I was comforted b y the warmth that came from him. He kissed my hair and sighed. I smiled. 

Nissed my hair and sighed. I smiled. 

“Sarina was my mate. She‘s the first. But you already know,” he said as he placed a 11 arm around my shoulders. “I met her when the Blue Moon Pack came to visit, years after my uncle had taken over as Alpha of the pack. He married the daughter of their last Alpha, who was sick at the time. When he was my father‘s Beta, he was married to his mate in this pack. Sarina and Salina, their mother was from our pack. But she passed away at childbirth, and my uncle insisted on taking his daughters with him when he was banished for fucking mated she wolves, one too many times. Dad had no choice but to let them go. He was the Alpha, but he wasn‘t the children‘s father.” 3 

My head shot up to find him looking down at me with a soft smile. I was curious about this since Lexy‘s short version, but was I ready to hear it? He didn‘t have to force himself. 

As if he could read my thoughts, he leaned forward to kiss my forehead. 

I relaxed then and snuggled closer to him. 

“He was banished, but he wasn‘t a rogue. 

e was banished, but he wasn‘t a rogue. He became an Alpha. It was a meeting of Alphas; Dad couldn‘t lose face and I think he was relieved to see that his brother was doing well for himself. I was in my mid–twenties, five years ahead of her. He brought her daughters with them, and that was how we met.” 3 

He stared at her tombstone with longing. My heart ached with jealousy, much to m y dismay. 

“She was... bubbly and bright, and constantly annoyed me. I was sleeping around with whoever, I felt like I didn‘t deserve her.” 

I rolled my eyes – typical. Just how many came before me. 

“Are you mad at me?” he asked. 

“For what?” 

“For sleeping with a number of women.” 

He didn‘t have to ask! No mate would be happy about it. While most of us kept ourselves untouched for our mate, some, especially Alphas, Betas, and Gammas still chose to do it with whoever was willing, which I‘d imagine was never a 

ling, which I‘d imagine was never a problem since many women were as thirsty as them. 

“Would you be happy if I slept with men before you? You almost killed Flynn that night, and that was my first,” I retorted. 

“No. I‘d be angry at you, too,” he said as h e rubbed small circles on the back of my hand. “Babe, he wasn‘t your first. I am. H e saw nothing while I saw everything. He tasted nothing while I tasted all of you. H e doesn‘t wear your scent; I do. And if he took these away from me that night, I would‘ve killed him, no regrets, even if it brought a war at our borders. You saw how far my warriors would go to protect the pack. How far do you think they‘ll go t o protect their Luna?” 1 

He asked the question with conviction that it scared me. I didn‘t want anyone dying for me, and yet a lot of them just did. I didn‘t want anyone fighting over m e; I wasn‘t worth it. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled, unsure of what I was saying it for. 

“I‘m sorry, too. I felt like I should let it out,” he said, sighing. “Do you want met 

,” he said, sighing. “Do you want met o continue?” 

I nodded. 

“I didn‘t fall on my knees in front of her o r changed into a one–woman man overnight. I silently rejected her for two straight days and avoided her as often as I could. But as I said, she found ways to annoy me. She‘d follow me wherever I go and keep talking non–stop. I even kissed a girl in front of her, so she‘d leave me alone. I felt like shit, but it worked. She left me alone for the rest of the day. You can already guess what happened next.” 

Tamrowed at num. 

My heart dropped. He didn‘t say it back, again. At least his “I forgot everything self” said it back. “Thought you should  Of” said it back. “Thought you should know.”