Forest Pack Community Book One

chapter 4

Felicia’s attempt at strength was fragile, the kind only a grieving seven year old could muster, yet it showed she was already reaching for healing long before she could fully understand what healing meant. Mick smiled with pride and tears in his eyes and said, “Can your Aunt Joy and I walk on either side of you? We are their family too. So, let’s do this together. We can all be strong. Family leans on family.” Felicia nodded firmly.

Ben and Lissa smiled warmly. Ben said, even though we are the Alpha and Luna of the pack. We will walk behind the coffins. Warriors will carry your parents into the pack house for the evening. “Go ahead and take them to the waiting room. They’ll stay there until the ceremony’s ready.” Again, Felicia nodded. “Can I help with the ceremony?” Joy nodded, and Felicia gave a little smile. At that, the five got out of the SUV. As they walked up the stairs with the Winters leading and the Alpha and Luna following, heads lifted. Felicia nodded, and the warriors opened the back of the Suburban, and one by one, her parents were lifted out. Six warriors per casket. Felicia, Joy, and Mick then rejoined hands and led them into the pack house. With Ben and Lissa following behind, heads bowed in respect.

After everyone was inside, her parents were placed on cloth-covered tables. Each had the pack symbol on the cloth. And flowers at the corners. It was all incredibly beautiful. Someone came and handed Lissa a crown of pink roses, which she then placed on Felicia’s head, saying, “Welcome home. We are sorry for your loss, but we promise to love and take care of you until your one true mate comes and finds you. We will always be by your side.”

Felicia sensed this was important. So, she curtsied like some distant memory that had come forward and said, “Thank you, my Luna, for all you have done for my parents and me.” Once Felicia was standing again.

Lissa looked at Mick and Joy. “Mick and Joy Winters, do you accept Felicia as your own, taking over her upbringing and helping her to learn what her place can be in this pack? Loving her as her parents would?”

Mick replied, “My Luna, I will love her and bring her up, teaching her the ways of the pack. Helping her realize her dreams, whatever they may be. But I will not take her parents’ place. I will always be her uncle, as I could never take her dad’s place. But I will love her like she is my own.”

It was Joy’s turn to promise. “My Luna, I, too, will always be her aunt. I could never take her mother’s place. But I will love her as if she were my own, teaching her all the things her mother would want her to know. Be there for her through the tears and the smiles.”

Ben stepped up to stand next to his Luna and wife. “Then it is settled. She will move in with you. Tomorrow we will get her things from her old home and move them into her new one. We will figure out logistics later, as now is not the time.” Mick smiled gratefully at his old friend. Everyone dispersed, milling around and talking about memories they had of the couple.

Felicia sat down away from the main group, just watching. She had done the song and dance that was expected of her. But that was over, and she could shrink back into the background. As she sat there, she stared at the caskets, blaming herself. For asking for ice cream and keeping them out later than planned, you carry the bitter thought that they’d still be alive. It always returns when you hear people laughing, dragging you back to your own joke — the one you told that night, the one that made everyone laugh. The dream was always the same. You told the joke, distracting your dad, making him look back at you. The cracking of bones: your parents’ bones, to be exact. You remember how blood flew; you didn’t tell the adults everything. For instance, the sound of scraping metal, the pain of knowing exactly when they died as their connection broke off. That’s why she was the one screaming no. She was the one who saw them being tossed around. Hitting the dash, the door, the seat, each other, and then starting all over again. Repeatedly, it was a nightmare. Part of her was glad she sank into the darkness because then she didn’t have to remember it. But after it all confirmed that they were dead, she still howled in pain at their loss. She just wanted to be with them. But she also knew the Goddess Selene worked in mysterious ways. It's what her momma always said to her.

She had snippets of memories before the crash. Things her parents said. Her dad always told her that she was stronger than she thought. That, that strength would show itself one day, and people would be in awe of her. She didn’t understand that cause she was not strong. She was small and scrawny. She didn’t see the beautiful girl that her mom and dad always said they saw. She promised herself that she would never seek the spotlight and would always try to stay in the shadows unnoticed. Being in the spotlight only brought pain and sorrow to those around her.

Joy looked around and saw that Felicia had originally been sitting in a chair, out of the way, like she was trying to hide. But now she was slumped over in the said chair, curled up asleep. She mind-linked Mick and said, “Babe, Felicia has fallen asleep in one of the chairs. We need to get her home. What are we going to do?” Mick replied, “Well, we do have that extra office/ guest room we can turn into a bedroom for her, but it won’t be ready tonight. We can get it together tomorrow. Why don’t we set up a cot in our room for tonight? That way she’s not alone on her first night here. We’ll let her help decorate her own room tomorrow. Maybe the two of you can do that.” Joy responded, ‘Good idea, shall I scoop her up?’

Mick replied, ‘No, I’ll do it. Ask the Luna for a cot or something for her to sleep on tonight.’

At that, Joy went to find Lissa, who was chatting with some pack member and laughing, when she noticed Joy approaching her with purpose. She excused herself and met Joy halfway. “Is there something you need, my friend?”

“Yes, please. We need a cot or something to put in our room for tonight. She’s fallen asleep in one of the chairs and needs to go to bed. Also, we forgot about the extra office/guest room we had. So, we’re going to turn that into her bedroom, but we won’t be able to do anything about it tonight. That’s tomorrow’s task.” She sighed.

“Of course! I’ll get one man to take a cot up for you and a maid to bring sheets and blankets and pajamas for her to wear. Then, tomorrow, the three of us will decorate her room. Make it a girl’s day for shopping. If she wants to keep things from her home that she had with her parents, she may have whatever she wants. As well as any furniture. We will talk tomorrow. For now, let’s get her all set up for bed tonight.” She signaled two of the people waiting to be needed. The man she told to get a cot for Felicia and asked the maid to find bedding and something for the little girl to wear to bed.