Moonlight: sorrow and love

Grief: 2

Fourteen months had passed since Sylas' death, and in all that time, Ares had never once left the small room they'd shared. He remained hidden away, clinging to the last remnants of Sylas his scent, his clothes, the faint lingering energy in the space. Ares felt like the walls were the only thing keeping him sane, trapping him in a place where Sylas still existed.

Each morning, he would wake to the fading smell of lemon and chocolate musk that had once filled their bed, hoping against hope that today might be the day he would catch just the slightest whisper of Sylas' voice or feel the ghostly touch of his hand. But each day passed without him, leaving Ares hollow, lost in a world that no longer made sense.

He couldn't leave, not now, not ever. If he left the room, it would be like leaving Sylas behind, letting the last vestiges of him fade into nothing.

Outside, the pack moved on. Life continued around him missions, training, the mundane everyday tasks of running the pack none of which penetrated the cocoon Ares had spun around himself. But he knew they were waiting for him, growing impatient with each passing day. Still, he couldn't bring himself to face them.

"Ares!" Nicola's voice suddenly broke through the silence like a storm. The sharpness of her tone made him flinch. "Open this door now!"

Ares didn't move, his body paralyzed with the same sinking dread that had settled in his bones ever since that night. He curled tighter into himself, pressing his face deeper into the pillow that still carried Sylas' scent, though it was fainter now, almost gone. He knew they were coming for him, but why couldn't they just leave him alone? Couldn't they understand that without Sylas, nothing mattered anymore?

"Ares!" she called again, her voice tinged with impatience, fists pounding against the door. "If you don't open up, I'm coming in!"

Leo stirred inside him, whimpering softly, his voice weak and brittle from the months of neglect. "Ares, please... listen to her. We need to go out, at least just once. Maybe it will help..."

But Ares shook his head, pressing his hand to his chest as if the physical act could somehow keep his grief from swallowing him whole. "No," he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet of the room. "I won't leave without Sylas. I can't."

The pounding on the door intensified. Nicola wasn't alone. Ares could hear more voices now, Sylas' mother pleading softly, her voice shaking with worry and sorrow. Then came Thane, Sylas' father, his deep authoritative tone cutting through the chaos.

"Ares," Thane's voice boomed from behind the door, carrying the weight of his authority as alpha. "Come out. Now."

Ares felt his body tense, his instincts forcing him to respond to the alpha's command, even though every part of him wanted to stay hidden away, wrapped in the safety of his memories. But he couldn't disobey. His legs trembled as he slowly rose from the bed, his heart pounding in his chest. He shuffled to the door, every step feeling like he was moving through molasses. The moment he opened the door, the bright light from the hallway hit him, blinding him momentarily, and he winced, squinting against the harshness of it. He stumbled, his weak, unsteady body collapsing straight into Daniel's arms—Nicola's mate, his strong hands catching Ares before he could hit the ground.

"Take him to the kitchen," Nicola's voice snapped through the haze. "Feed him. He barely eats."

Her tone was firm, but Ares could hear the concern underneath, hidden by the sharpness. She'd always been tough, but he knew that even Nicola was struggling to find the right balance of compassion and frustration. It had been months, after all, and the pack needed to move forward, but Ares had become a ghost, haunting the pack house.

Thane's eyes were like steel as he stared at Ares, his disappointment palpable. "Bath, food, then straight to my office," he ordered, and there was no room for argument in his tone. The alpha had spoken, and Ares knew he had no choice.

As Daniel led Ares through the house, he felt the weight of every gaze on him. The pack had grown used to his absence, but now that he was out of his room, the whispers started again, louder this time, swirling around him like a vicious storm. Some stared with sympathy, their eyes soft with pity. Others were colder, their gazes hard with resentment. He could hear the murmurs Why is he still here? How long is he going to wallow? Sylas wouldn't want this...

But there was one thought louder than all the others, and it rang through Ares' mind like a bell Sylas deserved someone better. He deserved someone stronger. I should have been the one to die.

Leo's presence surged forward, his frustration mixing with Ares' despair. "Stop it, Ares!" the wolf snapped, his voice stronger now, more insistent. "You did not kill him. You need to stop saying that!"

But Ares couldn't hear him, not really. The grief had made him deaf to reason, blind to anything but the pain of Sylas' absence. He kept his eyes trained on the floor as Daniel led him to the kitchen, too ashamed to look anyone in the eye. Daniel placed a steaming bowl of soup in front of him, the smell filling the air, but Ares felt nothing. His stomach clenched with nausea at the thought of eating, but he knew he couldn't refuse. He picked up the spoon, the action mechanical, robotic. Each mouthful was tasteless, the texture like ash in his mouth. He forced himself to eat because it was expected of him, because he had to keep going through the motions even though his heart was long dead.

The voices around him grew louder, and he felt their judgment pressing down on him, suffocating. Some of the pack members avoided his gaze entirely, while others watched him with thinly veiled anger. He heard someone mutter, "He still sleeps by Sylas' grave every night... It's pathetic."

His hands shook as he forced another spoonful of soup past his lips. Ares wanted to scream at them all, to tell them they didn't understand. They hadn't lost their mates. They hadn't watched the person they loved more than life itself die. How could they know what that felt like?

Daniel's hand rested gently on Ares' shoulder, pulling him out of his spiraling thoughts. "Finish your food, Ares," he said softly, his voice gentle despite the tension in the room.

Ares nodded numbly, finishing the meal without tasting a single bite. When the bowl was finally empty, Daniel stood, helping Ares to his feet once more. "Bath and then to the alpha's office," Daniel reminded him quietly, guiding him down the hallway.

The hot water scalded his skin, but Ares barely felt it as he scrubbed away days of grime and sweat. His reflection in the mirror was almost unrecognizable the once bright, lively eyes now hollow and red-rimmed, his cheeks sunken, his hair unkempt. He didn't look like himself anymore. He didn't feel like himself anymore.

"We'll get through this, Ares," Leo whispered, but his voice lacked its usual strength.

Ares dressed in silence, the dread building inside him like a storm as he made his way to Thane's office. The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. Thane stood behind his desk, his expression hard but filled with an uncomfortable sort of pity. Nicola stood by his side, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes watching him with something that looked like impatience. And then there was Sylas' mother, standing in the corner, her face etched with sorrow as she looked at him, her heart clearly breaking for him but also for herself, for the son she had lost.

"Ares," Thane began, his voice firm and unwavering, but there was a softness there, buried beneath the authority. "We've made arrangements for you to join the Moonblade Pack. You leave tomorrow."

Ares' heart stopped, the blood in his veins turning to ice. "What?" His voice was small, disbelieving. He felt like the ground had just been ripped out from beneath his feet. "No... no, please. I can't leave. I won't leave. Not without Sylas. Please." His voice cracked, breaking into sobs that he couldn't hold back.

Thane's expression didn't change. "This is for your own good, Ares. You need a fresh start, away from the memories that are keeping you trapped."

Ares felt like he was drowning. "I won't leave!" he screamed, desperation filling every fiber of his being. "I can't leave Sylas! I need him! I need to be near him!" He fell to his knees, his body wracked with sobs, his fingers digging into the carpet as if it could anchor him in place. "I'll stay here... forever... I'll stay at his grave, please! Just don't make me leave him!"

Nicola stepped forward, her voice softer than usual but still firm. "Ares, we understand your pain, but this is what you need. You're not living, not really. This is for you, not against you."

Daniel's voice came from behind her, steady and calm. "I'll help you pack, Ares. It's time.