Jace pov
The memorial service was everything Marcus Storms my father deserved—dignified, moving, attended by wolves from a dozen different packs who'd come to pay their respects to a legendary Alpha. The community center had been transformed, filled with white flowers and candles, photos of my father displayed throughout the space capturing decades of leadership and life.
I sat in the front row beside my mother, barely hearing the words being spoken. Pack members and visiting Alphas took turns sharing stories—my father's wisdom, his strength, his dedication to protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. Each story was a knife in my chest, another reminder of the man I had failed to save.
*It should have been me,* the thought ran through my mind on repeat, a mantra of guilt that ha
