Caleb stood in the open doorway, one hand rested on the door frame as he looked past to the room before him. He was standing between the living room and the dinning area, one foot on the threshold. His feet suddenly feeling like lead. He thought he was ready but was now having second thoughts.
“You don’t have to do this.” A voice whispered in his ear. He felt a hand, soft and small, touch his shoulder reassuringly. He recognized the owner of that voice and hand at once. Rusty.
The red haired omega who, in just over a day, had become the closest thing to a friend Caleb had in Black River.
Caleb shook his head but his words caught in his throat. Hot tears welled up in his eyes and for a moment he thought he might actually turn and run away. “I can do it.” He whispered back. “He was my mate. It’s an honor to do this for him.”
Rusty nodded, then took Caleb’s hand and, when he was ready, led him slowly into the room.
The room looked so decadent. Though Caleb had never been inside Quinton’s house before he could imagine what the room was supposed to look like, judging from the rest of the house. Someone had taken great care with the place. It wasn’t a huge mansion like what Seth Bowden and his mate shared, but it wasn’t tiny either. It was a family home and one that Caleb suspected had seen it’s share of pups running through the rooms.
The decor wasn’t something you’d expect from a bachelor though. It definitely had a woman’s touch. The designer was probably Quinton’s mother. Caleb didn’t know much about her, only that Rhys was still an infant when she passed to the Moonlands. Their father passed when Quinton was seventeen and Rhys just twelve. Had the house been kept the same since their mother had passed, twenty-one years earlier?
Maybe some things were different. Furniture perhaps. Things that needed replacing over the years more than likely, but Caleb couldn’t imagine that much else had been changed. Pictures lined the walls showing the normal progression of age for both boys from infancy till graduation. The older photographs of Rhys had been hung by his father and then, probably, Quinton.
In the living room, above the mantle was a large family photo. Mother and father seated side by side, a five year old Quinton at their feet, and a pudgy, raven-haired baby with large blue eyes, cradled in his mothers arms.
The baby of course was Rhys. Caleb could see that at once. It was astonishing, looking at the image of his mate as a pup. He was almost indistinguishable from Rhylan. The two could have been twins.
Caleb walked past the image, around an oval shaped, mahogany coffee table, past the couch and into the other room. The dining room. This room should have been fully furnished like the last room but all the furniture had been moved out. In it’s place, a grey, steel, folding table had been erected and covered with a white sheet. A pillow had been placed at the head of the table, and then Rhys’s body laid carefully on top. His head resting on the pillow.
Another sheet covered him up to his neck and his eyes were closed. He could very well have been sleeping if he wasn’t so still. Caleb walked slowly to Rhys body and gently placed a hand over his heart. He remembered the first time he’d done that. It was in the motel room and Rhys had been terrified that Caleb was a witch, controlling his mind.
Caleb tried to force a smile at the absurdity of the memory but the smile refused to come. He remembered feeling Rhys emotions when he’d touched him. All he could feel now was the cold, stillness, of death. He gasped, pulling his hand away sharply, placing it over his own heart. No. It was too real. Too final. What on earth ever made him think he could do this?
He wanted to run suddenly. Not to anywhere in particular, just away. As far away as he could get. Someplace warm, and pure, and filled with the scent of fresh flowers and honeysuckle. Someplace where the sun could warm his skin and maybe, just maybe, Rhys would be waiting there for him and he would know that it had all been a mistake. Rhys wasn’t really gone. He was alive. Maybe he’d been searching for Caleb this whole time, wondering where he was.
Caleb could run into his arms and they would hug and kiss and everything would be alright. They would gather up their pup and then the three of them could be together. They could find a little house. Rhys would retire from the bounty hunting business because it was just too dangerous. He could work along side Quinton and help manage the pack. That was the life that Caleb wanted. Just him, Rhys, their pup and anymore that they happened to have down the road.
They had years ahead of them. Years of first words, and first steps, first days of school, and first loves. There would be countless birthday celebrations as well as Christmas’s, Thanksgivings, and all the other holidays that families celebrated together. Maybe Quinton would eventually find a mate and have pups and they could invite them over for family dinners.
Caleb would finally have the kind istanbul travesti of family he’d always dreamed of and it would all be because of Rhys. Rhys who had chosen to save him, and mate him. Rhys, who had promised to always take care of him. They would be happy together if…if Caleb could just escape this nightmare. Run. He told himself. Just run. Then everything will be better.
“Caleb?” It was Rusty again. He put an arm around Caleb and was trying to pull him away, back out into the other room. “Come on.” He was saying. “The other omegas are here. They can…”
“No.” Caleb pulled away. ” I can’t. I…I Can’t leave him. I never should have. When he told me to run I should have stayed…” He couldn’t hold back the tears any more and they came, pouring down his cheeks like a flood gate opening. “Oh God, Rhys, I’m so sorry.” He sobbed. “I’m so sorry, it was all my fault.”
Caleb felt dizzy. The room was spinning, and then he felt himself falling. He readied himself to hit the floor. He expected it. But then he felt big, strong, arms wrap around him and the last thing he remembered was Quinton’s face, looking down, his brow knit together as lines of concern washed across his face, so similar to Rhys.
“I’ve got you.” Quinton told him, and then everything went black.
***
“I told you he wasn’t ready for this.”
“I think he’s in shock.”
“Will you just stop crowding and give him some air!”
Caleb slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. A chorus of eyes were staring down at him, and all of them looked worried.
“I think he’s starting to come around.” That was Alice. She was kneeling beside him while fanning him with what appeared to be a dirty magazine.
“Is that?” Caleb pointed to the magazine but before he could ask the question, Quinton quickly snatched it out of Alice’s hand and shoved it under one of the cushions of his love seat. “He doesn’t need to see that.” Quinton snapped. A deep blush rising up his neck all the way to his cheeks. Alice snickered.
Caleb realized then that he was laying on the couch in the living room, with half the occupants of the house hovering around him.
“I said, give him some air!” Rusty began pushing people back and away from the couch. When he attempted to move Quinton back he was met with a low growl of warning. Rusty immediately put his hands up, “Okay, okay. I get it. It’s your house.”
Zev grabbed Rusty around the waist and pulled him against him. He kissed the top of his mates head. “Babe, what have I said about manhandling the Alpha.”
“Sorry. I just think all the attention is making Caleb nervous.”
“No, I’m alright.” Caleb pushed himself up from the couch. “Maybe just a bit dizzy is all.”
Alice looked up at Quinton. “Get him some water.” She barked.
Quinton was used to giving orders, not taking them, but even he knew not to disobey an omega when they demanded something. He quickly left the room for the kitchen and returned moments later with a bottle of ice, cold, water. Alice snatched it from him as forcefully as he’d snatched up the magazine, then held the bottle out to Caleb.
Caleb took the bottle, thanking both Alice and Quinton, then slowly took a sip, his eyes still scanning over the small group that had formed around him. Caleb wouldn’t exactly say that he was nervous, but it was definitely different, having so many people concerned for his safety. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond.
Slowly, he sat the bottle down on a coaster, took a deep breath, and addressed the group. “Guys.” He said in a soft and somewhat calming voice. “Really, I’m fine. I was just…overwhelmed for the moment. I’m better now though.”
Alice gave his hand a loving pat as she smiled up at him, sympathetically. “We understand.” She told him. “Just sit here and relax. Rusty and I called the others. They’re be here as soon as they drop the little ones off at daycare. We can handle everything. We should have realized that it was just too soon for you. You haven’t really even started to process all that’s happened, have you?”
Caleb shook his head. “I suppose not.” He agreed. “Seeing him…touching him…it was all kind of a shock.”
“And rightly so!” Rusty burst in. “You’ve just been through a horrible tragedy. Who in their right mind thought you were ready for this?”
“Hush.” Zev nudged him with his elbow and Rusty in turn shot him a look that could freeze ice.
“I’m just trying to look out for my friend.” He growled.
“We all know that.” Zev put an arm around his mate and pulled him close. “But, maybe, let Caleb decide for himself what he’s ready for and not ready for. He’s a grown man after all, not a pup.”
Rusty blushed some then hung his head in shame. “You’re right.” He told Zev, then turned to his friend. “Caleb, I’m sorry for being so overbearing.”
Caleb chuckled. “It’s alright Rusty. I appreciate your looking out for me. Sometimes I do bite off more than I can chew. Maybe, if you and the other omegas helped me, I could get istanbul travestileri through this?”
Rusty’s eyes lit up and he nodded emphatically. “Of course.” He practically squealed. “Anything you want or need. Just ask. We’re here for you. Always.”
***
The rest of the omega group had arrived and quickly shooed the alphas out of the house. This was a time for the omegas, and the alphas would only get in their way. Besides that, there was just something magical in omega solidarity that the alphas didn’t need to be privy to. It wasn’t magical in the way that Seth Bowden thought Caleb was magical, but rather, something special in how the group came together to support each other in times of need.
Caleb had never felt so much love, compassion, and understanding in one small group than he had with his new friends. And, he really did consider them his friends. He had friends. Real friends. Maybe for the first time in his entire life, he had people he could count on and confide in. He really hoped that it would never have to end. Being on the run for so long was particularly hard simply because Caleb and Rhys did not have the support of a pack, something that every shifter needed.
Caleb had sat on the floor in front of a stereo, looking through Cd’s, as Evan walked around the room opening the windows. A cool breeze blew past Caleb and he shivered. It wasn’t particularly cold outside, in fact, it was quite warm. It was more what the opened windows represented that chilled him, rather than the act of opening them itself. Windows were opened so that the spirit of the deceased would not be trapped within the confines of the house.
It was the same with covering the mirrors. Leaving them uncovered meant that the spirit could mistakenly become trapped within the mirror. Of course, these were all old superstitions, but they were traditions that were still upheld in many of the packs. Caleb wasn’t about to deny Rhys the traditional funeral that he deserved and who knew, maybe there were some truth to the old ways. Whose to say for sure? Silver Moon believed that Caleb was magic after all, and that belief had come from somewhere.
After sifting through Quinton’s rather expansive collection of CD’s, mostly old rock bands from the 80’s, Caleb came across an album that he immediately recognized. He sat up on his knees, took the CD out of it’s case and popped it into the CD player. He skipped ahead to the track he wanted then sat back and waited for the music to start.
Evan looked back at Caleb, a surprised look on his face. “Journey?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“It probably seems silly, or maybe inappropriate given why we’re all here, but this song is special to me.” Caleb stood up and followed Evan into the other room where Rhys body was being washed and dressed. “I’d get depressed sometimes. Being part of a pack had always been important to me. Even a bad pack was better than none I suppose. It got lonely, even with Rhys there. I missed having other shifters around. Especially when I got pregnant. It worried Rhys and he always tried to cheer me up by bringing me food or small gifts.”
Caleb smiled fondly at the memory. He moved to stand beside the body and when he looked down at Rhys face, a tear slipped down his cheek. He took a warm rag from Rusty and began to clean Rhys’s face. Gently dabbing at his eyelids, and then his mouth. His other hand brushing along Rhys’s raven locks.
“One thing that always seemed to cheer me up though was when he sang this song to me. ‘Faithfully’. He said it resonated with him. You know, having a job that kept him on the road all the time, being away from his friends and family.” He wiped at his eyes but never lost the smile. The others could see the love in his eyes when he spoke about Rhys. The love, and the pain. “He said the only thing that kept him going was having me by his side.”
What Caleb had never told Rhys was that so many of the lyrics he too could relate to. The part about two strangers learning to fall in love. That for sure he could relate to. Being apart. That now more than ever. But, the song also inspired positive emotions in him because it signified a time in his life when he had been really happy. Even being on the run, scared about what his future would be, he knew that he could weather any storm as long as Rhys was there with him.
Times when Caleb was just ready to give up, Rhys had kept him going, and that’s what the song meant to him. Fighting through, no matter what the obstacle was, and knowing that, in the end, something better was waiting for them both. Caleb sighed as he finished cleaning Rhys face, then sat the rag back in the pan of water. If only things had gone differently and Rhys and Caleb could have walked into Black River hand in hand. That would have made the end of this particular journey perfect.
“I didn’t think Rhys could sing.” Rusty said, pulling Caleb out of thoughts. Leah lightly punched Rusty in the arm and frowned, scolding him for being insensitive. Caleb wasn’t travesti istanbul offended though. In fact, it made him smile brighter.
“He couldn’t.” Caleb admitted with a soft laugh. “Not a single note. That’s what made it so adorable.”
***
After Rhys had been washed and his hair combed, the omegas dressed him a black suit that Quinton had purchased a day earlier. Caleb was grateful to Quinton for supplying the suit but looking at Rhys now, it just didn’t seem right. It was a nice suit, and expensive to by the looks of it, but it wasn’t Rhys.
In the short time that Caleb had known him, he’d never seen him in a suit. Rhys was more, blue jeans, band shirts, and leather jackets. Of course, such clothes wouldn’t be appropriate now, but Caleb still wanted to do something that made Rhys look a little more like Rhys.
He considered it a moment then quickly undid the tie, leaving the sides of it lay loosely down his chest, then he undid the top couple of buttons and opened the collar some.
“What are you doing?” Leah asked when she saw what Caleb had done.
“Rhys hated restrictive clothing.” Caleb told her. “And he never would have worn a tie. It just wasn’t his style.”
Leah was about to protest but then Rusty shook his head and she snapped her mouth closed. Caleb was glad for Rusty. He understood.
“I suppose we’re ready then.” Alice said, giving Rhys one last look, making sure everything was in place.
Caleb nodded. “I suppose we are.”
“I’ll let the guys know.” Rusty said. He placed a hand on Caleb’s shoulder and squeezed gently as he moved past him, out of the house to the yard where the alphas had all assembled, waiting to be called on when needed.
Caleb kissed the top of Rhys head then took a step back and allowed room for the alphas to surround his mate. This was the moment that Caleb had dreaded the most. It was time to say good-bye.
The body was taken to a small clearing at the far end of the pack lands where a pyre had been erected. Four alphas, one on each side, carefully carried the body to the pyre, lying it gingerly on top. Among those who had been chosen for such a honor was Quinton of course, being Rhys older brother, Zev, whom Caleb had only just met that day but knew as Rusty’s mate, and two other alphas that Caleb had never heard of before, John Meadows, and Joel Herring.
The alphas stepped back and allowed Caleb to come forward. He clutched Rhylan to his chest as he looked over the body of his mate. Rhylan was too young to even know what was going on but Caleb insisted he be there regardless. Rhys was his father after all, and Caleb thought the pup had as much right to say goodbye as anyone.
No one complained or even attempted to talk Caleb out of it though, he figured, if they had Quinton might have stepped in and said something. He seemed to always be coming to Caleb’s rescue lately, which was a far cry from how he had treated him when they had first met. Caleb suspected that Quinton felt a little guilty of his previous behavior and was now doing what he could to make up for it.
Whatever the reasoning was behind his actions, Caleb was still appreciative of all he’d done for him, and all he was still planning to do. He knew that Rhys could rest well knowing that his family was well cared for.
Caleb kissed his pup, then let out the breath he’d holding and stepped up to the pyre. Rhys looked as handsome as ever, even in death. His eyes were closed and his hands had been placed, fingers interlocking, on his chest. All around people gathered to pay their last respects. Rhys was definitely well loved and respected by his pack. It warmed Caleb’s heart to see that so many had come out to say their final good-byes.
A man stepped up beside Caleb that Caleb knew as Pierce, the packs shaman. He was dressed in the traditional white, green, and brown robes. The hood of his robe was lined with grey fur and the cuffs of each sleeve had images of wolves embroidered in brown and grey threads. He smiled down at Caleb and asked if he was ready. Caleb nodded.
With Caleb’s permission, Pierce singled the start of the ceremony. “Let us begin.” He said in a loud and commanding voice. The chatter around had stopped as each person in attendance moved closer to the pyre. “Brothers and sisters, we have come together this day to say goodbye to a dear friend. Rhys Hallorann. There is not one among us here who had not benefited in someway from knowing him. He was kind, loyal, selfless, and brave.
Rhys’s love was fierce and strong and his passion for helping those indeed was unwavering. It is with a heavy heart that we now send him to the Moonlands. But, rest assured, he will always be with us in spirit. He will be looking down on us, guiding and protecting us, for we are his family, his pack, and pack will never truly be separated, not even by death. Let us now look to the moon, to Faelad, the great God of wolves, and ask for his blessing.
O’ great wolf God, into your hands we humbly entrust our brother, Rhys. In this life you embraced him with your tender love; deliver him now from every evil and bid him eternal rest. An alpha passes from this life into the next. Welcome him to the Moonlands where there will be no sorrow, no weeping, or pain. Grant him a good hunt and fullness of peace and joy, forever.”