Ch 1: A Widow's Lament
Nora, Riverside Shifter Colony- 8:02 AM
My husband died six days ago, leaving me to handle an entire Colony by myself. Until I remarried, or the Elders found a replacement.
Neither was going to happen. Do you wish to know why?
Because my heart died with him, and no man could ever take his place as Alpha.
“Oh, you’re Luna. Think about how this affects your people!” Many argued with me, poking at my exposed nerves until they bled.
Yes, I am Luna of Riverside, but I was also Nora, wife and mate of Marcus.
We had this long, wonderful plan for our life together. Puppies, travel, blissful retirement.
To boot, we had been blessed with even incredible years of marriage and unified Colony leadership.
All of that was taken away by a wildfire in our sister Colony, Mountainview. Since then, a black hole had swallowed my being, leaving a withering husk of grief behind.
I firmly believed that nothing mattered anymore.
Rationally, I shouldn’t feel that way, and yet there it is. The grey clouds darkening a sunny sky; the bitter frost that decimated a gorgeous rose bush, and ultimately, the numbness of complete indifference.
Or worse, the dull ache of loneliness. An empty bed side, an unused coffee mug, oversized male clothing left forgotten, and his cologne that perfumed every item in our spacious home.
Everywhere I turned, I was reminded of Marcus.
Of my dearly departed mate.
Today, Riverside will hold his funeral. Ordinarily, there was a seven day grief period, however, for an Alpha, it was different. A Luna could choose to observe them or not. For me, this was easier than waiting around.
Plus, my dearest friend Layla’s husband, Jordan, has a funeral tomorrow. I promised to attend no matter what.
And to honor her promise to me, she was attending Marcus’s. It was scheduled for this evening.
I insisted that she didn’t have to come, and that her prayers and spiritual presence would be plenty.
Layla accosted me, “Nope, best friends attend sad, life-changing events together. I’ll be there!”
With a smile, I replied, “If that’s the case, I’ll be there too!”
God, what would I do without Layla in my life? Her glowing positive energy blanketing my sorrows like a balm, spontaneous attitude, and horrible yet eager baking habits?
Honestly? I would wallow in self-pity until the black hole consumed me entirely.
Not with Layla around, though.
She’s sunshine personified. Although, ironically, she had brunette hair instead of blonde.
I guess energies swap individuals sometimes.
