I don't remember falling. Only the cold, wet earth against my cheek and the taste of mud in my mouth. The rain had turned the ground to sludge, soaking through my clothes until I couldn't feel my limbs anymore. Somewhere in the fog of my fading consciousness, I heard footsteps—light, hurried, and determined.
"Luna Aria!" The voice was soft but urgent. Pearl. Her hands found mine, pulling me from the mud with surprising strength for an Omega. "You can't stay out here. You'll die in this cold."
I tried to speak, to tell her about Ayden, but my teeth chattered uncontrollably. She must have understood because she was already moving toward the basement, her footsteps quick and careful.
"Wait," I managed to croak. "We can't... they'll find him... they'll..."
"Shh," she whispered, guiding me back to shelter. "I know what they'll do. That's why we have to move quickly."
Inside, the air was only marginally warmer, but at least we were out of the rain. I heard Pearl's soft gasp when she found Ayden's body, wrapped in our only clean blanket.
"Oh, Luna," she breathed. "I'm so sorry."
I reached for her blindly, my fingers finding her arm. "Help me bury him. Please. Before they come."
"The ground is too hard," she said after a moment of silence. "And if we mark a grave, they'll... they'll desecrate it. I've seen what they do to those they deem traitors."
My heart clenched at the truth of her words. Even in death, Boston would not let Ayden rest in peace.
"Then what?" I whispered, desperation clawing at my throat. "He deserves... he deserves..."
"A pyre," Pearl said firmly. "In the deep woods. The Omegas use them sometimes, for those who can't afford the pack burial rites. It's... it's not what he should have had, but it's the only way to keep him safe."
I nodded, unable to speak past the knot in my throat.
Pearl worked with quiet efficiency, gathering what we needed. I heard her wrapping Ayden's body in the blanket, her movements gentle but quick. She wouldn't let me help. "You need to save your strength," she insisted.
We moved through the woods slowly, Pearl guiding me by the elbow. The rain had turned to a fine mist, and the forest was eerily quiet around us. I couldn't see the trees, but I could smell the damp pine and feel the uneven ground beneath my feet.
"Here," Pearl said finally. "This is far enough. No one will find him here."
I heard the rustle of dry leaves and branches, the sound of Pearl building the pyre with her own hands. When she was finished, she helped me kneel beside it.
"I don't have the words," I whispered. "For the rite. I don't remember..."
"Just speak from your heart," she said softly. "That's all he ever needed."
The flames caught quickly, devouring the pyre with a fierce hunger. I reached out, feeling the heat against my palms, imagining I could feel Ayden's spirit rising with the smoke.
"Fly free, my little wolf," I whispered as the fire consumed my son's body. "May the Moon Goddess welcome you home."
When it was done, Pearl gathered the ashes with reverent hands, placing them in a small wooden box she'd constructed from old bakery crates. She wrapped it in the only clean cloth I had left—a worn scrap of my old Luna ceremonial robe.
"He's safe now," she said, pressing the box into my hands. "No one can hurt him anymore."
As I clutched the makeshift coffin to my chest, I heard the distant sound of voices from the direction of the pack house. Pearl's body tensed beside me.
"Someone's coming," she whispered. "We need to go."
But before we could move, a familiar scent cut through the damp forest air—expensive perfume and the unmistakable aura of Milan Hernandez. She was close, too close, and she wasn't alone.
"Alpha," I heard her voice, honey-sweet and dripping with false concern. "You should know what your traitorous mate is planning. She's organizing an unauthorized gathering to undermine your authority. She's mocking your leadership, right under your nose."
My blood turned to ice as I heard Boston's low growl in response. Pearl's hand found mine, squeezing tightly.
"Stay quiet," she breathed. "If they find us here..."
But I already knew what they would find. And I knew what it would cost us both.
