Chapter 48 - 46

The funeral took place at dawn, just before the sun began to rise over the royal cemetery.

The place looked more like a garden than somewhere meant for burial. Flowers grew around the tombstones, their petals damp with morning dew, while thick vines curled around the carved stone. At the center of the cemetery stood a large willow tree, its long branches hanging gently over the grave of the first Alpha.

Only a few pack members had come, along with some family members and a priest. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of wet earth and flowers as everyone gathered in silence.

Darius stood beside Aurelia, dressed in black with his hands clasped behind his back.

He had known Bruce.

He was no better than Aaron. Both of them were cruel, brainless gnats who always hid behind their fathers. Bruce had been somewhat more tolerable, but that wasn’t saying much.

Darius kept his eyes on the freshly dug grave, his expression blank, though inside he wished this had been Aaron instead.... Or maybe thier father.

His eyes drifted to the other side of the cemetery, where Nathan and his family stood together. There was Nathan, Clover, Cyril, and his little sister, Annie. They were all dressed in black, with red cloth tied around their upper arms and wilted flowers woven into their hair, as tradition required of the bereaved family.

Nicolas looked bored, as though he would rather be anywhere else. He leaned against his cane, his attention fixed on the ground while the priest stood near the grave.

"Oh, I want to vomit," Darius heard Aurelia mutter beside him.

He shifted closer, turning his head slightly toward her. "Should we go back?"

Aurelia closed her eyes and shook her head. "No..."

Darius studied her for a moment, noticing the way her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.

"Are you sure?"

She opened her eyes and gave him a tired look. "Darius, if I leave every time I feel like vomiting, I’ll never leave our room."

He almost smiled, but the expression faded when she swallowed hard, "Urgh"

The ceremony started a few moments later, with the priest chanting prayers to the Moon Goddess. Darius tried to pay attention, but halfway through, he began noticing how uneasy Aurelia looked beside him.

"Aurelia... are you okay?" he asked again.

"I told you. I’m fine." Her voice was firm. "It’s just the usual pregnancy things."

He kept his eyes on her. Usual pregnancy things? That was a rather dismissive way of describing the morning sickness that had been bothering her again. He wanted to insist that they leave if she wasn’t feeling well, but knowing Aurelia, she would probably refuse to admit that anything was wrong.

Darius sighed and moved closer to her, just in case she needed something to lean on. He was right to do so. A few moments later, Aurelia shifted toward him and rested against his side, her shoulder pressing gently into his arm.

He glanced down at her before looking back at the ceremony. A few people were stepping forward to say their final words about Bruce. Some called him kind and accepting, praising the man he had supposedly been in life.

All lies.

But this was a funeral, and Darius doubted anyone would stand before his grave and tell the truth about what he had been.

When the speeches ended, the family members stepped forward and threw the wilted flowers woven into their hair into the grave. Nicolas did so with an expression looked very close to contempt. He even took Clover’s flowers and tossed them in after his own, earning a displeased look from her.

Next came Aaron and his father, who each threw a handful of dirt into the grave. Fredrick followed as the Gamma, his movements quieter and more respectful.

Dahlia wasn’t standing beside him today. She had remained in her room, resting while the healers kept watch and waited for the birth.

Soon, the priest began the final prayers, and the workers started lowering the coffin into the ground.

"I don’t remember the last time I attended a funeral," Aurelia said softly.

Darius tilted his head slightly, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "Mm? No one on the Isle ever died?"

"Witches live for a long time." She chuckled quietly. "You wouldn’t believe how old my mothers are."

"You’d probably outlive me," he said, trying to sound amused.

"Don’t werewolves live for a long time?" She lifted her head to look at him.

Darius thought about it. They did live longer than humans, but that didn’t mean they were immortal. A hundred and fifty years was probably the limit for most of them. He had met a few werewolves who had lived beyond a hundred, but they were rare.

"Mm... I suppose I’ll live to a hundred and fifty," he said thoughtfully. "If you live longer than that, you’ll have to bury me."

Aurelia didn’t respond immediately. She lowered her eyes toward the grave, and Darius couldn’t tell whether she was thinking about his words or had simply lost interest in the conversation.

Still, he had a feeling she was thinking about the same thing he was.

"Are you asking me to grow old with you?" she finally asked.

Darius went quiet.

Yes. He was.

But saying that here, in this place, with everything still unresolved between them and all the complications they continued to carry, made the answer feel more difficult than it should have been. He didn’t know what Aurelia would say.

Even so, he looked down at her.

"Yes."

Aurelia pulled away, not far enough to lose the warmth of his body, but just enough distance for her silver eyes to search his face.

Her lips parted slightly, but she pressed them together a moment later. Around them, everything else seemed to fade. The rustling willow branches, the priest’s voice, and the quiet movement of the people gathered around the grave all became distant. For a moment, it was just the two of them.

"A lot of things have happened between us, and we still haven’t figured them out..." she trailed off, her hands tightening around the fabric of her dress.

"I know." Darius reached for her hands, gently taking them in his. "But I want you to know that I want to be by your side as the seasons pass. I want to watch our child grow with you." He squeezed her hands slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "I want to be the shoulder you lean on. I want to be the one who brings a smile to your face."

"Darius..."

"I know a lot has happened between us, and most of it was my fault." His thumb moved slowly across the back of her hand. "But let me stay by your side and show you that I’m worthy... of you and our child."

Aurelia’s gaze dropped to their joined hands. His words settled between them, heavy with everything they had been through and everything he was still asking her to believe.

She swallowed, her fingers shifting slightly against his.

"Darius, I don’t know if things between us can ever be what they should have been."

"I know."

"And I don’t want you making promises just because you’re afraid of losing our child or you’re caught in some moment."

His expression tightened, but he nodded. "I’m not asking because of our child or because I am caught in some moment."

Aurelia looked up at him again. "Then what are you asking?"

Darius held her gaze, his voice quieter this time.

"Just give me the chance to do better. I am an idiot who once let go of someone amazing, I don’t want to do it again."

For a moment, Aurelia said nothing. Then she slowly tightened her fingers around his.

"You said this a few weeks ago in the woods," she chuckled.

"And I’m saying it again so you know I mean it."

Aurelia sighed. "I—"

"Aurelia?"

They both flinched and turned at the sound of Clover calling her name. She was making her way toward them, her dark clothes shifting as she crossed the damp grass.

Around them, people had started dispersing. A few others remained near Beta Cyril, offering their condolences while the priest stood beside the freshly covered grave.

Oh, right.

They were at a funeral.

Clover jogged the last few steps and stopped in front of them. "Nicolas seems to be speaking to a few people," she said, glancing toward the other side of the cemetery.

Darius’ eyes lifted to his Beta, who was standing with his family.

"Come on, Aurelia. You’re probably tired."

Aurelia looked at him, then briefly toward the grave before letting out a quiet sigh. She slipped her hand into his, allowing him to guide her away from the gathering.

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