Insight

Eve made sure the arrangements she'd set up had gone accordingly the next morning, before getting dressed. It would be a day of funerals. It felt like a blur of grief as the hours passed. Faces of absolute sadness began to blend into a well of depression and loss.

Blair's devastated parents and younger brother. Peter's mate and children. Alice's dad, mate, and daughter. Donald's three sisters and his pregnant mate. Bethany's sobbing mother, brother, and niece. They all shared their pain with the pack... Everyone felt it.

Alphas and Lunas weren't buried with the other pack members. There was a cemetery in SilverCrest territory on top of the mountain reserved for pack leaders. So, after five memorial services, Flint and Eve drove for hours to Elijah's final resting place.

There was a convoy of StarLight members behind them. Flint was silent for most of the day. Eve knew he needed the time to absorb the tragedies. Snow lightly blanketed the ground, as always, on the peak of the mountain. Selena, Eve, Flint, Ashley, and Evan received condolences from at least fifty people and wolves before the service began.

Selena was stoic, though she was clearly barely keeping herself steady on her feet. Eventually, it was time for the eulogy. Flint had agreed to do it, knowing that his mother would be unable. He would have had to speak anyway, being the subsequent Alpha. Yet, with each step he took, it felt like there was a crushing weight hanging around his neck.

"I didn't know what to say when I tried to write this... Everything sounded hollow. Flat." Flint was struggling to hold back his emotions. "I'm supposed to stand up here and try to summarize Elijah Dolan. His life, his personality, his achievements..."

He released a shallow, shaky breath.

"When I was a pup, he guided me. He taught me how to shift, how to control the power inside me, how to respect those that came before me. I never said he was a lenient teacher." Flint paused as a few somber chuckles were heard.

"He was strict. Quick. Strong. Unwavering. Impossible to please..." The sentence trailed away for a moment. "But he taught us what it means to be a pack. To band together. To never forget where we come from and who we are. And he never let us forget it. He held this pack together for longer than I've lived. My father made me the man, the father, the Alpha; that I am. He made all of us, just by being who he was."

The audience was sniffling and wiping their eyes. Selena and Eve were holding hands. They were listening to the speech with tear filled gazes.

"My father wasn't a man for unnecessary talk and there were very few things in this world that he truly loved. Those things were simple, yet so profound now that I look back on it." Flint smiled to himself for a brief moment. "He loved my mother. He told me when I was about thirteen, that he would rather live a year with her before living one hundred years without her. He loved the people who loved him. Me, Ashley, Christian, and Gracie, just to name a few."

He was having trouble centering his thoughts. Flint shook his head, trying to concentrate more on the words he needed to say than on the ache in his chest.

"Last, but certainly not least, Elijah Dolan loved StarLight. He gave his everything for this pack, time and again. In the end, he sacrificed his life for his family. For all of us." He cleared his throat, sounding strained. "Elijah Dolan will go down in mountain history as loyal, determined, and full of integrity. In his memory, I'm going to try to live up to the example he set for us. As should we all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week after Onyx returned to the Lawler family home, a man in a suit knocked on the door asking for her. She sat at the kitchen table with both her parents standing directly behind her. Rose looked defensive while Jim, as usual, looked agitated.

"Hello, Onyx. My name is Nathan Hernandez. I'm an attorney at Westing, Alan, and Solorio. I was hired by your brother, Seth Lawler."

Everyone looked at the human in surprise.

"At the time the agreement was drawn up, Seth was to check in with my office once a month. He missed his call in date. I tried to call him, in case he simply forgot, but he didn't answer. I waited the mandatory two days before proceeding." Nathan explained.

"With what?" Rose asked curiously.

"In the event that two days pass without a return call from him, I was told to give you this." He pulled a large manila folder from his briefcase and sat it on the table. "He wants you to have some assets. Everything is written up and ready to be signed."

"What assets?" Onyx furrowed her brow.

Why hadn't he mentioned this to me? She wondered.

He liked secrets. Her wolf answered.

Nathan opened the folder and laid out the documents in front of her.

"Four acres of land in Kirkwood, complete with a small cabin. Everything on the property becomes yours as well. A 1967 Ford F-250, blue. A 2001 Nissan Pathfinder, silver. The tents and campers. All yours." The lawyer extended a pen to her.

"I'm only seventeen." Onyx whispered nervously.

"It doesn't matter. You'll have ownership of everything. You can place someone in charge of the property but since your nearly eighteen, my advice would be to wait it out." Nathan replied.

It was confusing and there were a lot of terms that Onyx barely understood. Still, she spent an hour getting everything signed an initialed. The lawyer notarized everything immediately.

"Congratulations, young lady." The human stood.

He took the documents, leaving Onyx the duplicate forms. The teenager looked up at her parents with teary, confused eyes.

"He's taking care of you. That's all." Jim patted her on the shoulder.

"Like always." Rose nodded.

"Even now..." Onyx's voice broke painfully

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Graham's execution was one week later. It seemed to have a sobering effect on StarLight. Most had already seen the error in their lack of faith in their Alpha. However, seeing Graham in chains as a confessed conspirator... It solidified this belief.

"My father fought for our pack. He wanted us to get out from under the chaotic leadership of Flint Dolan. After the Alpha killed my father and banished my mother... I realized that if I had any love for StarLight; I would do the same. We both failed to protect you from him. From his legacy. For that, I can't forgive myself."

The last words of Graham Monroe seemingly fell on deaf ears, just before Flint snapped his neck. It was satisfying to feel like he had cleansed the pack of traitors. However, Flint would always be on the look out for dissension.

From now on, he would be absolutely sure about all those he allowed to surround the elder table. Just like those he surrounded his family with.