Chapter 398

Olivia

Getting dressed in all black for Alvin’s funeral felt like I was preparing to say goodbye one last time; and it was a goodbye that I knew I could never be ready for. I stared at myself in the mirror as I slipped on my black dress, and it felt as though I was staring at a completely different person.

It had been only a week since Jenifer was sent to prison, but it felt like so much longer. Our days had become consumed with funeral preparations, police questioning, and trying to figure out what came next.

Nathan, of course, had been distant ever since everything had happened. The loss of Alvin, the discovery of Jenifer’s disguise, and the loss of an uncle who was never really here took its toll on all of us.

I knew that deep down, he blamed himself for what had happened, even though there was no way he could have known the extent of Jenifer’s hatred.

As I finished buttoning my dress, I cast a sideways glance at Nathan. His eyes were fixed on the floor, his thoughts a million miles away. I wished I could find the right words to ease his pain, to make him understand that we were in this together, but something told me that quiet was better.

With a heavy sigh, I made my way to the nursery. The twins were already dressed in their funeral-appropriate clothes. I picked up Elliot, who was already beginning to fuss from his outfit, and I felt a pang of guilt as I looked down at him.

I had wanted to keep them at home, but as the Alpha and the Luna, I knew we should show up today with our family. People were scared and confused, and rightfully so. Showing them that we were still a united front was important.

Nathan joined me, his expression still distant, as he carefully picked up Aurora. We made our way down the stairs without a word.

Angela and Levi were waiting for us downstairs. Angela stepped forward and adjusted the collar of my dress.

“Are you ready?” she asked softly.

I glanced over at Nathan, whose faraway look had deepened, as if he had retreated into some inner world of his own.

“Nathan,” I called out. “Are you ready?”

He snapped back to reality, looking a little embarrassed. “Sorry,” he mumbled, his voice barely audible. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

Angela and I exchanged a knowing look but said nothing. We understood the weight that Nathan carried on his shoulders, the guilt and grief that was consuming him. There was no need to add to his burden.

We made our way outside into the chilly air, where Angela led the way to the car, and we climbed in.

As Levi started the car, the engine roared to life, drowning out the silence that had settled between us. I stole a glance at Nathan, who was staring out the window with a distant expression on his face.

The car ride to the cemetery was quiet, the only sound the engine rumbling and the occasional sniffle from one of us. The twins remained blissfully unaware of what was going on, sleeping peacefully in their car seats.

When we arrived at the cemetery, the gray sky seemed the perfect backdrop to a funeral.

“God,” I whispered as I looked out at Alvin’s grave. “There’s hardly anyone here.”

It was true; there were only a few people gathered. Alvin didn’t have any family left in the pack, and he didn’t keep any friends after he came home from the military. There were a few men and women in uniform, maybe comrades of his, and some people that I recognized from grade school.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nathan said a little coldly. “We’re here. That’s all that counts.”

Without another word, Nathan climbed out of the car and pulled Elliot out of his car seat. Angela and I shot each other another look, and she reached out to pat my hand.

“He’ll be okay,” she whispered, offering me a soft smile. “And so will you.”

…

The funeral had left me with a heavy heart, but there was something more in store that I hadn’t expected.

“Where are we going?” I asked as I noticed that Nathan wasn’t headed toward the villa, but rather to the town center.

“You’ll see,” Nathan said.

Without a word, he navigated us to the town square, where he parked the car on the street and got out. I stared at the park in front of us, my eyes wide.

In the park was a crowd of people, bigger than I had expected, all standing around a podium and something large beneath a white sheet. I furrowed my brow in confusion, but before I could ask what was going on, Nathan was shutting his door and coming around to my side.

“What is this, Nathan?” I whispered as we climbed out and retrieved Elliot and Aurora from their car seats once again.

“Just trust me,” was all he replied.

Realizing that I wasn’t going to get any answers just yet, I decided to just follow Nathan to the podium. He kept his free arm around my shoulders the whole way while his other arm cradled Elliot, who was looking around curiously. Aurora was still fast asleep in my arms.

And then, as we approached the podium, Nathan pulled away from me and stepped up to the microphone.

“Good afternoon,” Nathan said, and there was a moment of feedback on the mic that caused Aurora to squirm a bit in my arms. He cleared his throat and continued. “Thank you all for coming today.”

Nathan paused for a long time, as though he was trying to choose his words carefully. I could see him staring down at something on the podium—a piece of paper. A speech.

But when he looked back up, I could see him crumple the paper with his free hand and stuff it into his pocket.

“My dear friend, Alvin, was a hero,” Nathan said simply, his words echoing through the square. “And I want him to be remembered forever in this town. Alvin should be a symbol of overcoming adversity, of standing strong in the face of danger, and of never giving up on those you love.”

The crowd listened intently, hanging on Nathan’s every word. And so was I.

Then, with a nod, Nathan signaled for the looming figure in front of us to be unveiled.

The sheet fell away, revealing a breathtaking sculpture of Alvin. He stood tall and proud, looking out into the distance with a faraway look in his eyes. The wind seemed to be blowing through his hair, and for a moment, it felt as though he was really standing right there.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked up at the statue. I had no idea that Nathan was planning any of this.

“I want you all to view this statue as an anchor when you need it the most,” Nathan continued, still holding Elliot in his arms. “Whenever you need the confidence or the strength to do something hard, or whenever you just need to think, come here.”

Then, he paused one more time, his blue-green eyes meeting mine before he finished.

“Alvin would have wanted that.”