(Kael)
Someone is shaking me. Gentle. Insistent.
"Kael. Wake up. It's time."
I open my eyes. Rowan is standing over me. His face serious. Sad.
"Time for what?" My voice is rough. My throat hurts.
"The burial. It's time."
I sit up. My body aches. My wounds throb. But I push through.
"How long was I asleep?" I ask.
"A few hours. It's afternoon now. Everything is ready."
I stand. Get dressed. Move through the motions. One step at a time.
Rowan watches me. "Are you ready for this?"
"No. But I have to be."
We walk out of the medical wing. Head toward the burial grounds behind the pack house.
The entire pack is there. Moonridge. Clearwater. Silvermist. All gathered. All silent.
Daniel's body is laid out. Cleaned. Prepared. Dressed in traditional burial clothes.
He looks peaceful.
