1 Prologue, April 2017

"Alpha, we should wait for Celine," spoke Beta quietly to his leader. The entirety of the pack had gathered for this funeral, the night sky full of stars, and cold.

Alpha Larsson looked around the small pack for the aforementioned female; the young widow of the warrior who gave his life valiantly and willingly for the pack. He knew the moment it happened. She had been fulfilling her role as Gamma by his side, when she suddenly seized her chest and let out the most mournful and haggard scream he had ever heard.

Her opponent looked at her with confusion and awe when her eyes suddenly flashed and the opponents throat was ripped from his gullet before he even knew what was happening and she was gone. The rest of the attack passed quickly, leaving bloodshed and carnage in its wake.

It was a hard fought defensive battle, one that wasn't suspected. Close to him were a few other widows who had lost their mates as well, their features gaunt and grief-stricken. One thing that separated them from Celine was the pups that they held close to themselves.

Another voice spoke quietly, shaking the Alpha out of his reverie, "Henry."

Alpha Larsson looked down at his mate, his Luna, Alice, who squeezed his hand and smiled softly at her. He turned his head back to his Beta and shook his head slowly, sadly, "She's watching."

He nodded at his Beta who looked back at him with a pained expression. Some of the warriors pushed the pyre to the edge of the lake, Alpha Larsson taking up a torch and walking to the pyre. He gazed upon the fallen warrior, a friend, and a confidant, sheathed in a muslin cover, hands laid over his chest. Lighting the edge of the cloth, he nodded tersely at the other warriors who pushed the pyre, off toward the middle of the lake. The group was silent, but flinched slightly when a lone, mournful howl cut through the night.

The rest of the pack joined shortly after, granting their condolences to the young widow.