Chapter 108

Jason’s POV
“If one more person says they are sorry; I’m going to rip their head off” I tell Parker, getting Jasper ready to go down to the funeral. “They are hurting, just as much as you are. You need to be patient with them” he snorts back at me.
“It was the same when Dad died. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. It happened; I can’t change what happened. We saw Tracey last night; Mandy took Jasper and I to her sanctuary to see her. She will be with us; no matter what. It was the same when any one of us died in our past lives” I explained to him.
“The rest of the pack don’t know this. They know we are chosen from Goddess Selene; they don’t know the full extent to what it means and they can’t. Let them mourn for our loss as well as theirs” he says, before laying down in my head.
I know he feels bad he was away from her as well. It all happened so quickly; one minute Parker was telling me he needed to go to Phyllis and Gertrude came to me. The next; Serenity was lying on the ground. When we saw her; Gertrude raced toward her. It was too late.
Tracey and Serenity, both told him; they had no regrets jumping in front of the wolf to save Connor. She didn’t want him there in the first place; but he swore he needed to help protect her and the castle. Connor is having a hard time adjusting to it. We are trying to find a way to have him talk with her; being human it’s a bit more difficult; Goddess Selene is getting permission from the human god.
“Are you ready?” Claudia asks me, as her and Danny come into my room. “As ready as I can be” I frown at them picking Jasper up and we head down the stairs to the packhouse doors. Everyone is coming out of their rooms behind me.
“Mum has Sophia. I told her I was going to get you and Jasper” she tells me. “Mandy; thanks for last night. We needed it” I smile at her and Mandy moves in front of Claudia’s eyes; acknowledging my gratitude.
We walk in silence to the cemetery. I remember it when we buried Patrick and Heather. Oliver came and took the bodies there, then. “You remember the cemetery?” Danny says. “Only from when we buried you last time. Oliver told me, when we die; our bodies are moved here” I tell him.
“No wonder we didn’t know about the cemetery” Claudia gasps, looking over at Danny and I sit down in the front aisle of chairs with Jasper on my lap. Claudia, Alpha Henry, Luna Jade, Tim, Chelsea, Rick, Denise, Cynthia, Brett, Todd, Joanna, Simon and Lorraine all sit around me, leaving four chairs for Tracey’s family. The children are sitting quietly on their parent’s laps.
Oliver and Danny stand up the front next to the grave; “if we can all come and sit down quickly, please” Oliver announces as the ladies around me start to cry.
I stand up as Yolanda, Isaac, Joyce and Connor come in to take the seats to the side of me. “How are you holding up?” Connor asks me. “I’m ok; are you?” I ask him, sitting back down again. “So, so” he answers and we both look back up to Danny, who is clearing his throat.
“Jason; we will go bring in the coffin, now” Danny says, coming over to me. I give Jasper a kiss on his head and hand him to Joyce as myself; Rick, Tim, Danny, Alpha Henry, Simon, Connor and Oliver head to the back of the aisle to retrieve her coffin.
We walk slowly, passing everyone. There are hundreds of people here. The Cedar River Packs; The Sapphire Moon Pack; The Castle Coven; Sariah’s Coven; Phyllis Pride; Raquel’s Clan; Everyone.
They all stand as we walk down the aisle with her coffin; bowing their respects and place the coffin on top of the grave.
“We are all here to celebrate the life of Tracey. As you all know; Tracey is part of a group, chosen by Goddess Selene to help protect those who oppose to the peace we have as a supernatural and shifter community. Tracey was doing what she does best; helped those who needed her help. When I first came to the Cedar Moon Pack; her and Jason went out of their way to help me to be, who I needed to be. I can’t thank her enough for the kind and caring nature she has. For us; we need to look at the bigger picture; we will be with her and she will be with us. No matter what happens” Danny starts, a tear rolling down his cheek.
“Connor; would you like to come up and say a few words on behalf of the Sapphire Moon Pack and the Castle Coven?” Oliver injects and Connor nods, pulling out a piece of paper.
“I..um; I’ve writ…” Connor starts, as he breaks down in tears and Luna Jade goes up to him and whispers to him. “Connor has written down his words. I will read them for everyone” Luna Jade tells us.
“Tracey was always my best friend and I couldn’t have asked for a better sister. Growing up as a human around werewolves; was very difficult. She was always there to protect me and always the first to put me in my place. She loved to use Serenity in all her practical jokes; I swear I would have had a hundred heart attacks from the pair of them. When she left and found Jason; we were excited for her. Jasper is mum and dad’s pride and joy and she will be forever in our hearts” Luna Jade says, giving Connor a hug as they both sit down again.
The tears are starting to flow down my face as Joanna gets up to speak. Todd helps her out of her chair and she walks up to the front.
“What can we say about Tracey? When she came to our pack; she told Jason; she didn’t need him as her mate. All joking of course. Jason asked me to knock some sense into her and as his big sister; I obliged. She laughed at me and said she always wanted a sister and can’t wait for us to be friends. She then told me; she knew Jason and her would always be together; she didn’t know how she knew; she just did” Joanna starts, pausing to wipe the few tears from her face.
“Since getting to know her; she has become my friend, confidant and sister. She loved to play jokes and I have been told by Danny; it started with some Maple sap, many years ago” she includes and I narrow my eyes at Danny before I start laughing. The looks around me are of bewilderment and shock.
“Tracey is the friend we all wanted to have. Her caring nature towards the pups as their swimming instructor and her ability to set our mind at ease, whenever we spoke to her. She will always be with us. Jason, Connor, Danny and Claudia; she loved you all and told me this on many occasions. Even when I failed you; she was there to help me through it. She understood, without judging me. I love her and will miss our talks until 2 in the morning” Joanna ends, letting out a sob and sits back down next to Todd.
I put my arm around Joyce; who is crying uncontrollably. “It’s ok. I am proud of the lady she has become” she whispers to me; cradling Jasper in her arms.
“Before we finish; I would like to say a few words” Matthew says, coming up to the front. “As you are aware; Tracey’s past in our pack started a bit differently than anyone would have expected. I watched her grow from a child into a young woman. She left to be with her biological mother and found her mate. I watched as she cared for her child with the same reverence Yolanda and Joyce had for her, growing up. She was always the life of the party when she was with us at the Sapphire Moon Pack and I can see; she was at the Cedar Moon Pack as well. I would like the Sapphire Moon Pack members to show our respect to her” he ends before taking his clothes off and shifting into Zephron. Zephron sits down next to the grave and starts howling.
I look around me; everyone starts taking their clothes off and shifts. Howls, roars and growls are echoed through the cemetery. Danny smiles at me; before joining everyone as Jesse too, howls next to her coffin.
“Do you want to shift?” Parker asks me, as tears fall down my face again. “I think I want to savour what is happening” I tell him.
Danny shifts back and puts his clothes back on. “Joslyn and Josie have made some refreshments in our dining room. If you would all like to head over there” he announces as Luna Jade comes over and gives me a hug and I pick Jasper up off of Joyce’s lap.
“Mandy told me she got permission for Connor to go see Tracey. The human god normally gives trials to humans for them to learn. As this is a result of what has happened to us recently; he was more than happy to allow it. It’s no different to loved ones, visiting in dreams or as a spirit when their loved ones are not coping with their loss” Claudia says to me.
“When does she want to see him?” I ask her. “Tonight; you can be there” Amanda says, coming forward. I give her a hug as she retreats; allowing Claudia to come forward again and we head over to the packhouse.