Chapter 179: She Will Smile Again

Chapter 179: She Will Smile Again

Bernard

I wasn't sure if there was anything that I could do, Elena knew Veronica best even more than her husband. She should have been the one to time to cope with her death but instead, she threw herself into the preparations for the funeral. She took charge of all the preparations and was constantly busy, she never rested, she only came home late in the night and would be gone before I woke up the next morning.

There were a lot of issues approaching our borders, so I was unable to give her the attention she needed. Not that she would let me even talk to her, she was still ignoring me and I couldn't blame her. I made a complete ass of myself around her, I had thrown our plans in our faces when I was shocked by my pregnancy scare. Now with Veronica's funeral approaching, I knew that it was good that she wasn't pregnant because I didn't think she would be able to handle the stress of my actions and Veronica passing on would be good for the child. It was already taking a toll on her body, her eyes were vacant each time I saw her her limbs moved in awkward, kinked ways that made it seem as though she was a robot.

It was a hard thing to do, to keep one's mind off the death of a loved one. I wasn't sure if Elena was succeeding or simply pretending but all I knew was that I wanted to step into her space and drag her into my arms. To hold her as long as she needed in order to overcome this heartbreak.

I was standing in front of the large mirror in our bedroom that showed my full body as I fixed the collar of my shirt. The life of a wolf was to be celebrated but when one passed, it was a time to mourn even though you might not know the person's funeral you are attending. That's how it was for some of the members of our newly combined Pack but it was required for them to be present at the funeral.

Elena had ordered that the funeral should rather be more of the close friends and family who had known Veronica but this funeral was more than saying goodbye to a loved one, it was a show of our strength as a Pack. To prove that we were all in this together and that we all support Luna, that her grief is ours, and that those whom she loved were respected in our community.

Today, my wife needs me the most even though we are still at odds with one another, I am not going to let her be on her own, especially after she had stayed up day and night, getting not more than two to three hours of sleep. On top of her duties as Luna, she wanted to make sure the funeral was perfect and Veronica deserved it. But my mate also deserved to have time to truly accept her grief.

She walked into the room with a towel around her head as she dried her wet clumps of hair. She took her shower in the guest room as I had gotten ready on my own. She was already downstairs before I woke up so I wasn't able to protest. I wanted her to be as relaxed as possible and our bathroom had more space and was more inviting than the blank slate that was on the guest bathroom.

She barely gave me a glance as she moved across the room towards the closet with a maid following behind her. She had been keeping the staff on their toes with her demands and her movement.

As they went about getting her prepared, I moved to the top of the dresser across the room where our jewelry and accessories lay. I grabbed my watch, the one that my father had passed down to me, and wrapped it around my wrist. I barely wore it, as the idea of shifting with it on and losing it was too much to even think about.

I knew she was going to take a while getting ready so I exited the room first and headed for the kitchen. Even though she didn't like wearing a lot of jewelry or makeup, the maids had made it a point of dolling her up every chance they got and today was one of those days. Elena, including myself, didn't see the point in it for a funeral as others will be looking to her for strength, not beauty. But today was a final goodbye to Veronica, Elena wouldn't want to remember it as a moment she didn't show Veronica her best.

As I made my way downstairs, Alisha, Jack, Doris, and Jasper all huddled around each other in the living room. So I made a change in my trajectory and entered their conversation.

"Do you think she is okay?" Doris's question stabbed me through the heart.

They were all worried about their Luna, she was doing her best to hide her pain even from me. The Pack needed to know that she cared for Veronica deeply but my wife was too afraid to show even an ounce of weakness. Alisha opened her mouth but I interrupted.

"She is just holding up better than anyone else would be in her situation."

"Bernard," Jasper placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Let us know if you need anything."

"Thank you," I nodded but we all knew that I wouldn't ask for a single thing. I don't need it, it was Elena that would need the support, even though, it was forced on her but she simply rejected the help.

After some time, Elena came downstairs and joined us in the living room. I didn't want to admit how breathtaking she was looking at that moment, especially due to the circumstances for why she was dressed this way but the black silk dress with a see-through shawl and the ebony painted nails drew me in first.

As I took in her look, I became stunned by her ethereal gaze which stopped my heart instantly. Her brilliant, strong heart was reflected in her stare and the dark shadows around her eyes pressed with jewelry adornment that glittered in the light had my throat sewn shut and my body tight. I wanted to pull her in and kiss her deeply, to murmur my love for her until my tongue went numb. Her hair was braided down her back, and black vines with a brilliant golden rose were weaved into the strands, the color Veronica always loved. The emotions she caused to surface had my muscles tense and forced me to move to her side in the blink of an eye.

She avoided eye contact which wasn't surprising but it still sliced into my heart. I lowered my head to kiss the top of her hair carefully so as not to shift the rose.

"Are you ready?"

I whispered to her, unsure of how my voice would sound if I spoke up any further. She gave me a simple nod before we collectively left the house and made our way to the town. Veronica's place wasn't big enough for everyone in the Pack to fit in so Elena had opted to have the funeral outside. She truly had outdone herself preparing for the funeral, all with Veronica in mind.

There were golden roses lining the walkway up to the small altar that was constructed just outside the shrine upon which Veronica's casket was placed. It was minimalistic in design which my wife must have chosen due to Veronica's wishes since she had been a woman of simple nature. Her eyes were closed and golden roses and lilies which are Elena's favorite were placed elegantly around Veronica's body.

We were the first to arrive at the altar, she bowed her head in respect. Her hands trembled as she clasped them in front of her, before I could even think, I had my own fingers interlocked with hers, squeezing so that she knew I was there. She had my full support even if she was still mad at me. Her shock was soon replaced with relief and as we moved over to allow others to approach, she leaned her shoulder against my arm. It was the most contact we had in who knows how long. The days seemed to last years at this point.

The only time she spoke was when someone approached us, they would reach out and grasp her free hand, bowing their head and apologizing for her loss. I never understood why anyone would say that when it wasn't their fault that she died. But what else would one say in a moment like this? My words had failed me but I hoped that my support was felt through my stance and actions. Elena sighed into me and when I looked down, her eyes were an angry red but they were dry. She was strong even at this moment, all I wanted to do was carry her away from this pain, to cover her in our blankets, and never hear the world see her again. To make her laugh and give her only happiness, I hated myself for having caused her pain but I knew that I would make it up to her.

In this moment of need, she still relied on me. That was all that mattered right now, one step at a time. I just had to get her through the end of this funeral and l would figure out a way to help her. She is my mate and her anguish is mine too. She might still be upset but I will prove to her that it was one moment of darkness in the light that was our life together.

She will smile again, I just had to figure out a way to make it happen.