295 A Favor To Ask
The two guests were none other than Lucrethia Woodland’s surviving children, Katreena Swifttalon and Vera Woodland.
A Luna of a werewolf pack far in the south, Katreena had not come back to North America for more than twenty years. Pine Groove City felt like a long-lost friend that she used to know but did not bother to keep in touch with.
At a first glance, Katreena with her black hair and a pair of greenish-blue eyes resembled Ronan greatly. She had the fortune to inherit the good looks of the Fangblade family members. Her children did not have the same luck. Neither were her blood-related siblings.
At a second glance, though, people would notice tiny details that revealed that the two people were not closely related. For example, the form of their eyes, or the shape of their noses.
Katreena and Vera were led to the audience hall. They asked to meet with Ronan, Lucien, Lady Fangblade, and Dane Silverback. Once they were all present in the huge hall, though, no words came out.
It was a difficult topic to breach, particularly because Lucrethia Woodland had done Infinite Eclipse Pack so much harm. Both Katreena and Vera sat in silence for a long time before Katreena found her words.
“My name is Katreena, and this is my youngest sister, Vera,” Katreena said, introducing herself and her sister.
“We have been going from one pack to another to visit the casualties and offer our greatest support whenever possible.”
Lady Fangblade lowered her eyelashes but said nothing.
.....
Dane Silverback tightened his fists over his knees.
Ronan shifted his gaze from the two women to the scenery outside the window.
Lucien was the only one who was willing to look at them directly, but he too did not know what to say other than an empty “I see”.
“We are not here to make an excuse for what my mother has done. Her actions caused harm to a lot of packs. We are not going to try to defend her terrible choices.”
“Then what are you here for, if I may ask?” Ronan asked with a cold tone.
He went to stand behind Lucien’s couch and draped his arms protectively around his mate.
Katreena gave him a curt smile.
“We are here to ask for a favor.”
“What favor?” Dane asked with an equally cold tone, if not more.
“My mother’s corpse is being detained by the Werewolf Council and placed in St. Clarence hospital’s mortuary. We are not allowed to claim the body. As someone who has sinned against practically the whole werewolf community, my mother has been unanimously denounced by the Werewolf Council.”
Katreena’s voice trembled from sorrow as she forced herself to continue.
“All we want is permission to hold a proper funeral for our mother. She is, after all, our mother.”
“There is no place for her in the werewolf community,” Ronan declared. “You cannot expect her actions to go unpunished.”
“We know,” Vera spoke up. “We are not demanding to hold a funeral for her at the Eternal Sleep Lake. But please, please just allow us to claim her body.”
Ronan jeered.
“And what do you plan to do once you have the body?”
“I will take her to the south, to my pack house, and hold a funeral procession according to our custom in the southern area,” Katreena retorted. “No one will ever hear from her again. Or from us.”
Katreena squeezed her sister’s hand. Vera looked up at her sister with glassy eyes and quivering lips.
“I will take Vera with me as well. The Woodlands will no longer set a foot in this continent.”
“What about Lillian and her siblings?” Lucien asked.
Katreena gave Lucien a tender smile.
“Lillian is going to marry Kieran and become the Ironclad Claws Pack’s Luna. She and Kieran are going to rule over the pack together. As for Lillian’s siblings... My niece and nephew, I will of course take them with me as well.”
Deep in thought, Lucien lowered his head. So Lillian was going to be the last Woodland in the Ironclad Claws Pack. Her children were going to take their father’s surname, Locksworth.
It was rather ironic.
Lucrethia Woodland not only failed to sneak her descendant into the Infinite Eclipse Pack, but also lost the Alpha position in the Ironclad Claws Pack for all eternity.
The Woodland family was henceforth no more.
“Please,” Katreena begged. “We have asked many packs. To date, no one is willing to release my mother’s body. Consent from the Silverback family means a lot.”
Of course it meant a lot. After all, the Silverback family sustained the greatest damage, even more than the Night Prowler Pack and the Silent Walkers Pack.
‘Ronan...’
‘Don’t.’
Ronan took a deep breath and squeezed Lucien’s shoulder.
‘I told you that she did not give a crap about your life. For her, all of us are nothing but a bunch of ants that she can trample on at will. Let’s be merciless this one time, it will be a lesson for the future generations.’
Lucien disagreed.
‘Ronan, she is dead. What happens to her corpse doesn’t concern her anymore. She won’t know about it. By taking revenge on a dead body, you are not hurting Lucrethia but her daughters.’
Lucien tilted his head slightly to look at Ronan.
‘Think about the time when we thought that your father cremated your mother without even waiting for you to come and say goodbye. These two women are going through the same thing. Have some compassion.’
Ronan hung his head and sighed heavily.
‘I understand.’
“Ronan? You are the Alpha,” Lady Fangblade reminded her son.
“What is your decision?”
Ronan took Lucien’s hand and pressed a kiss on his fingers reverently.
“My Luna gave me a wise counsel. As the current head of the Silverback family and the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, I agree to release Lucrethia Woodland’s corpse to her two daughters.”
“Oh, Goddess...”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Katreena fought back the tears that gathered in her eyes. She then approached Lucien and squeezed his hands in gratitude.
“Thank you, Lucien Clearwater. We will never forget your kindness.”
Lucien squeezed back at Katreena’s hands. His gaze wandered between the two women in front of him.
“Farewell, Madam Katreena Swifttalon and Miss Vera Woodland.”