HIS LAST WORDS

HIS LAST WORDS
Ayla

I stood at the edge of the grave, my heart heavy with grief. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the gathering of wolves who had come to pay their respects to my father.

Before his sickness, he was such a strong warrior, and an absolute asset to the pack.

I know how many times that I had convinced myself to think that I absolutely detested my father, but now it seems like Darius was fucking right after all.

It would hurt after I had lost him forever, and damn, it really fucking did.

I could not stop thinking about how Darius found me, cradling my dad’s dead body to my chest.

L was so cruel to him… and now he was gone and I felt so damn miserable.

Was I a hypocrite?

“You are alright little one” Val said trying to comfort me as best as she could.

Darius stood beside me, his hand on my shoulder, offering what little comfort he could.

I felt numb, like I was there but at the same time I was really not. It was just like I was floating above the scene, watching it unfold from a distance.

Darius said that I was grieving.

I didn’t know, I just wanted to feel anything that was not this fucking hollow feeling in my chest that felt like it was consuming me.

Elder Ulrich stepped forward, his eyes filled with sorrow. "We are here today to remember a great warrior, Gerald Stable was a great man, and all that he had done for the pack in his lifetime will never be forgotten" he said, his voice strong and clear.

"He was a man of honor, of courage, and of heart. He will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on in all of us."

I felt a lump form in my throat as I listened to Elder Ulrich’s words. My father had been a complex man, with flaws and mistakes, but he had also been kind to me at least when I was younger.

He was not the monster that I had made him out to be for so many years.

If only I had given him the time of the day then, I would have had more time with him. Now here I was, crying over spilt milk.

As the ceremony continued, I couldn't help but think back to my childhood, to the memories I had of my father. The way he used to chase me through the woods, laughing and playing, the way he would always shield me from mum whenever I did something work and she wanted to scold me… he was always the chili one.

He told me so many stories, and he also did this thing where he would carry me on his neck and run around the place…. It always felt like I was flying.

That was such a happy period in my life.

But then, I still remember how things changed the moment that I presented as an Omega… how his temper always rose, over the littlest things… The way they heartlessly casted me out to the attic to live.

They joined the entire pack to abuse me…. That was also such a miserable period in my life.

I stood silently in front of the casket, a single white lily in my hand. My knuckles were white from gripping it too tightly, as though it could keep me grounded, keep me from unraveling. My heart felt like it was collapsing inward, folding beneath the weight of disbelief. Just yesterday, he had smiled at me. Told me he was proud. Told me he loved me.

And now, he was gone.

This was not some sort of joke and nobody was pulling my legs, he was really gone.

People surrounded me—Darius, Freddy, Jayrell, Kevin, members of the pack—but their presence was a blur.

I heard muffled sniffles, murmured condolences, and the steady hum of prayers offered by the elders. But I wasn’t really there. Not fully. Part of me was still in that room, holding his hand as it went limp in mine.

He had died peacefully at least, with a soft smile on his lips and not a painful death. That should’ve brought me comfort, but somehow, all I could feel was this hollow ache.

I stepped forward, the ground soft beneath my feet, and cleared my throat. My voice shook, but I forced the words out. “My father wasn’t perfect. For a long time, we didn’t see eye to eye, he hurt me and I thought to myself that I would never forgive him.”

I swallowed hard, blinking fast. “But he changed. He tried. And that… that meant everything to me. In the end, he looked at me like a father should look at his daughter. We were able to mend our differences and I would carry with me forever the fact that I got to hear his last I love you.”

I could not stop the sob that tore out of my throat.

Freddy squeezed my hand tightly “you have us here mummy” he said and I smiled gratefully at him.

What would I do without my family? Probably nothing.

My fingers brushed the top of the casket, lingering there. “I forgive you,” I whispered, so quietly only the wind could hear. “And I love you, too.”

Then I laid the lily down and stepped back.

The elders began their chants, low and rhythmic, invoking the Moon Goddess to guide his soul safely into the next life. One by one, the others stepped forward to toss soil over the casket.

When it was my turn again, I knelt and pressed my palm flat against the fresh earth, grounding myself. I imagined his heartbeat beneath it, his voice telling me one last bedtime story.

“Rest now dad,” I murmured, my tears finally breaking free. “I’ll make you proud.”

As I stood, Darius wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I didn’t resist. I leaned into him, and together we watched as the final rites were completed.

The air was still, and my heart was broken to the tiniest of shreds, but somehow I just could not forget his last words.

“I love you.”