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I was petrified to tell my mom what happened. I got it into my head that she was going to think I did something wrong, and I’ve seen her mad plenty of times. But not this time. She promised me I never had to go back to church if I didn’t want to, and for years, I didn’t. Until Dad died.

Being Undead, Mom and I weren’t phased by a church service, and we also have different beliefs. But Dad was human, and a public service was expected from a family like ours, so we did it. Between the asshole priest and Dad's funeral, this was an experience I never wanted to repeat.

Now it's Lexie’s turn. It doesn’t help that I never liked her. She was pretentious and self-obsessed, but Jude loved her, so I kept my mouth shut when I needed to, unless her sister treated her like shit. That's where I drew the line. I think the competition that Eric and Edie encouraged amongst the sisters made it worse. They said it made for stronger Druids, when all it did was fracture their family.

If I was going to make a move against another family, the Druids wouldn’t have been my first choice. But if they were? I would have dismantled their family differently by taking out Edie first. Without her, Eric can’t have more heirs, and it would take him too long to find a new wife, even with the Human Faction in the equation. Then, I would have picked his heirs off one by one. That's why I’m baffled as to who would want Lexie dead. No matter which way I look at it, she would never be the first target. It makes no sense to me, strategically or politically. That’s why I wonder if it was a hate crime.

If anything good has come out of this experience, it's my plea to my mom for help. I’m seeing snippets of the old Gabriela De Greer emerge, and today she looks like the bad ass head of the Undead empire that she once was. It's been challenging keeping her meltdown away from the public eye, but I did it. More than that, though, I’ve just missed my mom.

Folding one leg over the other, bringing my skirt scandalously high, I catch Dom’s eye from the opposite pew, and I wink at him before turning my attention back to the minister. My attempt at paying attention isshort-lived as he urges us to repent for our sins, but I refocus my effort as I hear him closing the service.

The Rhodes’ family stands at the minister's request, and the rest of us are directed to the reception hall while the family go say their final goodbyes in the family crypt. Thank the Undead. How many times can you say goodbye to a dead person? We didn’t even go this over the top for Dad. Trying not to roll my eyes, Mom gives me a sharp look as if she knows what I’m thinking, and I withhold my smirk. I love seeing this side of her again.

When I asked Jude what they get up to at the family crypt, she vaguely told me about some Druid traditions where they pray to their ancestors and will commend Lexie’s body to them and pray for her safe passage. If there is another thing all the families have in common, it's that we don’t really believe in heaven or hell, but we believe more in the people that came before us.

In single file, we leave the church and make our way towards the reception area. But before I leave, I pause to light a candle for my father. I think he would have liked that. As I enter the reception area, I have to work to keep the disgust off my face. You would think with all the wealth I just saw, they would put a bit more effort into this area of the church, too. It's just cheap tables, peonies, and beige tablecloths. Either someone fucked up with this part of the planning, or it really is just that boring.

Helping myself to some cake and coffee that the tables are laden with, I spend a few moments networking. It feels odd, like business is going back to normal, and Lexie has already become a distant memory.

Trying to remain respectful, I make polite conversation with Autumn, Jude’s cousin. Of course, all she can tell me is it was at her wedding wherethey found out about Lexie. Like I didn’t already know that. Autumn bored me back then, and it seems marriage or a funeral didn’t change that.

That's why I’ve planned a little welcome home party for Jude at Tao this evening. She deserves a little fun after coming back to this shit show. It’s not much longer until I can get out of here and set everything up, and Mom will stay behind to represent the Undead.

Thankfully, the rest of the family returns, giving me a reason to end my conversation with Autumn, but my thoughts immediately turn to defense because Jude looks like she wants to murder someone. She storms over to where Sebastian and Alyssa are having a heated exchange, and I see Jude’s eyes flash gold and her arm shift into something furry with claws. Grabbing Alyssa by the throat, Jude lifts her from the floor without much effort until her feet are dangling in the air.

The shocked gasps echo throughout the reception area, and I am pretty sure I hear china breaking from their surprise. Hearing the sinister growl coming from my friend, she practically roars at Alyssa, “If you ever try to come for my family, or even so much as look at them wrong, I will rip your fucking head off. Is that understood?”

You could hear a pin drop in the hall. Jude, taking on Alyssa so publically, is practically a declaration of war. As heir to the Undead, I should stay out of it, but Jude is my friend, and I know she would have my back if the roles were reversed.

Alyssa struggles to get free, but she can’t shake Jude. That’s another secret being carelessly revealed. Jude has worked so hard to hide her strength over the years and now, she’s just publically flaunting it and putting a target on her back. What changed between our conversation about playing it cool and this? Damn it.

I’m pushing towards them as fast as I can without making more of a scene, but Sebastian beats me to it. He approaches Jude slowly like she’s a rabid animal and tries to keep his voice low, “Jude, please let go of my mom.” Jude’s arm doesn’t move as her head whips to look at Sebastian. “I heard her! She was threatening you again. Today of all days!?”

Jude’s eyes have dilated, and if she doesn’t get hold of her temper soon, she’s going to shift. Snapping my fingers at Dom, he jumps into action with his sisters to wipe the humans’ memories. Jude’s making it worse, having apparently turned her anger on Sebastian, voice rising, “I don’t care if she’s your mom, Sebastian. She’s disrespecting you and my family, and I won’t fucking stand for it. She needs to know her place.”

Finally, I’m there, putting my hand over her still shifted arm, “Jude, my friend, I need you to take it down a notch. I think Alyssa got the message, didn’t she?”

Alyssa nods meekly, which is unheard of for her, and Jude lets go after a few more seconds of squeezing, as if to make her point. Ignoring Alyssa’s coughs, I take Jude by the shoulders and say, “Let's go get you ready for tonight’s party while I see to the rest of your guests.”

Chapter 12 | The Taste Of Freedom

Luca

Thank the Undead that the drive from the church to Tao is relatively quick. With my heels crunching in the gravel, I make my way into the club through the staff entrance. When inside, I’m greeted by the sight of the staff setting up for tonight’s dinner service and party.

“Hey Luca! Things go alright with the funeral?” One of our waitresses asks as she places a red lamp on one of the dinner tables. I’m obsessed with the effect it creates with the red and black wall paneling. Satine is a feisty little firecracker as her name suggests, and I’m touched she remembered. Giving her a polite smile, I respond, “We only had one disagreement today, which is normal for us. Now let's get ready for the party!”

The shadows that were still clinging to me from the church fall away as I’m surrounded by the familiarity of the nightclub. Hearing cutlery cling against each other and greeting some bar men shining the glasses for the evening, helps soothe some of that unsettled feeling I’ve been struggling to shake.

Being a gay Supernatural is hard at the best of times, and even if I’m different, I can’t always draw attention to that. Having parents like mine helped though; they never cared who I love. They just want me to be happy. They taught me it doesn’t matter what life choices I make, as long as I’m okay living with the consequences of them.

Most importantly, they taught me that my happiness is not reliant on someone’s respect; both things can exist at once and have nothing to do with each other. I think it helped that Dad came from the Human Faction. He understood what it felt like to be an outsider. That's why I struggle to accept how horrible Alyssa and Eric are to their kids. Sure, we need to present as powerful; I get that. But when did that start becoming more important than family and being absolute dicks to your kids?

Shaking my head in disbelief, I refocus my attention on more important things. Tao is not just a club; it gives people permission to be different, to explore their darker sides and not have to be ashamed or apologize for it. Being here is the reminder I needed. Nothing is wrong with me. Heading towards my office, my phone chimes with a text from Silva to let me know she’s on the way there, too. She probably picked up my entrance on one of the monitors.

My first priority is to get out of these funeral clothes. Maybe burn them too. I want no reminder of this feeling of not being good enough, and the church represents that for me. Leaving my door open for Silva, I take my clothes off in one fluid movement until I’m just in my underwear and bend down to grab a spare black dress I keep for emergencies like this in my office.

I don’t hear Silva’s approach, which is standard for the Undead, but she makes her entrance known by asking me, “Was the funeral really thatbad?” I finish pulling the dress over my head and straighten it before I respond. “I mean, it was fine; it's more the things the funeral brought up.” My response is vague because I’ve seen we have company, and I cock my head towards Silva, waiting for an explanation.