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SKYE

Ashgrove Memorial was a beautiful cemetery, filled with low, rolling hills and well maintained fields of grass.

Countless pathways guided the bereaved to the resting places of their loved ones.

Tree branches hung across the cobblestone walk ways, reaching across as if to embrace one another, forming archways that seemed endless.

A sweet little gazebo provided shelter during poor weather, or for a gathering.

Fountains stood, the bottom pool glittering with coins holding wishes.

Indigo’s gravestone was a light gray colour, and cut in the traditional headstone shape. But in the middle was a portrait of her. Tan. Blonde. Deep hazel eyes that seemed to drink in everything around her.

It wasn’t Rowan that stepped forward and addressed the resting place first.

It was me.

My heart hammered in my chest and the grass tickled my toes as I stepped closer to the headstone.

Red clover dotted her site like freckles in the lawn, rhymeless, but also like they belonged here.

Her scent, her perfume, her flower, something we could all touch and smell, a piece of her that was still living.

Other than me.

I lowered down to my knees and sat quietly, meditating on the picture, the engraving.

Indigo Waters.

Fearless. Fiery. Forever.

She was two years older than me. In two years, I would be the same age as her. In three, I would be older than she’d ever be. Reaching out, I traced my finger against her hair, then along her chin.

“I feel like I know you,” I said to the headstone, the picture, but really I felt like I was speaking directly with Indigo.

“We would have been friends, I can tell. Maybe I would have joined you on a marathon or something.” I smiled.

“Mm, probably not. I’m not a runner. But we would have talked about trash TV, and gone out to brunch where we would talk about our alphas and laugh about something silly they did.

” A sudden lump grew in my throat and a sob got lost somewhere in my chest. “You would have been one of my bridesmaids.”

I smoothed my finger over her cheek again, the granite surface glassy and polished. “Thank you for everything that you’ve given me. I promise I’ll take care of him. And myself. And I promise I’ll make sure to be worthy of being his omega.”

I picked the bouquet up from my lap and set it in the vase affixed next to the headstone. “Welcome to the Heller Pack, Indigo.”

Blinking tears from my eyes, I turned to Rowan and my alphas. They already looked like a pack. Rowan had a hand pressed against his eyes, and Crux had an arm around his shoulders. Tears glittered in Halo’s eyes and Severen watched over us all protectively, his aura extended to encase packmates.

“Rowan.” I lifted my hand and reached for him. He peered from between his fingers, eyes red and watery. My perfume glided through the air in an effort to soothe him. He stepped forward, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and took my hand.

“Speak from the heart,” I said, gazing up at him, at his angular features and intense blue eyes.

Rowan inhaled.