Rue | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 8

Ibeth felt like reality stopped existing.

Nothing she did felt real. Voices were muffled, faces were blurred. She knew she was carrying Aiden's body but she couldn't sense the weight on her arms. She followed behind Jackson as he led the wolves, often looking back at her to make sure she was still with the group.

"Ibeth."

She flinched when she felt a hand brushing her face. She realized they'd stopped by her old cabin, at the edge of the lake where funerals were usually conducted. Her grandmother was standing beside her, trying to get her attention.

"Oh, sweetheart," whispered Mary as Ibeth sank down, placing Aiden's body gently on the floor. "Honey, you're about to pass out."

"No," she said tiredly. "I'm fine."

Mary pried her mouth open anyway, having her drink some water. "Come on, lay back..." she helped her onto the ground, lifting her legs onto the nearest log to get some blood flowing to her head. "Just close your eyes and breathe, Ibeth. Breathe."

Whatever she said after that made no sense to Ibeth. It was like she was underwater and everyone's voices were distorted. She felt herself growing so lightheaded, she figured she must be seconds away from losing consciousness for good. Ever so often someone would caress her forehead. There was a cold sensation on the back of her neck. Her grandmother must have been tending to her, but Ibeth couldn't fully register it.

"Come on, honey, it's time to get up," Mary coaxed. "Jackson has the boat ready. We're waiting for you."

"I can't do it," she whimpered as her grandmother tried to pull her to her feet. "Oh god... oh god I can't do it, I can't get up, I can't even feel my legs..." she buried her face in her sweater and shook her head. "Please don't make me do it."

"It has to be you," Mary reminded her, smoothing a hand through her hair. "The Alpha's blessing. You have to give it."

"I'm not— I said I'm not—"

"You are. You haven't officially renounced the title and I won't let you. You can give Jackson temporary control if you want but you are not stopping being the Alpha. You got them a blessing, and if you step down, they might lose it."

Ibeth moaned in pain as her grandmother forced her to her feet. "Sweetheart, come on," Mary urged. "He's counting on you. He needs you to be the one to do this."

She wrapped her arms around her, whimpering. "He wasn't supposed to die. He wasn't meant to, I can't... I can't live like this. First we lost Eve, then we lost Oliver, then Jerick and now Aiden? All my closest friends are dying. My own husband got the last two killed. My husband..."

"We could talk all day about our husbands doing bad things, right?" whispered Mary, cupping her face. "And one day we will talk about it. But we can't change the past any more than we could control what they did. You have to stay strong. Just a bit longer. Just enough to get through this, Ibeth. I'm so sorry, honey, I really am. But you need to say goodbye. The Pack needs to see it."

Nodding her head, she straightened herself up, drying her eyes and limping to the edge of the dock, where the boat awaited. Nick, Aiden's younger brother, stood beside Jackson and Hayley.

Ibeth reached out to accept the torch her brother offered. She bowed her head, and Kurt came forward to set a woven wreath of moss and vines over her head. Her grandmother draped a shawl over her shoulders.

She lifted her head. "Years ago we established a new practice to say farewell to our fallen," she said, very quietly at first. Jackson motioned for her to speak up. "I'd like to continue our new tradition for our farewell today. We have lost our brother, our friend, Aiden. He was a valuable member of our pack. Born twenty-three years ago, older brother to Nick, and a long-time friend to Jackson and I. He was..." she drew a deep inhale, "loyal and true. And he will be missed dearly..."