No Better Than The Beasts

Chapter 29-Coping

(I wanted to update sooner but I was in too good of a mood to write about mourning characters and my mom declared that we were to have an "electronic-free week". So, now that week is over and I woke up at 3 am with an extremely stupid nightmare from -I guess- watching a series about Ted Bundy on Netflix, I am now fit to write this chapter.)

A few days later passed since the funeral, and Jake was coping rather well. He was used to members of his pack dying at random, but none hit as hard as his father dying. He knew the pack would be almost equally devastated because his father was the Alpha. Their leader. Over the years, since wolves were hunted more often for profit, the pack became closer than friends or followers; the pack became family. Everyone cherished each other in some way or form. Everyone came to each other's birthdays. Everyone came to each other's funerals.

The Alpha was like a caring father to all.

Jake appreciated that he had multiple people to grieve with-that he wasn't the only one suffering from his loss. It sounded selfish, but he couldn't help but be comforted by the thought. 

Derrick was, surprisingly, also a big help. The prince had been uncharacteristically kind to the werewolf while he was upset. 

Well...as kind as Derrick could get.

His soulmate would read books to him in the library on days he needed to get away from the real world. Derrick wouldn't initiate anything, but he would allow Jake to peck his cheek every now and then. They haven't kissed on the lips since the first time, but Jake was not himself and Derrick wasn't used to affection yet. So, they stuck to the little things. Derrick didn't disappear to his "secret hideout," as Jake liked to call it, since they got back to the castle. He assumed the prince wanted to be there for him, which Jake appreciated and also thought was extremely adorable. Derrick would never admit it out loud if it were true.

Another thing that Derrick allowed was snuggles. Derrick pretended to be his stubborn self when they cuddled. Every time Jake proposed it, Derrick would screw up his face like he would rather do anything than snuggle with the werewolf. But because of the bond, Jake knew that the prince secretly liked it. Again, Derrick would never admit it.

The prince also informed Nathan of what happened. The king understood what it was like to lose a family member and tried to keep his distance. He knew that, as Jake's soulmate, Derrick would feel his sorrow and want to be more affectionate. But he also knew that Derrick would never be affectionate in front of other people, so he let his cousin be alone and instead bothered Jeanie and David.

With all these people caring about him and grieving with him, it was hard for Jake to feel upset. Sure, he has loved his dad always. He felt extremely guilty for arguing with his father so much throughout his life and wished he could go back in time and tell his dad "I love you" more. But he knew that his dad was now reunited with his grandparents, wherever they were, and that thought alone made him find peace.

Yes, his father's death will always haunt his mind. Some days he randomly bursts out in tears, still not fully believing it was true.

Yes, he was not going to get over it anytime soon. He might never get over it.

And yes, he will probably keep saying it's unfair and have crying fits every time someone mentions it.

But he knows that he'll get better as time goes on. He had a soulmate, a best friend, and a pack to depend on.

And he needed nothing else...except for his mom.

He was still angry with her. He wanted answers and he never got them. He wanted to know what happened in the past that made his mother so wary of trying to change the future.