The Alpha Academy

chapter 23

"The way he looked at you. I got it then. He loved you, and it was killing him. He won't get over you, Clary, he can't." - Cassandra Clare, City of Glass

((just a side note: if a complete dialogue is in italics then that's Vivian's wolf speaking))

23.

The night before the funeral I found my bed to be cold and lonely which is why I decided to relocate myself and sleep in Zack's room. My nostrils engulfed the delicate and fading hint of sandalwood in his room, and with it my brain flooded with pictures of Zack. His defined and sharp face just as handsome as the last time I saw him, his mischievious eyes twinkling and his dimple staring at me as he smiled. I missed the feeling of his muscular arm wrapped around me as much as I missed his scent. Now all that was left was a fleeting memory.

My heart ached as I realised that I would never be able to touch or hear him again. And that his over protective wolf would never be able to put his scent on me whenever an unmated male batted an eye towards my wolf or my direction.

No one could ever replace him and no one would ever will.

The Goddess works in mysterious ways. Here I am, burying my brother before he even became an Alpha. A thought so unbelievable that it never crossed my mind. It is crazy how you never know when it is the last time you meet someone. You see them and suddenly they're gone, taking a piece of you with them.

Zack's funeral service was elaborate and beautiful, exactly what my brother deserved. Every pack member loved Zack, and therefore, had a memory to share.

For my grieving heart, the pain seemed to go on forever. The petals of the flowers around the grave were an array of attractive colours; teal, emerald, ruby, amethyst, and orange, but to me they were only shades of grey.

There was not a dry eye in the viccinity. Everyone was mourning the loss of their future, something we all looked forward too.

Jonathan said a few words, reminding the pack of Zack's bravery and strength. How he was always there for anyone who needed help. How he always put his pack before everything else.

Kal, Zack's best friend, also talked about their adventures and narrated funny incidents from his life, most of which were silly practical jokes played by Zack such as changing the orea cream with toothpaste, putting blue dye in the shampoo bottle or putting a plastic wrap over the toilet seat. One particular instance that brought a smile upon everyone's face, because they vividly remembered it, was when Zack put itching powder in Kal's pants on the day of their maths final exam as revenge for asking his school crush out on prom. Throughout the exam, Kal couldn't stop itching and ultimately failed the subject.

They both were inseparable. And the day of the result was a testament to their friendship. Even though Kal failed and had to repeat maths for another year when all his classmates graduated, no one knew that Zack had also intentionally failed his exam. I remember Zack telling Kal on the day of results that he didn't want his best friend to "suffer Mr. Groff's wrath alone".

That was the type of guy he was. If he liked you, then he'd always put you before himself. His selflessness was precisely the reason why he would've been a perfect Alpha.

Mom had woken up too. She didn't say anything upon seeing me, except her arms were opened wide, and my name escaped her thin lips. I ran towards her and let my walls crumble in the safety of her embrace. We stayed like that for a while - rocking back and forth, trying to soothe each other's pain and grief. Grief which was drowning us. She held my shaky hand for the whole service.

She wasn't able to speak during the funeral since she couldn't stop crying. The only time she spoke was when they were about to close the casket. She hurriedly walked towards it and judging by her expressions, everyone thought that it would be difficult to distance her from her son. But all she did was run her fingers through Zack's hair and place a gentle kiss on his forehead, whispering four words softly, "Rest well, my darling."