"The song is ended,

But the melody lives on..."

-The Song is Ended, Irving Berlin.

I stood in front of the mirror, running my fingers over the black dress I wore. I tried not to let my fingers shake as I did so and clasped the tiny piece of paper tightly in my hand.

I slipped in black bellies to match the dress and sat on my bed afterwards, just staring at space.

I needed a moment to collect myself.

It took me all of my courage to not run back to my washroom and curl up like a ball and cry. It felt like I was lifting heavy stones up as I moved my legs to walk out of my room.

I closed the door behind me and quietly walked downstairs, clutching the railing tightly because otherwise I would have fallen due to my shaky legs.

"My poor baby," my mother cooed, her eyes filled with remorse and tears and she rushed to hug me.

My father stood behind her with a sad smile on his face, silently offering his comfort.

They were too clad in all black, ready for the tough day.

"Come on," my mother said, sniffing as she grabbed my hand and walked with me towards the exit. "We'll be late."

I walked lifelessly behind her, not saying a word as my father followed shortly behind.

We sat in the car as the graveyard was quite far from here, with me occupying the back seat.

I sank back into my seat, absorbing these last moments of nothingness before I would be finally able to meet my friend.

But for the last time now.

I drew in a sharp breathe, clasping the paper harder.

The knuckles of my fist turned white and my heart started beating faster.

I've always hated funerals. They come with such a harsh sense of finality. You have to see your loved one getting buried in the earth, and you know that you'll never be able to see them again, hear their voice, watch them smile, laugh with them.

It is like you are forced to come out of denial and face the reality. It is like everyone is forcing you to move on when you are just not ready to.

It is when you know that the person is never coming back no matter what.

And that really hurts.

I quickly wipe the tear that had fallen from the corner of my eye away, as I pretend to stare out of the window. If I don't about it, it won't hurt.

Hopefully.

In front of me, my parents talked on and on about the pack they had worked in. Mom told me so many stories about what happened there and about her patients, while dad was slightly silent, yet attentive- just like he always is.

Just like everything always was.

My parents were chatty as ever, enthusiastic and playful with each other and me. There was nothing different in their behaviour and everything should have fallen in place like it used to before- but it didn't.

Nothing felt the same anymore.

I no longer laughed at the silly jokes they cracked or the playful comments they passed towards each other like I used to. I didn't participate in the conversation and neither did I take interest in their stories. I just sat at the back of the car as if I was someone foreign. Someone new to this family. As if they were not my people.

The thought scared me. I felt like I was losing my parents and my solace.

My parents were and will always remain my happy place. They have always loved me so much and supported me in everything.

They are my life support and everything I can wish and pray for.

But then why wasn't I smiling? Why wasn't I feeling relieved? Why did I want block them out and just not listen? What was wrong with me?

"What happened, sweetie?" My mom asked me, turning around, a worried look on her face.

I quickly slapped a fake smile on my face and replied with a, "Yeah, mom?"

"Are you okay?" She asked me and I smiled again.

"Of course, I'm just a little...a little nervous and I don't know if I'll be able to this." I asked, in a low voice.

She smiled sympathetically at me and squeezed my hand in comfort. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I know it's difficult for you. You've lost your friend. But you'll be alright. More than alright. She's at a better place now, just think about it like that."

She would have missed my forehead had she not been sitting on the front seat and I was okay with it.

I nodded at her and sat back.

She doesn't know anything. For her and my father, everything as completely normal. For them, I went to school like a normal person during the days they weren't here and lead a normal life. They didn't know that I was kidnapped or that these past months had been the most eventful months of my life. They didn't even know that I had found a mate and the story afterwards.

What they were told was that I was gone on an educational trip and Patricia became my friend there, who died because of a rogue attack in the woods.

Not all lies though, but definitely not the truth.

But they didn't need to know the truth. The last thing I needed was for them to worry, and now that I've put everything past me, what is the sense of unleashing old wounds anyway?

<><><>

PATRICIA RODRIGUEZ

Lived for others

"The biggest gift you can give to yourself is through giving the gift of happiness to someone else."

Beloved daughter, sister, friend and mate.

The gravestone didn't express half of what she was, how great of a human being she was and what great deeds she had done. They might not be so great to others, but to me, she was an angel who came into my life and tried to make everything alright.

I watched silently as the proceedings went on. Ryder, Katherine, Chance and Mason had also attended the funeral along with Alissa and Patricia's parents of course.

I was surprised to see them at first, but then I found that Alissa had called them back from their pack.

Alissa's parents were there too, comforting their child as she sobbed relentless.

My heart squeezed in guilt everytime she cried and I had to look away in shame.

It was difficult for me not to break down myself, but I contained my emotions and bottled up my tears for the last. I wanted to do this correctly.

Once it was the time for everyone to offer their eulogy to the dead, we moved closed to the coffin in which she was laid.

I saw her face for the one last time and absorbed her features in my memory. I had hardly known her for a few days, but I wanted her memories to live with me forever.

She looked so serene, so calm and peaceful that I almost believed what mother had said and that she was really at a better place.

My parents had left after a few minutes, simply because I had requested them to. I told them that it was getting too crowded here and that I wanted to be alone for a while, when actually I had to ask them to leave because I couldn't have said what was in my eulogy in front of them.

<><><>

"... We couldn't thank Jesus enough for blessing us with such an amazing daughter. When we lost you, we lost the ray of happiness in our lives and the shine in our eyes. What you did for your mate is remarkable and deserves so much appreciation." Patricia's mom sniffed as she said, "You deserve the world, baby. My child, you deserve all the happiness and peace. And perhaps Moon goddess thought that this cruel world won't be able to offer you enough, which is why she called you."

She choked on her world, crying silently as her husband rubbed her back comfortingly, tears flowing out of his own eyes.

"We just w-want you to know that we are so proud of you. And we miss you so much. It's not the same without you, my child. We wish you were here, we really wish-"

She couldn't say anymore, as she hid her head in her husband's chest and cried like no tomorrow.

My eyes filled with tears of my own and my lips quivered due to the pain I was feeling. Why do people have to go?

"Olivia, would you like to say something?" The priest asked me and I looked up in shock.

I had not expected to be next. I wasn't ready.

But then again, will I ever be ready?

I nodded shakily, my hands turning clammy and my stomach dropped.

Suddenly I couldn't find my voice anymore. I couldn't remember what I had to say. I looked down at the paper in my hand and words failed to make any sense to me.

I panicked. I stammered. I had so much to say but I just couldn't speak.

"I-I.." I started but my throat seemed to close off.

I was so close to giving up when I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see Alissa standing with an encouraging half-hearted smile on her face.

It shattered my heart into tiny pieces to realize that someone who herself deserved comfort was ready to offer it to me. Someone who should be hating me and blaming me for their mate's death was standing by my side.

Alissa is really a beautiful soul and Patricia is so lucky to have her.

She smiled again and me and I nodded, offering her a smile of my own.

With newfound confidence, I finally felt like I could speak now, without stammering.

"Ms. Patricia Rodriguez, you are a beautiful person, and I need you to know that. It's so funny how when someone asks me, I can talk to them for hours about you. But now that I was to write something, I can't come with anything. It's like every emotion is fighting to be expressed and I am just left speechless.

So I've decided, let's start from the beginning, shall we? If I'm going to be honest with you, I wasn't the biggest fan of yours when the first time we met. I mean, you injected me with a big, fat injection. What did you expect?" I chuckled lightly, the paper fell out of my hand as I didn't need it anymore. I realised that I didn't care about what was written in it, because I wanted to speak with my heart today.

"But then you told me your amazing story and I was blown away. I saw the brave, courageous female in front of me and in ways unknown to you, you gave me courage too. You gave me so much strength and will to keep going that I can't thank you enough. If I'm alive today, it's because of you and only you. Friends is a word that is used so loosely today and that is used so much. But you taught me what selflessness and friendship is. In the path of finding your mate, you helped a helpless girl find herself, and that's what makes you truly amazing.

I know that if you were here today, you would have scolded me for crying like a baby and you would have told me that I am stronger than this. But I can't help it, my friend. I just can't help it. My heart is not ready to believe that I've lost you and that you aren't here anymore. It feels incomplete, Patricia. Everything feels like it is incomplete now. I really wish you were here.

Time and circumstances stole you away from us, but I promise you that we'll nurture our memories till the last breath and never let them go. Your smile, your laugh, your voice, your face and your words will forever live with us and you'll forever be with us in the form of beautiful memories. You'll live on, Patricia. Forever and always."

I gulped and stepped away from her, indicating that my part was over. I could have said so much more, but then that would have been me just repeating myself in different forms.

I had nothing to say, yet so much to express.

Everyone looked at Alissa now, because it was finally her turn to say something.

She looked like she was frozen, and it was my turn to offer comfort to her.

"Patricia," she whispered. "My love, I, I won't hold back today. I won't stutter and I'll be strong. Just like you would have loved to see me. I know that you'd never want me to cry on the last day you see me, but I can't help it, my love. I can't help but mourn.

You know, the next time I talk to moon goddess, I'll ask her what I did to deserve this. And no, I'm not talking about losing you. I'm talking about finding you. What did I do to deserve such an amazing mate like you. What did I do to deserve all the beautiful moments we had spent together.

Moments that helped me live. I won't lie and I'll tell you that I was so close to giving up in that hell. I was so close to closing my eyes and then never opening them again. But you, and your love kept me going. I knew that you were there, somewhere out there waiting for me, and that's what kept me going.

I'll miss you, of course. All my life, everyday, every second. But I'll never think of giving up again. I need you to be this proud of me. I'll pursue my dreams and live like you'd have wanted me to."

She bent down and placed a beautiful flower on the coffin as she said the last words.

"We were perfect, Patricia. We are perfect. We, our love, our faith, everything. But maybe it wasn't just our time. Which is okay, because the time we meet, I swear to you, I am going to hold onto you so tight that even the moon goddess won't be able to take you away. I love you, Patricia. With all my heart. Always have, always will."

Alissa's words left us all in tears as we bid our final goodbye and let her go forever this time.

It didn't rain like I had expected it to. But I'm sure that somewhere up there, even the angels cried over the loss of the most beautiful star of the sky.

WHICH WILL BE CONTINUED IN THE SAME BOOK)

The sequel will be up in a few days. I won't make a separate book for it, and I'll just continue it in this one because-

-The time lapse isn't much

-Wattpad has been playing games with me recently and I can't risk making a seperate book and losing it

-It's just a lot more convenient for all of you

- don't think I want to think of another title for it.

o