Two weeks later,

"Daniel and I were never friends; he hated me more than I disliked him. To me, he was nothing more than those disgusting dogs out there. But then, the universe does have its ways of strengthening things out...." Asher stood at the pulpit giving a eulogy.

After a week of intense arguments and arrangements, it was finally decided Daniel would be buried today - more like an empty coffin. Lia had been insistent that there would not be any burial - she didn't believe that Daniel was dead or maybe she didn't want to believe it. Because she was so insistent on bringing Daniel back, she was given a week's space to carry out whatever she had in mind.

Asher let her do what she wanted so it wouldn't seem like he was happy with Daniel was gone. Moreover, Lia has been so snappy recently that a little conversation between them advances into a full-blown argument. Lia was so consumed with grief and rage that she didn't realize how destructive she's becoming.

The last time they had an unnecessary argument, Lia almost screamed his head off - he was sure no human would have survived that. Her erratic behavior made him go research deep about "wolves in mourning" and he came to a discovery that the bond between them - he and Lia - was the only reason she hadn't lost it completely.

When a mate dies, a part of the other wolf dies. Life becomes insignificant and some wolves never recover fully from it, living meaninglessly till they die or take their own life while the intense ones go rabid and would have to be put down by the pack.

With the limited time given to her, Lia tried everything possible but she couldn't summon the portal to hell to open up again. She killed herself over and over and over till Asher couldn't take it anymore. He had no choice but to stop her.

The moonlight pack needed to mourn their alpha the proper way as their custom demands - with or without his body - within a specified time.

"Unlike my expectation," Asher went on with his speech, staring straight at everyone in this outdoor venue comprising of werewolf - the host, vampires from both Nicolli clan and other vampire clans, witches - dark ones included, and a medium - Ben, "He turned out to be a good companion and won against the stereotype 'vampire hate werewolf' and vice versa. He was more than a brother and had my back even when I never had his. His sacrifice is the reason why we're gathered here today. He sacrificed his life to stop a war that would have wiped off if not all races."

He stopped to look at the crowd he was speaking to, "And for that, he deserves all our respect and appreciation. He's a legacy that would forever remain in our hearts as long as we live.."

The crowd couldn't even let Asher finish as Daniel was honored with a round of deafening applause with the wolves howls mingled in a single sustained roar.

It was at that rowdy moment that Asher felt a sharp pain in his chest. He would have ignored it but recently, with Lia unstable, he couldn't exactly wave off any reaction his body shows off - no matter how tiny.

Without wasting time, he climbed down the makeshift stage and vamp over to the Packhouse with great speed. He didn't even knock and barge in on time to see Lia returning back to the living with a knife sticking out from her chest.

"The sword of Micheal," His eyes widened when he recognized that. How had she gotten her hands on that?

"Seriously, I'm done with this shit!" Asher pulled it out from her chest mercilessly.

"Give it back!" Lia roared, coming to snatch it from his grasp.

"Since you're so desperate to end your life, why don't I die instead so you can carry out your plan peacefully," He hissed and was about to stab the knife into his chest when she knocked it out of his grip.

Asher glanced down, he received a hard slap on the face which made his head swipe to the side. Before Asher could even question why she slapped him, Lia began to throw punches on his chest.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she began to cry while hitting him continuously.

"It's okay," Asher took her into his arm.

It was obvious that she was going through a lot right now; he could feel her pain. Losing a mate wasn't an easy experience but what he couldn't condone was she inflicting harm on herself.

"I can't do this, anymore," she fisted her hand in his shirt, tears filling her eyes.

"You have to be strong, Lia," He told her, rubbing his hand on her back.

"I can't, it hurts too much,"

"I know but I'm sure Daniel wouldn't want you to be like this, neither would I if I had been the one who jumped in," Asher told her.

"I failed him! I was the one who led him into this mess... I deserve to die!" She claimed.

"You die, then what? What about the kids? Hailey and Hazel? What happens to them? You haven't even laid your eyes on them for the past two weeks?!" He reminded her.

As if the universe was supporting him, the door opened and the startled kids fell into the room - they were eavesdropping. Discovering they were caught, the triplets all stood to their feet hurriedly with an innocent look on their faces.

The kids thought they were in trouble with the way their mother was staring at them intensely without knowing she was stunned at the level of their growth.

"Oh my God, I'm such a bad mother," Lia came to the realization. She had been so engaged in her grief that she didn't realize she had abandoned the kids she had made with Daniel - he surely wouldn't be happy if he saw that wherever he was.

"I'm so sorry," She walked over and took all three of them into her arms, crying profusely and kissing their cheeks one after the other, "Mommy is so sorry,"