As we reached the front of the gathering, the full weight of the pack's royalty bore down on us. Men and women of status whose mere presence only made my knees wobble. The family had also arrived before us: Alpha Kade, Luna Lynn, Sloane, Uncle Davis, Rose, and Julian. Lynn and Sloane were shooting me looks so hateful they felt like physical blades.
Kaeren and I were late.
"You dare?" Uncle Davis's voice reverberated loud enough for every camera to catch. He stepped forward, his eyes burning with a manic fury. "You killed my daughter! You killed my nephew! And now you dare to taint their memory by wearing ash to their funeral? You are a stain on this house!"
The cameras flashed harder, the paparazzi sensing blood in the water. I felt the judgmental gazes of the entire pack pressing in on me. I wanted to disappear, to melt into the grey silk of my dress and drift away like smoke.
But then, the crowd parted.
