Chapter 5 THE FUNERAL WEDDING

DANE'S POV

I pushed the door open with urgency, my boots thudding against the marble-tiled floor of her chambers.

Maya, or whoever lost her memory, was spun and jolted around the moment I entered, startled. Eyes wide, lips parted slightly.

But what caught my attention wasn't her reaction; it was the swift, almost instinctive movement of her hand, shoving something behind her back. A paper, or a letter maybe?

But I said nothing; I had no energy for riddles, not today.

"I don't care what you're hiding," I muttered, stepping into the room. "Right now, I need you to listen." She straightened, still saying nothing. I didn't even look her in the eyes. Because if I did, I might lose control of everything I was trying to hold together.

"There's been a tragedy," I said slowly. "Cara. My mate..." I paused, biting down on the word that always seemed to slice me open.

"She's dead." Maya's face was unreadable.

I continued, voice low. "They say it was an accident. A fall from the cliffs of Dagger Hill during a lunar hunt." Silence erupts; her eyes fill with rage and so many questions to ask.

Maya always sees Cara as her rival, but her suddenly emerged facial expressions are saying otherwise. "Is she sad to hear of her death or happy her rival is dead?"

"But I know better. She was watched, targeted. And someone wanted her gone." I uttered sternly, still no reaction from her, only the faintest narrowing of her eyes, but I don't care.

"I'm taking the cubs," I added. "You'll come with us to Wolfsburg. The funeral is tomorrow. We'll pay our last respects, and don't tell me it doesn't concern you."

Her lips parted then, but her words seemed forced. "I am..." She paused, and her actions completed the words.

As she raced to a big black leather bag, close to the giant bed opposite her, she began to pack her clothes in it.

"Are we going alone or with the cubs?" She questioned, and I was speechless, startled myself.

"The cubs are going with us!" That's the only response I gave.

******* WOLFSBURG *******

The carriage ride had been long and silent, Maya staring out of the window as if her thoughts were miles away, while the cubs dozed against her shoulders. I had questions, all of them burning inside me, but none that could be asked in front of innocent ears.

I, Maya, and the cubs arrived at Wolfsburg Kingdom earlier than expected. Just as the sun began to bleed into the horizon.

But the moment we stepped into the venue, something felt off that I couldn't comprehend. Too many designed lights and noises from people moving in and out.

As we neared the castle grounds, I caught the sound of harp strings and the scent of roasted meat and saw guests arriving in lavish cloaks. No mourning color, no somber faces, no hint of grief.

It was loud. Laughter echoed through the courtyards. Music played in the distance. Pack members in fine attire toasted glasses on balconies.

This wasn't a funeral. This was a celebration.

"Mom," Aria whispered from beside Maya, "I thought we were attending a funeral. Why are they all rejoicing?" Maya couldn't respond either. Her eyes were fixed on the main hall, her expression unreadable yet laced with intense rage.

As you walked through the heavy guests, I turned to one of the servants. "Where's Lord Max?" This is a burial ceremony; why does it look like a damn wedding ceremony or festival?"

The servant held on to his silver tray tightly as he took his bow. "Apologies, Alpha Dane. His lordship instructed us to honor the legacy of his daughter with a feast rather than tears. He said, Death should not dull the greatness of today."

I didn't buy it, not for a second, and I think you can't buy it either, can you?

Lord Max and I are close friends; as far as I know, he is a good man who loves Cara too much to bury her beneath music, wine, and merriment, unless.

We entered deeper into the castle, greeted by more smiles than sorrow. Maya walked beside me in silence, her hand brushing mine once, but there was hesitation in her touch, as if she, too, was questioning every step we took.

Then, just before we reached the ceremonial chamber, a cold voice stopped us.

"I didn't think you'd come, Dane." I turned sharply.

There he stood, Alpha Thane, draped in regal black, though his smug eyes betrayed no grief.

"My little niece and nephew!" He extended his greetings to the cubs and Maya, whose eyes were etched with the rage of a killer.

"My sister, Maya, thank you for coming."

"Where's Lord Max?" I asked; Alpha Thane's smile didn't waver.

"Oh, he's busy preparing the final rites. But between us..." He leaned in, voice low and sharp. "Not every coffin stays closed forever. And he's enjoying another's daughter's wedding."

Before I could demand answers, a sudden commotion erupted behind us. The doors flew open. Guests gasped.

And at the far end of the hall, no one seemed to notice the undercurrent of confusion beneath the celebration. It wasn't grief that filled the room; it was tension disguised as elegance.

Then I saw it, at the center of it all, under a floral arch, Kyle and Layla, standing hand in hand.

Layla, the ever-smiling stepdaughter of Lord Max. And Kyle, Alpha Thane's only son. My dead ex-mate, Maya's half-brother, and now groom to the heiress herself.

Maya's eyes grew wider in anger; she wanted to approach them, but at only a touch, she stopped.

I blinked, stunned. A wedding of these two? Today? Then came the announcement.

"Honored guests," the announcer declared, "Alpha Dane of Moonshine Kingdom and his queen, Lady Maya, are invited to offer a few words to bless this sacred union!"

Gasps and whispers. I saw Maya stiffen beside me, her jaw twitching in disbelief.

"This wasn't just a wedding; it was a power move, a distraction, a cover-up." I thought inwardly to myself.

But I stepped forward, shoulders squared, and took the podium with regal ease. The crowd fell silent. My voice, though calm, was laced with iron.

"I offer my congratulations to Kyle and Lady Layla." I began, my gaze sweeping the room. "In a time of goodness, let us rejoice with our loved ones in unity." Polite applause followed. But then, as I stepped back, Maya stepped forward. Uninvited, unannounced, unshaken.

The crowd murmured. I turned sharply to her, my eyes widened in shock, but she ignored me. She took the podium, lifting her chin with queenly defiance.

"My name is Maya, Queen of Moonshine; this is what my king intended to say." She said. "In a time of loss, it's strange to witness such joy, but perhaps there is a problem." She paused to clear her throat, then continued, "And I'll not stand here and pretend this is normal." All the guests went still.

"Today I remember something too many are trying to forget: Lady Cara's death wasn't an accident like they made us believe." She asserted confidently.

A ripped-off gasps cut through the hall like a blade. "She didn't just commit suicide; she was murdered."

I tried reaching for her arm. "Maya..." She pulled away. The room erupted in shock, noise, murmurs, and outrage. Layla looked horrified. Kyle's expression turned bad.

She had lost her memory; she never loved Cara when she was alive. I don't know why she's saying that all of a sudden, but one thing is sure: she must know something to declare that in public. Probably a "Secret"