Sylvester's POV

I was getting really worried, Millicent seemed to have gone off into space. Don't misunderstand me, she was physically present, but everyone could see she was not really there. I'd had a series of meetings with the chief and elders who had insisted on seeing Millicent and I had kept putting them off, telling them, she was not up to it yet.

'When will she be up to it then?', the chief asked. 'We are all pained by the loss of Christopher. She is acting as though she is the most affected!'

'But she is!' I snapped, 'He was her fated mate and the one she seemed determined to chose over me', I paused, 'Christopher had even claimed her before his demise!'

'Oh, is that so?' one of the elders intoned, pulling on his beared, his face creased in thought.

'If that's the case, then she needs a little more time but this cannot linger forever. We have to speak to both of you!' the chief emphasized, 'The fate of the pack depends on it'.

'What you want to say cannot be said to just me? I'll relay the message to her later!'

'No! She must be present!' the chief insisted.

'Why not bring her here already', another elder said. 'If she cared that much for Christopher, she would not have brought such a terrible fate on him!'

'We shall be here tomorrow', Chief said. 'And we shall expect to see her in this meeting with you!'

They stood and left.

I felt that I knew the reason they wanted to meet with Millicent and me and wondered how I was going to get Millicent back from the world her mind had escaped to in a bid to escape the pain of losing Christopher and I reached a decision. I decided it was going to be best done the next day, at about the time the meeting would take place.

When I got to her room, she was still in the same state and her friend Samantha was there trying to make her eat and speak but was not making any headway.

'You should know Samantha, that Millicent thinks that if she punished herself long enough, Christopher will be brought back to life', I began, addressing Samantha but staring at Millicent's unmoving form. She was sitting and staring off into space. 'She knows she is to blame for all this. And no starving nor pretended escape into the unknown will change that!' I screamed, hoping to get through to her. When she still did not respond, I decided to become meaner and take my verbal thrashing a bit further. 'Christopher asked me to take care of you but he must have been mistaken. He told me you are a very strong female but you are not, are you? You are as fickle as a human, like I have always thought. It is better that he died than make a weakling like you his Luna!' I paused. I saw Samantha staring at me with her mouth hanging open. I placed my fore finger to my lips and with the other hand, I made her the calm down sign. 'And now, preparations are being made for his burial and the one he loves most in the world will not be there to pay him her last respects and bid him farewell. Such love! And you claimed you had an incredible bond with him? Rubbish!' I spat. 'Coward! That's what you are! Escape all you want, who cares anyway!'

'Slap!'

I hadn't seen that coming. I had hoped to wake her from her shock induced stupor but had not expected that reaction from her. I must have gone too far. Thank goodness I did. at least she was back to earth.

'How dare you speak of my mate bond with Christopher with such disdain and disrespect?' she asked, eyes flashing. 'There has never been any such bond recorded or experienced in history before ours, I must tell you!'

'Oh,thank goodness, you decided to wake!' I said, rubbing my cheek.

'Oh, Christopher, how could you leave me? Is this your punishment to me for being such an asshole?' she lamented. 'I ran away from something so great - the bond we shared - because I feared for your life, only to bring that same fate to you!'

When I heard that, I felt pain and regret. Probably, if I had not threatened to kill my dear brother, he would still have been alive, mating with his beloved mate! I had always known that Millicent had run off because of that threat I had carelessly made.

'Did you say, you were preparing for his burial?' Millicent asked, looking wildly about, like she was disoriented.

My thoughts must have transmitted themselves to Samantha because she quickly hugged Millicent

'You should be strong for Christopher. He would want that', she said. 'Do you think he would want you to harm yourself or come to pieces at his death?' she asked, Then holding Millicent's hand, she said, 'I believe he'd want you to be strong. Your strength was one of the qualities he admired most about you!'.

'Oh, Samantha!' she wailed and it tore at my heart. I knew she pain she was feeling. I was feeling the same pain as well.. 'What have I done? I will never get over him!' She started crying profusely as though her heart was breaking and maybe it was. 'How could I kill my own love? Christopher meant the whole world to me. How could I destroy what we both hold dear, how could I destroy our bond?'

'It is going to be okay!' Samantha consoled.

'But it is not!' she said emphatically, sniffing. 'How can it be okay when Christopher is not here to make it okay? Things cannot be the same, anymore!' She stared at each of us and I averted my head filled with guilt be ause I caused all this pain and I was the one who was supposed to die but Christopher had to die in my stead.

'I know you blame me for your brother's death, Sylvester', she continued, 'And you are right but never belittle the bond I shared with him. Having said that, I have a feeling that his burial should be delayed. I might be able to bring him back to life. He is my fated mate afterall' she said, looking challengingly at Samantha and me.

'If it were possible for you to heal him, you could have', I said, trying to let her see reason. 'But now that he is dead, he has to be given the burial worthy of his status and not left perpetually in the Royal morgue!'

'All I am asking is a few days!' she insisted.

'How many days exactly?' I asked, wanting to give her anything that would help bring a closure to all this.

'Just a couple of days', she said.

'This is crazy!' I said, scratching my head, and grimacing in thought, asking myself if I had lost it like she obviously seem to have done. ' I do not believe you can raise him back to life and the only reason I am consenting to your request is because I promised Christopher to take care of you and if you need a couple of days to stay with him before he is properly buried, you have it but after that, he is going to be buried. The chief and elders are wondering why the burial is being delayed as it is'.

She nodded her agreement.

'Take me to where he is kept. I have a strong feeling about this!' she said.

'Are you sure about this, Alpha Sylvester?' Samantha asked, anxiously and I could sense her fear.

'If you are worried that I might do myself in, rest assured I'll not. I shall be here to welcome my love back to life!' she claimed confidently.

I shook my head, wondering if I had made the right decision to allow her to see Christopher. It was possible that the loss of Christopher had made her come unhinged.

'Before I take you to where my brother's corpse is', I said, 'you should come first to the throne room, the Chief and elders have summoned us for a brief meeting'.

'Could I not be excused?' she asked. 'I have to get started with bringing my love back to life'.

'Millicent, are you sure you are okay?' Samantha asked, echoing my thoughts. and without waiting for an answer, she looked at me, 'Do you think we should send for the doctor?'

'I am okay, damn it!' she snapped. 'I have my head well screwed on. Christopher's supposed death has not caused me to come unhinged because I know I cannot lose him. He has to come back to me, else what is the purpose of my existence and all I have been through?' she asked, eyes blazing!

'Okay, okay', I said, raising both palms up to placate her. 'I believe you, but you'll have to come see the elders with me first. They have been waiting since forever to see the both of us. I have been putting them off but I can't any longer and they will not accept anymore excuses!'

'If the condition for me to accomplish my goal of bringing Christopher out of his coma is meeting with some elders', she said, looking at me, 'then so be it! Lead the way...'

I did as I was told, leading her into the throne room, wondering at the outcome of the meeting because I was sure Millicent was not going to like what she was going to hear.

When we got to the throne room, the elders were already seated and deliberating but our entrance caused silence to descend on the group and I could see some nod in approval.

'A good day to you, Chief, Elders of council', Millicent greeted curtsying.

They nodded in acknowledgment.

'Please, be seated the both of you. The matter we are here to deliberate on has lingered', the Chief began. 'We cannot afford to waste anymore time on it'.

Millicent sat on the chair closest to her and I sat on my armchair.

'Alright, Chief and Elders, we are here now, you can go ahead and tell us what you deemed it necessary to bring to our awareness!' I said without preambles.

'Thank you, Alpha Sylvester', he said. 'Millcent, Alpha Sylvester introduced you to us as his mate and his soon to be Luna', he paused to take in air. 'It's been awhile now and we want to know if both of you have decided to make it official!'

'I do not think that will be possible!' Millicent said.

'I hope you do not mean that,' an elder said. 'because you see, we are sure Alpha Sylvester is ready to make you his Luna anytime you are ready. Is that not so, Alpha?'

I nodded in agreement, my eyes never leaving Millicent's face.

'You collaborated with the late Alpha of the Moonlight pack to bring war to our pack! You were the reason our guards let them in, in the first place', the Chief started. 'What do you have to say about this?'

'Guilty as charged' Millicent said, simply, showing no emotion.

'You are responsible for the attack that claimed the life of our dear Alpha Christopher', he added.

'Guilty as charged', Millicent replied in the same monotone.

'These offenses are punishable by death!' he said, and all the elders murmured in agreement. 'So what do you think your punishment should be?'

'Whatever you decide!' she said like a robot and I became alarmed that she might go into shock again. She was acting so lifeless.

It was standard procedure to question as my traitor this way but I had explained the reason for this to them and hence was not expecting them to bring it up but then again, protocol must be followed no matter who is involved.

'We are also aware that you killed the idiot, Blake who killed the late Alpha Christopher', he said, awaiting a response from her which was not forthcoming. So he continued. 'We are willing to forget all that if you become Alpha Sylvester's Luna with immediate effect!'

I had expected this but hadn't expected them to present it as an ultimatum. 'You want me to marry Sylvester when Christopher is not even buried yet?' Millicent asked, her tone incredulous.

'We are aware that you were claimed by the late Alpha Christopher, so we understand your hesitation and misgivings', he started.

I was watching Millicent and saw her show her first real emotion since coming into the throne room for this meeting. Shock, then grief and deep regret chased each other in her eye.

'But I assure you, that you'll be doing no wrong, you were mated to the both of them afterall', Chief said. 'And from the information reaching me, Christopher himself asked Sylvester to take care of you. It will therefore be an honour to show him that his last wishes were swiftly carried out. And he will rest in peace!'

Said that way, even I had no objection. Anything that would make Christopher happy in the afterlife where he is watching. But I also did not want to have Millicent against her will.

'I am still in mourning', she said, emotionlessly. 'I have heard what you said and I'll think about it and give you an answer in a couple of days'.

I recalled the two days she had asked from me to raise her love from the dead. What was she up to? Now I appreciated Samantha's anxiety. We hat if she wanted to commit suicide so that she could be buried with Christopher with the thought of continuing their love in the afterlife?

'We do not have two days to give you. You have until tomorrow because we cannot keep postponing Christopher's burial!' he said.

'Alpha Sylvester has already consented to giving me two days to mourn and say farewell to my mate', she said in annoyance, looking at me as though challenging me to deny it.

The elders were all also looking at me to refute or confirm her claims.

'She is right', I said sighing. 'I told her to get ready for Christopher's burial but she pleaded for a couple of days to be with him and wish him a proper farewell!'

'In that case, there's nothing to be said against that because the word of the Alpha is law and honourable. He cannot be made to go back on his word!' Chief said.

'Thank you for understanding ', I said in appreciation.

'But', he continued, 'at the end of the second day, we shall expect you both to be properly wedded before the us all with the pack priest presiding. After which we shall proceed to the royal graveyard to lay the remains of the late Alpha Christopher to rest!'

I nodded and the meeting came to an end.

They filed out and as Millicent was about to leave, but I called her back. I did not know if I'd have another chance to speak to her or not but since the event, she had been off and I haven't been able to speak to her.

'Millicent', I began. 'I want you to know that I understand why you did it'.

She said nothing. So, I continued., 'I am sorry for what I did. I have no excuse for my unforgivable actions against you and no explanation will ease your pain but I want you to know that I am very sorry'. I wanted to say more but what could I really say? 'Suffice it to say that I regret my actions and have regretted it even before my brother sacrificed himself for it!'

She whimpered when I said that. That had not been my intention.

'If you cannot bear to be my Luna, then I shall not force you. Not even to please the Chief and elders. I regret threatening to take Christopher's life if I saw you with him. It was just an empty threat. I could not have murdered my own brother. We would have fought and continued fighting but what is new? That's what brothers do. They fight and reconcile. We've been disagreeing for as long as I can remember. I wish he were still alive and I'd have gladly allowed you to be his Luna but it is too late now!' Then pausing and choosing my words carefully, 'But if you decide to honour Christopher's last wishes, then I promise you that I shall treat you better than even you could ever have envisaged. I know I do not deserve your trust, I have not given you any reason to trust me but not only will I ensure that my brother is happy wherever he is by treating you better than I have in the past, but I'll love you till my last breath!'

She still said nothing.

'I love you Millicent !' I added, hoping that she could feel the sincerity in my words.'I have loved you for a long time now but I wouldn't admit it even to myself and that was why I had been so jealous of Christopher. Accept to be my Luna and I'll move the earth for you...'

Third Person POV

Millicent went into the Royal morgue and tried everything that came to mind, including transfusing the mate bond into Christopher's body but nothing seemed to be working, that was the end of the first day.

On the second day, she became desperate. She cut herself and allowed her blood to drop into his mouth, but still nothing happened.

She had heard that the tears of a fated mate could do wonders, she shed it in drums but Christopher was as stiff as before.

As the second day drew to an end, she became inconsolable and started praying to the moon goddess.

'Moon Goddess, I had promised not to believe in you ever again if anything should happen to Christopher but now, I have come to you for assistance. I implore you, bring Christopher back to me. I am nothing without him. He is my everything. You mated me to him after all. You gave us this incredible Mate Bond and now I can bear to be with no other, not even his brother!'

She sobbed harder when she remembered that in a few hours, she'd be made Sylvester's Luna if Christopher did not awake. So she started talking with Christopher the way she had been doing for the past two days.

'Christopher, my love, the great Alpha of the Moon Ville Pack, you always put others feelings before yours. Now you have left me all alone. Why did you show me so much love if you were going to leave me? I am so alone and so very lonely', she cried. 'Oh Christopher, why did you have to love me and leave? Is this not betrayal of the highest order?' she asked, sobbing, her sob raking her body.

'You asked me to become your brother's Luna and I shall have to obey your wishes if you do not come back to me, but how can I make him happy if I think of you while with him? Because you see, though you look alike, you are still very different from where I stand. Would you really want that for your brother - perpetual marital unhappiness? And will you want that for me? Because you see, I'd be doing it against my will and I won't be happy with any, other than with you, my dearest'.

She looked earnestly at him, he looked so peaceful, like he was sleeping, like nothing had happened to him and she felt a stab of regret. If only she could turn back the hands of time, she would do everything differently.

'Come back to me Christopher and I promise you will not regret it!'

By the end of the second day, Christopher had still not woken and Millicent's eyes were red and puffy from shedding so much tears and there were cuts on her body, where she had used a sharp object on herself, trying to see if she could bring Christopher back through witchcraft or any wolf craft means she could muster.

She was led out of the Royal morgue by the Omegas to be prepared for her marriage to Sylvester and she walked with them, her face devoid of all emotion. So, Christopher had really left her for good? So he was going to be buried in a matter of hours? And she would be made the mate of another? How swiftly the tide changes, she thought in her head.

While Millicent had been trying to bring Christopher back to life, Alpha Sylvester had not had rest. He kept pacing, feeling every pain that Millicent was passing through.

On several occasion, he would pass by the morgue and hear her crying or screaming Christopher's name and he would feel very sad for her - empathizing with her. He wished there was something he could do to alleviate her suffering but he could think of nothing. He also knew that part of her pain was getting married to him, who had caused her so much pain in the past. But he also knew that she would resign herself to her fate, first to honour Christopher and secondly as a calm acceptance of her punishment for bringing such fate on Christopher and the pack.

It was not tradition to see the Luna before the rites was performed but he still went to see Millicent and that was when she was about to have her bath.

'Millicent', he called, 'Are you okay?' he asked. It was a double edged question.

'Do you mean, okay as in being alright or okay with going through the rites of bring your Luna?' she asked very perceptively

'Both', he answered honestly.

'I am as okay as I can ever be', she shrugged, glad that he had been honest about it. 'Do not worry, I'll not run off again nor murder you in your sleep when I become your Luna!'

'Very funny!' Sylvester said, and the both of them smiled sadly at each other and his heart went out to her.

'I'd better get started, so that Christopher can be laid to rest', she said, looking away.

Sylvester wanted to say more but thought better of it and nodded but Millicent was already on her way to the bathroom. She went in and shut the door.

Sylvester blew out air from his mouth, put both hands in his pocket and looked at the shut bathroom door. It was going to be alright, he thought, trying to convince himself. He turned and walked back into his chambers to be assisted by his Beta to get ready for the the task ahead.

He was waiting at the reception for Millicent, feeling for her and knowing that this transition from one mate to the other was not going to be an easy one, when Millicent was led in.

She was looking so beautiful. She had been made over so beautifully that her natural beauty was greatly enhanced. Her gown was a simple lace gown but it looked elegant on her. Her raven dark hair was bound up high on her head and a lock was aloud to fall on both sides of her face. Her puffy eyes had been concealed expertly, and the little swelling that could not be concealed made her eyes look very sexy, like someone who had just finished mating. The thought caused a bulge in Sylvester's pants. 'I should not be having such thoughts', he told himself.

'Not today, in any case!'

He smiled appreciatively at Millicent who was looking everywhere but at him.

As she got to the him, he was about to link her arms in his and turn to face the priest when a commotion was heard and everyone turned towards the door.

'What the fuck?' Alpha Sylvester said, when he saw a woman come into to the hall. She was not one of the pack he could tell and she was not a wolf. So, who was she and what was she doing coming to disrupt the Luna making ceremony?

'I am Wendy. And I have come to see Alpha Christopher!' she said.