3rd person’s POV
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the Bloodmoon Pack’s lands. A soft breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient trees, but within the packhouse, silence reigned. For months now, Louis had kept himself away from the heart of the pack. The man who had once stood as Dimitri’s right hand and one of the most respected warriors had all but vanished.
Louis had retreated into the farthest corners of the packhouse, an empty shell of the man he had been before Diana’s death. Since that fateful day, when he held her lifeless body in his arms, he hadn’t trained, hadn’t fought, and hadn’t even offered counsel. While the Bloodmoon Pack had weathered battle after battle, Louis had shut himself away.
Today was no different.
He sat in the small room he had chosen as his sanctuary, the dim light of the setting sun filtering through the window. His hands rested on his lap, fingers idle and listless. The weight of Diana’s absence was still unbearable, a hollow ache that seemed to grow larger with each passing day. He hadn’t expected this. After all the loss, all the bloodshed he’d witnessed over the years, Louis hadn’t thought there was anything left that could break him.
But Diana… she had been his everything.
There was a knock on the door, soft but insistent. He didn’t answer. He hadn’t answered in months. No one disturbed him unless necessary, and that’s how he wanted it. Still, the knock came again, followed by a familiar voice.
“Louis, it’s Dimitri.”
Louis’s eyes flickered toward the door. Dimitri had given him space-more space than anyone else would have, but that was because Dimitri understood. After losing his first mate, Dimitri had been a wreck, and Louis had been the one to sit beside him through it, offering silent support until he was ready to come back.
“I’m coming in,” Dimitri continued, the doorknob turning slowly.
Louis didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge him, but his eyes remained fixed on the door as it creaked open. Dimitri stepped inside, his tall frame filling the small room. The Alpha closed the door gently behind him, his expression carefully neutral.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Dimitri’s eyes swept over Louis, taking in the man who had once been so strong and vibrant but now seemed hollow, a shadow of himself. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair unkempt, and the light that had once burned in his eyes had long since faded.
Dimitri exhaled quietly before he spoke. “You’ve been in here long enough, Louis.”
Louis’s jaw clenched slightly, his gaze still fixed on the window. “I’m not ready,” he muttered, his voice rough from disuse.
“I know,” Dimitri said, stepping closer. “I’m not here to push you, but… it’s been months. The pack needs you. I need you.”
Louis let out a bitter laugh, though there was no humor in it. “The pack doesn’t need a broken man. I can’t… I can’t do it, Dimitri. Not anymore.”
Dimitri took a seat across from him, folding his hands together. “You’re not broken, Louis. You’re grieving. And that’s allowed.”
“I failed her,” Louis said suddenly, his voice raw and filled with pain. “I failed Diana. She wanted that baby so badly, and I let her believe… I let her believe it was possible. I knew better. I knew what would happen.”
“You didn’t fail her,” Dimitri said firmly. “You loved her, Louis. You stood by her. Diana made her choices, just like you did. You can’t carry the weight of all of it on your shoulders.”
Louis shook his head, the tears he had held back for so long welling up in his eyes. “I should have stopped her. I should have been stronger.”
Dimitri’s expression softened, his own heart aching for his friend. “Louis, do you remember when I lost my first mate? How I blamed myself? How I shut everyone out and thought I would never recover?”
Louis didn’t respond at first, but after a moment, he gave a small nod.
“You were there for me,” Dimitri continued, his voice low and steady. “You sat with me, in silence, while I fought my own demons. And you told me something I never forgot: ‘It’s not your fault.’ You said it over and over again, until I finally believed it.”
Louis’s eyes met Dimitri’s for the first time, the pain in them palpable. “And did it make a difference?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Dimitri’s lips quirked into a small, sad smile. “In time, it did. It didn’t take away the pain, but it helped me carry it.”
Louis turned away again, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his grief. “I don’t know if I can carry this, Dimitri. It’s too much. Every time I close my eyes, I see her… I see the life we could have had, and then I remember-she’s gone.”
“I know,” Dimitri said quietly. “But you can’t keep hiding, Louis. Diana wouldn’t have wanted this for you.”
A tear slipped down Louis’s cheek, and he quickly wiped it away, though the effort was futile. “She asked me to promise her,” he said hoarsely. “To promise her that I’d find happiness again. How am I supposed to do that when every part of me feels like it died with her?”
Dimitri was silent for a long moment, contemplating his response. “I don’t have an answer for you, Louis. I can’t tell you when or how you’ll find happiness again. But I do know that Diana wouldn’t want you to waste away in this room. She loved you too much to want that.”
Louis clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. “I feel like I’m betraying her by moving on.”
“You’re not,” Dimitri said firmly. “Grieving and healing aren’t betrayals. You’re honoring her memory by living the life she wanted for you.”
Louis shook his head again, the battle within him clear in his eyes. “I don’t know if I can be the man I was before.”
Dimitri leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. “You’re not supposed to be the same man. Loss changes us, but it doesn’t have to destroy us. You’re stronger than you think, Louis. You’ve been through battles most men couldn’t survive. This is another battle, but it’s one you can win.”
Louis was silent, his mind spinning with the weight of Dimitri’s words. Could he really heal from this? Could he find a way to live without the constant ache in his chest?
Dimitri stood up, giving him one last look. “I’m not asking you to come back today. But the pack will always be here, waiting for you. I’ll be here, waiting for you. You’re my brother, Louis, and I won’t leave you behind.”
As Dimitri walked to the door, Louis found his voice again. “Dimitri…”
The Alpha turned, waiting.
“I’m… I’m not ready yet,” Louis said quietly, his voice cracking. “But… maybe someday.”
Dimitri nodded, understanding in his eyes. “That’s all I ask.”
With that, Dimitri left, leaving Louis alone in the quiet once more. But something had shifted in the room, something subtle but significant. Louis wasn’t ready to rejoin the world yet, but for the first time in months, he allowed himself to consider the possibility of healing.
As the sun set, casting an orange glow across the room, Louis stood from the chair, his legs shaky from lack of use. He walked to the window, looking out at the pack grounds below. Warriors were training, sparring, laughing together. He watched them for a long time, his heart heavy with the knowledge that Diana would never be beside him again.
But he wasn’t alone.
In the distance, he saw Dimitri standing with some of the other warriors, giving instructions, offering guidance. Louis could feel the bond between them, the brotherhood that had never broken, even in his darkest moments. He had been there for Dimitri when he had lost his first mate, and now he was offering Louis the same support.
A tear slipped down Louis’s cheek as he thought of Diana, of her soft smile and gentle laugh. He missed her with every fiber of his being, but maybe… just maybe… he could keep going.
For her.
Louis closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. It would take time. It would take effort. But he would try. He had to.
With one last glance at the setting sun, Louis whispered, “I’ll keep my promise, Diana. I’ll try to find happiness again.”
And for the first time since her death, he felt a flicker of something- hope.