And in my head, I heard him.
He said, there you are i see you i see you all my heart is full my heart is singing PackLoveWifeSonsDaughtersBrothersSisters i sing i sing for you because i love you i love you i love you
He said, OxSonAlpha i knew i knew even then even when you were a child i knew because of the immensity of your heart
He said, CarterSonLove you are my love my first my boy you taught me courage
He said, KellySonLove my child my sweet child look at what you’ve made for yourself you taught me strength
He said, JoeSonLove you are brave and true and you you you taught me selflessness
He said, MarkBrotherLove all that i am is because you showed me how to be a man
He said, GordoBrotherLove you i love you you you made me humble
He said, LizzieWifeLove a promise is a promise i will love you forever
He said, listen and hear me and it’s time to move on time to move forward this this this is a gift from our territory for all that we’ve endured this moment here now this is what you’ve fought for this is what you’ve bled for you did this because you have each other because you love each other because you know that pack is nothing without trust and hope and the people who make us whole
He said, i am a father because you made me so
He said, i am a husband because i needed light in my soul
He said, i am a brother because i could not walk alone
He said, and i am alpha because of you because of all of you my wolves my humans my witch my packpackpack
He said, we will find each other after you have finished after you lay your head down for the last time and until then until we’re together again you must live for yourselves and each other live because you all have the hearts of wolves live love live and love and this is what we have here now this moment see me see me and remember i will always be with you
The wolf was gone.
In its place stood a man. A wonderful man. A beautiful man. And when he smiled, I felt it down to my bones. He said, “Chase me, I love you, chase me.”
And then he ran, the white wolf bursting from his skin.
We did the only thing we could.
We ran after him.
Through the trees.
Under the full moon.
We were wolves and humans and we ran.
My father ran ahead. When he looked back at us, his eyes were red, and my mother sang for him, my brothers sang for him, and I howled, howled, howled so that he would know everything in my head and heart. It was a love song, and the territory thrummed beneath our paws. Other wolves ran with us, wolves that felt familiar, and they nipped at our heels, yipping loudly. Abel Bennett weaved in and out of the trees, running next to Mark, brushing against his side, and I caught bright bursts of light from him when he said, SonMarkLove and thank you for all that you are and faster faster faster.
We ran because we were loved.
We ran because we were family.
We ran because we were pack.
We were pack.
But this moment could not last forever.
Eventually my father slowed.