My heart clenched as more tears fell. I held my breath afraid that I would break into hysteria as I listened to Sophia’s rich, beautiful voice hoping that she could give me some comfort in her words. Only Luc’s grip on my hand kept me from giving into the sobs once more.
“They were loving people,” Sophia said as she glanced at the coffins, “They taught me that there is beauty even in the darkness. They taught me that I wanted to love like they did. They were beautiful. As we walk our days without them, we must still see that beauty. We will see it in our memories but we will also see it in their legacy. That legacy is their daughter who they loved more than anything. So, I bid my dearest friends farewell. I hope they have found the peace they both deserve.”
She stepped down from the pulpit and stopped at my mother’s coffin, “We will take care of your girl, Ella,” she said as a tear rolled down her cheek and landed on one of the roses that rested on the casket.
Then, she walked to my father’s casket, “Rest now, Stefan.”
I couldn’t hold the sobs in any longer. They burst from me, pulling from the deepest part of my soul. I watched in horrified wonder as the flowers were removed from their caskets and they were slowly lowered into the ground. Panic seized me and for a moment I wanted to stop their descent. Only Luc’s grip kept me in the seat.
Sophia sat back down beside me and she lifted my face so that I stared into her eyes. They softened with understanding, “Let them take their bodies,” she said and gave me a small, sad smile, “You carry their souls with you. Make them proud, Mary Jane.”
I swallowed over my sobs and nodded as we stood. Sophia was right. They couldn’t truly take my parents from me. I would always remember them.
My eyes shifted back to the graves as the gravediggers began to pull shovels from their trucks. I stared at them in shock as they began to hand them out. When they handed one to me, I frowned down at it and Sophia raised her chin once more as she rose yet again.
“In our family, we bury our own,” she said as she turned to dig her shovel into the mound of dirt, “We don’t let strangers send our family to their final farewell.”
I took a deep breath and allowed the final tear to fall as I stood and walked to the mound of dirt at the end of each casket. I dug into the soft, loose soil allowing the weight of it settle as I gazed down at the graves. Slowly, I stepped forward and turned the handle in my hands, allowing the dirt to fall from the shovel onto my father’s casket before returning and repeating the process for the casket of my mother. Every member of the Brazil family began to shovel the dirt onto the caskets. When all was done, I stared at the two small mounds that covered my parents. Everyone was silent as they backed away, leaving me to have a moment with them. I reached my hands out over each grave, hoping to experience something that told me they were still near.
Finally, a soft wind whispered through the tree leaves and ruffled my hair before touching my face and drying my tears. I swallowed over the lump in my throat and raised my face to the heavens before closing my eyes.
I found their images in my mind once again and took a deep breath as I whispered so softly that the word immediately floated away on the wind, “Good-bye.”
Chapter Three
Decisions
Though I had lived with Luc’s family for days, I had not met most of his them. Since waking, I had only ventured out of the room where I had been nursed back to health that morning with the exceptions of bathroom visits and a shower. By the time I emerged from the room dressed in one Lilly’s dresses, only Luc and Sophia remained in the motor home to accompany me to my parent’s funeral. Everyone else had met us at the gravesite.
As I glanced around the graves of my parents, I realized the extensiveness of the Brazil family. Though I realized some of the people lived in the motor home park, I also understood that a lot of those who stood near me were Sophia’s children. I tried to pick out the ones who were but gave up as Luc led me to the head of the graves where people would be able to offer their condolences.
As expected, Luc stood stoic beside me as I waited for each member to introduce themselves. When I glanced at him, I couldn’t help but to suspect that he stood there because he was trying to honor one of his duties as my betrothed. I shrugged. No matter the reason, I still found myself comforted by his presence. After all, he had been my comforter and protector since the moment I met him.
I moved a step closer to him silently seeking that comfort as I began to see everyone glance at me as if deciding when it would be best to approach. Sophia gained courage first. She grabbed the hand of the man near her and pulled him toward me. He had hair the exact color of Luc’s which waved slightly to his collar. No gray touched his hair. He smiled but it held a deep sadness. Still, I sensed that he laughed often. His eyes were warm and silver in color. He possessed a tall frame with the build of a boxer. I sensed protectiveness when I gazed at him and that comforted me. As he walked closer, shock slid through me because I realized in that moment that he was Luc’s father. Like Sophia, he seemed too young to be the parent of a grown man. I blinked as I reminded myself that werewolves aged very slowly after the age of eighteen. My parents had seemed much too young to have been my parents too but I suppose that it had been different because I had been with them every day.
“This is Gavriel,” Sophia said, softy, confirming my previous thought. Gavriel stepped forward and hugged me gently as if afraid that I would break.
“I am so sorry, Mary Jane,” He said as a tear fell down his cheek. I blinked shocked to find a man I did not know crying and I worried my lip nervously unable to find anything to say. He must have noticed because he wiped the tear from his cheek with one swipe of his hand. When he glanced at me again he had composed himself before giving me a half-hearted smile, “I know the words aren’t enough but I still have to say them.”
My heart clenched as I experienced the overwhelming need to comfort him, “You were friends with my father,” I said, softly, “He didn’t have many so you must be someone who he thought a lot of. For me that is worth more than any condolence you can give.”
Gavriel smiled and then, nodded his head, “I loved him like a brother,” he said, taking a ragged breath, “He was a good man.”
I nodded as he broke into sobs once again and Sophia led him away. I wondered whether I should go after him but Luc grabbed my hand. Slowly, I glanced at him. I blinked in shock to find him openly staring at me.
“I hope he’s going to be alright,” I whispered, shifting beneath his gaze.
Luc tilted his head and gave me a small smile, “He’ll be fine,” he said, stepping a little closer to me, “Though I must say that I am thankful you care about the welfare of my family.”
I pursed my lips as I wondered at his words. Why wouldn’t I care about his family? Did he worry that he might be forced to marry some uncaring woman? I blinked as I realized that was exactly it. He had been as worried about me as I had been about him. Somehow, this relieved me but I didn’t know how to express that. Instead, I stood beside him, allowing him to hold my hand in his as I awaited the next person to arrive in front of me.
Only seconds passed before Lilly came with her husband, Marco. Marco and Lilly fit together perfectly. He had the same tall, muscled build as Luc and he possessed the same square face and straight nose. His lips were also very full like Sophia’s and he shared her deep olive toned skin. However, his hair was the deepest, darkest black and his eyes were the same warm silver as Gavriel’s.
Lilly stepped forward and took my free hand in hers, “Are you alright?” She asked and I was surprised to see real concern in her eyes as she continued, “Is there anything I can do?”
I shook my head, “No,” I whispered and then, forced a smile as I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, “But thank you.”
Lilly nodded and Marco gave me a sad nod as if he didn’t know what to say and then, they were gone and I was faced with Aurora and her husband, Andre. He was holding Ruby gently and protecti
vely against him. It struck me how much Luc resembled him…except for his eyes. They were the same color as Sophia’s…caramel brown with striations of sea green.
Aurora hugged me and Andre shook my hand and then, patted my shoulder. Neither of them spoke. I suppose that they realized that nothing they said would help me. So, they moved away from me as quickly as they came.
Next came a man who was obviously another brother. I had thought that Luc resembled Andre but he was nearly identical to this man. Beside the fact that Luc’s hair was a bit longer, there were no noticeable differences between them. I frowned as I glanced at Luc confused.
“No one told you that I am a twin?” He asked, softly and I sighed in relief as I shook my head.
“No,” I whispered as I turned back to his brother.
“I’m Tamas,” his twin said, softly, “I’m the youngest twin.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, shifting and Luc tightened his hand around mine. I glanced at him and found him searching my face.
“I should have told you,” Luc said, giving me a reassuring smile, “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head, “Don’t be,” I said and then, stretched out my free hand which Tamas took into his own, “I really am glad to meet you, Tamas, though I wish it were under different circumstances.”
Tamas shook my hand twice before releasing it with a sad smile, “I wish that too,” he said, “I am sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” I said as he shifted slightly before moving on.
A few moments had passed when I had thought that Sophia had come back but I realized a moment later that though this girl resembled Sophia greatly with the same black hair and hazel eyes, she was much younger at perhaps sixteen.
Luc gave the girl an adoring smile, “This is my only sister, Mirella,” he said, lovingly, “She was named after my mother’s two best friends…Miriam and your mother, Ella.”
I turned back to her with wide eyes. I blinked trying to recover and forced a smile across my lips, “That’s a beautiful name.”
Mirella smiled widely and I found that I liked that it was in no way forced, “Thank you,” she whispered, “I’ve always thought so too.”
She reached forward and squeezed my free hand, “When you’re ready for a friend, come find me,” she said with twinkling eyes.
“I will,” I said, giving her a real smile before she too moved on.
The line never seemed to end and I glanced at Luc suddenly curious, “How many children do your parents have?”
He gave a short laugh, “Seven boys and one girl,” He said, amused.
My eyes widened as I wondered how Sophia and Gavriel had raised eight children in a motor home. It seemed impossible as two more of Luc’s brothers came forward. I turned studying them as I tried to mentally calculate how many of Luc’s sibling I had already met. I raised my brows as I realized that these two made six. There was one more after them.
Slowly, I gave my attention fully to them and took in their appearances. I nearly laughed. They couldn’t be more different. One seemed shy with black hair and the same hazel eyes as Sophia. Still, he was tall and muscled, “This is Bo,” Luc said, as Bo shook my hand, blushing while he did.
My eyes moved to the one who stood beside him. He seemed more outgoing. He had the build of a football player with hair mixed with chocolate and black. His eyes were a deep brown.
“This is Luca,” Luc said with a wave of his hand, “I named him.”
“After yourself?” I asked with a grin and Luc laughed.
“Who could be better than me?” He whispered and I couldn’t help the short giggle that burst from me.
Luca rolled his eyes before shrugging, “You’ll find that he’s awfully conceited,” he said.
I grinned as Luca shook my hand and moved on. Bo glanced shyly at me and whispered his condolences in such a quiet voice that it was hard to hear him before he too moved on.
Sophia brought the last of her children to me. He was about fourteen with wide silver eyes fringed in long, thick lashes. His hair was chocolate brown and curved around his ears and toward his olive toned face.
Sophia smiled at him before turning to me, “This is my youngest son,” she said in a reverent voice, “We named him after your father. His name is Stefan.”
Tears filled my eyes once more and I nodded toward the boy, “It’s nice to meet you…Stefan.”
He nodded before surprising me by giving me a hug, “I’m sorry about your parents,” he said and then, he was gone. I took a deep breath as I glanced toward Mirella and then, searched through the other people until I found Stefan. My parents had left a mark on this family. They truly cared about them and for the first time, I was beginning to think they truly cared for me. I wondered if I had found a family who would love me with the same devotion as my parents. As I allowed my gaze to move around the gravesite, feeling the warmth of Luc’s hand around mine, I suddenly felt less alone.
**********
I stayed by my parent’s graveside until only Luc, Sophia and I remained. Then, we returned to their home in silence. I sat at the bar in the kitchen for a long time studying Sophia’s home suddenly interested in everything about it. There was the main bedroom and a small one outside of that. The main bedroom had a large bed for Sophia and Gavriel. There was another room with bunk beds built into the wall. The two couches in the living area could also be made into beds and there were two recliners. I was impressed but though Sophia was a master at finding ways for her family to live in such a small space, I winced at the lack of privacy. Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to worry about that.
I would be moving to Lilly’s home that day and would stay there until my wedding day. Since I was well, I would not be permitted to stay under the same roof with Luc. It was tradition for us. We were not allowed to share the same home until the night of our marriage unless there were special circumstances. Since I was well, there was no reason for me to stay and Sophia wanted to return to normal. I wouldn’t blame her for that. I would certainly want to return to normal if I could. Sadly, normal would never happen for me again. Instead, I could only go through what little was left of my life and try to live as best as I could.
I sighed. Part of that was facing what had happened. Slowly, I stood, determined to do just that as I watched Sophia stir soup in a big pot on the stove. The aroma drifted around me as I cleared my throat, nervously.
“Sophia,” I whispered and she turned to me with her brows raised. The words nearly became stuck in my throat but I forced them out, “I-I hoped that you would know…What happened to my parent’s motor home and our belongings?”
She nodded once and then, sighed long and low, “They are in the barn on the far end of our property,” she said, tilting her head as she studied my face, “Why do you ask?”
I shifted, “I wanted to get some of my things and maybe get some of my parent’s belongings too,” I said and then, bit my lip as her eyes widened.
“You don’t have to do that yet,” she said reaching forward and caressing my cheek, “You’ve just buried your parents.”
“I want to,” I said, gazing up at her with pleading eyes, “I need to.”
She nodded and then, glanced at Luc, “If you are ready, Luc can take you…that is if Lilly or Marco will accompany you. You know the rules about being alone in a house…or even a barn. Outside is fine but not inside.”
“I know the rules and I am ready I promise,” I said, raising my chin as I glanced at Luc, “Will you take me?”
“Yes,” he whispered as his mother opened a drawer beneath the cabinet. She raised her hand and a small key-chain holding three keys dangled from it. Luc reached out and took it.
“On the way, talk to her about your betrothal,” she said, sadly and then, turned back to her soup.
I turned to Luc with a raised brow. Why did he need to talk to me? My stomach sank as my mind conjured the worst reason possible. Was he calling the betrothal off? I suddenly became queasy as I thou
ght of that and a horrible sense of rejection slammed through me. Luc stepped toward me and reached his hand out. I stared at it trying to decide whether to take it. I swallowed over the fear and reached forward and slid my hand into his. He smiled and then, led me through the door.
He was quiet until we were out of sight of the motor home where his mother was surely looking at us from one of the windows and then, pulled me to a bench near the bonfire pit. He gazed at it before turning back to me. His eyes had darkened and his face drooped in sadness.
“You wanted to talk to me about our betrothal?” I whispered in a trembling voice.
He nodded, “I do,” he said and then, sighed before facing me, “With everything that has happened to you, I want to make sure we don’t push you too quickly. My mother thinks that we should move forward right now but after your parent’s death, I don’t know if that is the right thing for you. The only way to determine that for sure is to ask you.”
I sighed, relieved as a smile slid across my face. I gazed at him, struck again by how handsome he was. Still, it wasn’t only his appearance that made him striking, it was his kindness.
“I appreciate that you have worried about me,” I said, shifting slightly, “Especially when I’ve lost everyone who I knew cared for me,” I whispered, “But I need to go on. I can’t stay stuck in my grief. I will go crazy if I do. So, I want to go on with the marriage…I mean…If that’s okay with you.”
I glanced up at him and he reached forward and brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, “Of course that’s okay,” he said with a crooked smile, “I’ll tell mother when we get back. I’m sure she’ll have a bonfire planned by tomorrow.”
“Bonfire?” I asked, glancing at the charred pit in the center of the field.
Enticed (The Brazil Werewolf Series Book 3) Page 3
