The wait was almost unbearable. Sitting there in front of the raggedy shaman was painful. Seeing him stand there, his glassy eyes examining everything but at the same time holding an emptiness in them made Cara's heart sting. She couldn't even imagine what the man must've been going through, she had not stopped to think of him while the queen crumbled onto herself. He had popped in her mind when she had found out Jinx was sick, like many others --Lecter included-- she had hoped the knowledge of the madman were enough to bring back their beloved Alpha. But they weren't. There really was no power in the whole wide world that could stop the virus from eating Jinx alive. They could not stop the unstoppable.
What might've been only a few minutes felt like years to the girl. While the rest of the pack assembled, Cara could just look at Lecter. Her gaze was lost int the icy sea of his glass covered eyes, in them she found a strange feeling of comfort not Mordecai's nudge or Kaname's subtle kiss could bring to her. Shapes and shadows of different sizes moved beside her, but she did not take heed on the quiet murmurs that floated around the gathered crowd.Nothing could break her concentration. Nothing except the mounstrous cry of an agonizing idol. Her idol. She dipped her head and shut her eyes tightly, as if that awful cry had been the last beat of Jinx's heart. If she had hands she would've covered her face so that the thin threads of liquid sadness rolling down her cheeks would go unnoticed.
But she could not. Her tears were exposed to everyone's oogling eyes, and so was her heart. There she was, drifting in a sea of melancholy, her boat sinking slowly as the hands of reality pulled her to the bottom, where there was no air, only the bitter taste of grief. Everyone was seating now. And as another choaked gasp escaped from her lips, Lecter began to speak. The first parts of his speech did not reach her ears, the sound of her own sobs drowned his voice. Finally she snapped, pushing herself to sit a bit taller and shove the sadness down her throat. There was no time for sorrow now. She could cry later, now all that mattered were the words being pronounced by the madman.
She met his eyes right on cue, she was being called by him now. Her eyes fluttered from him to Kaname holding an expression of what had he just said? But it was a rhetorical question, she had heard every word the shaman had directed at her. The command to rise to her paws travelled through her nerves but her muscles would not respond. Again she forced herself to snap, she stood brusquely and walked slowly to meet Lecter. Cara faced the man, and without further hesitation lunged to his arms, engaging into a warm embrace that without the need of words conveyed how thankful and blessed she felt. She remained in his arms while he called Kaname forth. In that moment her eyes lit up, she turned to see him, her eyes oozing tears of pure happiness now.This was the moment she had longed for all of her short life.
A last kiss was planted in Lecter's cheek, the glass-eyed shaman would never be forgotten. Like Jinx and the name of the Ouroboros, he had been tattooed to her heart.
The new queen had risen from the ashes of the old reign, like Jinx she wore frost in her coat and fire in her heart. Her eyes rested on what was now her pack. Each of the wolves seating before her were committed to her now. With a mix of adrenaline and pride flowing through her veins she parted her lips into the greatest smile her face could hold.
After dedicating a nod to each of her subordinates, she opened her mouth hoping that the right words would come out. She wasn't as great as Lecter when it came to speeches, but she felt the need to say something to the wolves that were now depositing their loyalty and faith in her. "Failure is not an option" she began, though the acids in her stomach threatened to burn her alive she carried on, "I will not fail you, and I expect for you all not to fail me. Jinx cannot be replaced, nor can Lecter. I do not mean to take their place, but rather pick up where they left off" she stated, knowing that Jinx would forever live in the hearts of the Ouroboros. "Make her proud" she commanded while eying Kaname in case he had anything else to add.
