Stone Circle teach us how to say goodbye

He was numb. He had cried all the tears he had and was left feeling absolutely nothing. Maybe it was his mind's way of protecting him from all the pain he knew he should be feeling. Or maybe he just had nothing left. Whatever it was, he hadn't wasted much time on figuring it out. He hadn't slept, but he stayed close to Merrit, not speaking a single word all night. His mind wandered here and there, the memory of the stone snuffing out Valette's life intruding on his thoughts more than once. But each time, he would quickly push it away, afraid it would break the safe shell of numbness that had formed.

When morning finally came, he felt like even moving was too much. He met his cousin's gaze, his own far away. Then Merrit called for the remainder of the pack because whether or not he wanted it to, life would continue to move on around him. He could resist all he wanted, but it was a force beyond the control of anyone.