As I stand in the clearing, I start to hum a little tune that I remember my mother singing to me when I was born all those years ago. A wind starts to whip around me as I continue to hum the tune. My eyes shoot open as silver swirls erupt from them, climbing to the point where I can't even see them. I start to slowly levitate off the ground until I'm above the highest tree in sight.
For me, this is normal. I would do this every time I was sent to help the Shaded Wolves.
After another few minutes and everything becomes quiet. I look around to find myself in a familiar room. The walls are made of crystal, the floor gold, the ceiling a never ending blue sky, and a throne high on a podium.
I slowly start to walk towards the throne, closer to someone I haven't seen in centuries.
A woman with hair as white as snow, skin as pale as ice, silver eyes as bright as the moon, and lips as red as a rose, comes into view. She's wearing a crystal dress that seems to clutch at her body, but fall around her at the same time.
When I'm in front of the throne, I get down on one knee with my head down.
"Moon Goddess," I say with pride, joy, and a tad of nervousness in my voice.
My mother slowly rises from her throne, a large crystal crown resting on her head with a multicolored gem smack bay in the middle. It represents all wolves that have existed.
She descends the stairs leading up to her throne and stands before me.
"Rise," her melodic voice echoes throughout the room, willing me to obey.
I do as she says and rise to come face to face with the woman I call my mother. She smiles warmly at me before pulling me into a hug.
"My son," she whispers in my ear. I sigh at the sound of her motherly voice, feeling myself relax.
"I haven't seen you in centuries. You must tell me what has occurred," she says. To some, her way of talking may seem strange, but to me it's normal and that's how I talk around her as well.
"Much has happened over the past few centuries, mother. Pack feuds being something major..." I begin. I continue to tell her everything that has happened over the last few hundred years. She doesn't interrupt, just stays silent and takes in everything I'm saying, absorbing it and engraving it into her mind.
"Well, it sounds as if there is more hate than love, sadness than happiness, grief than celebration. It's your job to fix that, my son. It always has been, so why are you not doing your job?" My mother’s voice echoes through the grand room, but my voice does not answer.
This is the reason I've come here for, to ask for her help and guidance.
"Mother..." I trail off wearily. My mother's eyes light up when she realizes I called her mother. It's a very rare occurrence when I actually call her mother. I usually call her Moon Goddess out of respect.
"That is why I'm here. For the last two decades, I have been part of the Nightfall Pack. Starting out as a mere child, since I'm able to regenerate, I was taken in by the Alpha and Luna because they could not bear a child. I grew up and now I’m the Alpha of the pack," I explain, but stop for a moment to let it all sink in.
"I have heard rumors that you have become an Alpha, but I was not sure what to believe. I guess I do now though." She smiles at me and places a hand on my cheek. I smile back at her before moving on.
"I met my mate a few months ago and-" I continue to say before my mother’s hand leaves me and she steps back.
"I beg your pardon? Did you just say you met your mate?" she asks in disbelief. I silently nod.
"Who is she?" she demands to know.
I hesitate before answering, "Her name is Celina Goddess Heart. She is the daughter of King Ronald Heart and Queen Rosemary Heart."
My mother freezes for a fragment of a second, something only I will ever see: the Moon Goddess in shock.
"She's the little girl I saved all those many years ago?" my mother questions quietly. I nod again.
"Little Celina Heart is all grown up and my son's mate. Is it true that you are having pups, triplets?" she asks again with a bright smile on her face.
"Yes, mother, two boys and a girl," I say with pride as the image of my pups fill my mind. "May I continue?" I ask politely. She motions for me to continue with her small, delicate hand. "As I was saying, I met my mate and since I have met her, many unplanned things have happened. A war has broken out between her old pack and her now new pack. We are expecting triplets and many other minor details. The reason I have come today, is to ask you for help. What do I do?" I plead.
My mother just stares at me for a moment. Her moon-like eyes look calculating as she comes to a perfect conclusion.
"Let fate take its course," she says wisely. I stare at her with furrowed eyebrows and a deep frown.
"What is our fate, mother?" I question with a pleading tone.
Her voice is full of wisdom as she says, "It is what you make of it. Only you and little Celina Heart can control your fate. It is not her fault alone that this has happened. It is all your faults. Celina for allowing herself close to you, Callum for accepting his role as her guardian and being your Beta, Comrade for accepting his role as her guardian and as the actual person who first made her meet you and who first made her feel safe, comfortable, and happy. Then there's you and your faults. You fought for Celina. You fought for your mate just like any mate would do, but that simple action has led to a series of events that could never be changed.
“There are many paths to choose from, but only one path shall you take. You may be led by many directions, but only one direction shall you seek. My son, your fate is not sealed, nor is Celina's. You are both unique, different, and have found each other. You both have a past, present, and future. You both must lead the way."
As my mother's words start to sink in, the room starts to disappear. The gold floor begins to dim, the crystal walls lose their shine, and my mother slowly starts to fade. My time is up.
31
CELINA
Lying in bed all day is really boring when you have no company and nothing to do. I didn’t know that? Well, I know now!
For the past few days, Axel has been acting really weird. He keeps mumbling things and always has his thinking face on whenever he's around me. He looks even more stressed and he won't tell me why. I don't think it's about the war or anything like that. I'm not sure what it's about.
A soft knock sounds at the door. I look to it curiously, wondering who it is. Knowing it's probably Callum or Comrade though, my curiosity dies.
"Come in," I call in a bored tone. The person's head that pops through surprises me to say the least.
Chloe's head of blonde hair peeks through the doorway with a small smile on her face.
"Hey..." she says nervously, not fully coming into the room.
My whole mood changes once I see her. I feel happy and excited that I'll have someone to talk to. Finally!
"Hey! Come in, come in," I say cheerfully, motioning with my hand. She shyly steps in with her hands behind her back. She makes her way to the foot of the bed, biting her lip nervously.
"So, how's it going?" she asks. I raise an eyebrow at her unsure tone. She bites her lip harder before literally vomiting out words. "Ok, so I went shopping the other day and felt really bad because you've been stuck in here for months on end with nothing to do, so I decided to get this for you because I think it's really neat and I think it'd be good for the pups and I think you'll really like it and so I bought it. Please like it!" she exclaims, her eyes going wide with anxiousness.
A half grin spreads across my face at her nervousness, she's so cute. That grin quickly drops when she brings her hands out from behind her back. I stare at the objects in shock. She actually got something special for the pups.
"Oh, Chloe," I whisper. She smiles as she takes a seat next to me on the bed, placing the gifts on my lap.
"Like I said, I thought they were neat, so I got them for you. That one is for the boy," she says and points to a light blue blanket with the words 'A Special Gift' sewn into it in dark blue.
&n
bsp; “This one is for the other boy," she says again pointing to another blanket, but this one is dark blue and has the words 'Mummy's Boy' sewn into it in light blue. That makes me smile.
Before she can continue on with the gifts, I ask, "How do you even know what we're having?"
She grins at me with a knowing glint in her eye.
"News travels fast when your Luna of 17 is the last surviving white wolf, the strongest Shaded Wolf ever known and is pregnant with two boys and a girl," she explains in a duh tone. I roll my eyes at her playfulness, but let her continue.
"The last one's my favorite," she says quietly and picks up the last gift, directing my full attention to it.
It's absolutely beautiful. It's a gold chain with a locket on the end in the shape of a heart with the words 'Believe in Love' engraved into it. A baby doll with a pretty purple dress actually has the necklace clasped around her neck. It's so adorable and beautiful.
"I thought that your baby girl would want something special to call hers. I know it's a bit more extravagant than the blankets, but a girl has to feel like they're loved and what better way than to get her a doll and a necklace?" Chloe lightly jokes.
I stare at her in absolute shock and awe. I don't believe she spent all this money on my pups because she thought they looked neat.
"You're incredible, you know that?" I ask quietly as tears come to my eyes. She shrugs with a grin on her face.
"I know," she boasts. I laugh along with her at her lame excuse of a joke.
"So..." she says, trailing off as all playfulness leaves her face and is replaced by utter seriousness. "What's up with you and Axel? You guys seem a bit... off."
I sigh heavily. What is going on with Axel and me?
"I don't know," I tell her honestly. "He's been acting really weird and he won't tell me what's wrong. I'm not sure if it's me, him, the war or something else. He just won't tell me!"
Chloe places a comforting hand on my shoulder. This is what I love about Chloe. She's always there to just help out. You don't find many people like that these days.
"I'm sure he's on his man period or something. Don't beat yourself up to it. It's not your fault. Why don't you confront him about it?" she advises. I think about it. I've confronted Axel many times before, so I may as well do it again.
I nod my head in agreement and tell her with a determined look on my face, "Alright, yeah, I'll do that."
"Great! I'll go get him now," she announces, jumping up off the bed. Before I can protest, she's out the door and running down the stairs. I groan, I didn't mean now!
The next second, Axel is being shoved through the door and he doesn't look very happy. Chloe stands in the doorway with a sheepish smile on her face before slamming the door shut, leaving Axel and I alone to talk.
Axel runs a hand over his face as a tired expression takes over. That's when I realize just how awful he looks. He has dark circles under his eyes, his hair is disheveled, his lips are turned down into a frown and his face just seems sunken as little bit.
"Celina, whatever you want to talk about, can’t it wait? I'm really busy right now," Axel tells me as his hand goes for the door.
Hurt courses through me that my own mate will choose work over me. What have I done?
"So that's how it is now?" I ask quietly, making Axel freeze with his hand hovering over the doorknob. "Your work is more important than your mate? I'm glad to know I'm loved."
Axel's head whips around, his silver eyes locking with my gold ones. My gold ones hold hurt and rejection, but Axel's are guarded, like he's hiding something from me.
He doesn't answer me nor does he move from his spot, he just stays frozen. My eyes narrow into slits. He's hiding something for sure.
"What are you hiding from me? Why can't you just tell me?" I scream with tears in my eyes. That seems to snap him out of it because he finally makes a move. One moment he's at the door, the next he's beside the bed and gripping my hand tightly in his.
"Celina, I would never choose work over you because you're my world. I love you with everything I have," Axel says sincerely with a broken look in his eyes. My breath catches in my throat once he says that. He hasn't said he loves me for a very long time and it's nice to hear it.
"I love you too, but I'm not sure if I trust you anymore," I admit. Honestly, I'm not sure what or who to trust anymore. Since this war, everyone's been so careful and sneaky that it's hard to keep track of it all. I even feel a bit guarded around Chloe sometimes. I thought I can trust my mate but I'm just not sure anymore.
"I promise, you can trust me with all your heart," Axel whispers with a pained look in his eyes.
"Then what are you hiding? Tell me," I whisper back. He sighs, looking defeated. He gently moves me over so he can fit in next to me as he wraps an arm around my shoulders.
"Celina, I went to see my mother a few days ago, the Moon Goddess," he tells me hesitantly. I stare at him in shock. I remember he told me once that the last time he saw his mother was centuries ago. I guess he needed to tell her something of importance.
"Why?" I ask simply. He pinches the bridge of his nose before going on to explain.
"I came to the conclusion somehow, that all the things that have been happening and are about to happen, are your fault. I needed guidance, so I went to the best person I know. I asked her about our fates, mainly yours. I just don't know what to think anymore. She said that our fates aren't sealed, our paths aren't made, and that we have to make what we want to happen, a reality. The problem is, I don't know how to do that and I don't want to add stress to you and the pups and I just can't take it anymore! I'm a wreck and I don't want you to know," he confesses with all honesty in his eyes. I keep a blank face as I take his head and place it to my chest. Why didn't he tell me? I could've helped.
He buries his head in my neck and inhales my scent while I run my fingers through his hair.
"You know I'll support you in any way and you’re keeping it from me won't help," I say softly.
"I know," he groans. "I just didn't know what to do."
I sigh and lift his head so it's level with mine. He needs to know he can trust me, trust me with anything.
"You do what you feel's best. If that means keeping things from me, then I can understand that. If you're not sure, come tell me anyway, that's all I ask for," I say honestly. He nods his head with a small smile on his face before softly kissing me on the lips.
"Now, what's this about a Christmas feast I'm hearing about?" I ask with new eagerness. Chloe's right, news travels fast. Axel chuckles at my face.
"It's pretty much a big feast for all the pack and we go out and buy little gifts for the children. It's like a tradition for us," he explains with a smile on his face.
Happiness overtakes me at the thought of Christmas. I never got to celebrate Christmas after my parents died. I did have to set everything up though.
"When does it all happen?" I ask even more eagerly.
"Christmas Eve, so families can spend Christmas Day with each other," Axel tells me with the same smile while I break out into a grin.
"Maybe next year I can help out with the cooking," I say excitedly. I can't help cook when I'm the size of three whales now, can I? I'm not gonna let that ruin my mood though, at least I'll be able to celebrate Christmas.
After Axel and I talk for a little longer, Chloe knocks on the door. Axel leaves after that while Chloe looks at the both of us triumphantly.
"Told ya so!" she squeals excitedly once Axel is out of earshot. She bounces on the bed and I laugh at her as she continues to bounce, her blonde hair going with her.
For the rest of the day, Chloe and I just talk about random subjects, the war and Axel never coming up.
When it's time for her to leave, we say our goodbyes and I fall into a peaceful sleep with an eased mind.
32
DAMON
"I don't care if you've been sighted! I want to know Celina's every move and it's your job to know that!" I yell furiously
into the phone. How dare he say he lost track of her because he was sighted.
"I-I'm sorry, Alpha. I'll get r-right on it," the frightened voice says down the line.
I growl and seethe, "Good, now get back to your job."
I slam the phone down back onto the holder and growl loudly, punching the wall next to me and officially putting a hole in it.
This is ridiculous! All I ask is to know Celina's whereabouts and what do I get? An idiot who thinks his job is over when he's sighted. Great! The only reason why that numbskull is on the job is because today's Christmas Eve and he's pretty much a loner with no life.
I know for a fact that the Nightfall Pack always has a big feast on this day then spend Christmas with their friends and family. What absolute shit.
If you're wondering why I'm not celebrating Christmas, it's because I totally loathe the holiday and everything to do with it! This all started on my fourth Christmas when my Mum and Dad decided that every Christmas they'd go to Bali, leaving me alone. I don't really care anymore though. It's just one of the many things that have made me what I am today.
The war is due to take place in less than a month, the same with Celina's giving birth. I've trained my men hard and trained my women harder. I want the Nightfall Pack to be taken down and the only way to do that is to have as many wolves fighting as I possibly can, including the women and those who just shifted.
The wickedness of all of this is that Celina won't be able to use her powers. I did some research and found out that while she's pregnant, she's useless for the war. She has to wait at least a week before she can harness her powers again. So either way, everything works out. Well, for me at least.
That's what this war is all about though, to have Celina all to myself. I will rule my pack with her by my side. She'll still be a maid when she has to be, but she'll be my personal slave that I can do anything and everything I wish to. Axel's whole pack is stupid if they think this whole war is because I want her back as a maid! Oh no, I want her for my own greed.
Unique, Different, Found: Werewolf Paranormal Romance (Nightfall Book 1) Page 25
