"If I may, Doctor Aileen, this is a personal matter and it would be greatly appreciated if you left the room so we can discuss it," Callum says politely. I must say, I'm shocked. I've never heard Callum being so polite before, it's like a miracle. Axel nods in agreement to Callum's suggestion. Doctor Aileen looks a little disappointed, but leaves nonetheless.
"Celina, are you ok? You have this faraway look in your eye," Axel says as he cups my face lovingly. I blink a few times to focus on him then nod stiffly.
"Would you like to know how it's all possible?" I ask no one in particular. They must be curious. A series of murmurs is heard around the room. I sigh, letting my head drop.
"Then so be it," I say quietly before telling Axel to place me back on the bed. He does so without question. "So, this is what happened..."
As soon as my world goes black, everything becomes bright and white. I shield my eyes with my hands for a moment, it's so bright.
I look down at myself and notice I'm no longer in the scrubs I was changed into. Instead, I'm wearing a pristine white top and jeans. I have no clue how that happened...
"Celina," a voice whispers. I whip around to find the source of the voice, but come up with nothing.
"Celina," it whispers again, seemingly being carried by the breeze.
"Celina," it whispers a third time.
"Who are you?" I ask loudly. Whoever it is is freaking me out. This isn't some sick game.
"Celina, come to me," the voice whispers again. I start to feel scared and walk backwards in the direction I think is further away from the voice.
"Who are you?" I ask again as my eyes search the whiteness. There's nothing, I don't even know what I'm standing on.
"Where are you?" I mutter, but I receive no answer, nothing. Not even a whisper in return.
I keep my eyes ahead of me for as long as possible, but it seems like an endless nothingness. There are no walls, no floors, no ceiling, just nothing.
A hand suddenly rests on my shoulder, making me freeze and tense up. My eyes widen and I literally stop breathing, thinking the mystery person will somehow hurt me.
"Relax, my dear Celina. Nothing will hurt you here," the voice says again, but this time not in a whisper. It seems more like a breeze wafting around me as the voice resembles beautiful, classical music. It soothes my muscles and makes my breathing resume normally.
"Who are you?" I ask for the third time in less than five minutes. I will myself to turn around, but I can't. It's like my feet are glued to the floor and my eyes are stuck facing forward. Nothing I do can make me move or even blink.
The hand slips off my shoulder, making my wolf restless. Funny, I haven't spoken to her in ages and now that a mysterious hand leaves my shoulder, she suddenly feels restless? I must have the weirdest wolf in the world.
A soft swooshing noise is heard before a stunningly beautiful woman shows herself: her hair as white as snow, skin as pale as ice, silver eyes as bright as the moon, and lips as red as a rose. She's wearing a crystal dress that seems to clutch at her body, but fall around her at the same time. Like I said before, she's stunning.
There's only one person I know who looks like her and that's Axel, so I'm guessing she's the Moon Goddess. I gasp loudly at my realization and quickly bow my head to her.
"Moon Goddess, it is my greatest pleasure to be in your presence," I tell her with pride in my voice knowing I've met the Moon Goddess.
"Lift your head, my child," she orders softly. I immediately do as she says, raising my head ever so slowly. My golden eyes lock onto her shining silver ones. She smiles. She actually smiles at me.
A confused expression takes over my face. What she does next though, is something I really don't expect. She engulfs me in a hug, just as a mother would give her daughter or sisters would give each other. A hug anyone would give to show love. The Moon Goddess, Axel's mother, the creator of all wolves, is hugging me as if she's known me my whole life. I'm in shock, pure shock.
She pulls back with a smile on her face while I stare at her with a gaping mouth and eyes as wide as saucers.
"It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. I just wish it is on better circumstances," she says sadly. Her words don't register for a long time since I'm still in a state of shock.
A few moments pass and her face starts to show worry. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows draw together slightly, her plump lips form a small frown, and her silver eyes are coated with doubt.
"Celina, darling, are you alright?" she asks, her voice sounding like the wind. She places a comforting hand on my shoulder which causes me to jump out of my shocked trance.
"Huh? Oh, yes! I'm fine," I say with a small forced smile then her earlier words register. Better circumstances?
"What do you mean under better circumstances?" I ask voicing out my thoughts as my mind fills with confusion. She smiles down at me sadly.
"Celina, you have died. Giving birth to your three pups was just too much for your young body to handle and you gave out," she informs me sadly.
Dead? I'm dead? Just like that? All I feel is sadness, loneliness, and worst of all, emptiness. No...
I'm dead? I can't be. Axel, the pups, and the pack need me. I can't just die, not like that.
"There has to be something I can do! I can't just die! Not like that!" I scream at her. "I want to die old and wrinkly with Axel by my side! I want to die with my three pups by my bedside! I want to die knowing that I've done everything I possibly can to help Axel, the pack, and the pups! I can't just die!"
A small smile makes its way onto her face. I look at her like she's gone crazy. Is she smiling about my death?
"Celina, dear, have you realized you have only seen one of your pups? You never got to see the other two, you do not even know their genders," she suddenly informs me. Tears well up in my eyes at the thought that I'll never be able to see or hold my pups ever. The thought breaks my heart.
"Can't you do something?" I whisper desperately. She has to be able to! I-I just can't die, not now.
"You're the Moon Goddess for goodness sake! Can't you just magically bring me back to life?" I scream at her with mixed emotions. Please, I can't die. I can't die...
Tears start to pour down my cheeks as I know she can't do anything to help me.
She shakes her perfectly formed head and sighs before saying, "I am sorry my dear, but that is not how it works. You are the only one who can bring yourself back to life."
I give her a confused look while a small smile still graces her face.
"Let me tell you something that doesn't seem important at the moment, Celina. The time span here is not the same as there on earth. One hour on earth is equivalent to one minute here, so let me ask you these: How long are you going to cry? How long are you going to blame yourself for everything? How long are you going to let your mate and guardians suffer? Simple questions need simple answers. How long, Princess Celina Heart?" she asks, her silver eyes full of wisdom and her smile genuine.
My breath stops short and my mind goes blank at her wise and humble words. How long?
Axel needs me there with him so he can run his pack. Callum needs my help in finding his mate someday. Comrade needs me with him so he can have a friend that will allow him a shoulder to cry on. And most of all, my pups need me so that they can live a life with both a mother and a father.
"How do I do it?" I ask determinedly. No more tears shall fall. The Moon Goddess raises her suddenly glowing hand and places it on my head. A sudden burst of power surges through me, right to my core. I scream as the power engulfs my body and light rays burst out of my eyes, fingers, toes, everywhere.
"What's happening to me?" I cry out in pain. The Moon Goddess' hand doesn't move from its position, not even when I start to levitate in the air. She just goes with me, levitating herself.
"I am unlocking your powers to the fullest degree. You will be able to use your powers within two days at the most. You will be the most powerful being on earth," she says in a calm voice. It
feels like hours have passed when actually, it's only a few minutes. That is hours on earth though...
The Moon Goddess removes her hand and I drop to the floor in a heap. I take a minute to catch my breath and try to comprehend what just happened. I slowly pull myself up, shaking, and look at the Moon Goddess through strands of my black hair.
"What now?" I ask. She stays silent as she watches me get up onto shaky legs.
"Understand this, Princess Celina Heart. Your powers and beauty come with a price," she says as her eyes start to glow even brighter than the moon itself while she stares straight into my widened gold ones.
A price? What kind of price? How big of a price?
"Once your time on earth has come to end, your reign will not. Once you die and cease to exist, you will live again. Instead of your human body, you shall be a guardian spirit. You will lead those below you. Everything comes with a price and this is yours. Once you have completed what has to be done on earth, you shall start anew. Do you understand?" she asks in her airy voice.
I shake my head with furrowed brows. Is that a riddle?
"No, I don't understand what you’re saying? I shall die, but live again? I don't understand!" I yell at her, my confusion getting the better of me.
She levitates off the ground once again and hovers above me like an angel.
She looks down at me, her silver eyes still shining. All I want is to be wrapped in Axel's arms and be told that everything will be alright.
Then, her melodic voice finally says, "Princess Celina Heart, you shall be the next Moon Goddess."
I don't know what emotion explodes within me, but whatever it is, it's strong. Water and air start to wrap around me, but I don't notice. My pristine white clothes are replaced by a beautiful golden gown with a slit down the side, but still I don't notice. I feel my eyes start to burn and turn gold, but I don't notice. All I can think is that I'm the next Moon Goddess. I'm the next spirit that's going to look over the whole werewolf race. That thought, that simple yet complicated thought, is the one thing that brings me out of death.
Everyone in the room stays silent, not even the pups are crying, just pure and utter silence. I look at Axel to see him with a blank expression. I look at Callum to see an awestruck expression as he looks at me with adoration. Finally, I look at Comrade. I don't really know what to expect when I look at him, but one thing's for sure, I don't expect him to have a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
"What are you smiling about?" I ask in an almost sarcastic manner. As soon as Comrade's almost black eyes lock onto my gold ones, his smile gets wider and the twinkle in his eyes becomes a full blown sparkle.
"I'm smiling because I'm honored to be protecting the next Moon Goddess. Honestly, how excited can you be to be protecting the most important person in our world?" he asks with a grin. His enthusiastic words make some sense, but still.
A sudden idea enters my mind. If Comrade is so enthusiastic about protecting me, would he be just as enthusiastic about protecting my pups?
"Comrade..." I ask slowly, drawing out his name. "How would you feel if you were protecting the future Moon Goddess' pups?"
His eyes widen at my words and he goes into a state of shock. I'd giggle at his face if it wasn’t for the seriousness of the situation.
"W-what?" he stutters as his eyes go wide and his jaw drops. I then turn to Axel.
"Do I have the power to pass Comrade's guardianship onto our pups instead of me?" I ask him with a hopeful look in my eyes.
He stares at me for a long moment while I stare back. His eyes look calculating, like he's considering the idea, but rejecting it anyway.
"Celina, you just came back from the dead, you're going to be the future Moon Goddess and you're asking to reassign one of your guardians to our pups?" he asks like it doesn't make sense in his brain. I nod my head once.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," I tell him bluntly. He shakes his head at me, staring at me as if I'm crazy.
"I don't know, Celina... I want you to have the utmost protection during this war, that might I remind is going to take place in three days. I can't have you reassigning your guardians. I'm sorry," he apologizes, and his decision seems final. I'm not giving up though.
"Won't you feel better though if you know your pups are safe as well as me? Axel, please! I couldn't live with myself knowing my pups could get hurt. Please Axel, please," I whisper the last part as tears come to my eyes. He has to! He just has to!
"Celina, I-" he begins, but I cut him off.
"Please, Axel, think of the pups. Think of what we went through for them. Think of what we're going to go through for them. Are we just gonna throw that all away?" I ask sincerely, looking my mate directly in the eye.
He stays silent for a long while, not diverting our eye contact at all.
"Celina, you are my main priority. I love you so much and I love our pups just as equally, but I know the pups will be safe in the safe room. You, on the other hand, since you have full capacity for powers, you'll probably be on the battlefield whether I like it or not. So, Celina, think about this: if you had to choose between your mate or pups, who would you choose?" he asks in a deadly tone as he gets all up in my face.
I gulp, staying silent while I think it over. I love Axel. I love my pups. Is there anything else to it?
"I couldn't, I wouldn't," I say honestly in a small voice.
"Then why are you asking me to?" he asks, I'm not sure with what emotion.
With that final question, Axel storms out of the room with steam almost bursting out of his ears.
I look down and let my hair cover my face. I've made Axel upset and now he's angry with me. Not really the way I thought coming back from the dead would do.
Two comforting hands touch my shoulders. I lift my head to look at Callum and Comrade, both sporting encouraging smiles.
"It's ok, Celina, everything's gonna be ok," Callum reassures me with a small nudge.
"Yeah. Plus, the pups will be getting their own guardians pretty soon. Just you wait, Snow, just you wait," Comrade tells me with a smile. I smile back slightly. A mind-shattering thought suddenly enters my brain. I haven't even seen my pups yet!
I quickly rush over to the three little beds against the wall that hold all three of my little angels. My breath hitches in my throat once I see them. Two baby boys and a baby girl.
All I register are the three little angels sleeping soundly in their beds. I totally forget that Callum and Comrade are still in the same room and probably looking at me with smiles on their faces.
I gently pick up the baby girl, cradling her to my chest as she sleeps peacefully.
"You're so beautiful," I whisper to her as I hear the door open and close softly, probably Callum and Comrade leaving the room.
I look at my other two angels and smile softly. My two baby boys. One's slightly bigger than the other, but they both have the potential to be alphas.
I hear the door open and close again then footsteps making their way towards me. Without even turning around, I know its Axel. His strong arms wrap around my waist as he stares adoringly down at our baby girl. He must have felt my emotions through the mind link we share.
"She's so small," I whisper as her little hand takes one of my fingers, her eyes still closed.
"Yeah, I know," Axel whispers back. We stay silent after that, no thoughts about the mild fight we had only minutes ago enter our heads.
I turn around in Axel's arms as I look down at my baby girl. I'm sure he wants to hold her.
"Hold her," I tell him quietly as I look up. Axel's eyes widen as he holds his hands up in a defensive position while shaking his head.
"Please?" I ask softly while gazing down at the little girl. He sighs and closes his eyes, giving into my begging easily.
"Fine," he grumbles while I giggle at his face.
I carefully maneuver the baby in my arms and is about to give her to Axel, when he suddenly moves away. I look at him questioningly while he loo
ks at me nervously.
"What if I drop her?" he asks, looking anywhere but my eyes. I smile and shake my head at him.
"You won't," I say simply. Before he can comprehend what I'm doing, I place our baby girl in his arms.
He stiffens for a moment and doesn't move. Once he looks down at her though, he relaxes and smiles. His eyes fill with adoration as he looks down at his daughter. She's already got him wrapped around her little finger.
"She's so small," he whispers as he lovingly strokes her cheek with his finger.
I smile at the picture in front of me as I suddenly wish I have a camera in my hands.
I turn towards the other two little beds and gingerly pick up what I assume to be my second born since he's a bit smaller. I do what I did to the baby girl and cradle the baby boy to my chest.
"What do we name them?" Axel asks quietly as not to wake the baby girl in his arms.
I look at him confused. He hasn't named them yet?
"Haven't you already named them?" I ask, voicing my thoughts. He shakes his head at my question, his eyes not moving from the angel in his arms.
"Why?" I ask in confusion as his eyes meet mine.
He pauses for a moment before explaining in a calm voice, "I had hope that you weren't dead. I just couldn't believe you were gone forever, so I held onto hope."
I stare at him with shock, awe, and love shining in my eyes. He waited for me even though I was dead. He couldn't believe it, just like I couldn't accept it.
"Carissa," I say after a few minutes of silence. "Carissa Rosemary Night."
Axel smiles at the name and nods.
"What about this little angel here, what's his name gonna be?" I ask Axel as I motion to the sleeping baby boy in my arms.
"Dylan's a good name, how about that?" Axel asks after putting on a thoughtful expression. I nod smiling.
"Dylan Ronald Night," I tell him, giving both the younger pups my parents’ names. I guess it's because I want to remember them in my own way.
Unique, Different, Found: Werewolf Paranormal Romance (Nightfall Book 1) Page 29
