A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 64

Chapter Sixty–Four 

In the past timeline, I was sixteen when I first realised I had feelings for Aleric, eighteen when I knew I was in love with him. 

All my life I‘d grown up believing that he would be mine one day, hoping I would make him proud. I was groomed, controlled, and moulded to become the perfect Luna from the moment I was born. 

I remembered my first shift, how it felt once I saw him with the mate bond connecting us. It was like the air around him shimmered, beckoning me forward, demanding that I gravitate around him. If I focused enough, I could even still recall how his skin felt on mine; like tiny sparks of pleasure wherever it touched. So strong, an incredible leader, and capable of feats in battle no one else had accomplished. Those were the good memories of Aleric I‘d buried. 

So why was my mind surfacing this now? Maybe I was trying to justify to myself that at one point in my life I‘d wanted this. That the old Aria would have revelled in this moment. To wear an Alpha‘s mark was regarded as the highest point of honour any female could achieve in a pack. So what did I want now? 1 

... Did my wants even matter anymore? What choice was there if it was this or war? 

Though, if there was anyone else in the room whose desires should have been taken into consideration, they were standing by Tytus‘s side... looking furious. 

Aleric‘s eyes held that same glint in them that I‘d seen right before he‘d killed people in the past. The look of cold fury you didn‘t want to find yourself the subject of. 

“No,” was all he said to Tytus, his voice like ice. 

Several people around me flinched and I couldn‘t blame them for feeling that way. If you weren‘t used to seeing Aleric like this, it could be a scary sight to behold the first time. And from what I’d seen of him in this life, it was rare to see him like this now. 

But rather than flinch, a combination of mixed feelings swelled inside me instead. I didn‘t want him to mark me, sure, but a small remnant inside me stung at hearing the same rejection from him again that I‘d repeatedly heard in the past. 

“No, I‘m not doing that,” Aleric continued. 

“Alec, I‘m not asking you,” Tytus replied flatly. 

“I should have a choice–.” 

“You did have a choice,” Tytus interrupted. “You chose to help Aria cover this up for the last few months. You didn‘t think I realised that already?” 

The two stared at each other with such silent hostility that the lower ranks in the room shifted uncomfortably under the pressure. It was like a tangible air of enmity filled the room around us. 

Finally, Aleric broke first, turning his face to the side in frustration, his teeth gritted. 

It was submission. 

Without further argument, I watched as he then walked towards me, eyes cast down, every step making uncertainty churn inside me the closer he came. 

What was he feeling right now? Anger? Frustration? No... this felt like something else. 

He finally met my eyes when he stood only a few feet away and I saw something unexpected as ! searched for my answers. His face softened immediately from the ice that had been there only moments earlier... and instead he looked ashamed, embarrassed... guilty even. 

Chapter Sixty full 

And as he halted in place, I looked back as stoically as I could, II wasn‘t going to make it easier for either of us if I betrayed how I felt at that moment. How terrified I was of lying myself to the future of uncertainty i‘d tried so hard to avoid. But, without a word, 1 silently gatlieved my loose hair up in my hand and brushed it to the side, giving him clear access to the area ho‘d need, 

If this was the price of saving thousands of lives, of saving Cai, then so be it, 

I‘d always imagined growing up that this moment would be special, more intimate, i queas all of that could have been disregarded and I would have just selled for someone who actually wanted to mark me Maybe I should have found someone from the Winter Mist to do il months ago. Aller all, it wasn‘t like Tytus could un–mark me and a person from this pack wouldn‘t cause a war like Coi would have 

I had to believe that Alenc had changed, that we had changed. Perhaps he still didn‘t want me in that way this time around, but maybe the friendship wo‘d

I whispered when he

before sighing. I wished the Goddess had given me an ability to read minds rather than the cursed vision atrocity she‘d bestowed instead. How I so badly wanted to know what

shifted before hesitantly placing one hand on my shoulder, the other supporting the side of my head, and slowly, he moved in. I

reminded me softly and I nodded my head ever so slightly. He must have realised I‘d been holding my breath since before he leaned in

feel my body trembling? Hear my heart racing? Surely he‘d have lo since he was so close, courtesy of his enhanced senses. Or maybe he was

and I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing what was

...But nothing came. 

trust me?” he whispered,

eyes immediately flew open in surprise but I didn‘t know how to reply. It was already a loaded question even without the many

before I could reply, I felt him exhale.

he whispered. “You‘re probably going

away from me and I caught sight of how dark his eyes were, proof of how close he‘d beent o marking me.

of age yet Youre asking me to mark someone who can‘t even shift.”

his eyes.

this time. “I‘m not doing it.”

surface, mixed in with his absolute determination to disobey our Alpha‘s orders, it was a dangerous sight. If I didn‘t know any better, I would have thought Alenc was planning to take this as far as challenging

Sixty F OUI

an intrusion to the display occurring in front of us. Immediately,

Elder Luke.

I feel as though we would be ignoring the obvious here if we went ahead with this, noting that Aria having no wolf yet is a possible risk. I don‘t intend to tell you

relieved in my life to hear that I might have just died moments earlier. It was enough to almost make my legs give out from under me. I knew this man was

that there was truth to his words. And this was

his head, it was probably still worth the risk or he‘d kill me anyway

we need to call for a doctor then so be it, but

see my obvious imprisonment within a jail cell as a direct insult to the Goddess. I wasn‘t sure if hearing his concern about it made me

said. “Even if it means keeping her in silver handcuffs, I‘m sure there is a compromise

to be taken literally, but some hadn‘t picked

of opposition for me. “What if we applied the same principle as silver cuffs, but adapted it to a more mobile and practical

could work,” Tytus replied in

a step forward. “Wait... hold on

to stop speaking and I looked up at him

to collar me like

moved towards my ear. “Do you prefer the alternative, Aria?” he asked in a low voice.

worse than being marked?

away, pulling my

could feel Tytus‘ eyes watching me but I refused to look at him. Was he gloating inside knowing

this

to silver may also have unknown results,

argued back. “So long as she doesn‘t keep any open wounds near it, I would think the whole thing is harmless

in the room was only more proof that everyone was actually considering this,

desperately hoping he had some other argument to counter Elder Nathaniel, but he looked as though he was holding his tongue. Perhaps he did know of how best to argue back but considered this to

fashioned for Aria immediately.” His eyes then narrowed towards me. “Not too loose though.

as though he was

thing,” he added. “I‘ve shown leniency today, noting the advice from the council, but that will not be the case in the future. Upon Aria‘s eighteenth birthday, she will be marked by Aleric. That i s not up for discussion. The collar is merely a means to

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