A Gift from the Goddess

A shiver went down my spine. I knew this expression well.

 …He was furious at me.

 I immediately tried to back away from him but I knew it was too late. He strode up and quickly grabbed my neck in his hand, pinning me against the wall behind me. And, instantly, the pain shot down from my shoulder where it hit the wall roughly.

 “Aleric… Please…,” I whimpered out against his choke, struggling to breathe.

 His hand loosened slightly but only to ensure I listened to him properly.

 It was crazy, but even in a moment like this, the mate bond was still making sparks erupt from where his hand touched my skin. It was sickening how a Goddess could do this to her child, make them feel these sensations even in a situation like this.

 “Do you think you’re so important that you can treat Thea that way?” he roared into my face.

 “Aleric… she came to me first and?.”

 “Enough!” he cut me off. “I don’t want your excuses. Thea isn’t like you. She is a gentle, sweet girl! What if you had caused her enough stress to induce a miscarriage? Are you really so petty as to kill a child out of spite? A future Alpha no less?”

 Even in his distorted expression of rage, he still looked so handsome. A curl of his shaggy midnight hair had fallen out of place and was framing his forehead, his green eyes gleaming. He stood a foot taller than me, broad shoulders, and built like a God. In times like this, I could feel the height difference so clearly when he stood close to me in this way. He was an imposing, scary man, but I had no choice but to find him irresistible.

 I cleared my thoughts, reminding myself it was only the mate bond making me feel these things for him. His touch and scent were intoxicating but it wasn’t me who really felt this way about him anymore. It was just the curse.

 “Aleric… no, I would never. She came to me even though she knew?.”

 And suddenly, he slapped me across the face. Hard.

 I blinked as my vision blurred and my cheek burned.

 “You’re nothing, Ariadne. You are only here because I let you be here, don’t ever forget it. You may be chosen as Luna by the Goddess but I have the final say in this pack. If you dare to hurt Thea again, I will make sure you regret it.”

 And, with that, he let me go, my back sliding down the wall as my legs gave out.

 I was sure that he had contemplated killing me in that moment. His anger wasn’t anything new to me but this was the first time he had threatened to remove me from my position completely… or worse.

 With one final look down at me in disgust, he then left just as abruptly as he’d arrived. But as soon as the door closed behind him, I erupted in a fit of hysterical laughter, tears flowing from my eyes once more.

he had just removed me from my position at the start then this would have never happened. If he had just rejected me immediately as his mate, instead of submitting me to this torture over the last six years, then maybe one day I

him. Because the pack and Aleric asked me to be their Luna. I could have tried to live

 …Maybe I could have even found

asked hesitantly, watching

had finally gone crazy, and she was probably right. Sophie watched what I had

I really had finally snapped.

I smiled widely, still giggling. “It’s all one big joke. My whole life! I bet the Goddess is looking down at me as a form of entertainment. Do you think Gods get bored? I wonder why else someone would make me Luna

me in her arms once more. “My poor baby. It’s okay. You’re going

stroked my hair as my laughter then slowly turned into sobs against

finally said once I had calmed down. “We can leave together. I’m sure we’ll have more

would

lot to become a rogue with me and escape. If we were ever caught, she would probably

you a cup of tea and we can talk about what we’re going

my head and

me. It would be okay. We

of the pack council. My long silver

the dark bags from the stress and lack of sleep I had experienced

for people who were not from our pack, but I was proud of my reflection. I was the first daughter born to our Beta family in over a century and the only child of my parents. I was

day, today I could feel the gaze of the other ranked pack members and elders as they bore into me. There wasn’t anything I could do about it though. No,

yet they looked at me as though I were a circus attraction. Like I wasn’t just a girl tired of

patrols, rogue sighting, territory alliances. But for once, no one dared to ask me any questions. They all acted

the end of the week. There were still things I needed to organise, and I wanted to ensure the pack had enough prepared to keep it running for at least a little while in my absence. My hope was that no one would notice me missing for a few days and, with any luck, we could cover enough ground to stop them from finding us even if they tried; our

think, Luna?” Elder

surprise, breaking me from my deep thoughts. I

my throat, and tried to think back on whatever they had just been discussing. Carelessly, I’d let my mind

that’s umm…,”

at that exact moment, sparing me from having to

my father to be the one storming in. I hadn’t even noticed he was absent in the meeting, having kept my

us, and he looked… furious. Something that caused me to

agree with Aleric? Was he angry at

instinctively, I flinched. Though it was

eyes then turned not to