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.

as his mate, instead of

I could have tried to live

have even found someone to love

Sophie asked hesitantly, watching

Sophie watched what I had just suffered through, only to

really had finally snapped. Who knew

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 only to endure

me in her arms once more. “My poor baby.

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

come with you,” Sophie finally said once I had calmed down. “We can leave together. I’m

 Sophie… would come with

looked at the older lady in shock. She would be risking a lot to become a rogue with me and escape. If we were ever caught,

cup of tea and we can talk about what we’re going to do,” she said, pulling me to

nodded my head and smiled at

would be okay.

next day I got ready for the meeting at eight o’clock with the higher members of the pack council. My long silver hair was still messy but I had done my best to tame it

the stress and lack of sleep I had experienced the night before. Unfortunately, using makeup had shown little results at covering

Beta lineage. It was an unusual sight 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 also born two years after Aleric so it was almost guaranteed we would be mated, our families always having been so closely knit. The elders had even prophesied our union would bring great

hall, I sat to Aleric’s right. But unlike a normal 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

once, no one dared to ask me any questions. They

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 tracks and scent hopefully disappearing

 “­—What do you think, Luna?” Elder Luke suddenly asked

deep thoughts. I hadn’t expected anyone

clearing my throat, and tried to think back on whatever they had just been discussing. Carelessly,

that’s

at that exact moment, sparing

one storming in. I

he was here now, standing before us, and he looked… furious. Something that caused me to

he agree with Aleric? Was he angry at how I

meaning of this?!” he demanded. And, instinctively, I flinched. Though it was a reaction

to my surprise, his eyes then