Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 40
I could feel Kora restless within me as she whined and I found myself plunged into new surroundings.
I was running, I didn’t recognize where I was running to. I just knew I needed to help them as I ran through the trees before stopping at a small village hidden amongst the forest next to Paddock. The place was set alight, paddocks filled with wolves dying and fighting, we were at war, I hid on the outskirts watching men with pitchforks file out and down a small dirt road, I could hear the cries of children ringing through the night. Everything settles the place falling silent except for agonized howls and crying. It was over. I walk out from my hiding place. The Earth is stained with my pack’s blood, the air thick with the pungent smell of death.
The entire village decimated, nothing left, but burning huts and scorched earth as fire took everything in the small village.
The night sky filled with the sounds of agonized howls as they lay dying on the battlefield. I look down at the wolf next to me, his dark fur almost blue under the moon’s beam. I stare at him before kneeling next to him. His eyes opened as I stroked his fur. Why does he look so familiar, the look in his eyes reminded me of someone yet I couldn’t place him, just knew I loved him.
I knew I was dreaming, was aware of that fact yet I couldn’t tear my eyes from the black wolf who lay dying at my feet, some pull telling me to save him. He whines loudly, the sound so sad it broke something within me. His eyes peered up at me with so much love yet I knew I didn’t know this wolf, never saw him before in my life.
The sky above crackles with lightning and I peer up at the sky as deafening thunder rolls across the sky, angry and powerful. The moon however shining down unaffected by the carnage below and by the anger of the storm just watching us suffer.
“We are children of the Moon, yet all you do is watch. How are we expected to believe in our Moon Goddess when she is never here when we need her?” I scream at it.
Lightning cracks loudly whipping through the night sky leaving angry streaks of electricity to light it.
Lighting up the destruction of the war, every wolf that lay dying in the field, the burned down huts, the children screaming for their fallen parents, the cries of death.
“You could save them; you could have saved us” I cry to the Moon brushing the fur of the wolf next to me.
“Save him then, you want to help them, do it. But everything comes at cost, you think you can do better, child. I never caused this bloodshed; this is on you. All of you” comes a voice ringing through the night loud and clear.
I turn around looking through the darkness, using the lightning to see. I gasp at the sight of a white wolf standing amongst the carnage looking regal and serene as she strolled toward me like she was unaffected by death surrounding her. Her fur was so white it looked like it was glowing like a beacon in the night.
“Stay back, who are you?” I ask her, picking up a stick, ready to defend myself.
“You had no problem cursing me to the moon a few seconds ago child, you should know who I am to speak so boldly to me”
I gasp, it can’t be, I look at the Moon before staring back at her.
“You’re the Moon Goddess?”
“Yes I am Seline, blessed by the Moon, yet you think you can do better than me?” She asks. Her steps are purposeful as she circles me, looking me up and down.
“You could save them; they slaughtered my entire village only leaving the children” I tell her.
“Yes, because you all K*lled off their livestock, so they poisoned you all, found your weakness then exploited it, waited for you to be defenseless before coming in and picking you off”
“You knew and didn’t warn us, didn’t try to help save us”
“I am busy child; you think you can do better? I have thousands of children, thousands to watch over, I am tired and can’t baby everyone. Your pack made mistakes and now they are paying for them”
“So, you don’t care, you will let us all d*ie, let them suffer because you’re too busy for us, we are meant to be your children, what mother turns her back on her children”
“It’s not up to me to decide your fates, my job is to help you find your mates, guide you to make the right decisions but not make your choices, your pack was greedy, took more than they should and that was their downfall” she says leaving and turning her back on us as we all lay dying in the fields.
“You are not my Moon Goddess, she would never turn her back on us, you are just as bad as them” I scream at the white wolf, she stops turning and baring her teeth at me.
“Fine, you think you can do better, you want them back, then bring them back” she says. I stare at her trying to figure out what she means.
“I can’t only you can do that”
“I will give you a choice, a gift in a sense, but it is also a curse. You think you can choose who lives and d*ies but at what cost, what price are you willing to pay for your people, child. Everything has a consequence. I will offer this to you once and once only. A curse and blessing bestowed upon one member of each generation of your bloodline starting with you”
“I don’t understand?” I tell her looking at my people who lay dying on the field.
“Simple yes or no dear, do you want to save them or not”
“Of course, I do, I love them. This is my family” I tell her.
“And what price are you willing to pay…. your life, would you give your life for them?”
“Yes, just please save them, Seline”
“Oh, I won’t be saving them, you will be. You cursed me out so now you shall know the burden I carry. I shall give to you. Now you are the one who will live or d*ie from the consequences, that will be your choice, but remember once I give it to you, I won’t take it back, it’s yours forever, and will belong to every firstborn of every generation. Now after hearing that, how do you choose, will you carry that burden, will you choose who lives and d*ies and are you willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice.. your life”
“I will do anything, please just save them” I begged her, looking at the black wolf who was no longer moving.
“Very well,” she says. White light blinds me and I put up my arms to stop it burning my eyes. The light dims and I squint, my eyes adjusting to find a woman in a white flowing gown, she was barefoot, yet the blood soaked earth didn’t touch her, didn’t stain her as she stepped closer to me. Her long blonde hair hanging freely to her knees as she stud*ied me.
“Just remember child, it is every part a blessing, but also a curse, death shall taint your soul, with every touch, every caress of life you give, they take a piece of you back with them” she says before grabbing my face between her palms.
“I will make you a Goddess, a Goddess of death, a Goddess of life. I’m giving you the burden I no longer wish to carry, I curse you child, curse you with the gift of life” she tells me before leaning her face closer to mine.
Her lips press against mine before I scream, power so hot it burnt my lips and scorched my throat, bleeding its power into my heart, and into my soul. It was pure bliss but at the same time pure agony. She pulls back, wiping my tears away.
“Choosing is the hardest part, deciding who lives and d*ies is the worst job to have, and you my child I just blessed you with it” she says, letting my face go.
I looked down at my hands which were glowing subtly, every fiber of my being buzzing and jolting, I felt electrified.
“What did you do to me?”
“I made you into a lunar wolf, a white wolf and blessed you with a healing touch, and an ability to shield those you love”
“I can heal them?” I ask excitedly, rushing to the wolf.
“Yes, but everything comes with a price, a sacrifice, choose wisely child for some don’t deserve saving, and you will find this blessing is far from what you expected”
She says before evaporating into thin air, I hear her cackling laughter, but I didn’t care, I could save them. Save them all.
I kiss the wolf, needing him most. Nothing happens at first before he suddenly gasps for air while I ch*oke for it. I tried to catch my breath before moving onto the next, I didn’t need to kiss this one, she wasn’t dead, magic flowing freely as I grasped her face, my hands turning gold, yet I could feel it tugging at my life’s essence.
She takes a deep breath while mine wheezes out of me. With each touch they grow stronger while I grow weaker. My people are begging me to save their loved one, save their wives or husbands until I can’t no more. I feel my life leaving me more and more with each healing touch until I collapse, trying to s*ck in much needed air. I gasp choking on death.
I sit upright in bed, my lungs heaving for air as I s*ck in a huge lung full, trying to catch my breath. I was gasping, choking on my own inability to breathe, my hair drenched and sticking to my face. Ezra was sleeping peacefully next to me and I looked at the familiar surroundings, relieved to be pulled from that nightmare.
My heart rate slows as I realize it was just a dream, just a dream. Climbing off the bed, I walk to the window and open it, the room feeling stuffy. My skin felt sticky from the thin sheen of sweat that coated my entire body.
The moon shining brightly back at me like it was taunting me. I stick my head out the window loving the cool breeze when I feel this burning sensation, my lips tingling and I open them trying to cool them with the breeze before I gasp, clutching my throat, searing pain like in my dream bleeding into me, scorching every cell and I scream at the pain. My hands claw at my chest as it ripples through my bloodstream.
‘Nearly there Kat, I am sorry. I have dreaded this part, I tried to warn you’ Kora says.
‘The dream?’ I cry out.
‘Yes, how it all began,’ she says. I clutch the window, my nails digging into the wood and I scream, I scream in pure agony as hot light fills me, blinding me to everything and cutting off my sight. My skin was burning yet all I could see was white light, feeling it filling me with its power.
‘We have been kissed by the Moon’ Kora says before screaming with me and I feel something within me snap, like a rubber band that had been pulled and pulled till it broke under the pressure. My head exploded with pain along with every Bl**dy cell.
“Kat, Kat” I hear a voice but all I can focus on is the pain. Sparks rushing over my skin, soothing the pain and I feel myself being pulled, the tingles wrapping around me soothingly.
“I’m right here Kat, right here” The soothing voice says when I feel it suddenly burn so bright I feel my eyes burning from my head as I blink trying to rid the pain, hot tears burning my cheeks as my tears stain them.
I gasp and the pain recedes. My eyes flutter opens with a new clarity. My senses are stronger, alert to every detail and smell so strong I could taste the different scents on the tip of my tongue.
‘It’s over Kat, over for now’ Kora whispers between trying to catch her breath. I sigh, catching my breath. Looking around I see I am on the floor, tingles rushing over every inch of my body and removing the tension in my tight muscles.
I feel lips press to my forehead and I look up and see caramel eyes staring back at me, his lips press to mine softly before he pulls back brushing his nose on mine.
My wolf bouncing around excitedly screaming in my head. ‘Mate, Mate, Mate’ she yaps.
Ezra smiles, his eyes sparkling under the light from the moon coming in the window. “Mate” I whisper.
“Mine” he whispers, running his nose along my cheek to my neck.
“Yours” I tell him and he pulls back.
“And I am yours” he says before kissing me. His lips mound around mine perfectly and I kiss him back, every piece of me calling for him, calling for his touch as I pull him closer, my fingers running through his hair, sparks running over me delightfully, dancing on my skin and I M0@n from the sensation rolling over me before the door suddenly bursts open.
The Alpha pulls away with a chuckle and I see Mateo rush in looking alert and panicked.
“Everything alright, I heard screaming” he says, grasping his knees with his hands as he catches his breath. “Kat your eyes” he says looking over at me.
“What’s wrong with my eyes?” I ask, looking up at the Alpha.
“They are gold,” He whispers, kissing my lips.
Mateo walks over kneeling beside us, “She alright?” He asks the Alpha like I wasn’t sitting right in front of him.
“Yes, she is perfect,” The Alpha tells him, staring down at me. Mateo brushes my hair from my face, also staring at me, he brushes my cheek with his thumb.
“Yes, she is,” Mateo murmurs, pulling his hand away. He cups the side of the Alpha’s neck and shoulder with his hand giving him a nod before standing and leaving, the Alpha watches him go before staring back at me with a smile on his lips.