Their Forbidden Luna : Torn Between Two Billionaire Alphas

Chapter 4 -THE BLOOD PACT BENEATH THE MOON

SELORA VALE (SERAPHINA’S MOTHER)

23 YEARS AGO

My soul felt as empty as the eyes they belonged to.

‘He was only fifty-four,’ I say to the lorekeeper.

Seraphina’s little babbles fill the room as my grip tightens around her.

She’s all that I have now. I look down at her big brown eyes. She would be one month old tomorrow, on the 26th.

My heart still weighed heavily at the sudden realization that Seraphina would never grow up to see her father.

Dorian Vale brought light into my life, and he might be dead now, but he left behind a part of his light.

I smile down at her, my eyes fighting back tears as she wiggles her feet aggressively, her eyes bright and bubbly as she claps her hands together.

‘The funeral rite is tomorrow,’ the lore keeper states, ‘Are you ready ?’

‘I..’ I look up from Seraphina and then move my eyes back to her, ‘Do you think she needs to know?’

‘You can’t hide it from her,’ he utters as he flips through old scrolls. ‘She’s not ordinary, and it’s only a matter of time before she realises.’

‘She doesn’t deserve to be brought into this mess,’ I almost scream.

Seraphina stirred, a soft whimper escaping her lips. She was fast asleep now, her chest rising in motion with every breath.

‘I want her to have a normal life.’ I continue.

‘You and I know that is not possible,’ he states, his eyes no longer focused on the scroll.

I hated that scroll, it's pale silver-ash parchments with dark and tattered edges held records of deaths from centuries ago.

Now, my husband, Dorian Vale, had his name crested there.

‘You are not ordinary, Mrs. Selora Vale,’ he continues. ‘You hid it from your husband, but you can’t hide it from your daughter. She will come of age, and her powers will start to manifest. Not even the strongest magic can reverse her fate.’

I let out a sigh.

He was right, no matter how hard I tried to hide it. I wasn’t ordinary.

I am Selora Vale, one of the five sisters at the Order of the Fifth Fang. A moon Priestess.

I look at Seraphina one last time, and I finally say to him. ‘I’m ready. Let’s do it.’

***************

The Day of Dorian Vales’s Funeral

I knew I had to face my fate.

Actions had consequences, and just like this one, I had a whole lot of consequences to face.

A moon priestess had no business marrying a human. But that’s what happens when you are in love. You do things you wouldn’t normally do.

On a regular day, the feel of the rain splashing against the ground would have me feeling irritated, but somehow, I couldn't even care less.

I tighten my grip on the black umbrella, and tighten my other hand that holds Seraphina as I watch my husband’s body burn in the funeral pyre. A small shed shields the pyre from the rain as large flames envelope his body.

I wonder if he could feel everything I was feeling.

I wonder if they all could.

I turn to look at the guests, dressed in all black, some had their eyes red and heavy, while some tried their best to contain how they were feeling, but grief never hides; behind their expressionless eyes was a whole lot of pain.

‘You will forever be missed.’ His little sister, Rebecca Vale, calls out as she latches onto her husband's arms, her eyes didn’t even hold half as much pain as mine did.

I couldn’t bear to watch the burning process. His elder brother, Chris Vale, had lit the pyre a few minutes ago.

As a moon priestess, I had seen so many funerals, but this, I couldn't handle.

I walk away from the area, the click clack of my heels drowning in the rain and the sound of sobs.

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. No amount of help could save me from this grief.

So, this is what it feels like.

Death.

In a couple of hours, his body will be consumed by flames, leaving only bone fragments and ash.

His body is gone, but his soul is forever here.

The wind suddenly shifted. My skin prickled before her voice even reached me…

‘The gods never give without taking first,’ an oddly familiar voice utters from behind me.

I quickly turn around, and my eyes meet hers.

Lyra Thorne.

‘How could you say that ?’ I exclaim.

I look around, hoping no one heard.

‘Bold of you to show your face here after all these years, ’ I continue, her eyes dark, and a small smile spreads across her face.’ We both know you are not here for Dorian.’

The rain had subsided a bit, leaving tiny beads of raindrops trickling down our umbrellas.

‘You are right, Selora,’ she says.’ I am not here for Dorian.’

‘I am here for you.’

My face softens at her statement.

‘You walked out on us, Selora.’ She picks up. ‘We were moon sisters, born under the rare lunar alignment. We were different. We bring balance to this world. And you let all of that go away for some, human.’

‘I had no choice.’ I let out.

‘You had a choice,’ she states. ‘You choose love over responsibility. What were you thinking? Falling in love with a human ?. He was always going to die. And you could never have stopped it.’

‘What exactly are you saying, Lyra ?’ I ask, as my eyes widen.

‘I’m sure you know already. I got crowned the High Seer of the Order.’ she says. ‘Dorian's death was already foreseen.’

I feel my heart shattering even more. ‘So, why are you here?’ I rise abruptly, trying my hardest not to break.

Her gaze moves to Seraphina and then back to mine.

I take a step back, my hands gripping Seraphina tighter this time. ‘Keep your dirty eyes off my daughter, you blood sucking witch.’

‘You want to protect your daughter, don’t you ?” she raises, her eyes dark and mysterious.

‘Then you need to make a blood pact with her to keep her safe.’ She states. ‘You and I know we won’t be here for long. The moment you die, you will no longer be able to keep her safe.’

My breath starts to draw in.

I knew about everything Lyra Thorne, and one thing I knew for sure was that she was never wrong.

‘What are you offering ?’ I ask.

‘To protect her, you must give her to the bloodline of Thorne. Let her pact be sealed in shadow and eternity with one of my sons.’

My hands now trembling as my chest starts to tighten.

A child bonded to a bloodline older than time cannot be hunted without consequence.

I couldn’t let this happen, but I’ve made stupid mistakes in the past, and I couldn’t let my dear Seraphine get hurt because of me.

But as the storm quieted above, Selora’s heart thundered louder than ever. And yet, a part of her knew.... This was the only way.