In This Life or Another

Chapter Eight: Goddesses and Home Sweet Home

Unknown POV

The Other Realm

Talk about your all-girls-only club… the huge room was covered in large chairs and ancient mirrors. Half-dressed men holding trays of fruit and cheeses. Music to calm any soul.

“What do you mean Eris has gone to the surface? She is not allowed to go without one of us after she tried to flood it last time.” Freya said, pacing around the room.

“Well, I had to visit one of my children and Aphrodite is with Aries again, so who knows when she will be back…” Selene said, not phased by Freya's stressful outburst.

“We have to find her, Sel, or she is going to try and do something stupid again, and then we all will be punished. Have you pissed her off again?”

“Me… you know how she is all drama all the time. World dominance, my kids are better than yours etc…” Selene says with her finger in the quote jester.

“Well you have to go with me to find her before she starts a nuclear war up there. I'm gonna kick her ass and drag her back here and put her on bath duty for the next century.” Freya pulls her long red hair up into a ponytail and ties her boots. “Let's go Sel!!!”

Selene sighs and follows Freya out to the portal to enter the realm of her offspring. “You owe me Freya, you’re the one who lost her.”

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Unknown POV

“Mother, stop yelling at me, it's not like I tried to get pregnant. This is all your fault. You are the one who put me in this situation, so now get this filthy mutt out of me before I tear my stomach apart.”

“You are such a disappointment, Rocket. I gave you one job. Distract that arrogant mutt until your brother can do his part… but no, you played the temptress and got yourself knocked up. You couldn't play the damsel in distress or the lone rogue seeking refuge… I should make you keep it so he will be forced to mark you.”

“You wouldn't. I never signed on to be the mother of some pathetic dog. I swear if you don’t remove this thing I will run to the big guy and tell him all of your plans to overthrow the upper lands.”

“Fine, fine. I never said I wouldn’t help you, just that we could work both angles. Now calm down before you give yourself wrinkles.”

Eris walks over to her bag and pulls out a small bottle of bright glowing green liquid. Rocket’s eyes start to bug out of her head. “You need to drink this within the next 24 hours. It's going to hurt like hell, and you will need another day to recover. Now that the mutt has impregnated you once, you will most likely get pregnant every month moving forward. So I suggest getting him to mark you, so the prophecy can not happen.” Eris hands her a total of 3 bottles. “You have 3 months, Rocket, I don't care how you do it, just get it done.”

“Yes, mother, and thank you for your help.” Rocket takes the bottles and walks over to the mirror to fix her lipstick. “How is my brother doing? Has he made any progress?”

“He has a lot of riding on him and that little b***h isn’t biting, so he's working more on the behind the scenes. Just do your part, and we will be ruling the supernatural realm in no time. I would say I have faith in you, Rocket, but that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.” Eris waves her hand around in a grand gesture.

Rocket turns and glares at her mother. “Well, I get my disappointment honestly mother.” She picked up her bag and walked down the hallway to leave the hotel where they agreed to meet.

Eris finished her wine and gathered her things. She wanted to make it back to the girls before they noticed she was gone. Freya noticed everything she thought to herself.

Eris walked through the forest that led to the portal. She stopped and picked a handful of gardenias as those were her favorite flowers. She hated roses and Selene insisted on filling their space with them. As she reached the creek she heard Freya speaking about kicking her ass and she meant it too. So she had to think quickly to get out of this one.

“Ladies, you wouldn’t be looking for little ole me would ya?” Eris said with a hint of innocence in her voice.

“Cut the crap Eris, where have you been? You know you have been sentenced to the under realm for the next 2 centuries for trying to flood the upper realm. The big guy is going to punish us all because you can’t listen.” Freya yelled at her. Selene just pretended to wonder about not engaging the two crazy women.

Eris held up the flowers in her hand. “Relax “Karen”. I was just picking some flowers. I can only take so much of Sel’s retched roses. Besides, aren’t you the one in charge of watching me…” Karen” where were you ? Oh, not watching me, I see…”

Freya paced, rubbing her hips. “I swear Eris, if you are planning something stupid again and get us in more trouble with the big guy, I promise I will bury you in quick sand and play the harp as you sink…”

“They are just flowers, Freya, nothing devious about that. Now can we get back in before he realizes all of us are gone? Where’s Aphrodite, anyways?”

“With Aries again. So there is no telling when she will be back.” Selene says as all three women enter the portal, returning to the underworld.

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Home Sweet Home

Sarah’s POV

The ride home was quiet, my parents were softly talking up front while I had relaxed in the back. I had slept most of the way back, only waking up when I had gotten a text message on my phone. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, turning it on to see it was a message from Striker.

Striker: Hey beautiful, I am so sorry I wasn’t there to protect you. Are you okay?

Sarah: It's not your fault, you couldn’t have known the car was out to get me. I'm alright, Simon pushed me out of the way. I had a concussion but I'm fine now. How did the trial go?

Striker: I’m sure he did… the trial went by smoothly. Today we found a young boy, all alone and scared. We think the wroks are taking young boys. For what, we have no idea, but we’re sweeping the forests now.

Sarah: What in goddess’s name do the wroks want with children?

Striker: I wish I knew Butterfly. Your father told me that you were going home this summer. Does this mean I can come visit? Or is Saint Simon going to be popping up there?

Sarah: Ha ha. very funny. I'll have you know Simon saved my life. I owe him and no, he’s got plans with his sister and is watching my fish for me back on campus.

Striker: Being around you is enough of a reward for him. You still never did answer my question…

Sarah: Well, my parents are giving me a welcome home party this weekend. I guess… if you aren’t too busy, I wouldn’t mind if you came.

Striker: Busy for you? Never. I'll be there.

Sarah: Great, I can’t wait. Gtg, we are pulling in. Video chat with me later. bye

Striker: Bye Butterfly, be careful.

I put my phone back in my pocket as they pulled into the long driveway to my childhood home. I smiled as I reminisced about the familiar surroundings. I had missed my home terribly while I was off fulfilling my dreams of becoming the pack doctor. The sun was setting, its light peeking off the trees, creating shadows all around. I rolled down the window as I inhaled deeply the familiar smell of citrus and pine, radiating off the trees as the wind shook them as if to say welcome home.

“Home sweet home.” I spoke with a smile as they came to a stop. I pushed open the door, and stood a stretch after being cramped in the car for hours, brushing my hair out of my face as I looked at the pack house, when suddenly I was nearly toppled over by a little girl.

“Sarah! Sarah! You’re back! I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Sadie. My goodness, how you have grown. You’re becoming such a beautiful young lady. You’ll have all the men chasing after your heart.”

“Ew, never. Boys are gross.”

“You’ll change your mind eventually. Hey, why don’t you go get washed up for dinner, and I'll meet you in the dining hall.” I spoke ruffling the blonde-haired child. Watching the little girl rush inside the packhouse, I smiled, looking around before glancing at my parents.

“I missed this. I missed home.” I said.

“Butterfly, your mother and I are so happy you decided to stay the summer here.” Daddy spoke, coming around to wrap his arms around me.

I wrapped my arms around my father and hugged him tightly, relaxing in his arms.

“As much as I don’t want this moment to end, dinner is being served in 15 minutes. Let's all go wash up and meet downstairs. We have a lot to discuss. Mother spoke as she spun around, walking into the packhouse.

“Yes, mother.” I rolled my eyes while my father made a funny face.

”Yes dear.” We both laughed.

My father and I spoke at the same time before they followed her majesty inside. My bags were laid by my door as I walked up to my room. Having been taken up by one of the omegas, I pushed open my door and walked inside. Nothing has changed, much to my liking, finding my old room just the way it was before I had left. Surely, one of the omegas had been into dust and ventilated the room, which smelled heavenly of lavender and blueberries.

I set my bag down on my bed and went to wash up. I changed into casual attire, which consisted of a pair of blue jeans, a simple turquoise tee shirt and my black Converse. I then brushed my hair, leaving it.

After dinner, I had planned to walk around the grounds, wanting to stay close to the packhouse but also to explore like I used to as a kid.

Dinner went by uneventfully, and afterward, I excused myself, walking out of the packhouse. I started walking along the path leading to the garden. There were various flowers as well as a small pond which held a few tiny fish. However, my favorite spot was the only spot in the whole town that only I knew about. Walking past the garden, into the woods, I hummed along with the birds, trailing my hands along the barks of the trees. I had barely walked a mile into the woods when I came across the spot where multiple hollowed out cypress trees stood nearly a hundred feet tall. A 2,000-year-old cypress tree, it was from what I had gathered through the archives of their land.

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