Marked For The Goddess

Old Friends

“How?” Was all she could manage to choke out. “She’s not yet 18…”

*The Moon Goddess sent her blessing, I awoke early.*

Miranda let out a small laugh, overtaken with emotion. “Ohhh” she breathed, “Oh Moon Goddess, thank you. For saving my Blair, for saving me. For Talia.” She smiled, with a single tear slipping down her cheek. Quickly she wipes it away and situated herself to sit on her legs. “Alright young lady stand up. Let us have a look at you.”

With a small huff, I stood tall. Letting her take in my full form from the front, my head sitting just above hers now. She stared at me in awe, her daughter’s new wolf, at me. My coat is a heavy black with grey undertones, random patches where the undercoat can be seen well, others, not too much. Then she looked at my face, noticing the forest green eyes that I shared with her daughter. “How breath taking. My beautiful girl, blessed with such a beautiful wolf.” Reaching up to me, but pausing, giving me the option to close the gap or not. So, I placed my cheek softly into her hands. Letting out a small laugh as she tangled both her hands into my fur.

The sudden smell of another wolf causes us both to stand, her getting in front of me. This woman. As if she would have the strength to protect us, and in her human form at that. I mentally rolled my eyes playfully at her motherly instincts.

By the edge of the tree line surrounding the pond, we see a man step out from behind a tree, fixing his sweats. “Afternoon, ladies. Mind explaining why you’re so close to our territory?” He kindly asked. I could sense the authority he carried, not that he was pushing it. Beta or Delta, I’m calling it now. A gamma never checks the perimeter.

Oh crap… We’re rogues and he can smell it….

I’m surprised he didn’t attack at first sight, let alone came out in his human form. That’s one brave man. And so hot… Uh. No, Talia, not now. But really.

Because we’re rogues and he clearly holds a rank, I bow my head to show I mean no harm. Miranda puts her hands up so they can be clearly seen as empty. “Our apologies sir.” She bowed her head a little as well.

“Oh, my bad! My name’s Bane. Beta of the Blood Raven pack here.” He responds.

At this, another wolf steps from behind him in the trees, a dark chestnut brown with grey eyes. “This is my future Alpha, Lucius.” Bane introduced. Well, no wonder he wasn’t afraid to be in human form. A Beta and Alpha even in human form would destroy us.

The wolf named Lucius stood tall and proud, letting a powerful wave roll off him as if to prove the words of his Beta correct. To this, Miranda and I bow our heads again to address his rank.

“Wait, Beta Bain? Did you say Blood Raven? As in Alpha Don Lavode, Blood Raven?” Miranda asked.

Bane blinked, his hands on the waist band of his pants and a brow raised. “You know of him?” He asks.

“Yes, Beta. We were close friends. Many years ago.” She smiled.

“The Great Alpha Don Lavode, friends with a rogue woman?” Accusation heavy in his tone.

“N-no. We have not been rogues long, really. Please, ask him if he remembers a Miranda and Lewis Rivera. He will, I promise.” She pleaded.

With an annoyed expression, Bane turned to mind link his Alpha and stepping closer to his wolf company while his backs were towards us. Lucius has held an intense gaze with me through this entire interaction now. Not using his rank to lure me in, but just holding it.

Thankfully, after not even a full minute, Bane turns back to face us with a smile on his face. “My apologies, Mrs. Rivera.” His hand stretched out towards her.

Miranda let out a nervously held breath with her hand on her chest and chuckled a little. “Glad the old man hasn’t lost his memory.” She joked, earning a laugh from Bane as well. As I sat down on my hind legs, my ears perked to the conversation.

“No, no, he responded almost immediately. Definitely remembers you, Ma’am.” Bane answered still with a smile. Dear Goddess, wasn’t it a beautiful smile.

As if sensing my gaze, he looks to me and makes his way over to me. “And who might this pretty young wolf be?” He asked, while I internally thanked the Goddess he couldn’t see me blush, so I looked down at my massive paws. I look up to realize that still, Lucius is staring at me.

“This eye piece is my daughter’s newly awaked wolf, Talia.” Miranda beams proudly.

“May I ask why she doesn’t shift back for us?” He asks, as I look over and watch as he reaches out to me next. I freeze as he makes contact with my fur.

“Oh, her wolf won’t just yet. No clothes and not 18 yet, thankfully she’s holding off on the public nudity that my daughter will be partaking in, in a few days.” Miranda chuckles.

Bane’s eyes widen a bit. “Ah. Well, you’ll have to tell us the story back at the pack house. Alpha Don is waiting to catch up with you. And we can find Little Wolf some clothes there.” Heading over to Miranda with that smile of his.

Bane stands at about 6’2”, faded cut dark brown hair. Sporting some of the most beautiful and reflective honey brown eyes. And that beautiful smile too. Ugh. Overall, a far too attractive man. For being the Beta of an Alpha that is, I’m assuming, my parents’ age, he seems awfully younger. No way he’s more than a decade older than me really.

After the conversation, Bane and Miranda lead the way back to pack lands, as the wolf named Lucius waited to trail at my side. This was a safety thing, the stronger wolf in the back, with the other wolf. This way, if my mother tried something stupid, they’d take her no problem, but also, someone with Alpha blood could easily fend me off of a Beta even if I was attacking this close. And even if she did tell them I was her daughter, they didn’t have to believe us or trust us. We were, nevertheless, still rogues.

You see, I did pay attention when I would watch my father training.

As we began our walk, I would catch Lucius taking peeks at me slightly, still with the curious look. And when I catch him the last time, I huff and shake my head at him playfully. He quickly straightened up his head and stood tall in his walk. I laughed inwardly. Maybe Blair will get lucky and his human form will be just as curious. As a wolf, I must say, he’s not that bad looking.

**After about 30 minutes of walking.**

*Blair? You in there, how are you doing?*

*Hm? Oh, I’m alright. I’d sell a kidney for a hot shower, comfy pjs, and a good bed though.”

I laughed inwardly. *Ah, no worries dear. We are headed to the pack of Blood Raven. Turns out, your mom knows the Alpha. Wait until you see this HOT Beta and this curious little baby Alpha beside me.* I joked. *I can smell more wolves though, so we must be close.*

*Oh I am so ready!* She cheered. She’s surely had a hell of a first shift.. After our quick exchange, I focus back into reality, not missing the curious looks of little baby boy alpha again and gently nudge him.

Being caught red handed, he returns the nudge and looks down for a second. Then he stands tall, showing his pride and rank in every stride of his massive legs, he nudged me again, signaling me to do the same as we clear the tree line and end up in a village. Instantly I could feel at least a hundred eyes on us, all looking alarmed.

Duh. I smell dangerous and still in wolf form. Good on them for being alert.

A small blast of power went out over the gathering wolves in either forms and their eyes diverted, and heads bowed. Must have been a link from baby Alpha here.

Another encouraging nudge came my way and I’m signaled to walk towards the larger building in the center of the village, surrounding by a massive garden.

The garden was so beautiful, so many different colors and smells, Blair will love this!

Within the garden, the building stood at four stories tall, with its dark red mahogany exterior. The bottom floor adorned with stained glass windows. The front two the largest, depicting a red raven flying high above a pack of various naturally colored wolves. All looking so detailed, with a fantastic moon to the left of the red raven.

The red raven itself is from an old legend. If a wolf were to see one, it meant that a wave of blood and death from a power force is soon to follow. You know, no pressure, being a rogue on their pack grounds now, I’m doing fine.

Breath taking was an understatement really, as we came over the stone bridge that over the rather large stream that naturally wound through the pack lands, beautifully making its way through this very garden. Even our old pack was not even a fraction of this, in looks, in size. Nothing. Even our pack house was only two stories, and wasn’t near as modern as this one.

I notice Lucius’ almost mocking gleam in his eyes and huff. This cheeky dog! I shake my head and move the rest of the way over the bridge, to the stairway leading into the pack house.

Once we reach the door, it’s all but ripped open, revealing a tall, not so slim figured man with a large smile sitting atop his large beard. “Well, look at the blessing I’ve been given today.” Walking towards Miranda, embracing her in a tight hug,

“Hello, Don. Its been too long.” She closed her eyes as she returned the hug.