Marked For The Goddess

Friendly Conversations

Whatever it was, it smelled amazing. My stomach rumbling noticing just how hungry I really was for a real meal and not just fruits. My mouth was shamelessly watering at the aroma that filled the kitchen.

I sat at the island while he re-heated the trays and grabbed bottles of water from the fridge. The longer the food heated, the stronger the smell, and I was all but dying.

“Here it is.” Setting it down in front of me after a while.

Thank you, mom! Enchilada casserole with Caesar salad makings for a side. “One hundred percent comfort food, promise!” I said, taking the cheesiest bite I could manage, sending my eyes rolling and a content sigh. So good, definitely what I needed after today. If any food was going to put me in a coma tonight, it was this.

The expression on his face looked amused. “As good as it smells then?” Lucius chuckled. All I could give him was a nod as I finished another cheesy fork full. He finally took his first bite and actually looked surprised. “Not bad, there’s more in here than it looks. Miranda said it’s one of your favorites?”

“For sure. I’ve cooked it every Thursday for four years now. Mom isn’t too big of a fan, but she never told us no.” I laughed.

“ ‘Us’?”

“My dad and I. It’s our favorite. My late grandma taught me at 12, and she passed away when I was 13. She told me it was one of the only things my dad bothered to learn how to cook before he met my mom. So of course, the Daddy’s Girl needed to know how to spoil him the same way he’d bring home her favorite flowers from the edge of he training field every time there was enough for me to fill a cup.” I smiled at the memories and he looked at me sadly.

He cleared his throat. “So, what kind of stuff did you do together?” He asked, taking another bite.

“Uh, a lot actually. The typical fishing, of course. What man doesn’t take their kid fishing? Swimming in the pond on the grounds. I’d even help him at work, just moving papers when I was little. Literally, just taking a pile from the desk to the bookshelf, or home to mom for no reason. He kept me busy. As I got older, he showed me how to go through training files, setting schedules, how to set the regimen for the week to be posted. I wasn’t allowed to train yet cause I didn’t have my wolf, but I was allowed to run with them in the mornings. Always out front with him, leading them through the woods.” I thought for a second. “Oh! We would constantly be making things for mom, too. Her and I had this cute little garden in front of the house, so we made her some bird houses and set up a bird bath like two years ago. She’d always go out there while dad was at training to have her coffee and watch the birds.” Giggling a little at the mental picture of the many times I’d catch her out there on my way to run. Lucius was smiling this time too. “But, uh, he would teach me a ton of stuff all the time. Especially when I’d watch them train. He’d always link me like “watch this” before shutting up the big bad new guys with a beating. They always thought he was just some older dude, and he’d always whoop their ass. Then looking to me and we’d laugh together.”

“He sounds pretty awesome, Blair. I’m really sorry I didn’t get to meet him myself.”

“Me too. I think him and Bane would’ve been a trip and a half, honestly.”

“Oh yeah, Bane would make a fool of himself for sure.” We laughed.

Silence comfortably fell across the room and we sat and enjoyed it still for a little while, while we finished eating.

“So, what kind of work do you want to do with the pack? You don’t actually carry a rank here so you’ve got options.” Lucius asked while he loaded our rinsed dishes into the dish washer, and refilling our water bottles.

“Well, in Crimson Summit, I wanted to be a warrior and eventually take over for my dad as Delta.” I confessed, leading us to the living room.

“It is so refreshing to hear a beautiful woman plan to be a powerful, deadly Delta instead of looking for the next Alpha to mate to.” We laughed a little. “Well, seems easy enough, really. Except I’m not sure how easy you’d be able to get Delta off Fredrick, but I am not opposed to watching you try.”

“Honestly, I’d be content with just training with them right now, and touching that massive garden you guys have out front.” I smiled at him.

“Oh. Yeah, that’s moms. I’m sure she’d love if you and Miranda joined her. As for training, can I ask of one favor?”

I nodded curiously.

“Stick to training with me, Bane or Fredrick. I have this feeling you’d beat Noah’s ass but hell, even him. But seriously, just the four of us. Or even my dad. That’d be interesting.”

“Why exactly?”

“Safety reasons. That’s all. Besides, can’t take Delta if you’re not training your hardest.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah that’s fair.” As we shook hands on the deal.

*As a matter of fact, stick to him. Both of us, sweating and grappling? Yes. Please.*

My eyes bulged and my face grew red, throwing my stare to the floor and out of sight of the very man she spoke of right next to us. But the mental images were making my heart race. His smell of fresh spring rain, so crisp and calming, mixed with the musk of hard training.

Nope.

Stop.

Don’t.

*Not my choice of words but whatever you say.* Talia laughed.

“Yeah. Yeah, no problem. I just planned to watch you guys in the morning, just run if anything.” I answered.

“Yeah I think not. You can watch, sure, do some stretches even. But no running tomorrow until the pack run. Please.” He shook his head.

“Pack run?”

“Yeah. We’ll all shift and run together as a pack to welcome your wolves to Blood Raven after our human sides give the ceremony. Huge bonding experience. I think you and Talia will love it.”

“Sounds nice.” I smiled. “Um, I think I’m gonna head to bed. That way I can be up to watch you. What time?”

“Stretching begins at 0430, running at 0435 -ish, and actual training starts by 0500 for roughly 45 minutes? Longer if need, but just our usual upkeep tomorrow.”

“Ew. Okay, 0430. Got it. Goodnight Lucius, thank you for the help and support today. Means a lot.”

“Not a problem, no need to thank me. Let’s walk, I’ll accompany you up these super dangerous stairs.” He laughed.

“Uh, I’ll meet you at the back door in the morning. Walk you to the training grounds. Sound good?” He said once we reached the top of the stairs for my floor.

“Sure thing. Also, nothing bright about 0430, you psycho.” We laughed as I make my way to my bedroom door. “Goodnight Lucius.”

“Night Blair.”

Once inside, I leaned against the door until I could no longer hear footsteps radiating through the halls. I guess now would be as good a time as any to take in my new home.

The bed was nice, very soft but as firm as it needed to be, plenty of pillows, and the comforter Ms. Donovan, who I’d assume was the Head Omega, was perfectly plump. The bedding was white, which wasn’t terrible, it just gives me a headache. It just seems *too* clean. I won’t say anything unless I can personally change it though.

I walked over to the window and sighed, slightly defeated. There was a small balcony, but it was dark out and I couldn’t see far., so I moved on.

The sitting and office area was pretty neat considering it’s really not a huge space. There was a medium sized flat screen with a DVD player, a fair sized desk, and a sofa. Very plain, but as a guest room, it’s pretty nice. A candle or two, flowers, throw pillows, and it’d be perfect.

Lastly, like mother like daughter, I wanted to sit in the tub. And so I did just that, stripping out of the clothes I’d not been wearing for long, I went into the bathroom and turned the tub on as hot as it could go.

While it filled and steamed the room, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at it.

The Mark of Callistra.

Running my fingers over it, leaving tingling feelings on their trails. The mark wasn’t raised or anything, just looked like a healed mate mark but on the opposite side of the neck. Usually mate marks were on the left side, closest to the heart.

I’ll have to see how soon Lucius can get me to that library at Rose Crystal Waters.

The tub was finally full after a while, so I pulled my hair up into a bun and slid into the hot water. My muscles all but melting with instant relief, a sigh so deep and reliving, my soul felt it, closing my eyes to enjoy this as personally as possible.

Imagine some of that tavern music I’d found online recently and the room dimly lit with scented candles. This would entirely be my undoing.

I settled in as low as I possibly could go, letting the extreme heat seep as deep as my bones. Relaxing. So quiet.

So much has happened in the past day and a half, I don’t even know how I haven’t fallen in despair. Or how mom is holding up on the inside. Seriously, the woman just lost her mate, and she’s been trooping through today too well. Maybe the Moon Goddess really did bless her too.

I laid in this tub forever, eyes closed, just listening to the light winds of the season outside.

Until the sound of something lightly shuffling torn my eyes open, grabbing the side of the tub to pull myself up. Just to be met with a women in a light blue dress sitting on the side of the tub, smiling down at me.

“Who- What are you doing in here?!” I yelled, covering my chest with my arms and crossing my legs under the water.

“Your birthday is tomorrow.”

“Who are you? How do you know my birthday?! Get out!”

“I’ll give you a hint,” the woman pointed loosely to my neck, “I did that.” I reached up and felt the tingling.

“My mark..?”

All she did was nod with a smile again.

“Callistra…” I breathed.

The Moon Goddess, mother of all wolves, Callistra herself, sitting in my bathroom.

And I’m naked. Oh my god…

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I haven’t seen it. I see all my children.” She laughed.

Her waist length hair was a dark brown with heavy waves, with a head chain that sparkled even here in the bathroom light. The blue dress hung off her shoulders, corset styled to her torso and hung loosely from her waist, floor length. Her eyes the shade of brown that made me think of Bane. There was no mistaking this beautiful creature as anything but a Goddess simply in looks alone.

“How am I seeing you?”

“There will be many more times of you seeing me. I chose when I want my children to see me, or when they will simply hear me. Just know that we will continue to be in touch rather closely. That mark, makes us closer than the others. And soon you will come to know of what you can do with that.” She spoke so softly, I wouldn’t have been able to hear her had I not been a werewolf.

“Why can’t you just tell me now?”

“No, my dear. Part of your journey is finding out. And that is all you need to know for now. And of course, yes, thanks to you and Talia becoming my new Bound members, I removed the pain for your mother. To show my gratitude.”

“Thank you.”

“No need my dear. But its time to wake up.” She stood and said. “Goodbye for now, Blair.”

I couldn’t even wrap my head around the conversation, but all of a sudden, I was freezing. I stood quickly just to find out that I had been asleep, and my bath water had grown cold.

After a minute or two of frantic breathing, I allowed the tub to drain and started a warm shower instead to thaw my muscles.

Then I quickly brushed my hair, teeth, and redressed. Noticing the clock on the bedside table read 0200. Great… 0430 is coming far too fast.

I tried to focus on the heavier winds blowing the snow outside and forcefully shut my eyes, begging for sleep. I have no idea what happened in that bathroom, but I am not dwelling on that tonight.