Shadows of the Moon Goddess

I breath in deeply as I slowly open my eyes, Why does it smell like wild flowers? As I begin to sit up, I look around me. I was laying in the center of a medow in the middle of the night. How did I get here? I slowly took another breath trying to calm myself as I saw a beautiful woman, gracefully gliding towards me. Was this her? Was this the Moon Goddess? I think back to weeks ago when I finally broke. I had prayed to the Moon Goddess asking for her forgiveness for the things I had done to her children. I couldn't take the guilt of what I had done in the war. As I began to get up out of the grass and stand to my feet I notice that there was a pack of about 40 wolves following her as she approached me. I didn't know why but I felt so safe and calm in her presence. My guilt and regret seem to be lifted from my soul. She stops two feet in front of me, and at that moment I took in all of her beauty. The Goddess was extremely tall for a woman, my best guess would be that she is about 6'3". She had long, wavy black hair and her eyes were the color of the moon itself. She was wearing a lacy almost see through gown that had a long slit up the left leg, it looked as if her skin was glowing in the moonlight. "Child, are you ready to join us?" She asks as she spreads her arms wide. gesturing to the wolves behind her. Her voice was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, it was calming yet stern. She was a true Alpha. The Alpha. She lowered her arms back to her side as I began to respond. "Goddess, I have called you to ask you for your forgiveness." I replied, not seeming to understand what she had just asked me. As I lowered myself to my knee in respect to her I realized what she had asked. "Goddess, did you ask if I was ready to join you?" I asked her in shear confusion. She smiled gently at me, placing her hand on the head of a huge black shinny wolf with blue eyes that shone like absolute diamonds. "Yes Child. I asked if you were ready to join your brother and sisters in arms." A million things began to run through my mind at a time. What about my parents? How could I leave my Coven? I fought against the Moon Godess why would she ask this? Does this mean I would have to turn into a wolf? As the thoughts kept pulling up in my mind a strong assertive voice came into my mind. Luna. This is it. This is you're chance at redemption, your chance to be reborn into something you believe in whole heartedly. The Moon Goddess has forgiven you. Forgiveness is in her heart. That's what you truly desire isn't it? Forgiveness, Peace and somewhere to belong? I have heard this voice a few times in the last week. I knew to trust it. As the coming of age day approaches most witches connect more deeply with their Fay. (Fay being their spirt guides) I look up into the Goddesses eyes. "I am ready to join you my Goddess." I put my fist to my heart to gesture that I am ready to promise myself to her. "Luna, it is going to be a long and difficult journey to be able to Join us, but once you do, you're true destiny will become clear." "Yes Goddess." "The first step In your journey will be forgiveness." She looked to either side of her and one by one the wolves all changed into their human form. My eyes widen, as I look at the Moon Goddess...But that can't be... I start to tremble as I look at each individual man and woman. "Are these the men and women I...?" Suddenly I realize. These are the men and women I killed in cold blood a year ago in the Battle of the Baddlands. Tears begin to fall from my eyes as I think about the people I tore from their family's put of ignorance. "I am sorry...Forgive me Goddess..." The Moon Goddess smiles gently at me. "Luna, these are my children of the moon. Do not cry my dear they hold nothing against you." "But...how could they not? I tore them from their children, their husband's and wives, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers." These words made my eyes become true waterfalls. Each tear I shed wasn't enough of a payment to these poor wolves. "My darling child, these young men and women fought in my honor, for the right to see me as their one and only creator. Each and every one knew that one day they would return to me, so that they could play and run in these very fields. Releasing their wolf for all of eternity. They fought and died with Honor." I had nothing to say as I dried my tears. I thought about how If I would have died In battle that I would have seen who I believed to be my Goddess at the time, and how I would never want an apology or tears when or if my life had been taken by one of them. Fighting and dying in witch culture is the greatest honor we could have been given. Perhaps it was the same for the wolves. As I looked at each individual, I slapped my fist over my heart, showing them all that I respect and Honor their deaths. I don't know what had changed in me after my talk with the Goddess but I truly felt no guilt. Maybe it was knowing they all went to see their mother Goddess in the end. I rose from my knee and looked at the Goddess. "I think seeing all of the men and women who's life I ended are happy and hold no regret or remorse for what they left behind made me understand that even though I was the one who took their lives, that I need to feel no regret or guilt." The moon Goddess smiled at me. "My dearest Luna, I am take aback by how quickly you were able to come to terms with your regret and understand what I meant by forgiveness. You don't need to be forgiven by those whoes lives you took." I smiled as I looked up at the moon. "I needed to forgive myself Goddess." She looked quickly to the men and women to either side of them and they shifted back into their wolf form, the form that they felt most comfortable. "Luna." I looked down from the moon back at her. "Yes Goddess?" "I have a gift to give you to help you on the next steps of your journey if you are willing to accept it." "Yes Goddess what is it?" The Goddess took my hand in hers she smiled. "I am gifting you the mark of the Moon Goddess if you so wish?" I thought in silence for a moment. This would mark me as having her be my deity. I know my coven would see that I took her Mark and that would be the end of my time at Green Ridge. Seconds before I could answer I heard my Fay. Take her Mark. My Fays voice in my mind rang through my head and I gasped at her instantaneous choice, I then nodded at the Goddess to mark me. "I am ready to bear your mark Moon Goddess." She smiled as she pulled my wrist up to her mouth. She opened her mouth and I saw her glistening fangs. They looked more like daggers in her small petiet mouth; while I was lost in thought as I observed her mouth I Suddenly felt an agonizing sharp pain in my wrist. The moon Goddess bit me? I didn't think this is how and wear you were to bear the mark of a Goddess. Everyone else that I had met they bore their Deitys mark on their chest right next to their heart. I was watching her with wide eyes as she began to drink the blood gushing from my wound. The moment I felt her stop drinking, I felt the true extent of the pain. True agonizing, insufferable pain. The moment she released my arm she gently licked the wound. The pain it wouldn't stop, why wouldn't it stop?! I looked into the Goddesses eyes, tears of pain feel from my eyes. Her eyes were on me as I opened my mouth to say something, anything but no words came out. Nothing. The buring began to creep up my wrist into my arm, my shoulder, my chest and soon my whole body felt as if it was on fire. It was as if she had injected poison straight into my veins. The pain was unbearable, as I was gasping for air, trying to keep myself from faiting right there my sight began to go dark, starting at the edge of my vision. "Alpha Sébastien Valdivia." Was the last faint whisper I heard right before I left a state of consciousness. Shaking I sat straight up in bed, with the pain now gone I started to look at my wrist and gasped. "Her mark." Her mark was just as beautiful as she was. It was a dark burgundy color in the shape of a Cresent moon, and a single star resided just to the left of the moon. How did her bite leave this mark? That's what I was asking myself as I pulled my covers off of my legs. I decided it was best not to question my Goddess. Stepping onto the ice cold tile floor I shivered. The first step of the morning was always the worst, I thought as I walked to my computer and grabbed my small notebook I used for taking notes on certain spells. I quickly open Google maps and start looking for the nearest spell/book store. As IF they had the information on this Alpha on the internet. The closest bookstore was about 20 miles away. Goddess I hated Living Trier. I quickly stripped off my pajamas and pulled on my black long-sleeved dress, looking at my legs I smiled and mumbled to myself. "Good thing I shaved last night." After pulling my dress on I started to rummage through my drawers to find a pair of socks and the second I did I threw them on and ran down the stairs to get my boots. Unlacing my boots as I walked to the couch to put them on I bumped into my little calico cat. She rubbed against my leg wanting me to pick her up, I put both boots in one hand and quickly reached down and gave her a pet. "Good morning Lucy." I smiled at her as she meowed. I finally made it to the couch and slid my boots on lacing them up. Once I was finished I grabbed my wallet and keys off the coffee table. "Adios Lucy! I'll see you in a bit!" I opened the door and quickly got into my truck. I started my truck and set my phone up to the GPS. "Starting rout to 1366 Ravenwood Rd." I backed my truck up out of the driveway and pulled onto the main highway. The drive went quicker than expected, and the moment I saw the bookstore I was slightly taken aback. there was a huge oak tree on the left side of the building and to the right there was a weeping willow. "Wow how have I never seen this place?" I asked myself. Praying I wouldn't see anyone from the Coven I got out of my truck and stuck my left hand into my dress pocket. Hoping no one would see my mark. The second I walked into the store I was met by the familiar sent of sage. "Goodmoring Ma'am! Is there anything I can help you find?" The woman at the register seemed too happy about being able to help me. "Yes actually! I was looking for information about the Alpah Valdivia." She gasped and then giggled at me. What the actual f**k? I gave her a confused look and she pulled out a book from behind the desk. "Convent." I shurged and walked to the front desk. "Here you are ma'am! That is going to be 59.70." I handed her my debit card and took the book off the counter. All books with any information about anything supernatural is always so expensive. She handed me my card back and told me to have a nice day. I walked back out of the store and got into my truck. The second I got in I looked at the book, eager to know why he was important. "The war of Witches and Wolves." I sighed and open the book and began reading. A few minutes into the book something caught my attention. "On February 1st 1920 a Warlock by the name of Ashton Gillian murdered the highest ranking elder of the wolf fraction. James Valdivia. This started the war between the two fractions in 1921." Maybe James was related to Sébastien. I finally had made it to the last page of the book when I gasped. "I don't know if I can do this..." After the death of Charlie Valdivia, his brother Sébastien Valdivia took over the role as Alpha and general of the Silver River pack with the intent to avenge his Father's death. Sébastien is the general of the pack whoes now moto is "Kill on site."