Hello Again

Forgiveness

I'm anxious about tomorrow, it's the final day and I'm worried about Stephan. I feel like something is wrong. After hours of tossing and turning. Sleep finally caught up with me.

I wake up to pitch-blackness. Typically, I can see moonlight coming in through my window. As I reach for the lamp, I realize it's not there. As I try to get my bearings, I realize I can't smell, hear or feel anything. Nothing above or below me, just nothingness.

This is oddly familiar.

I don't feel any panic.

After a few minutes of nothingness, I see a soft moon-like glow in the distance. I've been here before.

The Moon Goddess looks just like last time. Fur that glows like the moon and eyes that can see into your soul. Sitting in front of me, her head is the same height as mine while I'm standing. Not knowing what to say, I wait for her to start.

"I've been watching you; your life has had many turns." She said matter-of-factly.

That wasn't a question. So again, I say nothing.

"You have had a good life, have you not?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," I can't deny that my life has been good, challenging sometimes, but good.

"Then why did you deny Stephan, when he gave you his mark? Why do you deny your second chance at a true mate?" she demands. Her eyes never leave mine.

I'm taken back. I wasn't expecting this. "Stephan refused me as his true mate and chose someone else. Why should I forgive him for that?" I say with anger and sadness.

"Yes, and he has had a hard life because of his poor choices. But he has learned his lesson and has grown into a good wolf and a strong alpha. How do you expect to grow and be a strong example for your children and pack? If you cannot forgive someone who made a foolish mistake," she says knowingly.

This is the most I've ever heard her say, not that I hear her talk much. I lower my head in acknowledgment of what she said. I didn't think of that.

She continues. "If Stephan does not win tomorrow, there will be a great war, and many will die. Our world will be exposed to humans." Her fur is brighter now. I think she's mad even though her tone has not changed.

"Yes, I know, but what can I do?"

"Go to him. He is weak and needs the strength of your bonding to win tomorrow." She says as she starts to walk away.

"But, how? I'm locked in my room?" I ask before she disappears.

"Go to him." She says as she disappears into the nothingness.

There she goes again, telling me what I need to do without telling me how. I say to myself as I look at my missing finger. I hope I don't have to bite another one off to escape again. As I'm staring at my finger, remembering that night. I escaped the E; A group that stole children to fight in their underground ring, that I still have nightmares about. I realize I'm back in my room.

I climb out of bed and look around. Right, I need to escape. I check the door. It's locked. I could bust it down, but then the Council would know I left my room.

No, I need to get in and out without anyone knowing. Going out to the terrace, I look around. The Council put me on the 6th-floor, hoping I wouldn't escape from so far up. I guess they have forgotten I'm a half cat and very good at climbing.

Without wasting any time or overthinking it, I start climbing down to the third floor, where I know they are keeping the fighters. Luckily the walls are made of rough stone, and there are many places to put my hands and feet as I make my way down. I jump onto the only terrace that I see with its doors open. Luckily, it's Stephan's room.

His scent drifts out through the open doors, but it smells funny.

He's lying in bed with just a sheet drenched in sweat and looking pale.

Something is wrong. I place my hand on his forehead; he's burning up.

"Snow; what are you doing here?" Stephan asks weekly. His eyes don't seem focused.

"What happened? Are you ok?"

"Poison," he whispers.

I stand up and start taking my clothes off. The s*x will help drive out the poison faster, and the mating will make him stronger. Hopefully, he'll feel better in a few hours and stronger before his match tomorrow.

I pull the covers off. "Snow, What are you doing? You shouldn't be here." Sounding a little surprised while staring at my naked body.

"We don't have much time for foreplay," I tell him. "The sun will be coming up within a few hours."

He's already hard, and I'm getting wet just thinking about riding his monstrous c**k. I move to line myself up with him. Before guiding myself down on his waiting erection, I look at him and say, "I know this isn't ideal, but we need to mate and finish the bond."

His eyes darken and he smiles. "I'm all yours," he declared. "I'm afraid you'll have to do most of the work though."

I'm glad he's awake and coherent. I don't know how I would feel f*****g him if he was unconscious.

After only a few minutes of grinding and bouncing, I feel myself going over the edge, and I know he's there too. Luckily I'm already pregnant and his body won't feel the need to knot. I lean forward while he's still impaled in me, look into his eyes and say, "I accept you, Stephan, as my true mate." His eyes go big for a second.

I sink my fangs into his neck as he does the same to me before we both go over the edge again in exhilarating, over the moon, pure bliss. I feel whole for the first time.

I wake up to the birds singing—the sun coming over the horizon. Everyone will be waking up soon. Stephan is cuddled up behind me, locking me in with his strong arms. He is still fully buried in me. It starts to swell the more I try to wiggle out. Getting out of bed is proving to be more challenging than I thought.

"Stephan. Stephan, wake up. It's time for me to go." I say while still trying to get up. He just gives me a growl and holds me even tighter.

"Really, Stephan, you know we can't be caught like this. You need to focus on today." I say while turning as much as I can to look at him. He lets go and slips out.

I instantly feel like something is missing. "Why are you smiling?".

"Because, my love, you have horrible timing and because I love you more than I ever imagined loving someone."

Stephan hops out of bed with a big sexy grin on his face. His color has come back and he looks strong "How are you feeling"?

"Strong," he says as pulls me in for a kiss "come on, kitten, I'll give you a boost-up."

I usually hate being called kitten, but for some reason, when he says it. I like it.

If I hadn't woken up with Snow in my arms, I would have thought last night was a hallucination caused by the poison. As I'm lost in thought, my bedroom door is slammed open.

Jumping into a fighting position, I'm ready to kill whoever is on the other side.

Con and Max come marching in with furious expressions on their faces.

"What the hell is wrong with you two? Did you forget how to knock?" I relax some.

"We heard you last". He stops in midsentence and sniffs the air. Max is beside him, doing the same.

"It was Snow that we heard you with last night, wasn't it? We thought you were with someone else. I can see you two are now fully mated. How was it?" Con asks a little too comfortably.

I raise my eyebrows. "I'm gonna pretend like you didn't just ask me that." I'm not going into the details with Snow's ex.

"What I meant was -did it work, is all the poison out of your system?" Con says as he crosses his arms.

"How's the adrenalin? Do you feel stronger?" Max adds.

After shifters mate with his/her true mate, they get a burst of energy and strength that lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Either way, you're always stronger when you have a mate.

"Great, I feel better and stronger than ever," I say.

"Good, don't let it get to your head. We know they aren't afraid to cheat. We have to stay on our toes, and we need to cover up that mark and scent until the competition is over." Max advised.

My brother Nick walks into the tent " I have the roster for today, so hopefully, there are no surprises." He announces to everyone.

"O, ya, how many times does he have to fight today?" Nickili asked.

"Three times and they're all Councilman's sons. Tyson will be the last match today," Nick answers.