Of The Moon

Prolog

Raya and her wolf have the power of resurrection, but where there is loss there will always be loss. If you choose to bring back life, you must sacrifice life. Raya had never used this power before. The price was too steep. A life for a life. She is Raya, Daughter of Selene, the Moon Goddess.

................July 20th, 2013..................

In the darkness of the woods, just inside pack territory, a beautiful woman with white blonde hair lay sobbing over the body of a dark-haired man. The young woman was stricken with grief. Her husband, father of her children, and mate had been critically injured trying to protect her and their daughter. He was slowly slipping away. She was losing the other half of her soul. The pain was too great. Her tears continued to fall at an alarming rate.

This young woman, Raya, holds a secret capable of challenging her Alpha. Raya had lived as a pack Omega before finding her Beta mate within a neighboring pack. You see, as the daughter and direct descendant of the moon goddess, she is special, with great power. Power that would not be tolerated by any Alpha within his pack. The Alpha is always the strongest wolf in his pack. He is faster, smarter, and more capable than any other. It is his job to protect the pack from harm. Raya's power would definitely cause trouble within the hierarchy of the pack. She could have been a security risk, even if she was eventually considered a female Beta. They would've killed her on sight on her first shift. Instead, Raya's mother, Selene, hid her wolf form. Raya was raised mostly by her father. Selene was always so busy. He was a wonderful man who loved her and her mother beyond anything. Since his passing, her relationship with her mother has been strained, to say the least.

Raya didn't get to her mate fast enough today. When he mind-linked to tell her to take their children and run she didn't. She couldn't. Instead, she went to him. She arrived in time to hear their Alpha, his best friend, say "you cannot help them now. You should never have hidden such a thing from me. You were my best friend!" He was pacing angrily. "Don't worry, the hunters will kill them quickly. Such creatures can't exist within a pack, you know that!" Her mate never responded. He was lying spread out on the ground. Raya could see the blood from where she was hiding. As soon as Alpha Maverick left the clearing she rushed to her mate's side. At this point, his breathing was labored. He was dying right in front of her. Raya felt helpless. (We can save him, but the balance demands payment. You know how this works.) Trinity, Raya's wolf was grieving. A lot of times, if a wolf loses its mate, that wolf will also die. Usually of a broken heart. (Who do they want Trin?) Raya's words were weak. She would willingly sacrifice herself for her mate if she could, but the balance doesn't let her choose. (They want me Ray. Just me. You will still live on with our mate, but I must pass on to the other side.) Trinity answered. (No Raya. What would he say? I can't lose you either!) (I made the deal, Ray. I would die without him anyway. One day I hope you can forgive me. I love you and our family so much. Please tell them all, this was the only way to save him. If I can save him, I have to. I'm so sorry my human. I must go now.) Raya screamed from the pain. Her wolf was stripped from her, leaving only emptiness in her wake. She never even got to say goodbye.

As Raya's mate began to breathe more steadily, Raya herself began to hyperventilate. "Raya, how did you? What did you do? Trinity? Where is Trinity?" her mate, Grey, was speaking a mile a minute. "I couldn't stop her. It hurts. I'm so sorry. I have failed everyone." Raya struggled to speak. Her heart was broken and her soul, torn. "She gave herself for me, didn't she?" He already knew the answer. Sargent couldn't feel Trinity at all. She was gone. So that he could live. He held his wife and cried. "Call for your mother. Maybe she can help?" As Grey finished speaking, Selene made herself known. "I am here my dear. Trinity summoned me. Why didn't you call me, sooner Raya? I may have been able to fix this. I am sorry, my child, but I cannot change what the balance has done. This is a sticky business. I have brought Trinity to stay with me in the meadow. You both could come see her if you wish, but not quite yet. She is in no condition. I didn't strip her of her memories. She asked me to keep them for now at least. Trinity says she doesn't want to forget you all. I did sever her mate-bond to Sargent as it would be much less painful. Instead, Sargent is now Raya's mate as well. Even with her loss, he would still feel complete. I hope this makes things slightly easier." Selene was as gentle as she could be. While she was irritated that Raya didn't call for her, she knew this was hard on them both. Trinity had told Selene to come just after the balance removed her. She came as quickly as she could, but she was already too late. Nothing could be done now.

"You're the Mood Goddess! You could bring her back to me if you tried. Just like daddy. You could've saved him, but you took him from me too. Why would I call on you, mother? You do nothing but disappoint me." Raya's voice got stronger as she spoke. Words full of venom, she stared straight into her mother's eyes and continued, "my children will never know you. They will never speak your name outside of prayer. They will have what they need, Trinity's sacrifice will not be for nothing!" Raya began pulling Grey away, toward their house. Their children needed protection. "I will always be watching. I will take care of Trinity. If there is ever a way to bring her back to you, I will use all of my power to fix this Raya, I promise. Please, remember I love you all." Then Selene left, with tears threatening to fall. She had a wolf to help. Trinity's soul was struggling. Even in the afterlife, human and wolf souls, once bound, stick pretty close to one another. Trinity would need a lot of love. Maybe one day Raya will see Selene's love for her, but for now it seems she needs some space.

By the time Selene returned to her meadow, she had begun hatching a plan. She may not be able to reunite Raya and Trinity, but maybe she didn't have to. Maybe, just maybe, she could spin this into fate's favor.

*** This scene will answer questions around chapter 8****