Gypsy Moon

Chapter Sixteen: Sinah

. . . . . . (early July)

Everything stopped. My pain, Aiden's haunting scream, everything. My eyes snapped open in surprise and I screamed involuntarily. Everything HAD stopped. LITERALLY. It looked like someone hit the 'pause' button on time.

I turned my head to look around and launched out of my chair in panic. I just looked through my own head, and now I'm sitting on the floor across the room from myself in my wheelchair, frozen in a scream.

"Fück!" My outburst sounded almost like a laugh; this was too surreal. I was in such a state of shock that I stood up from the floor without thinking. I looked down at myself, my brain not processing anymore, I felt completely disconnected. Both of my legs were fine. Weird. I lifted my right leg off the floor, my left leg didn't even tremble.

"Huh." Well, at least I didn't have to figure out how to make a wheelchair for ghosts. I looked around, unsure of what to do. A flicker of movement caught my attention and I stared at the glass figurine the frozen me was still holding. The light was definitely moving inside the glass wolf. Without thinking, I reached out and touched it.

The ground felt like it dropped out from under me, and I squeezed my eyes closed in surprise, pulling my legs up to myself reflexively. I felt a warm breeze wash over me, followed by an extreme calm. I straightened and opened my eyes, looking around in awe. I'm pretty sure I was standing on the lunar surface. I watched as a massive, pure white wolf stepped out of nothingness and stood towering over me.

]]:HELLO LITTLE ONE.:[[

Her voice sounded like the same voice layered over itself, but not in perfect sync. I dropped backward onto my ass in shock.

"Y-you-you're the fücking Moon Goddess!" The wolf tilted her head in disapproval.

]]:LANGUAGE.:[[

"S-s-sorry."

]]:DO NOT FEAR, LITTLE ONE. I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO YOU.:[[

"What?" She lay down and folded her paws in front of her, lowering her head to bring her muzzle close to me. Her breath washed over me, it smelled exactly like Aiden's scent and calmed me.

]]:YOU SUFFERED THREE YEARS BECAUSE OF MY MISTAKE. I WANTED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU A GIFT.:[[

She tilted her head towards me and touched the end of her snout to my chest, right where my heart was. My body was filled with... static. It didn't hurt, but at the same time it felt like I was splitting in two. When she pulled her head back, she pulled the outline of a wolf out of my heart and the static stopped. The outline stood, slowly filling with shadows while it shook its fur.

/:Goddess?:/

]]:THIS IS YOUR PERSON. HER NAME IS SINAH.:[[

The outline turned and looked at me, her body shivered and became more solid, her eyes were a bright violet now, just like mine.

/:We are older... and mated?:/

]]:YOUR MATE FOUND HER, THAT IS HOW YOU RETURNED TO ME. I PRESSURED HIS BOND TO SEEK HER AS SOON AS I REALIZED MY ERROR.:[[

The shadow wolf shivered again, and her body became fully solid. Her fur was silver, with a white belly and muzzle. She tilted her head from side to side and turned a full circle, looking at her own body.

/:We are Luna, but not?:/

]]:YOU ARE MATED TO A NEW ALPHA.:[[

My wolf nodded calmly, I just sat there gaping.

"You are my w-wolf?" The Moon Goddess lifted her head, and I could feel her smile down at us.

/:Yes. I am Selene, I am glad to finally be with you.:/

]]:I MUST SEND YOU BACK NOW. I WILL APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE THIS TIME, THIS WILL BE VERY PAINFUL FOR YOU.:[[

"Wha-?" I felt like I was thrown, and I squeaked in surprise.

Then everything turned back on.

. . . . . .