The Moon Goddess

Back Home

“They’re back!” a loud shriek came from the right of them and looked to Mara rushing across the room. Ivy grunted as Mara landed on top of her and both girls fell and rolled on the carpet, laughing. Al turned his head at the quick sob and intake of breath. He saw his mother crying and holding on to his father who looked devasted. Al got up and went to his parents. As he reached them, his father grabbed him with one arm and wrapped him close and his mother wrapped her arm around the other side. Ida cried holding onto her only son. The relief was tangible in the room. After a few moments, Al turned and saw Ivy embracing her parents and Eddie. Declan cleared his throat. All eyes turned toward him.

“I am extremely glad that both of you are home. You scared the s**t out of us. Thank you to all those came to help locate them and bring them home to us.” Declan nodded to a few guys Al didn’t recognize. “Since these two are now home, if you all wouldn’t mind, we’d like some time with our daughter and son.” Declan pushed everyone along as diplomatically as he could. He wanted a few moments alone to find out what the hell happened. He wanted a brandy, damn it. As if she read his mind, Ida appeared with a brandy. He smiled at his mate. “Thank you, my love.” Declan bent his head down and rubbed his nose against Ida’s. She knew how to comfort the big bad wolf. A small purr came from deep in his throat. His wolf was pacing back and forth, wanting to shift and find out who took his pup. Ida’s wolf, Onyx, purred back in understanding.

Once everyone had left, murmuring and mumbling, the only people left in the room were Declan, Ida, Al, Ivy, Mary, Jim, Mara, Eddie, Sebastian, his parents, Liam, and his parents. Declan looked at his glass and threw back the last of the brandy. Declan hissed out a breath as the warmth of the liquor hit the back of his throat. Ida chuckled sipping wine from her glass, Mary followed and soon the whole room was laughing. Declan smiled, “I’m glad I could humor you all.”

Al sat next to Ivy and reached for her hand. She turned, smiling at him, “You, ok?” She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, the purple seemed to glow then settled. Al was mesmerized.

“Yeah, I feel like I could run a marathon, and I am beyond out of my realm here, but I’m doing alright. You?” She squeezed his hand.

“Yeah, I guess I’m doing alright too. I don’t like being sucked into a paranormal whirlwind, but being future Alpha, I guess this would be my test of strength and limit.” Al sat back in thought. Was this his test? He just found his mate and met the Moon Goddess and went to a different realm. Al shook his head. Ivy squeezed his hand one more time. He squeezed back in reassurance.

Ida sat down on the couch next to Mary on the opposite side of the living room and just watched her son. “They look good together, don’t they?” Mary leaned over. Ida looked at Mary and smiled. “They really do. I am so happy they found one another and at the same time, my heart is breaking. They joy of being a mom and a Luna” Ida sighed. Ida felt a nudge on the link she shared with her husband. He felt the sadness run through her, she shot him a smile and sent a nudge back. Mary saw the quick exchange between the Alpha and Luna, and she sighed a little. She knew her little girl would be protected, no matter what happened.

Jim stood up and walked to where his wife was sitting and sat on the arm of the couch and looked down, smiled at his wife, ran his hand through her hair, then looked at his daughter and the boy who had her hand. “I guess we all have had a little time to settle now.” Everyone stopped talking as Jim took over and started speaking. “I, for one, have little idea as to what is happening. I believe I am the only human here; I apologize if I am not and spoke out of turn.” Since no one voiced anything else, Jim continued, “I know that right now, our daughter is caught up in some kind of twisted and confusing tale. One that I did not know to be real, nor did I expect my only baby to be a huge part of it. I would like to hear from you both as to what you experienced and well, where you went. We watched as Ivy reached for the amulet. I saw my little girl glow in the most radiant purple light I have ever seen. Then you were gone. Al was panicking in a way, I thought I was going to have to tranq him.” Declan sat a little straighter at that and a low growl came from his throat. His wolf did not like to have his pup threatened. Jim looked at Declan. “My friend, you saw as I did, he was not going to be able to be controlled. You understand my training and you understand my knowledge. I would not have hurt your pup, Alpha.” Jim bared his neck in a show of respect for the Alpha. Declan nodded and sat back down. Ivy was looking at her father in a new light. Just who was he? She thought. Jim cleared his throat and began again. “Just as the thought was crossing my brain, he was gone as well. There was a quick flash of light then he was gone. We had no idea where you had gone or what had happened to you. The only thing we knew for certain were you were ok. Declan could feel you within the pack link still, Alastair, and Ivy, mom and Eddie had done a spell to link you but Mara was exceptionally calm. I knew you were ok. So if you wouldn’t mind, please let us know what happened.”

Ivy and Al looked at each other. “We don’t know where we were.” Ivy began. “I was there by myself for a little while. I can’t be sure how long but it only felt like a minute, maybe 2. I saw this figure out in the distance. It was dark and although, I was frightened a little, the Oak sent me calming signals, so I knew I was ok.” Eddie’s face went wide with shock. Mary gasped. Mara looked smug. Even Ida and Declan’s eyes were wide. Ivy looked around. “What?”

Eddie recovered quickly, “Hunny, what do you mean the Oak sent you calming signals?” She tried her best to not sound astounded.

Ivy shrugged. “Well, for a while now, I’ve been able to touch plants, trees, flowers, the ground and be able to feel the life inside them. I am able to somewhat, I don’t know, talk to them?” She threw her hands up as she continued to look around. “I know I should have said something sooner, but I wanted that for myself. I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like the one small part of me I could keep and no one would know.” Mara coughed into her hand, all heads whipped her to her. Eddie squinted her eyes.

“You knew?” Eddie said harshly.

Mara knew this time, she had to fess up from the look in her mother’s eyes. “Yes. I knew. I felt it every time she would connect with Mother Earth. She was safe and protected. I kept my mind open to her. I actually have been studying a lot more than I have let on. I knew she was ok. I knew when she never told me about it or mentioned it, she wanted that to herself and I understood from my training, she won’t have a lot of that left. I figured when the time was right, she would fess up and now the time is apparently right.” Mara faced her mother. “I am sorry that I didn’t tell you right away or even at all. I can’t be sorry to let my best friend have a slice of peace when her whole world was going to turn upside down.” Eddie smiled and relaxed with Mara. She knew she couldn’t be angry with her for wanting to protect Ivy. It was her job, her ultimate life extent. It was what she was made for. Eddie sighed. “Very well.” She turned to Ivy. “Continue please, and from now on out – no more hiding anything. We need everything because we don’t know what’s coming.”

Feeling slightly chastised, Ivy continued, “Yes ma’am. Once I knew I was safe, it still didn’t stop the curiosity, the fears, you know? I felt my hand being squeezed and before I knew it, Al was right next to me. I know we just met but I felt the zing. I felt the connection and I just wanted that to feel grounded. The figure kept moving closer to us, the air felt different, it felt charged with something and for second, it over took us.” Ivy blushed when she spoke. “When we reached the figure, we followed it to this place and like magic, we walked into a whole new world. They knew us. The figure turned out to be this beautiful woman named…” Ivy turned to look at Al as she couldn’t remember the woman’s name. It felt like it was slowly fading from her. Al shook his head. He was having the same problem. Ivy turned back, “It feels like everything is slowly fading, I can’t remember her name. I knew she knew us and she said that we weren’t supposed to be there yet. She showed us this room and I put the carving on the door. I felt power behind it. I could feel me when I ran my fingers over it.” Ivy reached out now like she was running her fingers over the carving. “fáilte roimh chách”

Mary looked at Ivy, “What was that my dear?” Jim straightened. He knew Ivy was going to Ireland with her classmates, but he didn’t know she was studying up on the language. Eddie walked to the coffee table in front of Ivy and Al. She looked at their entwined hands, tilted her head as if asking for permission. They both nodded. She grabbed their hands and started chanting,

“I am a Seer, my gift is of sight

I ask now to be brought to light

Let me see what they have seen

Let me see where they have been

No harm will come

An’ it harm none

As I will it

So mote it be”

Ivy gasped at the warmth under Eddie’s hands and watched in amazement the swirls of colored light strings tangling with each other over their hands. They watched as the purple string floated on top and through Ivy’s hand, as green did for Al, and gold for Eddie, then the strings danced with each other on top of their hands before settling and laying down. Eddie’s head threw back, her eyes went white, a gold aura encapsulated her body. Her mouth opened and closed, then her head slowly came back down, her eyes faded from white back to their normal blue. A single tear fell from the corner of her eye. Mary walked over to her friend and laid her hand on her shoulder. Mary could feel the after effects of what Eddie went through. Mary turned her head to Jim and he went to the drink station and grabbed the sniffer of brandy and a cup. He poured three fingers and walked it to Mary. Mary smiled in thanks and handed the cup to Eddie. Eddie accepted it gratefully and tossed it back. With a hiss of breath, Eddie released Ivy and Al’s hands. She stood up then surprised everyone by bowing to the couple.

“Eddie?” Ivy asked nervously.

Eddie came back up and Ivy could see the tears in her eyes. “My Queen, My King.” Ivy and Al looked at each other. Al shrugged.

“What is happening?” Mary asked nervously. Declan and Ida walked over to the coffee table as well. Ida was looking nervously between Eddie and Al. She knew Al would be Alpha but she didn’t understand why this Seer called him king. Eddie stood up.