THE DAY THE MOON GODDESS FOUGHT WITH POSEIDON
A storm is wavering outside, thunder and lightning are travelling across the whole country. Lightning crackles across the sky like a whip, illuminating the darkness in a blinding flash. Each bolt tears through the air with an immense power of its own. The sound of the thunder following is like an ear-deafening roar, drowning out all other noise. It rumbles through the earth and shakes everything in its wake. Rain is pouring from the sky, pounding against the earth with relentless force. Every lake and each river is filled to the brim. Almost as if trying to wash away everything in its path. The wind is howling like the largest pack of wolves ever in existence, tearing through the landscape with a ferocity that makes it seem alive. Its strength is bending trees so far that some of them have snapped already. Dust and debris swirling in the air, a choking haze that makes it hard to see or breathe. In the midst of it all, there was a sense of raw power that could not be denied, a reminder that they were nothing but small and insignificant in the face of nature's wrath.
It was as if the very Gods were angry, unleashing their fury upon the world below. Such a storm had not been seen in many years, especially unusual on a late summer evening. It was enough to make even the bravest souls tremble. “The Gods must be fighting”, the nurse said after looking out of the window. The storm, however, is not the biggest concern for two young parents-to-be. “I can feel another contraction!”, the pregnant woman yells. “Alright, we are going to push one more time”, replies the nurse. With all the power the woman has, she starts pushing as hard as she can. “Keep going, you are doing great!”, the midwife says. The father-to-be grabs the woman's hand, as if trying to give her strength, signalling that they are in this together. “I am right here with you and I love you”, he whispers in her ear. Shortly after, the loud cries of a baby can be heard as new life comes into this world right in the middle of the storm. The new mother falls back, utterly exhausted. After a thorough check and clean-up of both the mother and the baby, the father can hold his baby in his arms for the first time. He looks into her eyes and states: “Please welcome our heir to the throne and our future Alpha Queen of all wolves, Rose Wolfenhart!”. A pair of grey eyes looked up at him, not understanding what he had just declared. Her eyes are full of wonder as she remains uncertain about what the future may hold.
The terrible storm makes you want to run for cover, seek shelter, and wait for it to pass. On that late summer evening, Beta Oliver of the Blood River Pack is patrolling the borders. As loyal as he is to his pack, he remains on patrol as long as possible. A strong wind tells him that the storm is getting closer. "Beta Oliver, I command you to find shelter right away!" Alpha Christopher orders through the mind link. "Although patrolling the borders is important, no rogue will dare to cross right now. Your own safety has a higher priority!" he says. Going back to the packhouse is no option, because he will not make it in time. Therefore, he runs along the river that flows through their pack, where he knows a cave is located. The storm does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, so he decides to lie down.
After a while, however, a second creature enters the cave. She is looking for shelter to wait out the storm too. Queen Aurora of the Nymphae and Sirens, had been exploring the waters given to her by the God Poseidon. She had just been appointed as the new Queen of their kingdom and wanted to explore every square meter of it. Unaware of the dangerous weather, she had roamed to the far borders of their territory. To the exact point where her kingdom meets the kingdom of the wolves. The storm had gotten so close, she had no choice but to find cover. That was when her eyes fell on a cave along the river.
As soon as she enters the cave, she notices a naked man sleeping in the back. It must be a wolf, she thinks. Oddly enough, he smells wonderful, reminding her of rosemary and lavender. Almost as if he realizes someone is watching him, he stirs and opens his eyes.
Immediately, his eyes fall on the woman staring at him. His nose fills with a delicious scent, ginger lilies. His wolf starts stirring in his head and he whispers with wide eyes: “mate”. She realizes that he refers to the bond created by the Moon Goddess, normally between two werewolves.
Poseidon and the Moon Goddess must be fighting, because never has anyone heard of a nymph and a wolf being mated. All nymphae women are supposed to belong to Poseidon, for they must be pure creatures in order to protect his land and waters. The only men living in their kingdom are priests, supposedly spreading Poseidon’s word and protecting their pureness. Rarely, nymphae women birth men and if they do, they must become a priest. All other men, from other species, are most certainly not welcome in their kingdom and will usually be killed.
Queen Aurora and Beta Oliver spend the night in the cave. He cannot come home with her though, and she cannot leave her duties as Queen. They are not ready to give up on their new-found love either, so, they figure out a way to meet in secret. After every full moon pack run, the couple meets in the cave and spend the night together. They separate ways just before the high tide comes in, washing away all possible traces of them being together. A love between two species that cannot be.
