Black Moon Rising

Chapter 5

Carter POV

“…I am here to kill you,” I heard Sebastian say.

“Over my dead body.” I launched myself at him, allowing Fabian to push forward and take control. His jaws gnashed fiercely, connecting with flesh before being shaken off. He found his bearings attacking unrelenting. I mind linked Petra barely noticing her break Jasmine’s fall, commanding her to take Jasmine to the other side of the river. Knowing she was safe, we were able to put all our focus on Sebastian.

Sebastian was older, and well trained. But he was slower than I was and clearly underestimated Fabian’s ferocity and determination. We met each other blow for blow, neither willing to back down. But I could tell that he was slowing down.

Out of nowhere, the entire forest lit up, blinding me for a moment. A woman materialized out of thin air and the fighting came to a halt as everyone’s attention went to her. She was dressed in an all-white, floor-length dress that came off of her shoulders. She had ebony skin and her wiry curls created a halo effect around her face. She had impossibly full lips and her eyes matched her dress. She was both beautiful and terrifying, her power rolling off of her in waves.

She scanned the scene before her, her jaw set, clearly looking for someone or something specific. Her gaze settled just behind me, and a soft yet powerful whispery voice broke the silence. “Sebastian.”

I looked back, Sebastian’s eyes full of terror as he realized for the first time that he was no longer invisible.

“Selene, how…” his voice croaked out. Without a sound, he turned around on the spot and disappeared along with the rest of his pack.

I shifted back, the others quickly following suit.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked, taking a quick survey of each person in front of me. Everyone was alive. Some people needed medical attention right away, but they were alive. Relief filled my body. Brennan jumped into action, helping those that needed it. We would need to get back to camp ASAP to help tend to their wounds.

“Petra, where are you?” I linked her.

“I’m here, Carter. Jasmine is safe but she’s unconscious. We made it across the river.”

“I’ll be right there.”

I wasted no time running to her, determined not to leave her side ever again.

I felt myself cross through the rune’s protection, the air giving slightly. I stared at my mate lying on the ground, covered in my blanket. Her curly hair cascaded around her, a mess of tangles filled with sticks and leaves. Her broken arm was placed carefully by her side, still bent at an unnatural angle. I didn’t even know how long it would take to heal without her wolf to help her.

I brushed my fingers along her cheeks, pleasurable sparks erupting underneath my fingertips. She may not have her wolf, but the mate bond was still there, which relieved me greatly. I dug around in my bags, pulling out two splints and carefully stabilized her arm until we could get it looked at properly. As carefully as I thought I had planned this out, this was something I had not anticipated.

The rest of the pack started trickling in, grabbing supplies and rebuilding the camp. Selene walked across the river, standing on the edge of the runes, waiting. I sighed, walking towards her, uneasy as her eyes met mine. The runes should have prevented her from seeing us, but it was clear that it was not working.

“Brennan, I need to speak with her, do not leave Jasmine unguarded,” I linked him.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied. He may be a pain in my ass, but I knew I could count on him to protect his future Luna.

“Carter,” she greeted me.

“Who are you? How do you know who I am?” I stood at the edge of the barrier, refusing to leave the protection the runes offered.

“Perhaps there is somewhere we can go to talk?” she asked, glancing at the people milling around nearby.

“You haven’t answered my questions. I could not with good conscience go anywhere with you when I don’t know your reasons for being here,” I said firmly.

In one fluid motion, Selene walked through the barrier, standing in front of me, her arms at her sides, palms up to show that she meant no harm.

“If I wanted to harm you, this flimsy magic could do nothing to stop me. Perhaps that is enough to show you that I have no ill intentions towards you.”

I stood there for a moment, stunned speechless. My knowledge of magic was weak at best, but I knew that this shouldn’t be possible.

“Alright,” I agreed uncertainly. We walked to a clearing a short distance from camp.

“Now,” she began, “to answer your question, as you know, I am Selene. You also know me as The Moon Goddess. I am here because you have a very special mate.”

I was once again speechless. I stood there staring, slack jawed.

“Close your mouth, you look like an i***t,” Fabian said, amused. “She is who she says she is, I can feel her. We are connected.”

Wolves are our gift from the moon goddess, as are our destined mates. They are connected to her since they come from her, so this immediately puts me at ease.

My jaw snapped shut. “I know that she is special, it was something my mom told me, although, she never said exactly how she knew that. Only that Jasmine’s mom died to protect her, the same way my mom died to protect me.”

“Ah, yes. A mother’s love knows no bounds, yes?” she asked sadly. “I greatly regret that their story had to end that way, but it was necessary.”

I looked at her confused, waiting for her to continue.

“I have been the moon goddess for thousands of years. I have taken great pride in all of the children that I have created. I have been fulfilled in the creation of each pair, watching as they found each other. But eternity is a long time to watch love blossom without having that love for yourself. So, I created my other half, my soul mate, someone who complimented me in every way. I so longed for the whole mate experience and so I watched him grow from a small babe to a grown man. I anxiously awaited his 17th birthday so we could be together forever. But when that night came, the powers I had bestowed upon his wolf attracted an evil that I was not aware existed.

Witches and vampires have their own higher power and we have taken an oath to not meddle in each other’s affairs. The doings of witches and vampires are not known to me, and I was unaware that the witches had banded together what they call hunters, in an effort to stomp out werewolves’ existence. Endymion’s power drew the witches to him, and they murdered him and his whole pack, desecrating their bodies so that they would never be unable to join me in the afterlife. Because of the oath I had taken, I could not exact the revenge I so desperately wanted.

And so, I have watched for thousands of years since then, as they have traveled this earth like ants, never stopping their bloodthirsty quest. I learned to be more careful after that, never bestowing gifts that could draw the hunters in again. Until Jasmine.

While Sebastian does not know, he is correct in his assumption that Jasmine shares Endymion’s blood line. He is incorrect though, in his assumption that she is a hybrid wolf. Her father is not a witch as he thinks. The necklace that she wears on her neck suppresses her wolf, in turn suppressing her power. The power that was originally destined for her ancestor, she will come into, should she prove herself worthy. Her mother knew that she would be sacrificing herself once that necklace left her own neck and was placed on Jasmine’s. She knew that Sebastian was hunting down what was left of Endymion’s descendants. She left her house for the last time that night, leading the hunters away from her daughter. But as is evident from the bloodshed here today, they found her anyway.”

I leaned against a tree, absorbing everything that she had said so far. It was a lot to take in. I knew she was special, but nothing could prepare me for what she was saying.

“That leads me to you,” she continued. Her head c****d to one side as she studied me. “After your father was murdered, your mother went to great lengths to keep you safe and hidden from the world. A natural born hybrid has never been known to exist in all of history. A wolf and a witch together, it went against every law the wolves and witches have and they went to great lengths to hide it. Jasmine’s mother confided these secrets in her, and she died protecting them from Sebastian. Micah loved you but if he publicly claimed you, it would certainly have led to your death. So, he said nothing, but allowed you to live within the pack walls, taken care of mostly by Jasmine’s mother. When Sebastian killed him, Jasmine smuggled you out, taking you back to your mother and disappearing until she, too, was murdered. Jasmine’s mother confided her secret about Jasmine’s lineage and suspected power in her, and your mother fought to keep them from Sebastian until her last breath. The last thing she did before she died was set up a protection spell around this town, keeping Jasmine and her mother safe, locked into its illusion of a normal life.

For the last four years, I’ve been watching, protecting you, and keeping you safe after your mother’s passing. You may be a witch, but you are also part werewolf. It is important to keep you safe, mates are stronger together, and she will need your strength to help her for what is to come. I have waited for the Star Goddess to step in to stop the hunters and restore the balance we so carefully keep, but I tire of waiting. I cannot fight these hunters myself; my oath prevents me from doing so, but I can offer this: I will help protect you and Jasmine. I can guide her wolf in learning her powers. I can do this until the next black moon rises and, on that day, she will have to prove herself worthy of these gifts or risk losing it all.”