Mating Games: The Huntress

Episode 18

NYX POV

I don’t know where I am.

I look around me and I don’t recognize the calm body of water in front of me, I’ve never ran through these trees, and my mates scent is all around me. That fresh snow and sweet honeysuckle smell leaves behind a warm breeze vibrating across my skin. The moon is bright and big, it’s almost as if someone lassoed it and pulled it closer to earth. It completely lights up the night and reflects reverently off of the water’s smooth surface.

I’m sitting and looking up at the moon, my wolf is sitting beside me.. which is strange. He should be inside me, and yet.. I still feel connected to him as if he is still where he’s supposed to be.

I feel so at peace here, none of my burdens are weighing me down and none of my fears exist. The stillness seems to last forever and there’s no concept of time. I couldn’t say how much of it passed when I started to hear a low and distant humming, at first it seemed like the sound was coming from all around me. But when my wolf perked it’s ears up and looked off into the trees behind us I decide to get up and go find out what that sound was coming from.

The ground was softer under my bare feet, almost like it is after a good rain. But it isn’t wet or cold. The trees are a deep green color, but the moon reflecting off them gives some of them a blueish-green hue.

My wolf is trotting beside me and the closer we get to the humming the faster my heart beats.

Suddenly the trees open up into a small circular meadow filled with lush grass and all kinds of wildflowers. The moon is shining down onto a large round stone slab, and there’s a woman sitting on top of it looking up at the moon as she continues to hum her tune.

There’s a beautiful silver wolf laying down beside her and the woman is lovingly stroking the wolf. The woman’s hair is shining a bright silver against the moonlight and it matches the wolf’s beautiful mane.

Suddenly the woman stops humming and the wolf beside her opens it’s eyes and looks up. The wolf looks right at me, and it’s glowing cerulean eyes completely take my breath away.

I’ve never seen a wolf like this, it’s otherworldly.

“Hello, Nyx.” The woman’s voice is warm but unnatural, almost like it’s multiple voices layered over each other.

“Hello..” I whisper back.

“Do you know who I am?” Her soft voice lands heavily on my heart, and her glowing blue eyes match that of the wolf sitting beside her.

Her beauty and her presence is overwhelming, I find myself nodding slowly to answer her. Lost to any and all words, and yet so very aware of who she is.

Selene. The Moon Goddess. Our Eternal Mother.

She smiles softly at me and tilts her head to the side as she studies me.

“I’ve been eager to speak with you, I can’t entangle in your world very often so I sparingly reach out to my children directly. But I do send as many blessings and signs as I can, hoping to guide you all on your paths. Can you guess why I’ve brought you here, Nyx?”

Again I’m lost for words and give her another nonverbal response by slowly shaking my head “no”.

“There’s a chain of events on the horizon that I cannot stop, I can only hope to prepare as many of you as I can. Tell me, Nyx.. If I told you that your path would be easier, that your goals could be reached with little resistance and with very little loss of life. But that it would come at a great cost, would you pay it?”

A long silence passes between us before I’m able to answer.

“Yes, I think I would sacrifice almost anything to keep my father and those like him from hurting anyone else.” I admit truthfully, finally being able to unroll my tied tongue.

“Almost anything..” the Goddesses eyes sharpen at my words and her lips curve up just a bit as if she’s about to smile, but she doesn’t “.. what about, Andressa? Would you sacrifice your bond with her for the greater good?”

My lungs freeze up and my heart stutters at her words. No, how could I let Andressa go? My entire being calls to her, I was hers before I even spoke to her or touched her. And now that I have.. No..

“I.. I..” I stutter.

I can’t seem to speak once again and a piercing pain spears me through my chest.

I fall to my knees and grip my chest with both hands. As if that will keep my heart trapped inside my chest where it belongs. But it’s already lost. It’s already hers.

When I look back up at Selene her knowing smile chills me all the way to my core.

“I’m sorry..” I whisper back and I can feel tears falling from my eyes “.. I can’t.. I-I won’t sacrifice her.”

As the words leave my mouth the pain ebbs away, but the shame doesn’t. I hang my head in the Goddess’s presence because I’m certain I have failed her. I spoke the truth just now, but my truth is selfish. I’d rather die a thousand painful deaths than to sacrifice my bond with Ressa. The world could burn all around us and as long as she and I were beside each other I’d let it.

“Look at me, Nyx” Selene says, and she’s suddenly in front of me, standing before me. And when I look up into her gaze I can still feel tears leaking soundlessly from my eyes.

“I want you to promise me.. promise me and yourself, that you will never break your bond with Andressa.”

My breath catches at her words and I eagerly nod.

“I vow it! I will never let her go, I will cherish our bond for all the days of my life.” I say, and as soon as I finish Selene slowly kneels herself down at my level.

She reaches her arms up and her ethereal touch holds my face as she wipes away my tears.

“I chose you for her, Nyx..” she whispers as she leans in closer “.. you are mated to my greatest gift. To a daughter of the moon. Protect her, and allow her to protect you.”

Then she leans in and seals her words with a delicate kiss.

At the same moment her lips touch mine a dark oblivion pulls me under. And the only thing I can hear inside the darkness is her voice saying: wake up..

Wake up.. Wake up..

***

I shoot up out of bed trying to catch my breathe, still clutching my chest.

Screams sound all around me and I jump out of bed instantly, running out of my room in nothing but my sweatpants. I meet Benji in the hall and he’s similarly alarmed and wearing only his boxers.

“Something’s wrong.” I say as I run towards the staircase and chase the sounds of chaos outside.

Benji follows me and when we make it outside I’m not prepared for what I find.

Rogues. Hunters. Everywhere.

It’s hard to pinpoint who’s really fighting who, Anika and her warriors are mostly focusing on the rogues, as are some of the hunters.

But a few Alpha’s and their warriors are fighting the hunters as well.

“What the f**k happened?” Benji asks as he looks around and tries to make sense of what he’s seeing.

“I don’t know, but we need to get to the girls. Now!”

“Agreed.” He growls out and we both bolt in the direction of the lodge we dropped them off at just hours ago.

Fending off Rogues and Hunters alike on our way.

As soon as the lodge comes into view more rogues break through the tree line behind it, and it briefly occurs to me that I’ve never seen this kind of large scale attack before. I didn’t even know this many rogues could coexist long enough to orchestra it.

But what catches me even more off guard is what’s happening in front of the lodge. My mate, both our mates, and several other she-wolves are running out of the log house and directly towards the rogues.

All sense is lost in that moment and instinct takes over as I shift into my wolf, never losing stride.

I might not be able to keep my mate out of the fight, but I can sure as hell have her back.

She’s mine, and no one touches what’s mine.