The Moon Goddess

The Hard Hereafter

CHAPTER 9

ROSE’S POV

I woke up to my head pounding. A rhythmic beating repeating over and over. Ba-bum. Ba-bum. Ba-bum.

“Ugh” I groaned. I just wanted to go back to sleep. Then it hit me. I jolted upwards in shock, and began to take in my surroundings. I was in… a bed? And it was warm. There was a door and a large walk in closet to my left, and a bathroom to my right. The room I was in was large. And in the center of it, was the bed I now sat up in. Straight ahead of me, there were two large doors, both open, revealing that the room went on for quite some time and broke off into different areas. I tried to remember what happened, but the more I kept trying to piece things together, the more my head hurt. I looked around once more before deciding I needed to find out where I was. I removed the blanket covering me, and threw my legs to the side of the bed. Suddenly I heard the room door open and jolted up, but fell over immediately. I was scooped off the floor and placed gently back on the bed. I looked up and thankfully saw familiar eyes. Apollo.

“You should probably take it easy. You took quite the beating.” He gestured towards my abdomen. I lifted up my shirt, which I then realized was not my shirt, to see a large green and purple bruise.

“I had a doctor check you out. It should be fine. Just don’t exert yourself to much-”

I looked up at him. “Apollo” 

“Yes?”

“What happened?”

He sighed. “I was hoping you could tell me. He sat on the edge of the bed. Or I guess his bed. Oh my god. Was this Apollo’s room?

“I can’t. The last thing I remember is being overpowered by-” Suddenly it dawned on me. “The man who wrote the letter! He was there… but he didn’t want to talk. He- he wanted to take me.”

I felt an overwhelming guilt. I moved my eyes away from him and stared at my hands in my lap. “I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”

He took my hand in his and lifted my chin with his finger. 

“Don't apologize. I’m just happy that you’re okay. I don’t know what I would have done-”

“Apollo stop. I made a mistake. It’s on me.” I leaned my forehead against his. “I don’t know what it is you did. But thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I should have been with you. Keeping you safe.”

“You won’t always be able to keep me safe, but just knowing you’re willing to, is more than enough.”

He kissed my forehead and the pain I was feeling from when I woke up, instantly went away. I sighed in relief and leaned into him. Taking in his scent I became comfortable. Happy where I was. Then suddenly there was a knock. I shot up in surprise and Apollo looked irritated. 

“Who is it? Did I not ask to be undisturbed!”

“My apologies Alpha. I have the food prepared you asked for.”

“Oh. Of course. I apologize. Please come in.” He went to his door and opened it for a tray on wheels. The room was suddenly filled with the wonderful scent of crepes, eggs, and bacon. Lots and lots of bacon. A small girl appeared behind the cart and bowed to both me and Apollo. 

“Thank you so much Omelie.”

“Of course Alpha.” The young girl bowed again quickly before excusing herself from the room and closing the door behind her. 

“Apollo…”

“Yes?”

“Where exactly are we?”

“My home. I would have taken you back to yours, but I didn’t know the state you were in. I wanted the pack doctor to look at you.”

“And why exactly am I not wearing my clothes?”

He looked down and blushed. “Yours were wet from the rain. So I had Lia change you into some of mine. I hope that's okay. And I swear no one else saw you.”

“Of course it's okay. Thank you for taking care of me.” 

He smiled. “You’re welcome.” 

“So, what happened last night?”

“I don’t know much more than you do, but yesterday, Dom suggested we try to catch the writer of the letter. So we got about 50 men together and just told them to keep an eye out. We knew it was a long shot going in, which is why the last thing I expected was to find you there.” He gave me a look. I blushed, I felt bad that I hadn’t listened to his warning. “And when I did find you, you were unconscious.” I nodded slowly. 

“But what about the man?”

He shifted uncomfortably.

“Apollo, what is it?”

“He flew away.”

“He what?”

“He flew away.”

“So… that means he’s not human?” He nodded in response.

“Then what is he?”

“I don't know. That's the problem. I’ve been up all night reading through book after book trying to figure out what the hell he could be.” He sighed and dropped his head into his hands. It was clear he was tired. 

“You should get some sleep.”

“No, it's okay. I need to get the pack doctor so he can check on you, and I need to tell Lia to strengthen the perimeter to make sure that guy doesn't come back, and I need to-”

I put my hand over his mouth. “Apollo. Stop. I’m fine, it’s just a bruise. And Lia’s a badass. I’ve never seen her fight, but she’s a badass. She can handle it. And anything else can wait a couple hours. You aren’t good to anyone with no sleep.” I could tell he wanted to protest, but didn’t. He knew I was right. So he just nodded and climbed over to the spot next to me. I laid down, pulled him to my chest, and stroked his hair. Within minutes I could hear his gentle snoring. I rested my head on the pillow and tried to sort out what was happening. 

A man with wings tried to kidnap me. I’m not sure what else there is to process about that other than someone wants something from me. My boyfriend is a werewolf. I just said boyfriend…. I wonder what he considers me? Is he my boyfriend? Wait, why am I thinking about this. Focus. Okay, so  Apollo is a werewolf, and he thinks I’m one too. Come to think of it, I never asked him why. My mother disappeared, got injured, and when we first visited she seemed worried about me, but after I asked her where she was if she wasnt on duty, she got angry with me. I sighed. What was happening. I can feel that this all connected somehow but I just can’t figure it out. Just then my phone started ringing. I looked at who was calling and smiled. I picked up the phone and whispered into the speaker.

“Hey Andy.”

“Hey Rosie. How are you? We miss you.”

“I’m good. I miss you too. How’s the trip?”

“It’s really great. We’re having a lot of fun.” 

I sighed in content. “I’m happy to hear that.”

“You sound better than you were a few days ago.”

“I am. Apollo has been really great.”

“Oooh. Apollo.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re really starting to like this guy aren’t you?”

I looked at his sleeping figure and smiled. “Yeah. I am.”

“Hey so, we called mom,” I flinched at the mention of our mother. “And she kept yelling and rambling on like a mad man about how you weren’t her daughter.”

“Yeah. She said the same thing to me. Wish she had told me what she meant.”

“Well…”

“Andy?”

“Okay so she didn’t exactly explain herself, but she said some other really crazy things.”

“LIke what?”

“Um, well. Things like ‘She belongs to them! She doesn’t belong here! Stop protecting her before you get hurt!’ Things like that…”

“Oh.”

“Rosie I’m sorry. Should I have kept it to myself?”

“No, no it’s okay. Thank you for telling me.”

“The doctors are sure it’s just the ptsd.”

“Yeah I’m sure they’re right.”

“I’m being called back now. I have to go. I’ll talk to you when we get back in a few days.”

“Okay. Send my love to Jake.”

“Will do. Bye Rosie.”

“Bye.”

I sighed and hung up the phone.

“Are you okay?” I looked down to see two big brown eyes filled with concern looking up at me. 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” I said continuing to brush my fingers gently through his messy hair. He wrapped his arms around my torso, still laying on me, rested his head, and sighed deeply into my chest. 

“I like this.” He mumbled. Which made me smile.

“I like it too.”

“I’m sorry. For what I said in the woods. I’m sorry if I scared you, or suggested that the people you love are lying. I didn’t mean it that way at all.”

“Hey, shh. It’s okay. I know.” I let out a breath. “And I think you may be right.” He sat up and looked at me.

“What?! Why?”

“Well, I was thinking about everything that happened. With my mom, and you suggesting it, but I don’t think I even thought to put the pieces together until I was almost kidnapped by someone who wants to ‘reveal the truth and make me pay for my sins.’ Whatever that means. But I was wondering. Why do YOU think I’m a wolf?” I asked.

He shifted uncomfortably. 

“Apollo, what is it?”

He looked at me with guilt. “Okay so… there’s this wolf thing. You know how wolves mate for life? With one partner?”

“Yeah?” I said confused.

“Well, it’s the same for werewolves. We are blessed, with destined mates. But it’s not quite the same as regular wolves.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for regular wolves, they form a bond similar to how humans do, find someone they care for and proceed accordingly. But because werewolves are magical beings, the bond between them and their mates has a magical type of force.”

“Okay…”

“Things like, when you see them, and lock eyes for the first time, it’s like your world explodes. While your thoughts may have consisted of friends, family, what you’re going to have for lunch, it now only consists of them. And when you touch, your skin feels kind of tingly, or electric, this is supposed to be the energy flowing freely between the two of you. In perfect harmony. There are also a lot of other things that come with the mate bond, some couples have been known to access magical properties.”

“And what does this have to do with me?”

“When I first saw you, my wolf went crazy. I could feel him getting all excited, and then we locked eyes… and my whole world exploded.”

I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. We were destined mates? 

“Does that mean…”

“Yes. It means you’re my mate. As much as I’m yours.”

“But… what does that have to do with me being a werewolf.”

“Wolves can only mate with other wolves. Many date, or even marry other species, or even wolves who aren’t their mate, and then leave them when they do find their mate. And some never find their mate. It’s beginning to become more and more rare.”

“So, that’s why you think I’m a wolf. But, wouldn’t I know?”

“Not exactly. My guess is your wolf is somehow being suppressed. But I can still feel it.”

“You can feel it.”

“Yeah, it’s a mate thing.”

“So, why can’t I feel the mate bond?”

“Probably because you don’t have your wolf. But my guess is that you’ve felt it in some ways. Just more subdued.”

“Like, feeling physical, mental, and emotional relief whenever I’m around you?”

“Yeah, that would be one.”

“Huh.” I was processing when suddenly a thought hit me. “What does the bond feel like to you?”

He laughed and smiled. “It feels amazing. But sometimes it can be awful. Like when you were away visiting your mom. I couldn’t think straight. And especially when I could feel your sadness, but you were miles and miles away. It was killing me that I couldn’t be there. Couldn’t hold you, and alleviate. The most torturing part about having a mate is knowing their hurt, and exactly how they feel, and not being able to do anything. That’s why I was acting like such a freak when you got home.”

“I’m sorry you went through that.”

“No, i’m sorry YOU went through that. And I promise,” He took my hands. “I will not stop, until we figure out what’s happening with you.” I relaxed and leaned my forehead against his. 

“Thank you.” I whispered. This moment was so pure, so intimate. 

“OH ALPHA! TIME TO GET TRAINING!” A very loud boy burst into the room, followed by Dominic, Lia, and a couple other faces I didn’t recognize. They froze when they saw me, and they darted between staring at a very confused me, and a very angry Apollo.

“Joey. Alex. Becca. I don’t think you’ve had the pleasure of meeting my mate. Rosaline Diana Harrow.” I looked at him confused, why the hell was he using my full name. 

“And if you hadn’t noticed, we’re a bit busy.” He said through gritted teeth and whitened knuckles. 

“Apollo, there’s actually something serious we should discuss. Pack business.” Dominic said. 

“Go ahead.”

He shot me a look. “Are you sure you want Rose hearing?” 

“I find that insulting. She is your future Luna. Anything you have to say to me, you can say to her.”

“Of course. I apologize. As I was saying-” Why was Dominic being so cold towards me. I mean, I understand wanting to keep serious business to themselves, I get it. I know nothing about their world. I just thought he would be nicer about it. He acted completely indifferent towards me. Wait. Their world. If they’re here, talking about this, and if Dominic was there last night, that means that both him and Lia are werewolves too. I mean, I guess it makes sense. Wow. I wonder who else is a werewolf. 

“Rose. Rose!” I looked up confused, and everyone else was looking at me the same way. 

I turned my head to Apollo.

“What is it?”

“You were zoned out.”

“Oh.. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. You’ve had a long week. What Dom was saying is that they managed to find a dropped feather, from the flying man. They’re analyzing it right now to figure out what he is.”

I nodded. 

“Rose.” I looked up and saw Dom taking a few steps forward. “It would be really helpful, if we could see the note he left. It may give us a good idea as to what he’s after.”

“Well, I already know what he’s after, but if you want to see it for yourself, the letter is in my bag.” 

“Where’s your bag?”

“Hell if I know? I just woke up a half hour ago after being unconscious all night.” Dominic retreated and Apollo gently squeezed my hand.

“It’s over here. I’ll grab it.”  Apollo got up from his place and went into his closet to grab the letter from my bag. 

“Here. Now I think we need time to ourselves if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.” Everyone left except for Lia. She walked slowly upt to me and placed her hand on mine.

“I’m sorry about everything that happened to you. Just know that you’re our family now. If you ever need anything from any of us, please ask.” I looked up at her and mustered up a smile. I felt bad but I was just so tired. So confused. I had so much to process. When everyone left, Apollo shut the door and crouched down in front of me.

“I know that this is all a lot, and you’re not feeling well, but I think we should go walk around a little bit. You were out for a while. I think moving your legs may help you feel better. And don’t worry, we’ll walk somewhere we can be alone, and hopefully avoid the pack.” I nodded and with his help, stood up. I was a little wobbly at first but used him for support.

“Do you want to get some shoes on?” I shook my head. 

“No, I want to feel the grass on my feet.” 

He smiled at me. “Let’s go.”

We left his room and were met with a grand hall. I looked up in awe at the towering ceiling.

“Wow.”

“Forgot to mention. I’m the prince.”

“The prince? Of what?”

“Werewolves.”

“Like all of them??”

“Yeah…”

“I thought you said you were Alpha?”

“Well, I’m both. I’m Alpha of the royal pack, and prince of werewolves. Almost king.”

“Holy shit.”

“Pfft.” He laughed at my reaction. 

“Come on you dork, let's sneak out the back.” He took my hand and we made our way to the back of his palace. I’m sure I only saw a small fraction of it, but I was in awe. It was magnificent. We ran through a back gate that led into a garden. Running past the plants, and flowers, feeling my feet hit the ground, and my face hit with wind with every step I felt free. Free from all my burdens and worries. We ran through a large grassy lawn deep into the tree line. Once deep Apollo stopped suddenly and turned to face me. We were both breathless but wearing smiles.

“You wanna do something crazy.” He asked, linking our fingers together. 

“Yes.” He smiled and shifted into his large wolf. Not even caring about his ripped clothes. He knelt down and I took that as my cue to climb on. I held tightly onto his fur and he started speeding and dashing quickly between trees. I decide to let go of everything I’ve been holding in. My mom. My dad. My brothers. The flying man. Everything. The one thing I continue to hold onto: Werewolves.