The Luna's Gift

The New Intern

    Mags sits at her desk in the back of the library, waiting for the new intern to arrive. Interns usually stay for a semester or two, and vary across all species. The original intern quit last minute, and Jonas has lined up a new one for the library, which Mags will need now that Helena is gone. Her phone buzzes at the same time as someone knocks on the open door, entering the library. Mags puts her phone down, saving the text for later, and starts walking to the front to greet the stranger.

“My name’s Apollo...Jonas sent me to...intern?” Apollo says to no one in general, eyeing some of the books on the shelf.

“Hi, Apollo, my name is Magnolia, you can call me Mags.” She says reaching him and extending her hand out to shake. Apollo turns towards her, extending his hand, “Hello I’m Apol--” abruptly cutting off as their eyes lock. 

Mags and Apollo stand facing one another, their hands almost touching in a greeting, frozen, staring at each other. It feels like all the air has suddenly gone out the room, as waves and ecstasy and euphoria crash over Mags, heat radiating from her core, licking every corner of her body. 

“Mine!” Mags yells, and takes two more steps jumping onto Apollo, her legs wrapping around his waist, he falls backwards from the surprise tackle but easily regains his balance and wraps his arms around Mags. She puts both hands on either side of his face and goes in for a hard and passionate kiss. She moves her hands to his grey robes, the color of a Tribunal in training, and starts to rip the robe open. Apollo’s hands go to her waist, and he pushes her off him with a, “No! No! No. What is...what is happening?” He sputters, dazed and confused.

Mags reaches for him, “We’re Mates. We’re f*****g Fated Mates! Don’t you feel it?”

“No no, that’s not possible. How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, but it must be true. It’s all true. The stories are true!” Magnolia laughs, almost giddy.

“No, something is wrong. I’m a Tribunal member! I’ve given up everything to be here, something isn’t right.” He leans against the bookcase, staring at the floor and shaking his head in disbelief.

“Don’t you feel it? Here?” Mags pleads, bringing her hand to her abdomen, “I feel you, here.” Apollo looks up, and looks into Mags’ big brown honey eyes, with her long lashes and olive skin, Mags was someone he would have loved to mate with, under any other circumstances.

“This isn’t the path for me,” he answers, “find someone else.” 

“That’s not how it works. Hell, I don’t even know how it works, no one does. But I do know I can’t just take you to the store with a receipt and exchange you for someone else. This isn’t a choice. We’re in this. Together. Whether you like it or not.” Mags stands tall, hands on her waist, and a fierce expression on her face.

If Apollo hadn’t just abdicated his throne, thrown the entire Underworld into chaos by electing a female successor, and taken vows to remain chaste, unmated, and without worldly possessions for the rest of his life...he would absolutely be taking Mags in a gentlemanly fashion behind the stacks.

He manages a small smile, feeling himself drawn to Mags, like a tether pulling him to be closer to her, to touch her. He felt his d**k stir under his robes, his wolf understanding the situation better than Apollo himself. “You’re right. We are in this together.” He says, nodding his head, “so what do we do?”

Mags shrugs sadly, “everything happened at once. This is like, a miracle, and you couldn’t be less interested.”

“If this were...any other time, I would be. If this had happened even a week ago, I would be. I promise. I took vows! I abdicated my position! I left my country! I’m in Tribunal robes for Goddess’ sake!” He pauses, taking a deep breath, “I feel it. I do feel it. And somehow I know this feeling is only going to get harder to resist. How do we,” he gestures vaguely between the two of them, “stop this? How do we...cut this tie between us?”

Mags sniffs, knowing tears are coming on, and pushes the lump down that’s formed in her throat, “well seeing as how this is a once in a billion years kinda miracle, there’s not really an encyclopedia on how to un-soulmate your soulmate.” She ends her reply more bitterly than she intended, but she won’t hide the hurt in her voice.

Apollo can hear and feel her pain and winces, part of his tether to her--her broken heart is his broken heart. “I’m sorry.” He says quietly, “I’m so sorry. You seem...wonderful, truly, I just...I can’t. The Gods have chosen me, this is what I have to do.”

Mags nods curtly, looking away and focusing her eyesight elsewhere, “well, luckily I work in a library. If the answer on how to,” she mimics his before gesture,”cut this exists, then it’ll be in here. And I’ll find it.”

Apollo nods slowly and moves to walk out the door, turning his head slightly with his back to Mags, “you will never know how sorry I am.” With that, Apollo walks out of the library and down the hall, leaving Mags to shut the library doors behind him, and slide to the floor sobbing.

****

    Helena’s phone buzzes, caller ID indicates it’s Mags, and Helena answers immediately, “Oh my god Mags, finally!” Mags sniffles, and starts crying again. “Mags, what’s wrong? What happened? Are you ok?” Helena asks, panicked. Helena can hear a deep breath from over the phone, “Helena, I don’t even know how to explain what just happened. It’s going to sound ridiculous, and I know you don’t believe in this sort of thing, but I really need you to believe me, ok?”

“Of course I’ll believe you, tell me what happened.”

“Helena...I met my Mate today. Like capital ‘M’ Mate, Fated Mate. I just felt this feeling come over me so strongly as soon as we saw each other. I was just drawn to him, connected. I’d never felt anything like it. I just knew that’s what this was. And he doesn’t want me Helena, he doesn’t want me at all.” Mags lets out a few more sobs. Helena sits there, shocked, not knowing what to say.

“Who...is your Mate?”

“Well that’s the craziest part. It’s Apollo.”

“Apollo...Velos?” Helena asks, already knowing the answer, but truly hoping it was any other Apollo.

“I don’t know his last name. He’s the ex-Alpha from America, Artemis’ twin brother. What the actual hell right? He kept going on and on about he’s a member of the Tribunal, and made a vow, and was chosen by the Gods blah blah blah.”

“I just...I’m shocked wow, I’m so sorry to hear that, Mags.” Trying to sound convincing, Helena’s mind was running a million different directions, “how are you feeling, Mags? How can I help?”

Another long sigh comes from Mags, “I honestly don’t know. Everything feels so...surreal. Like this actually happened? And I know it did. I felt it. This is like winning the lottery, and then the winner doesn’t want the prize? I feel...rejected. He told me he was Chosen by the Gods, but isn’t this a gift from the Gods? From the Goddess Herself?” Mags groans in frustration, “he wants us to cut this connection between us. I have no idea where to even begin. I mean, the library obviously. Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

At this idea of cutting the connection, Helena refocuses on the conversation, “no, I haven’t. But there has to be an off switch right? It’s just never been a thing I was ever remotely interested in researching. But yes, I’m sure there’s something we can do. And I-I’ll help you! I’ll help you research.”

“Thank you, Helena. Thank you for listening to me.” 

“Of course Mags, I’m here for you always. I’m so sorry you’re going through this...with Apollo. This is unprecedented for sure. We’ll get through this, together.”

Mags smiles and nods her head, as if Helena can see her through the phone. She clears her throat and asks, “so what was your text about? You wanted me to call you ASAP?”

Helena pauses. She had planned to tell Mags everything, but now this all seems too weird. “How could this happen? To us both? This can’t be a coincidence?” Helena think to herself. She replies, “ Oh nothing, I just um...wanted to tell you that I met Artemis. She came home early from her um...pack business.”

“What’s she like?” Mags asks.

“Well to be honest we didn’t really...talk, just more of an informal greeting. She seems...nice. Intense though. Very very intense.” 

“Seems like the opposite of Apollo. He seems so...gentle almost.”

Helena snorts, “yeah Artemis is definitely not gentle.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh um nothing, she just...had a very firm handshake. Lots of eye contact. It was all very...well, intense.”

“I believe it. Any woman to take over a wolf pack has gotta be intense. Keep those pups in line.” Mags yawns, “I think I’m going to try to lay down. Cry myself to sleep. Put on some Adele and disassociate. I’m missing you extra today.”

“Same. I’m missing you a lot today too. Sleep well. Everything is going to be ok, call me if you need me.” With that they hung up, and both crawled into their respective beds for a sleepless night of tossing and turning.