Moon Marked by the Goddess

Ten

Looking into the sea of faces in front of me my anxiety is through the roof. Most of the faces are staring directly at me, with curiosity. It's unheard of to have a pack meeting like this. I'm standing on a stage in the middle of our training grounds. My uncle, is standing beside me.

I can hear some of the whispers of the crowd. Some are asking if I'm accepting the position of luna, and wondering why Jackson isn't beside me. Some are asking if I've gotten into some sort of trouble.

My uncle clears his throat, and the whispers cease. "I know this is a bit unusual, we usually only have meetings like this when we announcing a change in ranks. I am adding a rank to our pack, one we haven't had a need for since long before I took over as Alpha. I'm bringing back the position of Head Warrior." The heads on the audience snap from him to me, and I turn to look at him. This isn't what we discussed. Why can't he stick to a simple plan, with no surprises.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with my niece, Rylan. I know someone of you are confused, for plenty of reasons. She's young, most of you have never even seen her shift, and no female has held a ranking position in the history of our pack. Rylan has more than earned this position, and I will now turn the floor over to her, so she can prove it to you herself." He turns to me and throws a quick wink my way then gestures for my to step forward.

I take a few steps forward. "Hello." I say and give them an awkward wave. I feel like I'm going to vomit. This is not what we prepared for. He was supposed to tell them everything, and then ask me to shift. That's it, that was the whole plan. "I wasn't really prepared to make a speech, this didn't happen the way I thought it would. So I think it will be easier to show you, rather than try to explain." I close my eyes, and try to drown out the whispers, from the audience. I focus solely on my wolf. Her midnight fur, and white crescent moon, her large paws, and brown nose. Then I feel the familiar numbness. My clothing rips, and then I open my eyes to look at the pack. The whispers have stopped. So many different expressions, fear, surprise, confusion, and intrigue.

Hello, I am Rylan as I'm sure you just heard. I didn't realize I would be accepting the position of Head Warrior tonight, though I'm thankful our Alpha has such trust in me. I want to tell you all a little about myself, then I will take questions.

I look around seeing most heads nodding.

I turned for the first time a week before my 16th birthday. I spoke to the Moon Goddess that same day. The marking on my face is a blessing from her. This secret has been kept for a little over two years, so that I could train, and hone the abilities she has blessed me with. Like this ability to perform what I've been calling a mass mind link. Any questions?

"You say the Moon Goddess blessed you, how do we know you're not using magic? I bet dark wolves could help you do this!" A feminine voice toward the back yells out. Several other voices come in agreeing with her.

"You believe I would be tricked by cheap magic from demons?" My uncle screams, visibly shaking with anger.

Stop, please. This is a valid question. We can't expect them to trust something that very few people have heard of.

My uncle takes a few deep breaths in and nods towards me to continue.

Moon Goddess, I'm not sure how I should proceed, from here. I know you're busy, but would you please give them a sign, that they are not being tricked.

I really hope this is one of the times she shows up. She doesn't always when I call. They look at me expectantly, and after a minute she still hasn't appeared.

"So you can't prove it?" The same voice from before yells out.

"I believe her!" A voice near the front calls out. She starts to step forward, holding hands with a child. She looks familiar but I can't quite place her. They make their way on to the stage, being escorted by Vincent. "Hi, everyone. My name is Shannon and I work at the gas station on the northern border." Of course. The woman from that night when I first learned of my revival and healing abilities. "A little over two years ago, she saved my life. When the dark wolves attacked, I hid my daughter, in the crawlspace in the back of my bedroom closet, and told her to be quiet." A small stone escapes her, as she pulls her daughter close to her. "They killed me that night, and I died praying my daughter would be safe. I felt myself die. I remember the only on my mind was hoping Sophie would be safe until the warriors arrived."

"Then the craziest thing happened, I felt my soul leave, I was floating. There was no more physical pain, and the longer I traveled I didn't feel anything anymore. I was just tired. As soon as I'd given up and closed my eyes to sleep, I woke up, and Rylan was holding me. All of my wounds had closed." She raises her shirt to show jagged scars covering her abdomen and torso. "Most importantly, my Sophie she was safe, and I will get to watch her grow up."

She turns to look at me, walking over to me she looks me directly in my eyes. She's probably about 5'3 and I am eye level with her, in my wolf form. "I never got to thank you properly. Thank you so much." She wraps her arms around my neck, and hugs me fiercely.

I'm happy you and Sophie are still doing better.

She releases, and grabs Sophie's hand. "Thank you for helping my mommy when she was sick!" Sophie pets my side, then her mother walks her down the stairs on the side of the stage.

"Hello children." I feel a hand resting on my side. "That was a beautiful testimony from Shannon. I appreciate you coming forward to defend the wolf I've sent to represent me. You may ask one thing of me, and if it is within my powers to grant you, it will be yours." This woman looks effortlessly beautiful everytime I see her. She's wearing a flowing white robe, with black sandals

Her silver hair is flowing around her, as though it's being blown by a breeze, even without one.

Everyone quickly falls to their knees baring their necks in submission. "Shannon, and little Sophie, please stand." Sophie stands up quickly, and grabs her mother's hand pulling it, so she stands as well. "Now dear, what is it that you desire."

"I can't possibly ask anything of you, you've given me so much already." The moon goddess sends her a pointed stare. "Oh, um, well... Can, you take away the scars, that cover my body from that night, please?" Then she adds, "They remind me of how I almost lost Sophie."

"So be it." She says and slowly glides over to Shannon, at the bottom of the stairs. She reaches a hand out, and touches her forehead, a faint blue light covers the both of them for just a moment. "Thank you child." She removes her hands, leaving Shannon to come back center stage with me. "You all may stand now, I have blessed Rylan. I believe she will do great things in my name, and bring an end to the dark wolves. She will need the support of her pack, and the support of the other warriors I send to her in time. I need you all to be the support she needs." She scans the crowd. "I must return home now." Now I'm alone on the stage.

The eyes of the crowd return to me expectantly.

I don't have anything else to add. I hope all of the confusion has been cleared up. I'm gonna give the stage back to the Alpha now.

Turning around I jump off of the back of the stage, and walk over to the pile of clothes I'd brought to change into. I focus on my human form, and will the change to start. I let out a sigh of relief when I feel grass under my toes. I quickly put on my under garments, and hear a throat clear to the left of me. I turn expecting to see Vincent, but instead it's Jackson. I quickly cover myself with a long baggy tshirt.

"Rylan, I really need to apologize to you. I can't erase the things I've done in the past. I can only try and atone for them, from here on."

"No, stop right there. You don't get to come home one day, and decide you want to be my mate. It doesn't work that way. Please leave me alone."

"Rylan, please give me a chance to prove myself." He steps closer to me.

"Absolutely not. I want nothing to do with you, I do not want you as a mate." I step back, eyeballing my jeans, socks, and shoes on the ground. Wondering if it's worth it to try and finish getting dressed, or if I should leave them, and head back to my room, away from Jackson.

"I could have any she wolf I want, yet I'm here with you. That should tell you something."

"What?" I'm completely blindsided by this. He went from sounding sincere, though going about it the wrong way, to creepy and sinister. "Are you crazy? Do you really think reminded me of how easy you are would make me want you?"

"Oh dear Rylan, I know you want me. Or you would have cried about how I hurt you. You'll give in sooner or later. We'll mate, I'll mark you, and you will help me make this pack the strongest in Olisis. We wouldn't have to fear the other packs, the council, or dark wolves." His eyes are terrifying, and starts toward me again.

"I, Rylan Lily Stone of the Eclipse Moon Pack, reject you Jackson Ashton Knight as my mate." He falls to the ground a blood curdling scream coming from his throat. His hand is gripping his chest. The pain hits me as well, and I fall right in front of him also gripping my chest. No wonder wolves don't do this, the process can kill ome or both mates. I reach for my jeans, and pull my pocket knife out, as black dots dance in my vision. Flicking the knife open I slice my palm, letting my blood freely flow onto the ground. "With the earth as my witness, so let it be." I mutter. Jackson's screaming stops, I assume he's blacked out, and I'm not far behind him. This pain is much worse than what Senna described, but I'm almost free of him.

I hear footsteps running around the stage and screaming, but the pain is dulling the rest of my senses. I feel like I'm floating. Hands are around me, and I smell nothing but the intoxicating scent of honeysuckle. "Mate."