Chapter Nine : The Reveal
A troubled mind will seek until they find
Ella’s POV
I waited at that table for hours. Anticipation built with each passing moment. Not a soul passed our way. As the thoughts kept racing through my mind, my composure began to crack. No matter how hard I tried, the tears kept streaming down my face. Self pity started to consume me. I didn’t deserve any of this. I was always a good girl. I got good grades, never broke the law and always did what my momma told me to do. One time, I went out one damn time and my life spiraled into wickedness and chaos. Having Xavier I thought would make all of this go away. How naïve I was for thinking that. I am no one special trapped in a world I know nothing about. How can I protect him when I can’t even protect myself. Xavier begins to stir and I take that note to go find my room. I walk quickly up the stairs and praise when I remember exactly which room I was in. I lock the door behind me and sit on the bed. Xavier’s bright eyes are staring into mine, almost as if he is trying to tell me it will be ok. I smile down at him and use that opportunity to go ahead and feed him.
As he is eating I notice a white envelope out of the corner of my eye sitting on the desk. It has a fancy red seal on it, that much I can see. My eyes feel as if they are burning a hole into it. I don’t know why I get the sense that it is of great importance. I tear my eyes away from it and shake off the mesmerizing effect it has on me. Looking back down at Xavier, I watch him heavily close his eyes. For that moment I forget about all of our woes and embrace the little moment that is given to us. It doesn’t take him long to slip into a peaceful bliss. I gently move him to the bassinet and kiss the top of his head.
Turning around I stare at the envelope yet again. As if it is going to come alive, I slowly walk towards it until I am mere inches away. Elliana is the only thing written on it. I take my finger and gently trace the name. I pick it up studying it as I walk back to my bed. Sitting down, I decide to open it.
My dearest Elliana,
Time stood still the moment I had the honor of laying my eyes upon your beautiful face. My entire existence had never compared to the moment you were born. It pains me to have to let you go so soon my love, but please know I will be watching over you for all of eternity. I know by the time you will get this letter, resentment will fill in your heart for the words I am about to write. This world is not as it seems. The life that you have lived has been a simple one for your own protection. Lucien and I love you with all of our hearts Elliana and the decisions we had to make were the biggest sacrifices of all. The woman who has raised you knows nothing of what we had done. She truly believes that you are her precious Ella. I will always be grateful and envious of the woman who got to hold my precious gem in her heart. Even though you have not seen us, we both have been by your side the entire time. I promise to you that we will reunite once again when the time is right.
Elliana I know you have no reason to trust me but please heed my warning. A grave danger is coming for you and your child. Keep strong little one for the war has just begun. You and your child are the key to everything. I know this must all sound unfathomable, but hear me please. Your blood carries great power and even more so in your little one. He is the first tri-bred to have ever existed. A great battle you will be faced with and a war will be his fate. Keep him strong and find your power within. It is there, you must believe in it. With all of my love Elliana, through the gates and back to you I love you
Love,
Hecate
My entire body freezes as I read the letter over and over again. Betrayal, sadness and even realization washes over me uncontrollably. My entire existence has been a lie, but why? I am nothing special, I am just a simple girl with a mom who did her best to always make sure we kept going. Hecate? I have heard that name before and I scramble trying to figure out why. So many thoughts are consuming me, I can barely think one coherent sentence.
“ma’am I brought you some dinner,” a woman says as she is knocking on the door. I literally jump out of my skin at the notion. I don’t dare utter a word in reply as she continues to knock on the door. Frozen in shock I sit there waiting for her to go away. I hear a click at the door as it gently opens. She pokes her head in cautiously and I see the relief wash over her when she sees us in the room.
“I’m sorry ma’am I didn’t mean to barge in. Lord Killian had asked me to bring you supper.” She states.
“And who is this Lord Killian? If he is so concerned with my well being maybe he should have thought twice about kidnapping my child and myself,” I snap at her. I watch her eyes go wide with surprise and a blush creep up her neck. To be quite honest, I surprised myself with how bold I came across. She sets the tray down on the table in silence and hurries out of the room. I exhale in relief with her notion. My child is to see war? What in the hell is that supposed to mean? A tri-bred? What does that make me? So many damn questions in my mind and I can’t come up with one answer for myself. An anger so intense starts to build inside of me.
I gently pick up Xavier and storm down the halls. Each footstep getting louder than the next.
“Lord Killian, oh Lord Killian, please be so kind to make your presence known.” I sarcastically repeat as I walk through the giant house. I make it to the room where I sat for hours repeating myself like a damn mocking bird.
“Well if you don’t want to talk, then it’s only fitting that we leave,” I defiantly say and start to walk towards the front entrance. Right at the front door is the same man from earlier standing there. My boost of confidence pulls out of me as I realize just how childish and stupid I was. I put my head up high though as to challenge him even though I am shaking on the inside.
“Lord Killian I presume,” I state boldly.
“I would prefer if you called me Lucien,” he states with a hint of sadness in his eyes. Well shit is all I can think as I stand there frozen.
“Elliana I believe it is time we sit down for a talk,” he says.
Liam’s POV
I begin to rub my hair and face in frustration. It has been ten weeks and still not a word about Ella and Xavier’s well being. I truly feel as if I am beginning to go mad. It was hard enough the first time around, trying to find just my mate. But this is torture. Not only is my mate gone, so is my child. I turn to look at the clock and sigh at how late it is. Sleep doesn’t come hardly at all anymore. Three in the morning, which means I had locked myself in my office for fifteen hours. Deciding quickly it was time for a run, I walk out to the woods. Taking of in a full sprint, I shift shredding my clothes to nothing. Being in this form I can get a moment of sanity. My wolf howls relentlessly as we breeze by the trees. Finally making it to the edge of the water, we look up at the lonely moon. He continues to howl in sadness, letting the night breeze carry away our woes.
Laying down I can feel us both finally feeling tired. We lay there for what seems like hours, listening to the water splash calmly along the shore. As if mesmerized by the motions and calmness, we begin to fall asleep. I have no idea how long we dozed off for, but in an instant my wolf stands alert. I can hear the shuffling in the trees and my wolf let’s out a low growl. Getting into defense mode, he watches waiting for the intruder to show them self. He lunges as soon as they step behind the trees, ready for the kill. He lunges towards the throat and just when he is about to bite down, he drops. Confusion rattles my brain.
Standing in front of us is a woman. I can feel the excitement in my wolf upon seeing her which confuses me even more. The only time I have ever felt him this excited is when Ella has been around us.
“Hello Liam,” she says almost hypnotic as she smiles. Without any control, my wolf shifts me. The sudden gesture causes me to stumble and lose my balance. The woman is looking at me slightly amused and a hint of embarrassment creeps up. She chuckles softly and hands me what looks like a robe. I cock my head at her. That’s when realization slaps me in the face. I’m butt ass naked in front of this mystery woman. I quickly grab the robe from her hands and wrap it around my body. Feeling instantly tense, I straighten myself and glare at this woman.
“Who the hell are you and why are you on my territory,” I bark at her. She raises her eyebrows and a grin forms on her face.
“Your territory? I am pretty sure all territories belong to Selene, am I correct?” she says with humor. I roll my eyes at her. Starting to feel myself getting frustrated at her arrogance.
“While Selene owns all territories, until she appears herself, this is my territory. So I advise you to get the fuck off my territory now,” I state.
“Tsk such fowl language my dear. As amusing as this conversation has been, I will kindly ask that you not speak to your goddess in such a manner,” her eyes begin to glow gold and a fury. As if magic, the moon starts to glow intently. I can feel my wolf become excited with each passing second. She begins to smile. “Now my dear it’s time we discussed your Luna,” she states.
Selene’s POV
My heart breaks for Hecate. I know her pain, the sadness all of it. Over the years I have secretly watched over Elliana’s mate. She needs a strong partner and I know that Liam will compliment her in every way. The day they finally met, I smiled with pride at how connected they already were. I knew there would be protests on Earth, but this union goes beyond fate, this is their destinies. I watch in fury while he intervened. Tricking Kendra to do his dirty work. Such a shame. He used to be such a good man. I suppose his fate is no one’s fault other than my own.
The day I first met him, I truly understood that mate bond I bless so many others with. I knew it was forbidden. I knew there would be consequences, but he consumed every fiber of me. Us goddesses had a lot more freedom back then. We were allowed to roam the Earth as if it was our home. Walking along the sea’s edge, I saw a man looking at the moon and writing. Quietly watching him for a couple minutes, I decided to approach him. From behind I could see he was writing something, and curiosity got the best of me.
“Usually my strolls leave me with a vacant sea, only the light of the moon guiding my path,” I state to him. He jumps instantly the moment I begin to speak. He scrambles to his feet and turns to face me. That one look and I knew he was mine. We lock eyes for what seems to be an eternity before he clears his throat.
“My lady, may I be so bold to say you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes upon,” he says as he stares at me intensely. Slowly walking towards me, he takes a slight bow.
“My name is Ambrogio,” he states with a crooked smile on his face. For a moment it is as if I have forgotten to speak. Shaking the fog from my head I return with a curtsey and smile.
“Mr. Ambrogio, my name is Selene,” I can see him watching my lips as the words leave my mouth. “I apologize sir, but I must be going,” I state and with that turn around and run. I don’t know what has gotten into me. I, Goddess of the moon allowed a human to effect me to the core. I return to the temple and immediately hide in my room.
The next evening I find myself returning to the same spot. A sense of sadness consumes me when I see that I am alone. This is utterly ridiculous, I feel like a human with this overwhelming emotion. After an hour of trying to convince myself that I’m merely here for the view, I decide it’s time to head back. Shaking my head at my own silliness, I turn and instantly freeze. Bumping right into no other than Ambrogio. His eyes lock onto mine and I feel a blush creeping up on my face. I give a slight bow as I watch amusement flicker on his face.
“My lady I am not of noble blood, it is unnecessary to bow in my presence,” he states. I smile up at him as I straighten myself up.
“I prayed that you would be upon this path once more,” he says shyly. My face turns red at his boldness and honesty. I myself had been praying to see this man once more. He slowly reached for my hand and gently kissed the top of my hand. That little gesture had my insides burning with fire. The simple touch was like electricity to my core. We lock eyes once again and I begin to feel myself becoming shy under his intense gaze.
“I, I I’m sorry I must go,” I begin to stammer. He quickly grabs me into an embrace and whispers in my ear.
“I shall pray to see you once more tomorrow night,” and with those words he lets me go. Tingles are all over my body as I watch him turn to leave.
“Tomorrow you shall see me,” I whisper.
I couldn’t help myself as much as I tried. Two months like clock work we met in the shadows of the moon every night. Every night I would tell myself it will be the last night, but each passing day I know I am telling myself a lie. As I am waiting for him to arrive, I find myself weeping.
“Selene, my love what has you distraught,” he says startling me as he walks up behind me. I turn and see the concern in his eyes, and the admiration on his face. It makes me cry even harder. He rushes to me and wraps me in an embrace.
“Shh there there now, tell me what has you in such disparity,” he whispers as I bury my face into his chest.
“I believe I am falling in love with you Ambrogio, and that simply can not happen. I do not know what to do, and I find myself not being able to help the way that I feel.” I state between sobs. He holds me tighter.
“Do not weep, Selene for I am in love with you as well. I not know what title you hold and I simply no longer care. I want nothing more than to share my life with only you,” he whispers. I cry even more. He gently kisses the top of my forehead and tucks my hair behind my ear. I slowly look up into his eyes and the love consumes me. I am desperately seeking his lips and he returns the kiss as passionately and hungrily as I am at the moment. He grazes his finger across my jaw line, sending chills through me. Deepening the kiss a slight groan escapes from me.
“Selene, let me make love to you,” he says whispering into my ear. A smile forms on my face as I agree.
“But before we do I must tell you who I truly am Ambrogio,” I state panic tightening my throat.
“No matter who you are, where you come from or what nobilities run through you, I am yours and you are mine Selene, the rest does not matter,” he says and kisses me deep before I can protest any further. Consumed by him, I allowed myself to finally let go. After he made love to me, my eyes grow heavy and I quickly slid into sleep.
Jolting up, I see that the sun is shining. Becoming paler than the moon, I scramble to grab my things. I’m frantically trying to run away, but it is too late. Apollo is staring down at Ambrogio and myself. My face begins to flush and fear cripples me.
“Apollo please,” I beg seeing the anger in his face. As if on cue, Ambrogio scrambles to his feet, creating a barrier between Apollo and I.
“I know not your intentions sir, but it would be wise to step away from the maiden,” he says with confidence. Apollo bursts into a bitter laughter.
“Maiden? Stupid boy you have no idea who she truly is do you? This is a sin Selene and you know it. How could you be so stupid? A mortal? Come now even you could do better then that.” Apollo shouts into a full on rage.
“Apollo, I beg of you, please I am in love with him,” I state as I begin to sob.
“Despicable, Selene. You know the law. Love? You are more naïve than I thought. Human emotions are exactly that, for humans. We are above this, you know that as well as I do..” he is full of anger but I can hear the desperation in his voice. He begins to sigh, “you know he must now die Selene. How selfish can you be? You knew this would have not been able to continue.” Ambrogio begins to speak, but Apollo throws his hand up to silence him.
“Apollo please I will do anything, please ,” he stares me down and eventually sighs.
“Well there has to be some type of punishment Selene, you know that. Since you do not want him to die, it is only fitting that he never does.,” I wicked smile forms upon his face.
“Ambrogio, you have broken the ultimate law. Having an affair with a Goddess is punishable by death. Since Selene has begged for mercy I give you the only punishment I see fit. Hiding in the shadows lusting for a bloodline you will never be shows me the true colors of your soul. You shall not die, in fact I will let you live forever. Moonlight will be your friend, for the sun shall burn your skin. A thirst you will never fully quench will be your fate, and since it’s the bloodline you crave, a thirst for blood is what you will seek.” Apollo states as he begins to close his eyes
Fear consumes Ambrogio. He begins to look between Apollo and I, realization smacking him in the face of who I truly am. Tears continue to spill down my face. I continue to beg Apollo to show mercy, but it is too late. He has decided on Ambrogio’s cruel fate. I watch in horror as Ambrogio twists in pain. I run to his side but before I can reach him, Apollo already has a hold on me.
“Don’t worry love, the worse is yet to come, now time to figure out what punishment I have in store for you,”
Liam’s POV
I watched the tears fill her eyes with every word of the past she spoke fell from her lips. After centuries, the pain from that memory still clutched at her heart. The moon Goddess continues to tell me about the prophecy, and I feel as if my world has crumbled.
“Liam this battle you are about to face, all goes back to that one moment,” Selene states with a sorrowful look. “ I know this is a lot to take in, I truly am sorry Liam but I must go, but before I do please remember this; Your mate is powerful, more so than she realizes. Combined with you, the two of you can conquer anything. You must believe in her, as she must believe in you. Xavier will become stronger than you both, for he has the best of the two of you inside of him. Keep him safe above all else Liam, for he will be the one to change the world.” Selene says, and with that vanishes.
Part of me wonders if I am dreaming. Have I gone so mad with desperation that I am starting to imagine a world where Ella would be mine? Taking no chances, I sprint back to the pack house, mind linking Carter to meet me in my office. Before I make it there, he is already waiting for me in my office.
“Hey boss, everything ok? Did you get a lead on Ella,” he asks me with urgency in his voice. I walk past him and slump into my chair. Part of me doesn’t even want to speak, fearful I will come off as insane. I have never heard of anyone speaking with the moon goddess. Sighing over the internal battle within my head, I look at Carter pleadingly
“Ok I know this will be a lot to take in, but please just hear me out before you form an opinion,” I state to Carter. He looks up with a puzzled look on his face as I begin to tell him what has just happened. I know I am talking fast but I feel if I don’t blurt it all out at once, I myself will begin to doubt it more than I already do. Sitting down hard, Carter let’s out a loud whistle and runs his hands through his hair.
“Ok boss, you know that I always have your back, and if what you are saying is true we are in way over our heads here. Not only do we not have the resources, we don’t even know where Ella stands. Last time I knew she thinks you are a monster. Not only that boss but we don’t have the power to defeat the witches, let alone a damn prophecy older than us.” He now is in a frenzy as he speaks. “So with all of that said, what do you plan to do?” he asks me.
“I have to go see the witches Carter.” I state and fury washes over Carter.
“Like hell boss, they will kill you and you know it. Then what? All of this will be for nothing. I know you love her Liam, I get it but are you really willing to risk not only your life but the entire packs future? What about the New Hope pack? Hell when is the last time you checked in on them? Listen man, I get it I really do I would go to then end of the world for Amara. The difference is though, she would do the same for me. We have been chasing Ella for months and months. One thing after the next falls apart. This problem is much bigger than us Liam,” Carter says with desperation. Part of me is angry with his words, but the other part understands where he is coming from.
No matter what, the decision I make will place all of us in danger the question truly is, do I want to face this alone or with my Luna and son by my side. Carter let’s out another heavy sigh.
“Listen Liam, I think it’s time we call the ally packs together. I’m not about to let our Alpha save his Luna and child alone.” I can hear the fear in his voice as he speaks. He’s right. Charging in there blindly would definitely seal our death.
“My Goddess you wolves are so dramatic,” Aliegha says as she opens my office door. We both instantly jump up, ready to attack the intruder.
“Witch, where the hell is my family,” I spit out. She rolls her eyes at me and puts her hand up.
“Easy boys, I’m here to speak about this lovely prophecy,” she states coolly. Our eyes go wide as she saunters in my office and closes the door.
Ella’s POV
The tears continue to stream down my face with each passing revelation.
“Just do it, take her memories away,” I state softly. All the memories of my childhood flood through, causing me to cry even harder. I know it’s for the best. It will keep her safe. But that doesn’t make the decision any easier. The illusion my parents made for her was a beautiful one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. She was and always will be my mom.
“Ella..,” he says before he can utter another word I cut him off.
“Elliana, remember? That is my name.,” I state bitterly. “Take her memories away or I will find a way to do it myself,” I state angrily and with that turn to find Xavier. Lucien follows behind me
“Elliana, stop and listen,” he says with authority in his voice. I stop and turn to face him.
“Stop and listen? Stop and listen. That’s all I have been doing for the past twelve damn weeks. Elliana read this, Elliana watch this, Try this, practice that. I have done everything you have told me to do.” I snap at him, tears threatening to once again spill over. His eyes soften and I can see the hurt swimming around.
“Elliana you’re doing amazing and so is Xavier. You have lost so much and I didn’t want you to lose your mother,” he whispers. My composure breaks with those words and the tears fall once more.
“I don’t want to lose her either Lucien. She is one of the most important people in my life, but I need to protect her from all of this. Do you truly think you can keep her safe when we are unsure if we can keep ourselves safe? Yes my power is growing, and I even see the power in Xavier, but is it enough to ensure her safety? I may lose her being in my life, but I gain comfort knowing she will be alive. So for the last time, I beg you to please erase me from her mind,” the last sentence makes me sob but I know it is the right thing to do. Lucien nods his head and finally agrees.
“Thank you, now please excuse me for a moment while I go get Xavier,” I say, and with that I walk away. I know Lucien is just trying to help but a part of me gets angry. My entire life has been a lie, fabrication and manipulation. To keep me safe is what he says, but sometimes emotional trauma can be just a tolling on a person. I find Xavier quickly in nanny Mae’s arms, sleeping soundly. I tiptoe to the chair and smile down looking at him. As if on cue, Xavier’s eyes shoot wide open and excitement shows all over his face. I grab him out of Mae’s hands and smile down at him.
“Well hello there beautiful baby boy, did you enjoy your nap?’ I say to his smiling little face. I nuzzle him closely to me smothering him in kisses. He lets out tiny giggles, which instantly makes all the problems melt away. I walk back to our room and lay him down on the bed next to me. These moments right here is what makes it worthwhile, I remind myself as I snuggle next to him. I soon find myself falling asleep with Xavier in my arms. I find myself jerking up at Xavier’s little wails. Standing up, I start lightly bouncing him to soothe his tiny tantrum. I head out of my bedroom and down the stairs, looking for Lucien. I know that he’s my dad, but I cant begin to bring myself calling him that. Bitterness still holds tightly around my heart over the revelations. I understand the reasoning him and Hecate had, but I still can’t find myself to forgive. The memories of my mom flood my mind once again, causing tears to silently fall. Just as I find myself about to turn back to the comfort of our room, Lucien appears in the hallway, sorrow washing over his face. I quickly wipe away my tears and find comfort in looking down at Xavier. He on the other hand has no interest in looking back at me. Cooing happily, Xavier’s eyes are targeted on Lucien.
“Just the little man I was looking for,” he says with a soft expression on his face. I force a smile on my face and hand Xavier to Lucien. He instantly starts to coo happily, causing Lucien to smile widely. He clears his throat and looks me in the eyes
“Elliana,” he says and stops, clearly looking for the next words to say. I nod my head
“I understand Lucien, thank you for doing as I ask. Now if you would excuse me, I believe I left something in the room,” I state and turn around before he can see the tears yet again well up in my eyes. This is for the best Elliana, you’re keeping her safe. I repeatedly state to myself, praying I collect my composure. After a few minutes, the tears stop and I take the time to change for training. In books, I would never have guessed how much goes into a training. Not only do I have to train academically, physical well being is just as vital. Magic drains energy that you store inside of yourself. I learned the hard way a few months back just how vital it is. Lucien was trying to teach me a simple transfer spell, halfway through the chant my world went black. I remember waking up completely confused and am pounding headache. Lucien scolded me that day for skipping breakfast and not taking my exercises seriously. That was the last time I allowed myself to be weak. I can not afford a slip up, I can not afford to make a mistake. Xavier’s life depends on it.
After training I head back towards the house to make some lunch. I am assuming it is the wolf gene in Xavier, even though he is technically a little over three months old, he already is closer to six months. He sits up on his own, loves to eat real food, crawls like a champ and has began to babble for communication. My heart tugs a little at the thought of what Liam would think, but push that deep into my mind and remind myself of the monster they all truly are. Lucien has tried to bring him up a couple times to me, but I refuse to speak of him to anyone. The last time it almost sounded as if he was defending Liam. Before I knew it I accidently lit the library on fire. That occurred just a few days ago.
“Elliana, you have to control your emotions. Anger, sadness happiness all of them. What if Xavier had been in here? What good will come of any of this if you can’t get a grip,” he scolded me that day. He was right. The stronger my emotions, the more powerful I became but it was unpredictable and dangerous magic.
I push everything in my mind aside and smile at Xavier who is happily snacking on a banana. His eyes begins to flicker between emerald green and purple, showing me that even as little as he is, magic seeps through him.
“Hey little man, what is going on in that mind of yours,” I say to him. He looks at me and smiles as if having all the secrets locked inside. Aliegha comes to our side, smiling down at Xavier. I must say my situation may not be what I had imagined, but I truly am happy for the love everyone has for my son.
“Do you mind if I play with him for a little while I haven’t gotten to see my little guy in a few days and I have been missing him like crazy,” Aliegha asks me. I smile and nod my head. Honestly I could use a quick shower before I get back to the books.
“Thank you love,” she states to me. “Well come here handsome, Auntie Laylay will read you a story,” she purrs to Xavier. He reaches his arms up in excitement. She swoops him up and heads to the nursery they made for him. I push my chair out and start cleaning up our messes. Just as I am about turn turn away from the sink, I sense him and freeze. Liam is here.
