2: MEETING A DEMON
SELENE
Oh no! I could not believe that the love of my life, Alpha Lucas just did that to me.
There was a tightness in my chest and it felt as if I could not breathe as darkness surrounded me all round.
Disrespecting the mate bond and cheating on me was one thing, but stabbing me? That was unbelievable, how could my mate do that to me, how could my mate hurt me like that?
My eyes flew open and I found myself alone in a narrow canoe that was rowing itself forward towards a pair of black gates.
The water all around me was dark and murky and very still, except for the ripples as my canon cut across heading to its destination.
At first, I was confused, what was going on here? The last thing that I remembered was being stabbed and bleeding out alone and afraid on the forest floor.
My hands flew to my stomach and then my neck I dabbed at them, there was no blood, and my heart was beating heavily in my chest as I looked around in panic.
My jaw dropped as I recognized the landscape from the stories that we had been told… I was dead! This was the River Lana!
The river that took dead souls to the other side, the realization that I was really dead hit me hard and I began to shiver, wrapping my arms around myself as everywhere suddenly felt cold, I was so scared and so alone.
What did I ever do wrong to anybody to deserve such a fate as this?
One minute I had everything that I needed in life and now I had nothing, I was dead! Just like that, my life and my pack had been snatched from me by the man that I trusted above all else.
The man that I called my mate, the man that I chose to lead my pack as Alpha in the absence of my father. How could he do this to me?
It still felt too unreal for me to believe, tears began streaming down my cheeks as I sat there shivering, in the darkness.
A yellow moon in the sky was the only source of light and even that was not doing much, I could see the giant gates in front of me, each row drawing me closer and closer to it.
I sobbed and cleaned my eyes, I could not die and be forgotten like that. Alpha Lucas did not only hurt me, he hurt our baby, my baby… he had to pay for what he had done.
I could not let him do this to me and then go back to that whore.
I wondered what lies he concocted and told everyone concerning me, the panic and fear that I felt earlier were shifting and now I was fuming.
I was no longer afraid, I was angry, I was mad at Alpha Lucas, and I was mad at myself for ever loving a traitor and a betrayer like that.
I was so mad, so pissed off and I needed somewhere to put my anger.
“Lunar, please, grant me my prayer, please give me one more chance, give me a chance to revenge the wrong that has been done to me!” I pleaded as hot tears streamed down my cheeks.
“Lunar will not answer you… but I will,” a thin voice sounded out of the darkness.
Fear gripped me again all of a sudden as I looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
“Who are you?” my voice shook as I spoke.
“I am Xercer…. The one is willing to grant you your request!” the thin eerie voice responded. It seemed to be blown about by the wind, coming from all directions.
But the problem was that there was no wind, just a chilling cold.
My teeth were chattering when I spoke again, “Can you help me Xercer? Please!”
Lunar had forsaken me, she did not heed my prayer request when I was dying to save my life and now she was turning a deaf ear to my request once more.
I had heard the stories of the evil spirits and demons that appeared along the River Lana to tempt souls with unfinished business, there was no doubt in my mind that this Xercer was one of them.
But I did not care, if Lunar wouldn’t answer me, I would take the help of anyone who would, I needed to get back, Alpha Lucas could not be allowed to get away with what he did to me, no, I had to make him pay!
“I will grant you your wish to return and also I will grant you the power to fulfill your heart's desire!” the thin windy voice said.
I was anxious when I heard that, did it really possess the power to do all that?
“What do you want in return?” a part of me wanted to ask. I knew from the stories that nothing went for nothing, but right now I didn’t care much about the cost, I just wanted to be returned back to the land of the living so that I could get revenge on Alpha Lucas no matter what!
“Do it!” I said emphatically.
“There is a price that is required on your part,” the warning came.
“I don’t care what it is, just do it!”
I had already lost everything, what more could be taken from me? I would gladly give if anything it meant me getting my revenge on the bastard that killed me.
“So shall it be!” the voice echoed and then disappeared.
The canoe was still rowing closer to the gate when suddenly I took in a very violent deep breath and then sat up in the grassy field.
I felt so disoriented and confused as I looked around and struggled to get my breathing under control, there was a pool of blood all around me.
“Welcome back, Luna Selene!”
SELENE I walked into the hallway of the pack house on my way to meet Tibet, expecting nothing more than the same quiet but frustratingly futile research session that we had been having the past few days, but of course, the goddess had other plans.Just my luck, because right there at the end of the hallway, standing far too close for my liking, were Tristan and Nancy.She was brushing something, imaginary, I was sure, off his shirt and laughing like he had just told the funniest joke in the world. Her long fingers lingered on his chest, her glossy red hair falling to one side as she tilted her head and smiled up at him like she belonged there.They looked like they belonged together. Like the perfect power couple.The sight of them sent a sharp, bitter ache through my chest, but I brushed it off, pretending not to care.I kept walking, my chin high, my expression blank, and all I wanted was to pass them in peace.Please…I begged the goddess silently. Just let me walk past in peace.B
TIBETAs soon as I read the message, I muttered a curse under my breath and shot to my feet.“That’s not good,” I muttered, pacing a small line in front of Selene. “That’s… that’s really not good.” I stopped and turned to look at her. “Are you sure he was not just bluffing?”Selene shook her head. “No, Tibet…he was sure. He said if I don’t find the wolf before he regains his strength, my soul would be lost to Hel and…” her voice cracked. “And the baby. That’s how I found out I was pregnant.”My eyebrows drew together, confusion flashing across my features. “So he knew before you did?”She nodded slowly, her hand going to her stomach like she couldn’t help it. Like her body was trying to protect something her mind hadn’t fully grasped yet.She picked the phone back up, her fingers trembling as she typed something else, then handed it to me again.He’s still too weak to do anything, but that does not mean he won’t be watching and listening and paying close attention to find out who the
SELENE“It seems like Tristan doesn’t want you gone anymore.” He smiled and waggled his eyebrows at me. “I guess him finding out you were pregnant isn’t the worst thing that can happen, right? Who knew this was all it would take to solve this problem?” he teased with a chuckle.I didn’t laugh…in fact, something cold and heavy sank in my stomach at his words like a reminder.You’re right, that’s not the worst thing that can happen…not even close.My smile slipped, and I felt my expression darken. My hand subconsciously drifted to my stomach again, fingers brushing across the fabric of my nightshirt as if I could feel the life forming there. So small and fragile. And so, so vulnerable.Tibet noticed the change in my mood immediately. His smile faltered, and concern crept into his features. He leaned closer to me a bit, brows drawing together.“Selene… What's wrong? This is good news. Now we can concentrate our efforts on getting rid of…”I shot forward and slapped my hand over his mouth
SELENE Tibet pulled me away from Tristan's office like he was rescuing me from a fire, and honestly, I could not blame him. My brain wasn’t working anymore, my heart was in my throat, and every step I took felt like I was floating just a little outside of my body. We did not talk, we did not even look at each other, we just walked through the halls of the pack house like ghosts. Except unlike ghosts, we were not alone or invisible. I noticed the way people were pausing mid conversation to stare at us and whispers that we're being spread as we walked down. Their eyes flickered between Tibet and I, bouncing from what I was wearing to the fact that he was still fully dressed and walking beside me like we had just come from doing something…intimate. From the whispers I could hear, a lot of the wilder theories were being disproven on the spot by the more logical people, but it didn't stop anything. My arms were wrapped around my stomach by instinct, protective and tense, and I knew
TRISTAN Pregnant… The world stopped as soon as the words left Selene's lips. It felt like my world just imploded on me in that moment. “What?” I stared at her in shock, my breath catching midair, but Selene didn't answer me, she did not even look at me again, and with the pressure my order put on them lessening, she turned away, yanked Tibet with her, and stormed out. The door slammed shut behind them with a finality that rang in my ears and I was left standing there, staring at the empty space where she had been. My legs gave out and I sank back into my chair like the wind had been knocked out of me, leaving a hollow weight in my chest that would not go away. My thoughts filled with the words Selene had just uttered. Pregnant? She's pregnant? My mate… is pregnant. Was it mine? No. That was a stupid question. Of course it was. Unless…. A twisted thought snuck in…unless Tibet…. No. No, no, no. My hands curled into fists and I slammed one of them down on the table, rattling
TRISTAN“You want to know how much I know?” Tibet snapped, his hands curled into fists. “Enough to see you’re so far in your own damn head you can’t see that she’s dying inside. How do you even think about sending her away after everything she's been through? I can’t count how many times you’ve accused me of wanting Selene when all I've ever wanted was to see both of you happy together, and I’ve swallowed it every time because I thought you were hurting, and I thought it would pass. But this?”He shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Maybe I should have her for myself since it’s obvious you don’t want her anymore.”My blood ran cold, but Tibet continued talking, not soaring me a glance.“After all,” he added, “you never had a mating ceremony, did you?”His words hit me harder than I expected, and my hands were trembling with anger, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin.“You ever say that again…” I growled, but before either of us could say or do something we would never be able t