NOT THE AFTERLIFE

I turned, ready to see the Moon Goddess herself.

But it was worse.

My mother was smiling at me a gesture I hadn’t seen on her face for all the nineteen years I had lived.

You’d think, okay, it couldn’t get weirder than this. But then Beta Alaric walked in, his suit polished, his hair combed, and some kind of gleam in his eyes. Eyes that looked just like mine.

Behind him stood his favorite son.

Thorn towered at an imposing six foot eight, making everyone in the hall look small. But he was also… different.

Thorn was normally lean, not because he was born that way but because he was too lazy to build up any muscle at all. But now? He was muscular I could see his muscle through the coat.

Conclusion? This wasn’t my family.

“Iris, you’re finally up!” my mother squealed, practically skipping toward me and Lily.

“I… I…” I wasn’t sure what to say.

This was the same woman who once slapped me just for standing in front of her in the morning. Apparently, seeing me first thing in the morning made her day bad.

“Mum, it’s still so early. Why are you guys here?” Lily asked, like she already knew I was confused.

“It’s not that early. Besides, I missed my daughter. It’s been a week already.” She looked at me like a flower had sprouted on the top of my head.

Naturally, I touched the top of my head to make sure.

With everything I was witnessing today, I wouldn’t have been surprised if there actually was one.

“What are you doing?” Father asked.

“Huh…” I followed his gaze and realized I was still touching my head.

I quickly dropped my hand. I lowered my eyes to the ground, a familiar shiver running down my spine at the sound of his voice. “A… am sorry, Father.”

He was always the one to correct me. I was never to look up when he spoke. Never to eat at the table when he was mad. Never to cut my hair, because it wasn’t mine to begin with. Always thank him for everything, because he was doing me a favor by keeping me. This man had made me look and sound so pathetic and worthless that I had started to believe it myself.

I heard his steps approaching. He raised my chin so that I looked up at him. I flinched at his touch, half-expecting him to hit me—to correct me.

But he smiled. A warm smile that could not possibly belong to this man. He looked into my eyes. “My dear child, even though I am your father, you should know that a Luna never bows to anyone. And most especially not the Luna of Arcadia.”

“Luna?”

“Yes, Luna. Why are you acting surprised?” Thorn asked in a weirdly calm voice. I shook my head, then burst into laughter.

I laughed until my stomach hurt and tears rolled down my cheeks. “Really… what is this supposed to mean, huh?” I asked, looking up. I’m sure she can hear me.

“What am I supposed to do with this? Are you telling me they all died, or am I just being played with? Because if that’s the case, this isn’t funny!”

I didn’t know how long I’d been looking up and ranting, but when I looked back down my head throbbed, and everyone was staring at me like I’d lost my mind.

“What?” I snapped, already pissed off by this so-called paradise.

These people weren’t even real, and I was starting to wonder how long I’d have to stay here.

Lily quickly grabbed my arm. “Iris, are you okay? You look flustered.” She dabbed a handkerchief on my forehead.

“Ahh, maybe it’s that time of the month again,” Mother said.

They all nodded in agreement. If they meant the time I go crazy or die, then yes, it was that time of the month.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned,” Mother said, leaning in to grab me. I quickly moved out of her reach.

“Cleaned? Are you kidding me?”

“Mum, that is her Lykora’s job, not yours,” Lily stated matter-of-factly.

My eyes widened. Lykora?

Did they mean the two handsome, absolutely unreal guys I had left in the other room? They were going to bathe me? No... clean me? I quickly wrapped my arms around myself.

What kind of perverted paradise was this? The Goddess must’ve had something going on up there.

“No!” I squealed, arms out defensively, startling everyone.

“No one is going to CLEAN ME.” I straightened my robe. “I am a grown woman and I can do it myself.”

Everyone looked at me like I’d just announced the moon was yellow.

Then they started laughing. Not a half-hearted chuckle but a genuinely amused laugh.

What part of what I said was funny, though?

“So… sorry, Iris. Of course we know you’re a grown woman and can do it yourself. But the thing is… you don’t have to,” Lily explained, like I’d understand better if she carved it into stone.

“That is what being a Luna entails,” Mother added with an achieving smile. “Or raise a finger. Your Lykora will do it for you,” Lily said.

I felt like I was in Spanish class all over again. Oh, how I did not miss the wicked smile of Miss Britle and her nagging.

“But I can bathe myself.”

“But you don’t have to.” Lily shrugged. It felt like we were arguing over who got the last cookie again. And when the eldest should sacrifice for the younger one but Lily was never that kind of big sister.

“Fine, fine. But you all need to give me a minute. Let me process what’s happening.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I could feel their eyes boring into my skin.

Why was I here? Paradise was supposed to be a small place beyond the moon where houses were made of stars, clouds made up the carpets and furniture, and everything was perfect.

Wait! If my whole family was here, then this couldn’t be paradise. Which meant… My eyes flew open.

No.

This wasn’t the afterlife.

“Iris, are you okay?” Father asked, his tone worried. Okay? I was in freaking hell.

“Why do you act like you care?” If I was going to perish, I might as well ask, right?

“Because you are Luna. My beloved child. Naturally, I should care.”

“And we all do,” Mother added. I looked at him, then at her, then at all of them.

“How the hell am I your Luna?” They exchanged stunned looks.

“You are the Luna of Arcadia. Naturally, ours too,” Mother explained.

I stiffened. Luna of Arcadia? What does that mean? Then who is the Alpha? My breath hitched.

I quickly stepped back. If I was Luna… then… no, no, no… I felt it again the snap. My body grew heavy.

Tears burned behind my closed eyelids, begging to be released.

I didn’t want to remember.

Not now. Not ever.

My knees weakened.

“Please…”