The Goddess in the Trees

The bond burned to life beneath my skin.

The rejection scared every tether that tried to pull me back to him.

Somewhere deep in the woods, beneath the moon that had damned us both, my rage finally found its voice.

“Neoma,” I cried to my wolf as I ran, my feet thundering against the forest floor as I called to her, begging her to save me from this pain in my chest.

“Violet, I’m here.” Her words were like a glistening snowflake hitting the sun, a rainbow of light breaking through the chaos in my mind.

“I can’t shift.” I cried at her.

“I know. The severance of the bond fractured our connection. You must go back and accept it; you didn’t accept the prick's rejection.” She snarled, her voice in my mind quieter than usual.

“I can’t,” I fell against a tree, another sob shaking my body.

I didn’t understand these feelings; I didn’t like Neal. He always made me feel uncomfortable. My whole body rejected being near him, so why was I hurting so much over something I would be happy about if I were in my right mind?

“Your hurt, your pain, it's mine more than yours. The loss of my mate, our mate… it shouldn’t happen like this, Violet.” Neoma spoke, her voice quieter as I felt her curl in on herself and sleep.

I didn’t want her to leave me, I didn’t want to be alone, but I understood her urgency for rest. I felt that same overwhelming urge to sleep, but knew I had to keep going. I knew we needed shelter, safety, somewhere to sleep this off until we could think clearly.

When the blisters on my feet had burst, and new ones had formed, I stopped.

Hunching over a stream, I drank greedily, pulling mouthfuls of water in until the dry ache in my throat became bearable.

Just as I readied myself to stand, the call of other voices crept up on me, filling my ears and lungs with a panic all new to the one I had let consume me for the hours that I had run.

I had no idea what territory I was in, or if I was in anyone’s territory at all.

The thought of being in the badlands, the rogue territory, sent a shiver up my spine.

“Hide!” Neoma’s fear vibrated through me, raising every hair on my body as I scrambled for my footing.

With a thud I was sure the strangers would hear, I fumbled, tripping over my foot, falling through the end of a hollowed oak. I crawled inside, waiting for the sounds of their voices to pass, but I never heard them again…

Had I imagined it?

No… Neoma sensed them too.

But they were gone, so I crawled from the oak, bloody and raw, knowing that if I didn’t learn to survive here, I would die here.

“Shelter, now. I won’t fall asleep again.” Neoma snarled. I could nearly feel her hackles raised beneath my sweaty palms.

Every step I took sent knives through my aching feet. I could have sobbed.

Eventually, a rocky outcropping rose before me, one covered by moss and vine. I crawled inside, curling in on myself, using the massive skirt of my dress for cover. I settled and let the pain, fear, and exhaustion war against itself until sleep took over.

“Violet,” I heard my name like a whisper on the trees, though I couldn’t open my eyes. It was like everything that had happened tonight, it was all too much for me, too much for my body.

“Come, child. Wake up now.” I heard the voice again, and suddenly, it dawned on me that I was not alone.

I woke with a shudder; the chill of a crisp breeze nipped at my bare skin.

Then, I realized, somehow, I wasn’t inside the outcropping anymore, but in a field beneath the night sky.

Frantically, I looked around for whatever creature had called out my name and nearly folded in on myself when no one could be seen.

“Up here,” a melodic voice called, pulling my attention into the trees.

On a branch as thick as could be, perched a woman. She was lovely, magical, scary as hell.

“Who are you?” I asked, but she only smiled.

“I made a mistake pairing you with Neal, Violet. I know that now. But I need your help to correct that mistake. I need you to get stronger. I need you to learn to fight and to hunt, to be a force to be reckoned with, and then and only then, I need you to go back and accept the rejection,” I nearly puked in the tall grass when I realized I was before my goddess. Instead, I laughed. It was a giant, hearty sound that made her turn her head sideways like a curious child.

“Is something funny?” She asked.

I could see the curiosity, the wonder dancing in her eyes.

“I have been trained my entire life to be the perfect mate, not a warrior. I have no idea how to wield weapons or protect myself during a fight.” I told her the obvious truth sitting between us.

“Yes, but you have also read every book your libraries have to offer, and I know several of them were on those exact things.” She had me there, I had read books on most topics, but reading them and applying them were vastly different.

“I don’t even know how I’m going to survive the night, never mind become this warrior beast you speak of goddess. Please… there must be another way.” I begged, bowing deeply, hoping she understood that what she asked of me was impossible.

“No, child. There is no other way than this one.” She said quickly before her long silver hair, her icy gaze, and her star-filled gown disappeared into the night, and I woke in the same bed of moss I had fallen asleep in, chilled to the bone from the night air.

“We start at dawn,” was all Neoma said before sleep claimed me once again.