Ezra
I woke up coughing on dust. The crushing weight lifts, and I shake my head, trying to remember what happened. Mateo groans, clutching his chest, yet my eyes are on the oval as everyone sits up. Their loved ones stare in shock.
“What happened?” Mateo asks while Maddox stirs within me frantically. Ares growls within Mateo, making my eyes dart to him before a guttural scream tears from him.
I think he is hurt, until I recognize his screams of anguish and what they mean. Only now do I notice what he is staring at behind me on the grass. She is covered in dust. Maddox howls in agony. My own scream at the reality of her death matches the agony of Maddox’s howl as I reach for her, jerking her to me. Mateo wails inconsolably as he clutches his hair, rocking back and forth.
“Kitty,” Maddox sobs in my head. I sink my teeth into her neck, hoping I could take it from her, somehow take it all back, but nothing. The light in her gold eyes is dimmed, a smile on her lips even in her death. Her eyes peer up lifelessly. My heart shatters like glass, bursting within my chest into a million sharp shards, tearing me to pieces as I clutch her to me.
“Kat?” Derrick whispers, collapsing in front of me. I look up at him and see how crushed he is before noticing hundreds of people surrounding us. Andrei, drenched in blood, collapses beside his father. His eyes are on Kat in my arms, my hands are tangled in her hair, her body completely limp as Mateo leans into me. Through our bond, I feel nothing, he is dead inside as he stares blankly ahead.
Alpha Nicholas comes forward through the crowd, stopping dead in his tracks when he spots her. I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. I keep praying this is a sick nightmare I am stuck in, and I just need to wake up from it.
Inside, I’m hollow, a part of me is torn away. Andrei pulls his father to him as his entire body is wracked with sobs.
Everything falls silent, and nobody moves. Everyone is aware of the sacrifice she just made for all of them. She died for all of us.
“She forgave me! How is it that a mere mortal of a wolf thinks she can forgive me?” A feminine voice snorts, ringing clearly through the silence. Crackling laughter echoes around us and I growl. How anyone could be laughing when she gave her life for so many infuriates me.
Everyone peers around, trying to find the source before they look behind me, and I turn to see what they are looking at. A woman walks toward us. She has long blonde hair flowing to the back of her knees, her white gown flows to the ground yet is untouched by the debris and blood that stains the earth. The authority oozes off her in waves, and her aura is so strong it makes me want to bare my neck to her.
Mateo growls, and she waves her hand dismissively at him. “Calm down, Mateo Calder. You should know better than to get on the bad side of a Goddess. Hasn’t Kat taught you anything?” she scolds, her chin held high as if nothing could touch her.
She might be beautiful, but she is the reason my mate was dead. I growl, standing up with Kat still in my arms.
“I came to offer my condolences, but I can’t get over her apologizing and forgiving me,” she muses with another laugh.
She is baffled, and I have no idea what she is talking about, but it seems almost as if she is insulted.
Seline mutters something and giggles. “I always liked Katya, she was different, so much more-”
“You killed her,” I growl, cutting her off.
“No, she paid the price, though I was hoping it wasn’t with her life. Her love for both of you and her people was far stronger than I thought. She truly was a selfless girl. However, she always believed she was never good enough, not fit to be Luna, and lacked the confidence of who she truly is.”
She pauses, and steps closer. I want her blood, to tear her to pieces for what she did, but I couldn’t move, only observe.
“Though I admit watching her grow up, I always felt bad about her being cursed and blessed. I knew she would break the curse, and she did the moment she accepted you both.”
“If she broke it, why is she dead?” Mateo yells at her, his anger bubbling over.
The Moon Goddess seems unfazed, raising an eyebrow at him before touching her chin with her finger, studying Kat like she is puzzling out some hard maths equation. My anger reaches a boiling point, did she come just to gloat that she killed my mate?
“No, I came to help,” she answers, reading my thoughts.
Her eyes dart to mine, and I take a step away. Her eyes pierce into me like she could see the darkest parts of my soul. “You came to help?” I ask, incredulous.
“Well, I have a bit of a soft spot for her, and Kora will never let me live it down. That incessant whining pup of mine.” The Moon Goddess clicks her tongue. “I was nearly tempted to give her back just to shut her up,” The Moon Goddess muses, making me think of when Kat asked for a refund when Kora came to her.
Maddox feels quite smug about his mate annoying the Moon Goddess.
“How?” I ask.
“How indeed? I have never wanted to fiddle with a fate like this, never felt anyone deserved it more than she does. But most of all, she forgave me. Can you believe that? She forgave me, it sounds absurd.” she says it like it is some unbelievable thing.
Did the Moon Goddess really think this wasn’t her fault?
“It isn’t my fault, I never asked for Marabella to curse me out. I had to set an example, show them the hardships.”
I scoff at her words. “So you cursed her entire bloodline because Marabella wasn’t enough?”
She looks at Kat again, her lips pursing thoughtfully, and if I didn’t know any better, I would think she actually felt guilt only because Kat apologized to her and forgave her. I look around and find everyone on their knees in worship, before realizing Mateo and I are the only ones still standing.
“She was meant to decide between Mateo and you, but instead she chose death, and now I can’t bring her back without a price. She could have lived happily enough without one of you because she would have had her kids, but she ruined it. Foolish girl making things harder on me.” Seline scolds.