A few hours before departure…
“Dominixe.”
I halted on my steps upon hearing the voice of Luna Queen Rachelle, who was waiting for me in the pavilion since she insisted that we needed to talk. I wasn’t planning to ask for everything, but there was this nagging feeling that I wanted to know everything. Hearing her voice made my heart go wild, coercing my body to face her straight.
I couldn’t help eyeing her up and down, secretly wondering how she became my… sister-or another half-sister, but this time, from my mother’s side, who was the Moon Goddess.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” Lifting my skirt and folding my knees halfway, I ensured I remained formal between us.
“Please. Drop the formalities. Just call me Rachelle.” Her tone, which was neither soft nor firm, was enough to insist on a friendly approach just as she took my hand, gently squeezing them. “And I am your older sister as well.”
Lowering my gaze on her hand on mine, I noticed the dazzling red-carat diamond on her left hand, which I assumed was her wedding ring, an heirloom from the Alexander lycan family. It surprised me how her hand was supposed to be soft and velvety, but the surface was thick and rubbery.
It was a sign that she held her sword countless times. Fascinating…
“I know you must be wondering how your father became one of Mother’s mates, Dameta.” Her downward gaze, with her lips curling up, clenched my heart. “And I know that you still need time to comprehend everything, especially since you are one of the daughters of the Moon Goddess like me.”
My insides leaped, eyes fidgeting from left to right. “Yes…” I muttered. “I… I still cannot believe that I am Her daughter… I mean, Papa did not mention it to me, or it must be because he does not want to talk about Her…” Biting my lower lip, I couldn’t help exhaling this heavy breath hiding in my lungs.
It was suffocating yet… unbearable.
Rachelle ushered us to sit at the tread, jittering with the marble materials. Her action caught me off guard since she did not even care about sitting on one of the benches.
Perhaps, because for someone who had been in the military and experienced sleeping on the cold ground during war and training, Rachelle did not mind if her dress would get dirty or not.
Rachelle looked gorgeous in her bluish half-alter dress and even in her military uniform whenever she could wear it.
“You can ask Mother about the reason since I also do not know what could have been why your father is not telling you about it.” She gazed up at the cloudy sky. “I also did not know that I am Her daughter before, Dominixe. I was adopted by an Alpha, Luna, and their son in their pack, who became my family.” She heaved out a sigh, imprinting a nostalgic gaze on me. “I only learned who I was as Ragriel, the Goddess of Mate Bond, when I met my father in the rogue war a few years ago.”
I creased my forehead. “Your father?” I parroted. “How?”
“Remember Magnius Lothim?”
Just a mere mention of that name had my spine stretched up. “I-Isn’t he the leader of the rogues in your days of the rogue war?” I asked, staring intently at her, urging for her answer. When she nodded, the atmosphere thickened with a deafening silence, wide-eyed. “H-He is your father?” I swallowed a gasp at my conclusion when she nodded again. “Wow… I cannot believe that…”
“Right?” Chuckling, her knees flocked together while her fingers drummed on them. “You were not the only one with disarray in a father-daughter relationship.” She shrugged.
My lips pursed into a thin line, unable to think of a word. My hands which kept fiddling and sweating profusely, distracted me a little before I met her ocean-blue eyes. “Why did She abandon us, Rachelle?” Finally, I was able to say her name without honorifics. “If She is our mother, why must she abandon us with our fathers?”
I had so many questions in my head right now. I needed to codify them and specify their pinnacle. That way, I could gradually understand everything.
“Hmm…” Humming, she stroked her chin. “Good question.” Her eyes were sauntering the soft, lush grass dancing with the breeze while the birds chirping filled the reverberating silence. “Since Mother is the primordial celestial being and created this mundane realm, She has been observing the mortals. Out of nowhere, She just thought of searching for Her mates by disguising Herself as human-like and wandering around until She was pregnant; that began with the rest of our sisters and me. Thus, the prophecy of the birth of the spirit goddesses has been passed down to the generations of the royal lycan family and the authoritative members of the divine temples.”
More questions bloomed like a morning glory at dawn. My eyes shifted from the ground to the ring Valerian had bestowed on me.
I was still having doubts about believing in this, but Henry had already informed me about this prophecy and its mission of them.
“Ah, yes, indeed!” she exclaimed. “We were born to be the witnesses of Mother’s creation. We are bound to experience hardships and challenges of this realm as well as happiness.”
“You mean we must experience different emotions while living here in this realm before we shall return to the celestial realm?” I wasn’t certain if I was right, but that was the first thing that entered in my mind.
Her feet raised as she stretched her hands, moaning a little. “Indeed. Then, once we can fulfill our mission, we will aid Mother by Her side in the celestial realm and be served as the spirit goddesses once She unravels our existence in this world.” Her feet pointed like a ballerina, preparing to perform in a dance recital while her hands sheathed behind her, fixating her gaze on me. “And each of us has a specific ability. Do you know that?”
I nodded. “Henry already told me about the prophecy.”
“Alright. Then, you already know the surface of it. That is a relief.” She clapped her hands, clasping her fingers together. “Now, for the crucial part…” she paused and fished out something from the pocket of her dress. “Here.”
I fluttered my eyelids, eyeing the rectangular box. “W-What is this?” My mind went haywire just by seeing this box. I could feel the chapped exterior made from a tree as if polishing a newly wooden item. How I grazed my fingertips on it was enough to unable to shake how loud the roaring of my heart was.
“Open it, sister.” Rachelle’s eyes twinkled like those glittery prisms in the ocean when the sunlight beamed on them.
Nodding, I slowly opened it, gasping when I was greeted by a dazzling circular-shaped of purple necklace with freckle gold dust like they were some stellar remnants being caged inside of it. Beside it was a crescent moon shape that was made of platinum. “What a majestic necklace…” I said dreamily. “It’s like I am seeing the stars up close here!” I felt ticklish when I looked at Rachelle, who was smiling gently.
“That is your galaxy moon necklace, Dominixe. And purple is the color since Mother said that is your favorite color.”
I gasped. “S-She knew my favorite color?” Only Valerian and Ingram knew that was my favorite color, I wanted to add.
“Of course! I have mine, too, but in sherbet pink.” She showed her necklace, which was glinting under the sunlight. “And our necklaces glow in the dark!” She winked at me. “That is Mother’s gift I need to bestow on my sisters. I hope you like it.”
“I… I love it!” I caressed it and felt this jilting feeling. “I feel like… this necklace is calling me…” I couldn’t help uttering.
“Well, because that necklace is meant for you, my dear sister.” I jumped in my seat when she sat beside me, clinging to my arm. “Once you are ready to communicate with Mother, you can be transported to the celestial realm. You can ask Her anything. And mind you, the time there is sluggish. If you stay there for more than one minute, you have already spent one hour in the mundane realm.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
Rachelle nodded and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Mother will patiently waiting for your reunion with Her, Dameta.” I felt chills down my spine when she called me on my other name. “By then, I hope you can develop your abilities as the Goddess of Time. It is essential that you need your abilities to bring down your father. As well as your fighting skills.” She heaved out a breath. “And please, do not dare to repeat what your other self did to go on another dimension if things have gone unfavorable. Yes, you can turn back time whenever you wish, but you must utilize it properly and not exploit it in bad faith.” She pierced her eyes on me. “I am serious, Dameta. And I believe Mother shall say the same thing, so you shall heed my warning.”
“Um…” Shit! I couldn’t bark a word. How must I suppose to say that was impossible? Or would it be possible for me to defy the laws of nature as my other self did? “Y-Yes.”
“Great!” Rachelle stood up, placing her hands on her hips. “Tell me if you wish to rekindle your mate bond with Valerian. I can help you with ease. I am the Goddess of Mate Bond, after all,” she said boastfully. She even crossed her arms over her chest, smiling from ear to ear.
I cackled out of nowhere. It dissipated the inconvenience I felt seeing how she was trying to cheer me up. “I did not know that my older sister is pretty hilarious.”
“Yes, praise me, sister! Go on!”
I rolled my eyes, noticing her head growing more significant from my compliment. “I heard that you are good at skipping some of your duties and worrying Alpha King Claudian by disappearing out of nowhere.”
She gasped, looking at me in disbelief. “I did not! Where did you hear that?”
I smiled sheepishly. “Well, I heard how he teased you back in the Luna Queen’s garden a night ago.” Rachelle’s lips elongated like a duck’s beak. “Well, it’s true then?” I teased.
“I just do not like paperwork, no! That is all!” She huffed. “I’d rather be on the battlefield than working my ass in the chair all day. Hmph!”
A hearty laugh was unleashed from me. I couldn’t believe that this woman was my older sister. I thought that she was a well-behaved one, but I was wrong.
But she looked so incredible, having that carefree personality. Even though she skipped her duties, it looked like it did not cause an issue with Alpha King Claudian. It seemed like he understood her nature that he couldn’t keep her still in a room and only handle the affairs by signing here and there.
I could already imagine her distressed face…
“Oh! One more thing, sister.”
“Yes?” I slightly tilted my head, having my ears on her.
I expected she would try to crack a joke, but her face was resting straightly. My wolf and I was somehow startled at the way she was staring at me.
“I want you to watch over Demetrius.”
“Huh?” I blinked, bewildered.
Her eyes averted, seeing how they fidgeted for a moment before she darted her eyes on me again. “There is something ominous about him. I cannot fathom it, but… I want you to be careful whenever you are alone with him.”
“He looks harmless to me…” Or not.
She shrugged. “Just… assess him.”
With that, we were enveloped in an eerie silence while her words were engraved in my mind. I inhaled this soothing breeze that caressed my skin and exhaled this uneasy feeling.
Watch over Demetrius, huh…
Did she mean that Demetrius was a threat?
—-
Mystique Luna’s note:
If you are curious about Rachelle and Claude’s love story, search Rejecting to be His Luna Queen on this app.