Alethea
I keep running, my mind racing with questions. What’s happening? Why did Selena tell me to run? But then, I stop abruptly, with a heaving chest.
Why am I running just because Selena asked me to? I should be helping her, not fleeing.
My heart pounds loudly in my chest, and I realize I’ve put quite some distance between us.
Suddenly, a loud rumble shakes the ground beneath me. The earth trembles and the sound of bones cracking is followed by a powerful howl that sends chills down my spine.
What was that? My curiosity outweighs my fear, and I cautiously turn back, making my way toward the source of the noise.
As I approach, my eyes widen in shock.
Before me stands a massive silver wolf, its fur shimmering in the dim light, its eyes fierce and intense.
The wolf’s gaze locks onto mine, and for a moment, time seems to freeze. There’s something familiar about this creature, something that pulls at my very soul.
“Selena,” I whisper, the realization dawning on me. I may not know everything about werewolves, but I remember reading about a rare breed.
The Argenta, the legendary silver wolves. If my instincts are right, then this wolf is one of them, and it’s none other than Selena herself.
It’s said to possess extraordinary powers derived from the moon itself.
Argenta wolves have rapid healing abilities, making them immune to injuries and illnesses. They are resistant to extreme elements like fire, ice, and lightning.
But with their great power comes a curse. According to the stories we learned in school, their deep connection with the moon slowly drains their life force, leading to their decline.
Over time, the Argenta became nearly extinct, with only a few remaining, hidden from the werewolf community.
Selena, in her Argenta form, is fierce, but I notice a momentary distraction because she is staring at me.
Another werewolf, sensing her brief lapse, lunges at her. Selena moves swiftly, engaging in a fierce struggle with the attacker, using all her strength and agility.
A sudden, chilling howl pierces the air, and I freeze in fear as another wolf charges toward me.
My heart races and panic sets in. I don’t have a wolf to defend myself.
What was I thinking, coming back to fight? Selena had explicitly told me to run, yet here I am, vulnerable and unprepared.
I know I can’t be a coward, but now I realize the gravity of my mistake.
Selena is locked in her battle, and I’ve put myself in grave danger by not heeding her warning.
I think about my son, my heart aching with the thought of never seeing him again.
Goddess, I wonder if this is how it ends-my life snuffed out in an instant.
No more time to see my son grow, no chance at finding love again, no opportunity to live my life fully.
The thought of never holding him again, never hearing his laughter, it’s suffocating.
I silently beg the Moon Goddess to protect him, to keep him safe, and to somehow connect him back to his father.
I pray for peace in my heart, a small comfort as I prepare myself for what feels like my end.
Just as the wolf charges at me with a final, deadly blow, my breath halts.
A huge, dark grey wolf leaps through the air, its jaws snapping and locking onto the attacking wolf’s neck.
They struggle fiercely, the ground shaking beneath their powerful movements.
I stumble backward, wide-eyed in disbelief as I watch Selena’s wolf finish off the wolf she was fighting earlier.
Her opponent lies lifeless on the ground. But there’s no time to process the scene fully because I see the new fight unfolding-the grey wolf and its adversary in a tense, cautious struggle.
My heart skips a beat as I realize this wolf isn’t just any regular wolf. It’s careful, calculated in its movements, and more than capable.
For a moment, I hesitate, confused. Then I realize this grey wolf is different. It’s protecting me.
The grey wolf isn’t Asher’s wolf. I know that for sure-Asher’s wolf is black with striking green eyes, a powerful and unmistakable presence.
But this wolf, the one fighting to protect me, is different. I can feel it.
Suddenly, the grey wolf shifts, and I feel my heart stop.
I can hardly believe my eyes when I see who it is. My father. It’s him. My father, after all these years of being absent, is standing before me.
The shock crashes over me like a tidal wave. What is he doing here? Why now? Why has he come back to save me?
As I process the sight, the other wolf shifts too. My father doesn’t waste any time.
With a swift movement, he knocks the other wolf out cold. I blink in disbelief, the pieces falling into place in my mind.
My father didn’t want to fight the wolf as a wolf; he wanted him to shift, to reveal the human behind the beast.
I turn my attention back to Selena’s wolf. She lets out a howl that echoes through the clearing.
With a loud thud, she snaps the life out of the wolf she was fighting.
Her eyes glow with satisfaction, her purring vibrating through the air.
I watch in awe as Selena’s wolf, now calm, approaches my father. Her tail wags happily as she closes the distance between them.
My father bends down, scooping Selena’s wolf in a low gesture of affection. She leans into his touch, her fur soft under his hand.
And then, she licks his face. It’s an intimate moment, one I never thought I would witness.
My father laughs, it’s so full of joy and lightness that it makes my heart ache. It’s a laugh I haven’t heard in years.
Then I realized that all this time, I thought Selena had rejected my father. But it’s clear now-her rejection was never truly broken.
The connection between them is still strong. There’s a bond here, one that has survived the years and whatever distance came between them. The sight of it is beautiful but, at the same time, bittersweet.
And I can’t help but feel a strange mix of awe and sadness. I never imagined seeing my father, let alone seeing him so vulnerable, so genuine with Selena.
But there it is. This is the reality of their bond, and somehow, I feel like I’ve just witnessed something incredibly precious.
My father and Selena, locked in their private moment, bring me back to my reality with Asher.
It’s like a mirror, reflecting all the confusion and longing I’ve been feeling.
I watch as my father brings Selena’s wolf closer, cradling her as if he’s afraid she’ll slip away.
His hold is tight, protective, I shake my head, remembering my feelings for Asher, how deeply I’ve felt connected to him despite everything, and how complicated it all seems.
I see my father’s lips move toward Selena’s wolf’s ear, and he whispers something.
Selena’s wolf, despite her usual fierceness, leans in as if she understands.
My father chuckles, followed by a deep, genuine laugh that I’ve never heard from him before.
Suddenly, Selena shifts, and she stands before my father.
Their eyes lock, and for a moment, everything around me fades away.
It’s just them, caught in the unspoken connection that I know too well. It’s the pull of the fated mate bond, the kind that makes everything else seem insignificant.
My chest tightens as I watch them in awe. I’ve felt this before, the ache of loving someone who you can never fully be with, the overwhelming frustration of a bond that seems so close, yet so impossible to reach.
And then, without warning, my father moves with precision, his lips pressing against Selena’s.
She freezes for a moment, caught off guard, but then she surrenders to the kiss, matching his intensity.
The connection between them is undeniable. I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or scream.
The sight of my father and mother being so intimate, so vulnerable with each other, is almost too much to process.
They can never truly be together, though. My father has a wife and daughters, and just like that, I’m reminded of Asher’s situation. He has Maya.
The two of them lose themselves in the kiss, caught in the moment as if nothing else matters. But the spell is suddenly broken.
The wolf that my father had knocked out, the one who was lying lifeless moments ago, stirs. Slowly, it rises, and I watch in horror as it pulls a silver blade from its side and starts heading toward me.
My breath catches in my throat. Panic floods my system. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest, I can barely hear anything else. I’m not prepared. I don’t have the strength to defend myself.
“Mum! Dad!” I scream, the words tearing from my throat like a banshee’s wail. Just then, Selena did something that made my eyes widen in shock.