🖤 🖤

Waking up the following day, I knew I needed to get more answers from Destiny.

At this point, she was the only person who I could confide in about all this. I still didn't want Klayton to be involved unless it was absolutely necessary.

I tried to ignore all the stares and whispers coming from the pack house after I had left my room; the one Klayton specifically told me not to leave. All I could hear were faint voices saying "Luna," and "Is that her?"

I had been here a couple of times since I found out everything, but people still weren't used to my presence. I recognized a few people from school I hadn't realized were apart of this pack, or werewolves in general. The girl named Maya I had sat next to in class sends me a sweet smile as I pass by the kitchen. I see she is sitting delicately next to Holden at the long dinner table, a man I had met closer to when I had first moved to Myersdale.

All werewolves.

The noise that had commenced as I was walking around suddenly stopped once I joined the lively table. People who had been talking and eating suddenly halted their movements, and I literally heard someone drop their fork. I place the bowl I had grabbed from a kitchen cupboard on the table, peering around as I reach for a box of cereal in front of me. A youthful-looking girl beside me is staring at me with hide eyes, a spoon halfway in her mouth.

Suddenly a booming voice enters the disturbingly quiet dining room area we all sit in.

"Why is everyone so quiet?"

I beam as I notice a sweaty and shirtless Isaac strut in, almost as if he owns the place. His lopsided grin is one I welcome as I start to eat the cereal in my bowl, completely unbothered. The room instantly continues on to their lively conversations, although I see a few people still stealing glances towards me.

Not a minute passes before Klayton is walking in, equally as sweaty and shirtless. I gulp. I tried my best to not look at the sheen of sweat that was covering his abs and muscular arms.

I really tried.

His dark eyes immediately shoot to me, as if he could feel my eyes hungrily taking all of him in. A smirk is plastered on his face and with hooded eyes, once he reaches me, he leans down and seals a kiss onto my lips.

The people around watch the scene before them, happily chirping on as they know their Alpha has found his mate.

If only they knew everything that was going on.

If only they knew our bond has been tampered with.

By their Moon Goddess; the entity they pray to, the one they praise to heavens above.

If only they knew.

I blush fervently under their scrutinizing stares, Klayton notices and shoots a growl in their directions. I watch as they quickly continue on and pretend nothing even happened just moments prior.

"How did you sleep last night?" Klayton asks as he slightly nuzzles my neck, inhaling. I shudder at the feeling and he places a quick peck onto the part of my shoulder that meets my neck.

"Probably would have been better if you had joined me..." I whisper back to him. I see a few heads around the table sneak some glances as the words came out of my mouth.

Right.... exceptional werewolf hearing.

Klayton chuckles and grabs my hand as I finish my cereal. "Let's get out of here," he says to me.

~

Klayton emerges from the shower that was inside of his house. It was the first time I've ever been here and was within a decent walking distance of the pack house.

Upon meeting Lenna the first time, her voice echos in my mind. Everything is within walking distance in Myersdale.

She wasn't wrong.

Of course, like all things that have to do with Klayton, his house was perfect. It suited him very well, the dark navy hues inside matching his personality exceptionally. He gave me a quick rundown of the essentials; the kitchen, bathroom and his bedroom.

He included the tour of his bedroom quite cheekily, minor blushing contouring the outskirts of his sharp facial features.

I focus my attention back onto the God currently walking around shirtless in his room, a towel wrapped loosely and hung low on his hips. I begin to follow the abdominal muscles on his stomach that trail all the way to his v-line on his hips before I allow myself to break eye contact.

I silently chastise myself, although I know Klayton basks in the feeling of his mate eagerly taking him all in. Now wasn't the time to think or act on such naughty thoughts though.

"What are your plans for the day?" He asks me as he turns into his walk-in closet— only closing the door slightly. I watch with eager eyes as he drops his towel, however he knows I'm watching. My gaze catches a bare ass before I furiously blush and face the other way.

"Ummm," I shake the youthful, high-pitched voice that threatens to exit my mouth away. "I was thinking about hanging out with Lenna, y'know... going to try to catch up on some homework," The lie so easily comes out of my mouth that I'm almost surprised at the authenticity that rang throughout the words. Klayton hums in responses and finally emerges from changing in his closet.

"Well, as your teacher, I have to applaud you." He jokingly says to me as he comes to sit down on the couch inside his room, beside me. "I know you've been going through a hard time with everything in your life, and I just want you to know I'm here for you Adira. We may not have our mate bond figured out completely, but we will find a way to make it work. I'll do everything in my power to fix this," he assures me, taking my hand and enveloping it in his.

I have a plan... I'll be the one to fix this for us Klayton.

The words almost came out of the tip of my tongue, although I held it in. It was too soon to worry Klayton about everything going on. My plan for today was to find Destiny and talk to her about some of the missing pieces I need, and I'm sincerely hoping and praying that Klayton won't find out I had lied about studying with Lenna. The last thing I need on my plate at the moment was for a furious Alpha hot on my tail.

~

I made my way back over to Theia's gravestone, knowing exactly where to go. I felt this was one of the safest places to meet Destiny, as this place had a creep factor of one-hundred-percent and was usually deserted. I stand beside her grave, silently staring at the chunk of rock that has her named engraved within it.

It's pretty crazy how an entity so strong — a Goddess of the Sun— was dead. And here I was, once again, standing above her through a few feet. I shudder at the feeling, a dread encompassing me as I think about the horrible things that Artemis has done to keep her power.

The things she's still willing to do.

The sound of leaves crunching behind me disturbed my train of thought and I turn around, not at all surprised or startled in any way to see Destiny. This is why I came here.

As usual, she's dressed in all black. The only difference this time is she is holding a bouquet of flowers in her right hand; the yellow flowers a stark contrast to her usual fully dark attire.

"Sunflowers," she says to me as I observe her. "They were Theia's favourite. Something about how they would always open up when facing the sun," a light and airy chuckle escapes her.

"That's beautiful," I murmur as I watch Destiny delicately place the flowers onto the ground in front of her sisters grave.

"So I suppose you've come to discuss how to collect certain missing pieces of the Goddess' soul?"

Straight to the point— I knew I always liked her.

"Yes," I tell her. "And more specifically, I have an idea of where to start. I don't want to sound crazy but..."

"But...?"

"I think that the first piece is with Artemis' child," I say to her, uncertainty and doubt thickly resonating in my voice. "It's hard to believe she could ever be a mother."

"Adira, you are an heir after all. Of course, Artemis has children, although you're right... I hardly consider her a mother. She had her daughter, Hana, killed when she reached an age where she could potentially overthrow Artemis."

"This is all so fucked," I growl in frustration. "So Artemis is a serial killer, clearly."

"She didn't kill her all by herself. She has had people been committing the crimes themselves, in sworn oaths to forever uphold any duty she assigns. Although, yeah, I agree it's super fucked up."

"So she has her own pets? People who stalk, prey and kill upon the innocents?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes. And they are after you as well Adira," Destiny tells me, a hard-line set within her face. This journey set forth was not a game. This was a life or death situation, and I was caught up in the middle of all of it. A stern look of determination befalls my face, and I look Destiny right in the eye with my chin up.

"Show me where she was buried."

~

"This?" I ask, a look of bewilderment clearly spread across my face as I assess what is in front of me right now. "Here?" I point.

Destiny nods solemnly and I continue to stare with my eyebrows furrowed. This location was definitely a difficult one to reach, and one I would have never guessed this is where one of my great-something grandmothers was laid to rest.

The two of us were currently standing beside a small lake, more-so like a pond. The water was a beautiful blue and crystal clear. It was so translucent I could see small schools of fish swimming together in large groups, unknowingly being watched.

"B-but where?" I sputter out, still in a confused and dazed state of mind. The pond was just on the outskirts of Myersdale, not too far from the cemetery as well, and I'm getting the feeling that all of the missing pieces that Theia had scattered around didn't go very far.

"Right in the middle."

"You've joke to be joking," I tell her with my jaw-dropping. "How did she even get there?"

"Artemis has her ways to deal with these types of things. I never told you this was going to be easy, but it must be done, for the greater good."

And with those last couple of words, Destiny shoves me into the pond. A shortly lived scream exits my mouth before it fills up with water. I quickly use my arms and legs to swim back up to the surface, bobbing and looking around frantically for Destiny to give her a piece of my mind.

She was gone.

"Destiny!" I scream. "How will I know? What do I do?!"

There is no reply back. Water is dripping from my hair into my face and I use one of my hands to sleek my hair back. Begrudgingly, I begin to swim to the middle of the pond where Destiny claims one of my ancestors — Hana — is laid to rest.

Rest In Peace...

As I finally make my way to the middle, arms burning and legs kicking, I feel a sudden warmth beneath me. It enthralled me, pulling me in and drawing me in closer. I hold my breath and close my eyes, deciding to take the plunge.

I feel the warmth pulling me farther and farther down, deeper into the water of the pond. My lungs didn't burn much from the lack of oxygen— like there was something protecting me. I decide to open my eyes and all I see is dark water surrounding me. The middle of the pond had to be the deepest, as I could clearly see the through the water before I had been shoved in.

Bracing my hands out in front of me, I quickly find the sandy bottom. I take no time before I instinctively begin scraping my nails into the mud, pulling chunk after chunk out of the earth. I hardly recognize my speed as I feel almost compelled to dig through this part of the pond before I feel myself hit something hard.