62

Julianne's POV

I looked flustered by his questions and the expression on his face. He looks so serious for something I don't have an idea of, but I have to say something still because he saw everything that transpired out there…Geez, I am going to kill Nyx! I sat quietly, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. My mind was still swirling with questions I couldn't answer by myself

“Are you seriously asking me this?” I asked, trying to divert the question to another dimension with the hope he would forget about it or get tired and leave it.

“Julianne, I am more than angry at the incident that happened back there that would have got me killed if not for your…well, timely magical intervention,” he dragged the last words with an eye roll, emphasizing it.

“Seriously, to be honest here, Arthur, I also don't know what is going on,” I palmed my face and breathed deeply into it when he arched a disbelieving eyebrow at me.

“I was on my own here, walking to the office to meet you when she just came out of nowhere and started calling me the moon goddess. I have not heard of this in my entire lifetime; it looks so strange to me, and the more I try to deny it, the more complicated it becomes, and she won't listen and take no for an answer.” I explained breathlessly. “I couldn't understand it, and honestly, I didn’t know where to start looking for answers.”

He stared intently at me for a while and then his eyes widened, and his attention became more serious. “That reminds me, tell me about your kidnap and Loretta's rescue?” He demanded, his brain suddenly rebooting to something I had crossed my mind to keep secret for the rest of my life.

“It was that fateful day, the event unfolded. After Jeremy informed me you were calling me, I left Loretta'splace and was heading to your office when two people appeared who looked like a portal and dragged me into it. Nyx came in after a while and bowed to me, calling me the moon goddess...I was confused and lost on what she meant, it was then she told me the exact story she told you back in the field. I was shocked by the revelation and denied it. She got angry I refused to come take my place as the leader and so she decided to cage me in a silver cage. She walked out whilst I was screaming my head out. Soon, Loretta came and rescued me back to the park house, and since then, I escaped; she won't let me rest and breathe. She threatened to harm my loved ones, most especially Antonnia if I didn't agree to become the leader of the coven and lead them.” I narrated without pausing for a bit; Arthur stared incredulously at me; if there was another word apart from shock, then that is what Arthur feels now.

Arthur’s expression darkened. "And so this is the whole kidnap story? And Loretta's rescue? Is it true too?”

“It is true what I told you that day when you bumped into me on my way back to my room; we had just reappeared back to the pack.” I finally concluded.

Arthur frowned, clearly frustrated. "Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner, Julianne? You should’ve told me everything. We could’ve figured things out together.” He stared disappointedly at me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I didn’t know how I was going to tell you. Everything has been happening so fast and you have been preoccupied with problems of your own, and I didn’t want to worry you. I thought… I thought I could figure it out on my own.”

“And to think that we have been living in the same pack house all these while and you deem it fit not to tell me about it until a psycho witch appears from nowhere and threatens to kill me for you to accept whatsoever is so annoying,” he spat out furious. “I thought we were supposed to be close, and you were to tell me everything no matter what and not hide anything for me, but here we are.” She spread his arm vaguely to the discussion at hand.

I looked down, guilt welling up inside me. I didn’t mean to keep secrets from him, but I didn’t know how to explain any of it. How could I tell him I was confused, that I didn’t understand why any of this was happening to me?

“I am sorry, I didn't mean it. When I told you what transpired that day, and you decided to mock me and made me feel as if I was sick, I crossed my heart to keep it within me and away from you.” I said looking downwards desperately for assistance from whatever underground being.

Arthur blinked and sighed heavily. “Yeah I remembered doing that, and I am sorry for not believing you.” He apologized, taking my fingers gently into his, he rubbed it slowly while giving me a silly puppy look.

I nodded, feeling a little lighter, but still unsure about what was happening to me

Arthur sighed, his voice softening. "Julianne, we’re in this together now. You don’t have to face this stupid psycho witch stuff alone. I’m here for you. We can figure it out, but only if you tell me everything.” he paused thoughtfully.

“So tell me something, why would the witch refer to you as their moon goddess if you don't have any power?” He asked the question that has been bothering me for a while now.

Why would the witches call me their Moon Goddess? What did that even mean? I closed my eyes, trying to think back to that moment when the light had exploded from my body, sending Nyx flying. The light that came out of my body when I rushed to attack Nyx from living with her threat of killing Arthur to bend my knees was not a coincidence…something must be wrong with me but I can figure it out. The light was so powerful that it sent the whole strong Nyx flying. She could not hold and contain the power surge and she disappeared before we knew it. If I tell you I understand the hell is going on and wrong with me that I am lying here and wasting my time.

Why would I have a power surge as strong as that when I know fully well that I am powerless and not the main person they are looking for…something is wrong here. The power, the strength that had surged through me… it felt like something inside me had awakened. But why? I had no idea how it happened or why it happened.

Loretta always seemed to have answers when I was lost. Maybe she could help me make sense of everything. “I need to question Loretta on this,” I concluded, snapping out of my thoughts.

“You don't have to apologize or say anything; I saw the emotions that played out on your face while you were deeply lost, confused, fearful, and anxious…you don't know anything about it,” Arthur said weirdly, his gaze searching my face.

I nodded, feeling grateful for his support. There was a knock on the door interrupting us; without waiting for a response, Jeremy walked in, his eyes widened, and he paused automatically, staring at the both of us.

“Umm! I am sorry I didn't mean to interrupt whatever is going on. All my mind was that Arthur would be alone in the room.” He rushed out as if he was being chased by his demons.

Arthur chuckled, I can't miss the affection and care in his eyes with the way he stared at his brother. No matter what Jeremy does or thinks of Arthur, believe me when I say that they both love each other wholeheartedly and nothing, not even a single blasted quarrel, would come against them.

"Arthur, stop staring at me like that when Julianne is close to you; it is so creepy and insane, too.” Jeremy frowned; Arthur turned to look at me. I gave him a knowing look, and we burst out into a fit of laughter.

Jeremy's frown deepened the more. “Before you laugh your asses out, some guests are waiting for you outside." He eyed us.

Arthur kept mute and glanced at me before standing up. "Let’s go. We’ll meet them together."

I followed Arthur out of the room, my mind still racing. As we walked through the hallways, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wrong was going on, which I had no idea of.

Outside, we were greeted by a tall man with dark hair and sharp features. He was dressed in formal clothes, but there was a certain casualness to his posture. It didn’t take long to realize he was the Alpha of the neighboring pack, someone I had heard of but never met in person.

"Arthur, good to see you," the Alpha said with a firm handshake. His tone was friendly, but there was an underlying seriousness to it. "I came to remind you about the Annual Festival. The one we hold every year for the werewolves. It’s meant to keep the evil eye away and protect us all. I wanted to make sure you knew it’s coming up soon."

Arthur nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, I remember. We’ll discuss it with the elders and see if our pack is interested in participating this year. I’ll get back to you on that."

The Alpha gave a curt nod and glanced at me, his eyes assessing. "Of course, take your time. It’s important to us, but I understand that decisions like these require careful consideration."

With that, the Alpha turned and left, his footsteps echoing on the path as he walked back to his pack. I stood there, still feeling a little out of place. The idea of a festival for werewolves sounded strange to me, but it seemed important to the packs.

Arthur turned to me once the Alpha was out of earshot. "Have you heard of the festival before?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, my old pack used to participate every year. It was a big deal for us too. It’s meant to ward off evil, or that’s what we always believed. There were all kinds of rituals and offerings, prayers to the gods… stuff like that."

I swallowed, feeling the weight of the memory. "I hurt myself. During one of the rituals, I… I didn’t mean to. I was just caught up in the moment. But I ended up cutting myself deeper than I thought, and the blood spilled everywhere. It was chaos. I felt like I let everyone down, and I never really talked about it after that."

Arthur reached out, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "That doesn’t sound like your fault. Everyone makes mistakes."

I looked up at him, feeling the warmth of his touch. "I know, but it was my responsibility. I felt like I was supposed to be stronger than that."

He smiled gently. "We all have our moments of weakness. But that doesn’t define us. What matters is how we move forward."

His words gave me some comfort, but there was still a lingering fear in my chest. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me or why. But I knew I couldn’t do this without him. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, but the tension was still there, wrapped around my heart.

Arthur’s hand slipped from my shoulder, and before I could say anything, he pulled me close. His lips met mine, soft at first, then more urgent as his arms wrapped around me. I melted into the kiss, everything else fading away. For a moment, I didn’t think about the festival, the witches, or the strange power inside me. All I cared about was the way Arthur made me feel safe, loved, and complete.