Chapter 27: Visit from the Moon Goddess

Marcia

When Marcia began to regain consciousness, she realized that the world around her had changed. Instead of being in front of the pack house or even in Marcus' arms, Marcia found herself sitting on the side of a beautiful creek surrounded by the quiet sounds of nature. The air was warm and undisturbed by the slightest breeze, with the soft fragrance of wildflowers hanging in the air.

She felt more comfort than she could have ever imagined, as if this was where she was meant to be, but that thought scared her. If this were heaven, that meant that she had died and Marcus would be suffering. Sadness overwhelmed her as these thoughts swam through her mind.

As she sat in this dream world, lost in thought, there was suddenly the sound of soft footsteps approaching from behind her. For some reason, it did not cause the fear she would expect; instead, it was reassuring and comforting in the quiet. Suddenly, the cause of the sound became visible. The most beautiful woman she had ever seen stepped from the forest. Her pure white hair flowed down her back in soft waves, and her pale skin was glowing as if the light was coming from within. Her eyes were the color of early spring leaves and seemed to see into her soul. Marcia sat transfixed by the glorious sight.

“Hello, my child.” Even her voice was perfect, floating like musical notes. She slowly sank to her knees next to Marcia, never looking away from her face as she continued to speak. “My name is Selene.”

This caused Marcia to sit up and look closer. She knew that name from her studies of werewolf history. She had learned that Selene was the Moon Goddess, creator of wolves. Part of her wanted to deny the possibility, but it was written that in times of great trouble, she would reach out to her children in their dreams. Marcia did not believe that she was one of the children of the Moon Goddess, but she was certainly in trouble, and she was mated to a wolf, so maybe she had taken pity on her and come to her aid. She had never considered herself a religious person, but sitting in the presence of a deity changed that.

Lowering her head in a bow, Marcia softly whispered a greeting. “Thank you, goddess. What happened? Where am I? Is Marcus okay? Why have you brought me here?”

The bell-like sound of her laughter filled the air. “My daughter, you are so full of questions. Please sit up. You do not need to bow to me. We have limited time together, so let us dispense with formalities.”

Her words surprised Marcia and helped her relax. For the first time since she came, Marica began to look closely at the woman before her. They were not words of anger but those of happiness. Her face showed a sadness that confused Marcia, and a hint of something that she could not recognize. If she didn't know better, she would wonder if it was a look of love. But that couldn’t be, why would she love someone like her? The only thing special about her was being mated to a werewolf.

Selene leaned forward, placing her hand on Marcia's shoulder. “I have brought you here to let you know the truth. You are not a simple human; in fact, you are one of my direct descendants, a Lycan.” Marcia shook her head, denying what was being said. In the reading of werewolf history, she read of the Lycans, who were similar to wolves but stronger, faster, and able to shift to a hybrid form that werewolves could not. There were not many left in the world, but those that were around ruled over the werewolf population.

“Goddess, how can that be true? I am not special, I am a human who has been lucky to survive this long.” Marcia did not want the Goddess to realize how much these words hurt to say, but she had to say them. "I have never been important or powerful to anyone, except recently, my mate."

The Moon Goddess seemed saddened by these words. “My child, I am not wrong. Your Lycan is named Athena, and she has been impatiently waiting for you for many years. She has been unable to communicate with you before now because you have been too young. Unlike wolves, who change in childhood, Lycans do not change until they reach full maturity, at age eighteen. Because you are so close, you are starting to feel the effects of her presence, the feeling of your mate, your improved healing and senses, and the feelings you thought were simple intuition are all signs of her presence. On your birthday, your lycan half will come out and merge her being with yours, making you both whole for the first time. I am sorry that this was hidden from you, but it was done for your safety.”

Marcia sat in silence, trying to understand what she was being told. Was it possible that she was, in fact, a Lycan? If so, why could the others not tell by her scent? How did she end up in human foster care? Had Cain known? Was that why he had saved her that night? With all of these questions circling her head, the only word that came out was, “How?”

“When you were born, the entire werewolf world felt the change in power. The prophecy had begun. It was said that with the birth of the white lycan, a new and powerful leader would be created, but that her power would only be fully unlocked once she met and accepted her Mate. This was because we are always stronger with our other half to support us. Because of this, when you were still a newborn, a group that wanted to use your power for themselves killed your parents, the prince of the Lycans, Argen, and his mate Vanessa, and took you. Soon, others interfered, and you were blocked from my sight. I feared you were lost to the world. You were hidden from my view and my protection until almost a year ago, when I saw you being dropped off on the side of the road. You were so close to death that it broke whatever protections had been hiding you. My heart wept for you, my child. While I am not allowed to interfere, I had to save you, so I used one of my children, Cain, to give you a fighting chance. Even if you never knew of my presence, I have always been there for you. You are my child, and you are and will always be loved.”

Marcia's heart broke as she heard this unbelievable story. Her parents loved her and wanted to protect her. They had died for her. She was a powerful lycan that others feared. All of this information overwhelmed her as she thought about how she should react. Before she had the chance, Selene continued speaking.

“The danger is far from over. When you wake, you will remember this conversation, but you must mention it to no one until after you are marked by your mate. The act of acceptance of you in your human form is the last step needed to unlock your power. This was decided to ensure he loves and cherishes you for who and what you are, not the powerful being that you will become. Now it is time for you to wake my child, but know that you are my proudest achievement. You will bring peace and acceptance to my children, and together with your mate, lead them into the future.”

Before Marcia had a chance to react or ask any more questions, Selene disappeared. Around her, the world faded to black, and when it settled, she found herself lying flat, being held down lightly by a heavy arm. The amazing scent and tingles coming from that arm, Marcia told her, who lay with her as she fell asleep. Even though confused, she was comforted by her mate's presence.

Slowly, she opened her eyes to look at her mate. Thinking of the Moon Goddess’s words, she fought back a smile. Maybe she was not as much of a throwaway as she had always believed.

She had decided before the attack that it was time to claim her mate, and it looked like things were going to change much more after she did. Thinking about it, she was surprised that she was not scared at the prospect. She knew that she would be able to face it because she was not facing it alone; she had her pack and her mate by her side. She just hoped they were not upset that she did not tell them earlier, everyone's life was about to change.

With one last glance at her sleeping mate, Marcia closed her eyes, relaxing into the warm bed and knowing that for the moment she was safe.