Chapter 164: Selene has given her a choice

Chapter 164: Selene has given her a choice
~Ragel's POV~

They entered the healing chamber without warning. I guess that's how they behave, good thing, Lyra was fully clothed.

I glared at them in anger, Siofra. Selene and Theron. But they didn't seem to even notice, I mean why would they? Gods with no manners.

I was sitting beside Lyra's bed with Arianna in my arms. My daughter was crying softly, sensing her mother's pain through the bond even though she was only days old.

Lyra was still unconscious, and burning, but the blood threads around her were gone. It's been twenty-fours now.

"We have made a decision," Siofra said, her voice cold and emotionless. From where I was sitting, she looked scary and intimidating.

No wonder Theron was afraid of her, I should have stood up but I didn't. I just looked at them.

Wondering if I should speak to them about their timing just as Seraffim told Theron off. No, let me concentrate on what’s at hand and that's saving Lyra.

"Can you save her?" I asked.

"There is a way," Selene said. She was looking at Lyra with an expression I didn't like.

"What way?" I demanded.

Siofra stepped forward.

"The blessing inside her is divine power," she said. "It is integrated into her blood. The only way to remove it safely is for Selene to take it back. But if she wants to keep it, then she would have to lose something else."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Her wolf," Selene spoke up this time, she addressed me disdainfully as if I wasn't worth to be a fly on her shoe.

"Lauren is a mortal beast. She cannot hold divine power. The wolf and the blessing are what is fighting inside her body. Tearing her apart."

I looked down at Lyra, understanding who put her through the anguish she was going through.

"So what do I do?" I asked.

"Selene has given her a choice," Theron said. "She can keep her wolf and lose the blessing. Or she can keep the blessing and lose her wolf."

Arianna's cries became louder and even Lyra groaned loudly, jerking a bit. I felt a little of her pain in our bond.

I couldn't do anything but I rocked Arianna gently, trying to calm her down while my own world was falling apart looking at her.

"What do you mean she has to choose?" I asked. "Can't you just save her without taking anything? You already put her through so much because of these damn blessings so can't you leave it with her?"

"No," Siofra said, coldly. "Divine magic doesn't work that way. The blessing is part of her now. To keep it, something else has to go."

"If she keeps the wolf, she won't be losing much,” Selene said, stepping closer to the bed. They weren't making sense and it was making me even more angry.

“ What do you mean?”

Selene sighs and then looked at me like I was the dumbest beast she had ever encountered.

“ What I mean is, her wolf was forced to mutilate itself due to whatever substance Hades fed her through Zehran. So now Lauren will , half-Underworldlian beast. She will never be whole. But Lyra will keep her and she will be as strong as any Underworldlian female."

I felt my beast rise up inside me. Something about the way Selene was looking at Lyra made my skin crawl. Something inside me believes she doesn't want to save Lyra.

"If she keeps the blessing," Selene continued, "then she will have divine power beyond anything mortals can understand. She will be as strong as any god if I teach her to use and she could come home to me in a few centuries leaving you."

"Selene," Theron warned.

"What?" Selene asked. She still wasn't looking at him. "I'm just telling him the truth. He refused to marry her when he first found out she was a werewolf. You thought she was beneath you. You refused to claim her as your queen. The audacity to think any of my creatures are beneath you baffles me."

The words hit home, I knew what she was referring to.

"That was before…" I started.

"Before what?" Selene cut off coldly. "Before you realized she was useful? And you realized your beast couldn't be sane without her?"

"Why are you even bringing all this up?” Theron grumbled. “ Say what brought us here. Plus, you didn't mention that her wolf would be mutilated. You didn't tell us these details."

Selene shrugged her shoulders like it meant nothing.

"I just said it now. What's the big difference?"

"The difference is you're trying to manipulate him," Theron said. "You're trying to make him think Lyra will choose the blessing so she can leave with you.”

"But that isn't so bad. I want her to come home to me," Selene said. She was still looking at Lyra like she was a possession. “Just like her mother came home to me. The blood moon blessed always finds their way back to me eventually that way, they would be safe with me."

Arianna chooses this time, to wail as loud as her voice could allow her. I held her closer to my chest.

"You will not take her from me," I snarled. "Whatever choice she makes, she stays with me."

"That's not your choice to make," Selene said.

"It's not yours either," Siofra shuts her off coldly. "Lyra will choose. And whatever she chooses, we will accept. That's what you owe her!"

Theron looked between me and Selene.

"When do we begin?" I asked, ignoring Selene's stare.

"Don't you want to think about this first?" Theron asked me. "Don't you want to prepare yourself for either option?"

"There's no need," I said. "I believe I know what my wife will pick."

"Mate, not wife yet," Selene corrected. "You refused to marry her last time. You believed she betrayed you. Or have you forgotten?"

"That was different," I defended, I was getting to my boiling point.

"Was it?" She countered.

"Selene!" Siofra snapped, she looked and sounded like she had had enough of her plays and would take matters in her hands if she didn't behave soon.

"I'm only telling the truth," Selene said. She wasn't even looking at Siofra. "I still stand on my stance that he doesn't deserve her. She is better off coming home to me. I can give her what he never could. Power. Divinity. Immortality and a better man.”

I looked at Selene and something in me snapped.

"When do we begin?" I asked again, my anger obvious.

Siofra looked at me and pinched the bridge of her nose, understanding in her eyes. "Two days to whenever you are ready," she said. "But Selene will be the one doing the work and we will be supporting."

"Two days?" I asked, why not now? Two days for Lyra to still be vomiting blood.

"It's best then because the lunar full moon rises then," Siofra said. "At that time, Selene will be at her most powerful state."

Selene tilted her head, studying me as if I suddenly amused her.

"What do you think Lyra will give away?" she asked, smirking mockingly. "Do you think she will choose the blessing? Or do you think she will leave you for power?"

I rocked Arianna gently. My daughter was beginning to calm down, her small fists unclenching against my chest.

I looked directly at Selene.

"Lyra will not be picking power, if she wanted that, she would have stayed with Hades," I said. "She will choose Lauren, that's one thing I am sure because your blessings have brought nothing but pain to her."

For a moment, Selene's expression turned into a lopsided smile.

"You have made the right choice," she stretches, and then chuckles. "In the next two days, the lunar full moon will rise. I will return and take what I have given."

She didn't wait for a response. She didn't tell anyone goodbye. She just vanished, disappearing into whatever place she came from.

“ I wish you well, Mortal,” Siofra said and then vanished as well.

Theron nodded at me with a smile. “ See I told you everything would be alright.”

I returned his smile. “ Thank you, Theron.” The folktales about him are so different, yes, he is playful but he is still helpful and doesn't go around giving people harmful powers like Selene.

"Then I will return in two days," he said and then he left as well.

I sat down beside my mate and I held my daughter and I whispered a promise through our bond.

“ It will be over soon, my love.” Arianna fell asleep against my chest.

TWO DAYS LATER

I sat down on the chair waiting for them to appear, I had cleaned and dressed Lyra up.

Tivel came and took Ari, I told her to take care of the night because I wanted to be here when they return.

Just when the sand on hourglass finished, the full moon filled the sky, its glow shone into the room lighting it up.

I turned and just as they promised, they returned, but instead of three, there were more than ten gods in total all in their forms.

“ It's time, I am here,” Selene said with a smug smile. I nodded at her.

She walked closer to Lyra and then touched her temple, I didn't know what she did but Lyra’s eyes snapped open.

“ Mama?” She called softly to Selene, trying to reach out to Selene.

I thought Selene would correct her but she didn't, instead she smiled warmly at her. “ Tell me child, would you rather give away your blood moon powers or Lauren your wolf?”

What is she trying to do? “ what are you mmm…” a hand came over my mouth, I turned and it was once again Theron, shaking his head at me.

I nodded at him and he removed his hand but didn't let go of me. “ I do not want the powers,” I hear Lyra saying with tears in her voice. “ I want Lauren, I miss her so much Mama but I have not felt her since Hades took me. I fear I might have lost her.”

Selene smiled more softly at her. “ If it is Lauren you want then Lauren you shall have. Sleep now, child. When you wake up, everything will be better.”