Part two- Chapter 39 continuation

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When I next woke up, I checked the time and realized it was close to ten in the morning. It was a Sunday and everyone was home. I could hear them talking downstairs. Running a hand through my hair, I got off the bed and went to the bathroom.

After a cleansing shower, I wore a shorts and plain top. I checked myself in the mirror and flinched when I saw that my eyes were puffy. My skin looked dull and I felt the same. My eyes involuntarily drifted to my stomach and I slowly placed a hand over it.

I should have asked the doctor to take out your ovaries, a whimper escaped from my mouth and I took a step back. I took deep breaths to calm myself, but it wasn't helping because my heart was thudding dreadfully in my chest.

They hadn't done that. Sveta had told me I could become a mother again. The Goddess had blessed me with a child too! But Simon and others could have done much more damage to me than what they did.

My head felt heavy all of a sudden and even though I desperately wanted to lie down, I didn't. Instead, I strode to the window, jumped out of it and ran towards the ocean.

Once on shore, I removed my flip-flops and walked towards the water. When the water was in level with my hips, I dived under the surface and swam around. I sighed in appreciation as the cold water cooled my over-heated body. Smiling softly, I swam a length both under and on the surface of the water. My eyes widened when I saw a school of clownfish under the surface. Of course, this wasn't the first time I am seeing them, but even then I found myself staring at them in awe.

When I felt the pain in my head receding, I swam towards the rock, where I usually sit and mediate. I had fulfilled my promise and now, I wanted to talk to my mother. I wanted an answer to the question that had been nagging me since I woke up for the first time, this morning.

I sat cross legged, pressed the tip of my index and thumb and after placing it on my lap, I closed my eyes.

At first I couldn't. My mind was preoccupied by Simon's words and I couldn't concentrate at all. My wolf whining wasn't much helpful either. Then through sheer determination, I pushed her back and blocked out all the thoughts in my mind.

I just focused on the sounds of the waves and the breeze. Minutes passed, before I blocked that as well as the intake of my breath.

I don't know how long it was before I opened my eyes and stared at my surroundings. I was in a place that had several white pillars. As I stood next to a pillar, I spotted The Moon Goddess who was sitting on a silver chariot. She was glowing brightly, just like she always does.

I smiled softly when I saw her.

"You have kept your word, my child" she said and I nervously bit my bottom lip. "You have not disappointed me."

"Did they all accept me?"

"No. Not all" she answered honestly and I nodded in understanding. "It might take some time. Few may never accept you but you have to live with it. Not everyone knows to share love. Even though everyone is blessed with love, very few acknowledge it. Some acknowledge it and let it slip. Some refuse it. Some prefer material things over it. Some have so much hatred in their hearts that they fail to recognize love when it is right in front of them. But that is destiny. Not everyone is good. Not everyone is evil" The Goddess said calmly.

"So, it's always a war between good and evil?" I asked her.

"It is. And it is something worth fighting for" she sighed and I nodded. It makes us appreciate the significance of love and obliteration of hate.

"Something is bothering you" she said after some time and I gulped. "Let it out" she advised.

"Simon's words.... His last words" I said tersely. "Those three days, I was completely at their mercy. They killed my baby, but they could have done more damage to me than that. Simon himself said that he would... he could have done it. He could have done anything" I said shakily.

"Yes. He could have" she replied quietly and I flinched.

"What stopped them?" I asked shakily, lowering my head. I wanted to know why they didn't go ahead with it.

"You goodness" the Goddess answered and I looked up, through eyes that were swimming in tears. "One act of goodness can aid an individual. One act of ruthlessness can ruin an individual" she stated evenly. "Hiding your true identity was selfish of you and a grave wrong from you. You were punished for it. But you also helped many people. You have given shelter to those who came to you in need" she said and I realized she was talking about Alisha and her brother, Harry. "You have always put your pack first. Most importantly, you have also protected your kind by destroying the evil" she added and I inhaled sharply.

"That is what saved you. Sure, they could have done much more damage to your body. But they couldnot do it" she affirmed.

"Could not?"

"Could not" The Moon Goddess confirmed. "When an individual is deliberately inflicting a pain on another, his thoughts turn very cruel. Evil rules in his mind. But his quarry's goodness will fight against that evil. That is what happened to you. They had thoughts of making you barren but it was completely wiped from their mind before they came down to it. They did not willingly forget it. They were bound to forget it" she said and I nodded.

"You were never at their mercy" The goddess asserted. "What happened to you was what destiny had written for you. What I let them do to you. They could have done nothing more than that because you, did not deserve it."

I heaved a sigh after hearing the Goddess's words. I felt like a huge weigh was lifted off from my shoulders.

I felt peaceful.

"Thank-you for always being there for me and guiding me in the right path" I told the Moon Goddess and lowered my head respectfully.

"You are my child Templar and I will protect you as long as you want me to" she said gently and slowly, I found myself being distanced from her.

As I opened my eyes, I had to blink repeatedly to get adjusted to my surroundings. The sun was right atop me and I flinched when I touched the rock, because it was sizzling hot.

Strange! I did not feel the heat while I was meditating. Shaking my head, I stood up and opened my mind-link.

'Templar... You were meditating, right?' Rett was the first one to connect to me.

'Yes. I am coming home' I told him and then as I swam back to shore, I answered several others who were worried about me.

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I studied my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing an embroidered sundress and red sandals which made me look polished. After running a hand through my dark brown hair, I rushed downstairs, where Everett was already waiting for me.

Clad in white t-shirt and beige shorts, he looked drop-dead gorgeous from his luxuriant black hair to his mesmerizing pacific blue eyes and strong jaws. My pupils dialated and I almost slipped on the stairs, while I watched him.

"Careful" Rett shouted the exact moment I held the railing for support. "Are you feeling well?" he asked swiftly moving to stand right in front of me.

"I am fine" I said breathlessly. "Just lost balance" I added and since he was in level with me, I wasted no time in closing the distance between us and took his parted lips with blazing exigency. Rett seemed a tad surprise at first, but then, the hands which were smoothing my back, tightened around me.

I moaned quite audibly when his tongue probed into the interior of my mouth. I clutched his t-shirt tightly the moment I felt his raise of interest down there. My whole body quivered like a jelly when he bit my bottom lip just before pulling away.

"Later" Rett swore breathing raggedly and licking my lips, I nodded. He gave a wolfish grin which had my tummy performing acrobatics. "We will return home quickly" Rett added and giggling, I pressed my lips against his.

Right now, we were going to the beachside barbecue organized by the pack. There was no occasion. It was just for relaxation and to have some real fun with the pack together. It had been a long time since the pack had fun.

Everyone was in the beach. The wolves who live in town too had returned for the weekend to be with the pack. They were roasting and cooking chicken leisurely over charcoal ashes.

"Tem... Tem" Jan squealed the moment she spotted me.

"What?"

"Taste this" she said holding a plate right in front of my nose.

"I bet it tastes as poisonous as it looks" Rett muttered from beside me.

"Just shut up" Jan scowled at him. "I did not ask you to eat it."

She then looked at me. While I was about to pick a piece up, my eyes drifted to Terence and Ben, who were standing right behind Jan. Both shook their heads and made puking gestures.

My eyes rounded when I saw it but I looked at Jan, who had these big, hopeful eyes. Sighing, I picked a piece and popped it into my mouth.

It was half-cooked.

But for the sake of my best-friend and with great difficulty I managed to swallow it.

"How is it?" Jan asked with a big grin. I looked around me and tried to find some escape route so that I could avoid answering that question. "Well?"

"N-Nice... Great" I said flaunting a pained smile.

"I knew it. Ben told me it was horrendous. Big fat liar that he is!" she said before going away to serve it to someone else. Rett passed me a huge bottle of soft-drink and I swallowed it in one go.

"I told you it would be terrible" he said grinning at me and I frowned at him. I did not want to hurt her feelings.

"You ate it? You actually ate that horrible thing? Man! I can understand why Terence at it... but you..." Ben said shaking his head and smiled at me.

"I think that was sweet of you" Molly said and I moved forward to hug her.

Just then, I heard sounds of ooh's and aah's. As I looked, I saw Keith and Trudy coming towards us, holding baby Sienna. It was the first time they were bringing Sienna out of the house. The baby's eyes were opened to the fullest extent and she stared at each and every one of us.

"Oh! Pretty doll" I said placing a kiss on Sienna's forehead while Trudy smiled at me.

"So, you have got invitations from how many Alphas' in total?" Keith asked eating fries while I was holding Sienna's starfish hands.

"Twelve so far." The Alphas' have been sending invitations to Everett and me, asking us to come visit their packs so that we could improve the relationships.

"Actually it's fourteen" Rett told him and I furrowed my brows. "We got two more today. SilverStar and RedHawk."

"Are you guys planning to take it up soon?" Trudy asked us.

"I am. Maybe from next month... First I have to help the new chiefs in their duties" I told them.

"What about the fine? When are you going to pay it?" Keith asked. I was asked by the new chiefs to pay fine of 10000 bucks to the packs that I have trespassed.

"Tomorrow. I got the account information today and I will transfer the money tomorrow" Rett answered.

"That's good. Paying fine is better than a war" Trudy said and pursing my lips, I nodded.

Half-an-hour later, I sat on a rock and watched others playing volleyball on the beach. Everett was shirtless and I was openly gawking at him. Since I didn't know how to play, I was sitting beside Sveta, holding Luka in my lap.

"Yay" I cheered when