Chapter 3 Meeting the Moon Goddess

~ KELANI ~

For a while, my anger dissipated and I stared in awe, my mouth wide open. Nothing I had dreamt or imagined could compare to the glorious view in front of me.

The Moon Goddess was draped in a flowing, diaphanous gown that shimmered like a million stars. Her hair - long and raven - cascaded down her back like a waterfall, the fine strands writhing like they were alive. Around her head was a circlet encrusted with a downward crescent right above her forehead.

Her skin, luminous and pale as alabaster, radiated as if the very essence of the moon had been distilled within her. She looked at me with bright eyes were impossibly fierce and yet shone with compassion.

I bowed my head in complete reverence. "Moon Goddess."

"Child, what brings you to my presence tonight?" she asked calmly.

I swallowed hard. Surely the Moon Goddess must know the fate that had just befallen my pack.

"My Goddess. I am Kelani and I have just become the Luna of Left Stone pack because my parents have been killed. We suffered an attack tonight and were betrayed by our trusted ally pack, Right Stone. They helped the enemy invade us."

"Betrayals are one of the many evils of life, child. Expect them. That is the first lesson you would learn on your journey," she paused, "What would you like from me?"

"Revenge," I stated simply, almost cutting her off, my anger back in full force, "I want revenge on Shanakoi and Right Stone."

"Revenge is not given, child. Revenge is taken by the ones who are hungry enough to chase it."

"I am hungry enough, Goddess. But not strong enough. I am a sickly wolf, been one since I was born."

"And do you know why?"

My head snapped up to look at her. There was a reason? I thought I was just terribly unlucky.

"No." I muttered, scared of what I might hear next.

"It is for the same thing you seek: revenge. You see, your parents were not fated mates. Your father's fated mate was set up by your parents to be banished from the pack so that they could be together. The poor she-wolf came crying to me for revenge and cursed your parents with a childless union."

My brows connected in a small frown. My parents never told me any of this.

"Your mother used her Saturni El-Ron chant to ask for a child but it wasn't granted," the Moon Goddess continued, "When Alpha Trojan himself appeared in my presence and his only request was a child, not prosperity for his pack, not long life or wisdom for himself as Alpha. Just one child. Any child. I lifted the curse and granted his prayer."

'Any' child. Fresh tears began to well in my eyes.

"My parents never told me any of this." I sobbed.

"Of course. Many people don't tell their sins. That is the second lesson you will need to learn on your journey to revenge. Do not tell your sins."

I nodded even though I didn't quite understand.

"I need to avenge my parent's death and the annihilation of my pack, Goddess. I pray to you to take away my ailment and transform me into a strong wolf - with strength that has never been possessed before by a Luna."

"Your sickness is a curse; a punishment for an offense so it cannot be healed without a reparation. You see, when your father's fated mate was banished from Left Stone, she was stripped of all dignity - shaven bald to further humiliate her. In exchange for the lifting of the curse, you would have to give up your hair."

My hair?! I frantically ran my hands through my long silvery hair, my heart pounding in my chest.

"No, no, no! Not my hair, Goddess. I can give anything else."

"I don't bargain with wolves," she said curtly, a hint of annoyance in her tone, "In any case, your hair can grow back. On the condition that your first s*xual intercourse is with your fated mate. It is only fair this way."

"Please, Goddess," I cried desperately, "Anything else. You can give me bad skin, crooked teeth, poor vision. Anything but my hair."

"You seem not to understand that you have limited time to be here, child. Do not waste your sacred chant."

I slowly began to dry my tears. Truly, it was a miracle that the Moon Goddess answered my summon even when I hadn't gotten my wolf yet. I would not waste this opportunity.

My parent's heads are not with their bodies. My best friend Nikolas would never achieve his dream of being a pack doctor. The fertile soil of Left Stone has been watered with the blood of its own inhabitants. Besides, I barely survived even with the support of my pack. If I had to fend for myself as a sickly wolf, I would be dead before the next full moon and the slain wolves of Left Stone would never get their revenge. Surely, I can give up my hair for a greater good.

Rising to my feet, I looked boldly into the Moon Goddess's eyes. "I would do it. I would give up my hair."

"In that case, your third lesson is that fated mates are not always as they appear. Do well to remember this." she said pointedly.

I am not sure what I expected to happen next but it wasn't the deep feeling of drowsiness that overcame me. In seconds, I lost consciousness and was staring into pitch blackness. I didn't know how long that lasted before I regained consciousness and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

The first thing that hit me was a strange coolness on my scalp. I brought a hand to the top of my head and immediately started crying. My head was now bald and smooth. The long silvery hair that used to grace it sat beside me, tied into a neat knot.

Bostin looked at me wide eyed. "What... what... what happened?"

I gave him the shortest summary of my encounter with the Moon Goddess, conveniently leaving out the part about my father's fated mate being set up by my parents.

By the time I finished, he was looking at me with weak eyes. "It is good that you have gained strength. Now I can die peacefully knowing that you will get revenge for Left Stone."

Die??? I followed his eyes to see a wide patch of blood on his left lumbar region. Lifting his shirt, I gasped at the sight of a deep ugly gash.

"Dear Goddess! Did they attack you when I was away?"

"No, I came here with the wound. It has been getting worse and I am losing blood. Sadly, I didn't leave home with any potion that would be helpful and the cut is too deep for my old wolf to heal naturally."

I felt so guilty and stupid for not noticing Bostin's wound earlier.

"I'm so sorry, Bostin. Let me help you dress it."

No sooner had I said that than loud swishes of arrows reverberated through the forest, the mere sound of them enough to kill.

"They are looking for you, Kelani. To kill or to capture. Run towards the marshes. Avoid the boundary of Right Stone."

"But you... your wound-"

Another swish. Then the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Run, Kelani! Don't worry about me. You are our only hope for revenge. Run! Run! Run!"

In seconds, I had emptied the contents of Bostin's bag and stuffed my knot of hair in it. Then I set off like my legs were on fire.

The footsteps followed, leaving the sounds of snapping branches and rustling leaves in their wake. All my five senses flared alive as I pushed myself forward. Run, Kelani. Run!

Growing as a sickly wolf, I had always wondered which of my many illnesses would eventually kill me. Frostbite? Stomach upset? An infected wound that refused to heal? I had never imagined it would be an arrow to my neck or my heart giving out from running.

But the more I ran, the more I realized that the Moon Goddess had truly answered my prayer. If I had run this distance at this speed before my meeting with her, I would have fainted already.

"If that swine escapes, I will make you all regret your existence!" a deep voice threatened and the footsteps became faster.

If they were choosing to chase me instead of just shooting at me, that means they wanted me alive. But I was determined to get away from them, even though they were steadily gaining on me. Run, Kelani. Run!

Sighting a beehive hanging lowly on a tree, I batted it behind me with my fist. The buzzing bees swarmed out, creating a distraction and giving me time to disappear.

Reaching a familiar T junction, I took a sharp left turn and dove into an underground tunnel only Left Stone wolves knew about.

To the marshes, Bostin had said. The marshes were rarely visited parts of our forest and truly the best place to wait out this chaos. Since I couldn't run there without getting caught, I would crawl there through this tunnel.

I heard the angry murmurs of my chasers as they reached the junction, debating which direction I had taken and passing blame amongst themselves. With no time to spare, I began the laborious journey through the dark tunnel on all fours, Bostin's tunic gathering mud and debris.

Finally, I reached the end of the tunnel that opened into the marsh and crawled out. The bright moonlight was a welcome contrast to the darkness of the tunnel. Leaning on a large tree stump, I tried to catch my breath, the cool air drying my sweat.

"The first thing you need to know about the Shanas, we are always one step ahead." a thick voice snarled behind me.

I froze immediately as the warmth of urine flowed down my legs. I had peed myself.