Page 53 of The Wolf Moon

“She’s the one who brings death,” I said, my voice hushed as though it would summon tragedy just speaking it. Diana chuckled at my ominous statement.

“Without an end, there would be no cycle. The flower would grow, absorbing the fruits of the ground for eternity, until the ground had nothing left to give. What might have grown in its place will never be born. And the flower would be alone in the end, without peace,” Diana said to me wisely, closing her eyes as she took in the breeze lightly drifting over us. “The Crone is the most frightening Goddess to those who are already alive, but to the dead, she is warmth. It is her face that will be our last comfort before she guides us on our last and longest journey. Do not fear her, Mila.”

I closed my eyes as well, imagining what type of otherworldly creature would exist to guide the souls of the dead into the afterlife. Would it be a morbid Goddess? Or maybe an angry one, who’s seen nothing but the anguish of those who wanted more time? I couldn’t imagine a kind, warm type that Diana apparently thought of. Even the name spoke of something old and decrepit; a Crone.

“Artemis, huntress of the moon, make my aim true,” Diana began, her voice soft yet solid in the night as she repeated the prayer from the night she’d asked for fertility. I followed her lead, repeating those words in an echo: aim true, aim true, aim true. As she spoke, the water seemed to still around us and I could hear the beginning of that familiar call in the night; an energy raising around us that made my voice lower to a whisper hesitantly.

“Selene, white-armed mistress of the shining moon, the silver crescent crowns your ebon hair. Cloaked in darkness, you cross the night sky, Oh Goddess. To you, Selene, I offer my greeting, my praise, and my thanks for your many gifts,” Diana called out, the humming around us seeming to grow. I opened my eyes, looking to the side and around us as though I could pinpoint where it was coming from.

The surface of the lake had turned into that eerie vision of the night sky, clear and vibrant yet smooth like the surface of a mirror. Even my movements did nothing to disturb this. When I looked to Diana, she was looking at me as well, a small smile on her features as though to comfort me. I was struck with the image of my own mother, comforting me after a bad dream in the night.

“Is there nothing you wish to ask of the Crone, Mila?” Diana asked me lightly, as if there was nothing frightening in reaching out to touch Gods. But her question made me calm as I thought about what kind of things I would ask the Goddess. The call around me still hummed vibrantly, an energy pulsing as though waiting for my words.

“Mighty Hecate,” I began quietly, without Diana’s assistance. I hesitated, but then cleared my throat and closed my eyes before starting again with more determination, “Mighty Hecate, Goddess of the Oracles, you are both the dark and the light. You are the way and you are the light along it. My Goddess, you hold the keys of all creation.”

Diana began to repeat the prayer, chanting it as I stood stiffly before her. Could the Goddess hear me? Would she be listening, wondering why this pitiful mortal was calling to her now? Would she answer if I asked her to?

“Please,” I said, frowning at myself, “Stop punishing him.”

Diana hesitated mid-chant, but then continued determinedly.

“Stop punishing Roman Stone,” I repeated, “Please, let him rejoin the cycle and find peace.” After repeating my request several times, actually pleading with a Goddess I wasn’t sure would even hear me like some religious fanatic, I began to chant the prayer with Diana once more.

I didn’t receive any vision nor hear any response. In the end, the hum of energy faded into the night as though it never came and for all I knew even if the Goddess had heard me, she probably turned away stubbornly. What had Roman done to deserve mercy, after all?

After leaving the lake, Diana put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to her fondly.

“I think she was listening,” Diana told me, her mood light.

“Yeah, right. I probably annoyed her,” I replied, my own mood darkening. Now that we were walking back towards the village, I felt a bit ridiculous; talking to the sky in the middle of the night.

“Many wolves have prayed for the King Alpha to die, so I’m sure she’s used to it,” Diana answered, laughing at the look of sudden horror on my face. I stopped walking, clasping my hands together anxiously.

“I wasn’t asking her to kill him!” I suddenly burst before turning to storm my way back to the lake and let the cursed Goddess know just that.

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing,” She quickly declared, pulling me back to her. “The Goddesses can hear our intent beyond our words, of course. You don’t have to worry.” I still felt nervous as she continued to lead me back, glancing behind me and thinking maybe I should go back just in case.

“Anyway, let’s clean you up before sending you back to the King Alpha. He won’t be happy at all if he hears you’re participating in illegal rituals,” Diana answered with a sigh, running a hand over her stomach thoughtfully. I glanced at her small bump curiously, wondering what the world would be like after her child was born. Was that what the Goddesses were waiting for? Would the curse be fully broken after Diana’s child was born?

“I’ll come during the waxing moon next time,” I told her, lost in my own thoughts. “If you think it’ll help… but maybe you shouldn’t do anymore rituals yourself. What if you’re caught?”

“I’ll be careful, Queen Luna,” Diana reassured me before looking at me long and hard. “Thank you for keeping my secret. I’m sure it’s been killing you.”

“Honestly, seriously killing me,” I groaned, running my hand through my hair in exhaustion. Diana laughed, which made me smile in turn, and we continued back towards her house before I would return to Roman; keeping yet another secret from him in the night.

After I changed clothes at Diana’s home, being quiet and sneaky per her direction, we both were saying our goodbyes when the lights suddenly came on within the front room. I yelped and hid behind Diana, knowing we had been caught in the middle of the night by Beta Caleb.

“What are you-” Caleb began when he saw the two of us, Diana standing as though nothing were wrong and me hiding behind her as though something definitely was, but then he shook his head. “I don’t even want to know.”

“Is everything okay?” Diana asked Caleb, ignoring the fact that we were obviously up to no good. I looked at Diana in surprise. She was good. It was no wonder she could hide her pregnancy from her own mate so far. She didn’t look guilty at all.

“Alpha Roman just summoned me.” Caleb responded somewhat stiffly, reminding me of the tension that still remained between the two of them. At Roman’s name, I stood straighter, realizing there was no way he didn’t know I wasn’t where I was supposed to be now. I was doomed.

“Is it about the Queen Luna?” Diana pressed, pulling me from behind her protectively. She was no doubt about to think of some brilliant excuse to save me.

“It is and isn’t. There are visitors from the brother packs here. They want answers about the Red Moon Alpha’s daughter,” Caleb answered honestly. He turned his eyes on me with a frown. “Stay here, Luna Mila. Either I or the King Alpha will come for you when it’s safe.”

“Okay,” I said quickly, much too agreeable. I had been saved by the brother packs… or maybe they had doomed me. Either way, I wasn’t in immediate danger of having to explain to Roman why I’d been out in the middle of the night.

---