Page 37 of Never Tamed
Oh, god. I’m going to throw up. A low moan builds inside of me until it tears its way out of my throat and my stomach twists. It’s impossible. The woman in the brown van…
The random puffs of chocolate cereal scattered around the van—
I thought she might be working with Andras because of her cryptic note—
She’s been the Moon Goddess this entire time.
Anna closes the distance between us and drops down beside me on the stone with a slight huff, decidedly less graceful than her previous form. She’s more human this way.
I’m not sure I like it any better.
“I know.” She pats my knee. “It’s a lot to take in.”
“It’s insane.” My words sound strangled.
“I assure you, it’s not. It’s me. And you want to know why it’s you, Ren? Why are you the one I chose?” Anna pauses.
Do I really? I thought I did, until it’s right here ready to smack me in the face. Now I want a warm bed and my mates.
“Because there is no one else,” Anna continues. “It’s not because you’re particularly special to me, although anyone can be special under the right circumstances.”
“Oh, thanks.”
She laughs at my dry tone. “It’s true.”
It’s much easier to speak to her this way, actually. The maternal set of her features, the rounded cheekbones and the small smile, all combine into a much easier facade than the stone-cold figure from mythology.
She’s even dressed like some Mom ready to pick her kids up from soccer practice.
We’re both out of place in the wintery ruins.
Anna taps her fingers on her knees. “Your parents came to me with a bargain and I knew the time was right. You were the perfect outlet for my cause. You were bright with future and promise, because you wouldn’t havehada future if I hadn’t stepped in. Your fate was to die before you took your first breath. It made you the right vessel for me.”
“So everything I am…is because you needed a body?”
Ugh, that sounds awful. Yet my wolf presses closer to the surface to absorb every word.
“I needed a weapon,” she clarifies. “You are my sword and my shield. You are the one to use the moonstone.”
“What about the sword?”
I think I’d know if I had a sword anywhere.
Anna looks put out, which is strange, considering what I know now. “You have cotton in your ears, girl. Didn’t you just hear me say thatyou are the sword?”
The wolves seemed to believe the sword of the goddess was an actual weapon. I stop, chewing on my lower lip, my knee bobbing.
Her features scrunch like she hears my thoughts. “Think of the sword as a metaphor.”
“So there isn’t a literal blade out there for us to hunt down,” I clarify.
“No, Ren. You are the one who can stop Andras from destroying the balance.”
Me. I sniff, shaking my head. “I’m not sure what I can do. I barely know how to control my wolf. I only just learned about the shift. I have a new mate bond and a pack who are falling apart.”
“But look at what you’ve accomplished so far? The Steel Claws and the Grey Valley are two of the most prominent and powerful packs in the area. At least, they used to be before someone grew too large for his own ego. You have managed to unite them in a matter of months. Something none have been able to accomplish before. You have created an entirely new pack; one that is much stronger because of it. They have put aside their differences.”
I snort. “Yeah, sometimes.”
