Chapter Two - You can't come with us

Mason Hart

Evan and I sat there in silence for what seemed like hours. I had drunk three glasses of whisky in however long we'd sat there, and Evan was still nursing the same glass. He was just sitting there with his elbows on the table while he held his glass. He was staring off into space, with the occasional tear escaping his eyes and trailing down his already soaked cheeks. 

I had tried to speak to him, but he hissed at me, so I just left him to his thoughts. I couldn't imagine what he was going through. I knew that a part of me blamed Freya for being the cause of all of this, but I still wished that she was here. She was probably the only person that could relate to Evan and help him through all of this. Well, other than Finnley, but I didn’t have a clue where he was, right now.

I knew that Kali had him in the back of her van, but I didn't know if she was on her way to my mom's house to get Freya, which thankfully my mom and Charlie were away. Or does Kali know that Freya isn't there? If she does, then will she try to find her? Or will she come back here? Or will she just head back to the council? There are so many different scenarios, and even though Finnley would know exactly what Evan's going through, he's of no use. Freya chose to be turned, and she didn't grow up as a hunter, so she doesn't have the same hatred for werewolves or vampires like the rest of us do. But, even though she wouldn't understand fully what Evan or Finn are going through, she would still have a little idea. 

To be honest, she couldn't do any worse than I’m doing. I feel so helpless sitting here, not having a clue what to do or say to help my cousin. I'm just having to watch him fight his own demons and there is nothing I can do to fix it. 

I got my phone out of my pocket and sent Freya a text,

Freya, I am so sorry that I left you behind.

You were right, I should never have come home alone.

We should have faced this together. I can't wait to see you.

I need you, and Evan needs you too. We love you so much.

Please forgive me, I will never leave you again.

Always on my mind, Forever in my heart.

xxx

I hit send, and then put my phone down on the table. I poured myself another drink and went back to my thoughts. As I took a sip of my drink, my eyes glanced up over the rim of my glass and saw Selene standing in the doorway. She was ushering me with her hand to go to her. I quickly put my glass down on the table and got up out of my chair. I looked over at Evan to see whether or not he had noticed me get up, but he was still staring off into space while holding his glass. I sighed, then walked over towards Selene. She turned around and casually strolled out of the front door, and I followed her out of the cabin. She continued to walk across the grass and into the woods. 

I wondered where she was going, and I still didn't trust her, but at that moment I didn't have a clue what to do or how to act. My head was a mess and that crazy-ass woman was my only direct link to Freya. I know that Selene was someone that I should keep sweet. I didn't want to make an enemy of her, I had enough to deal with already. So, I continued to follow her into the woods. She found an old fallen log and sat down on it. When I caught up to her, she patted the log and I sat down next to her.

“Freya is going to meet us at a safe house,” she stated as I caught up to her. 

I sat down on the log next to her, and replied, 

“Ok, so when are we leaving?” I asked her, hoping that she would reply with 'right now'.

“That's why I have brought you out here. Mason, you can't come with us!” She said in a blunt tone.

“What!? Why?” I snapped at her, as I turned around to face her.

She gave me a soft smile, then replied, 

“Look, it's nothing personal Mason. Don't for a second think it is. See, we are going to the moon realm. I did have another safe house picked out, but Kali has Finnley with her, and she can use him as a tracker,” she paused for a breath, and then continued, 

“I control the moon realm, so I can keep people out. Kali, her hybrids or the twins, won't be able to get to Freya or Evan there.”

I furrowed my brow, I understood that the moon realm sounded like the safest place for them both, but I still didn't understand why I couldn't go with them, I couldn't help but take it personally.

“I agree, that sounds a lot safer, but wherever my cousin and Fianna go, you can bet your ass I'll be going too,” I replied bluntly.

She sighed and placed her hand on my shoulder, then said, 

“Mason, I'm going to tell you a story of who I am, and why I live in the moon realm, ok?” 

I shook my head at her, and snapped, 

“As interesting as that sounds Selene, I don't think we have time for that right now, do you?”

She smiled sweetly at me, then replied, 

“We have time Mason, and besides, it's a story that you need to know, and it explains why you have to stay behind. It's your choice, you can stay and listen, or you can walk away. But either way, it doesn't change the fact that we will be leaving, and you will be staying here,” she raised her eyebrow at me, then stayed silent while she waited for my reply.

I sighed and nodded my head at her, letting her know to continue, I needed to know why she was stopping me from going with them. I knew I wouldn't be able to fight against her, and if Freya and Evan wanted to go, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

“Ok, so as you may know, I am thousands of years old,” she said, and then paused to stare at me, and I smiled knowing exactly what she wanted. I quickly gasped, and then replied,

“No way!? You don't look a day over five hundred,” I replied with a grin. She chuckled and gently swatted my shoulder.

“Aww, thank you. I do try my best,” she said with a giggle, then continued with her story.

“Ahem. So, in 55bc, Emperor Julius Caesar invaded the south-east of England. He had taken two Roman legions along with him. He won a few battles against the Celtic tribes, but he then returned to France.”

She continued on with her story, and I listened intently as she told me all the history about how she became the moon Goddess and mother of all werewolves and vampires. She told me that Julius Caesar Invaded England for a second time the following year. That time, he landed in Kent and took five Roman legions with him, which consisted of around thirty thousand-foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry. This time the British tribes promised to pay tribute to Rome. As a result of their tribute, Rome left them alone for almost a century.

She then told me that just before that century was up, Emperor Claudius invaded England. He took along with him four legions, which consisted of around twenty-five thousand soldiers, plus an equal number of auxiliary soldiers, who were led by General Aulus Plautius. The biggest battle was fought on the banks of the River Medway, close to Rochester. The fighting only lasted two days and the Celtic tribes retreated. Although, the war was still not won, and many tribes resisted the Romans. Four years of battles followed, and many soldiers were lost along the way.

General Aulus was called upon by Emperor Claudius to find a way to beat the Celtic tribes once and for all. Aulus believed in the old Greek Gods and prayed to Ares to help them win the war. Ares answered and turned fifty of the Roman soldiers into Lycans. These new soldiers were strong and fast, but to balance out their new-found strength, once a month when the moon was its biggest in the night sky, the soldiers shifted into gigantic man-shaped wolves. They looked like wolves but walked around on two legs like men.

Armed with their new-found strength, the Lycan soldiers fought amazingly, and finally took control of the south-east of England. As the war had lasted for a long and exhausting four years, many of the soldiers had secretly taken the Celtic women as their lovers. A few of the Celtic women became pregnant by the new Lycan soldiers, and some of them bore Lycan children. Selene was the first Lycan child to be born.

As Selene grew up she lived a fairly normal life, but on a night when the moon was at its fullest, she shifted into her Lycan form. While hunting through the woods she came across a bright white light, and curiously followed it. Bent down by the river and splashing its cool water over his face was an archangel.

“That was the night I met Azael,” she beamed an enormous smile at me, as she remembered the first time she'd met him.

“He was the most magnificent creature I had ever seen in my life. I stood there watching him in curiosity as he splashed the river's water on his face. I had forgotten that I was in my Lycan form and when he finally stood up, and turned around, he startled at the sight of me,” she explained and as she reached the end of her sentence her smile faded, and sadness replaced its once prominent place on her face. I stayed quiet as I listened to her story, I was beyond hooked, and completely fascinated by her.

“I took off running into the woods, and as I ran with Azael hot on my heels, the morning sun began to rise and shine softly through the trees. Eventually my Lycan speed began to fade, as my imminent shift back to my human form approached,” she paused for a breath, and then continued, 

“My speed dwindled, and so did my stamina, and I had to rest against a tree to catch my breath. As I did, I began to shift and collapsed to the floor with the pain.”

I was beyond invested in her story, I felt like I should have been sitting there taking notes for the hunter's history journals. This stuff was a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear, and I didn't want to miss a single word.

“I startled as I awoke from my shift. I was completely naked and being carried through the woods by this stunning man. He had long dark hair, and the most amazing golden-brown eyes. His body was gorgeous, he had no shirt on, and I felt an enormous heat radiating off of him as my skin rested against his,” she spoke so softly as she described Azael to me, she then bit her lip as she imagined him, and I blushed red hot with embarrassment.

“He asked me where I lived, and then carried me all the way home. We had some dirty looks and glares as we walked through my village, and once we walked past the people, I could hear gasps and whispers about his wings. I truly didn't care though, I was like a princess in our community, so no one dared question me, and I was used to doing what I wanted, when I wanted,” she said with a proud tone and a giggle at the end.

That definitely explained a few things, she was basically born a princess. She was the firstborn of her kind, and then she became a Goddess. Then she became the mother to two of the world’s strongest species, how could she not be cocky and feel above everyone else. I slid down the log and rested my back on it, as I sat on the woodland floor. Selene stood up, and then sat on the floor beside me. She looked out into the woods and continued her story, 

“When we reached my home, he placed me on the bed. He didn't speak a word, but right at that moment in time, words were not needed. That was the first time we slept together. The connection we had was beyond this world. He left that night, but he then returned to me every night after, for two whole weeks. They were the best two weeks of my entire life,” she said with such happiness in her voice. 

She sat there silent for a moment, and I looked up to her face, her expression did not match her previous tone. She looked a mix of sad, and angry, as she continued to speak,

“My family forbid me from seeing him, they told me that he was a monstrosity. I couldn't believe my father of all people, had the cheek to use that word. He was the king of Lycans for Christ sake, he wasn't exactly the epitome of the perfect or normal human being, now was he? Oh, and when the archangels found out about our relationship, they were even worse. They told Azael, that if he didn't cease his relationship with me, he would be cast out of heaven for eternity,” she said with pure anger in her voice.

I gasped and shook my head; I couldn't believe that their story was so tragic and doomed from the beginning. I stayed silent as I waited for her to continue, 

“We did try to stay away from each other, but our connection and love for one another was just too strong. Azael still came to see me every single night. He made me feel so special, like I was the only one in the world that mattered. He called me his Luna and I called him my morning star. Then when the moon was at its biggest again, I shifted and ran off into the woods on my usual hunt. I sprinted to the riverbank where Azael usually met me, but he wasn't there. I laid down on the floor and waited for him,” she paused, then took in a deep breath, then continued, 

“Suddenly the sky turned crimson red. Lightning bolted through the red clouds and thunder boomed and clapped louder than I'd ever heard before. It was so deep and violent that I thought the world was ripping apart at the seams.”

My eyes grew wide as she described the scene, I could imagine everything that she was saying to me.

“A final lightning bolt shot out of the crimson clouds and reached towards the river; it was so bright that I had to hold my arms up to my face to shield my eyes. An enormous crack boomed through the air, then was followed by a catastrophic splash and a wave the size of a house hurried towards me. I scurried backwards as fast as I could, but the wave caught me and swept me back with it as it returned to the river. I tried my best to keep my head above the water, but I kept being dragged below the surface,” she paused as she took in a breath. She then sighed as she remembered that night. Eventually, she continued, 

“I must have passed out, because when I awoke, it was morning. I was back in my human form and cradled in Azael's arms. I hugged him tighter than I ever thought was possible. I was so happy to see him. He laid me down and we made love on the bank of the river.”

She stood up and walked over to a tree, she then slid down the tree, with a sad and defeated look on her face. I guessed that the next part of the story wasn't going to be a 'we lived happily ever after' kind of ending.

“When we finished, Azael was different, he was usually so loving and kind, but now he was distant. He would have usually carried me home and embraced me throughout the night. That wasn't to happen that night, or any other night, ever again. Azael told me that, that night would be the last time I would ever see him. I didn't understand why, and I tried to beg him to stay, but he cruelly laughed in my face and told me that he could never settle for just one woman. I couldn't believe what he was saying,” she said softly as she lowered her head.

I watched as a tear rolled down her cheek. I couldn’t believe I was seeing this vulnerable side to her. I didn't even know the woman had a heart beating within her chest.

“As I sat there naked and heartbroken on the riverbank, Azael fanned out his wings. Their usual brilliant white color was now an ashen gray, and half of his wings were either black and singed at the ends, or completely burnt off and missing. I scanned up his body in shock, and when I glanced at his eyes I scurried backwards in fear. The golden-brown beautiful eyes that normally stared back at me, were now a piercing crimson red,” she said in a low and monotone voice. I think it broke her heart a little as she relived that night.

She sighed heavily, then told me of how Azael had been cast out of heaven and was now a fallen angel. He had lost his soul and any love that he'd had for Selene was now gone. It kind of reminded me of how Tristan had lost all of his love for Freya once he found his mate. Selene went on to explain that as her punishment for disobeying her father, he had prayed to their Roman Gods, and the Gods had decided to banish her to the moon. There she was to spend an eternity alone. What they didn't realize was that on the night that Azael was cast out of heaven, Selene became pregnant to the fallen angel.

“I was in my new realm, scared, alone, and eight months pregnant. When I went into labor it was the scariest thing I'd ever been through in my life. Hours went by, and at certain points, the pain was so unbearable, that I wished for death to take me. Eventually, I managed to bring my son Marik into my world. He looked just like an angel. He had dark blonde hair and stunning deep blue eyes,” she said with a huge beaming smile on her face.

I could tell just by looking at her, that her son meant the absolute world to her. She then smiled even wider, as she continued, 

“A few moments of pure peace washed over me, and then the pain started up again. I panicked and thought that something was terribly wrong, and then I felt the sudden urge to push again, so I did. That was when I brought my second son Traian into the world. He looked so much like Azael, he had a full head of jet-black hair and golden hazel eyes. I felt complete with my two sons, who were then contently sleeping in my arms.”

My heart melted as I watched her beam with love and pride for her boys. She went on to explain that as the boys grew she knew that they were very special. By the time they were teenagers their abilities were beginning to show themselves. Marik could shift into the form of a wolf at will. He was kind and loving, he wanted nothing more than to go to earth and find someone to fall in love with. Traian, on the other hand, was feisty and had a cruel streak. Selene explained that he was a lot like his father, after he had lost his soul. She had a hard time controlling him and he kept trying to attack his brother and her. 

One day, just after their sixteenth birthday, Traian had completely lost control. She described it like how Evan was with his blood lust. She had to break up a fight between the two boys, and that was the first time that Traian had extended his fangs. He sank his fangs into his mother’s wrist and nearly bled her dry.

Her voice became low, barely above a whisper, and she rubbed her wrist as she nervously recounted that day. I looked down at her wrist, and I could see a scar. It was two tiny puncture marks and she frantically scratched at them, as she said,

“I managed to fight Traian off, but when I looked into his eyes, they were as black as coal and they had his father’s crimson red glow to them. I panicked and knew I had to keep Marik and myself safe. I had no choice, and I instantly cast my own son out of the moon realm, letting him loose on the earth. He went on a bloodthirsty rampage, and before long, he had an entire brood of vampires, following him around like a king.”

She scratched even harder at the scars on her wrist, and they began to bleed. Tiny streams of blood ran from the puncture marks and dropped down onto the dirt. I furrowed my brow as she continued in a frantic and panicked voice, 

“Shortly after casting him out, I got sick. Marik was beside himself and thought I was going to die. When I came around from the fever, all I could think of was blood. I could hear Marik's heart-pounding, and the noise of it was deafening. I couldn't stand it, I could smell his blood, and hear it pumping through his veins. I knew I didn't want to hurt him, but I couldn't help myself. That's when... That's when I...” Selene stuttered, then burst into tears. 

I got up onto my knees and crawled as fast as I could towards her, she was delirious and mumbling to herself. I went to touch her, but she lunged forwards and hissed at me. Her eyes were raven black and had the crimson red glow. With her fangs extended she screamed out the name Marik, then vanished into thin air.