CHAPTER 2 - Moon Goddess Aria (Part 2)

I found myself in my ensuite bathroom back in the Opal Moon pack. Ella was waiting for me to come out. We were about to look for a wedding dress.

I stared down at the test I held, unable to believe the result. I was pregnant with our pup. Daniel would be over the moon when I told him the news. I told Ella when I came out of the bathroom and decided to surprise Daniel that evening.

Suddenly, there was a change of scene. I was trying on the wedding dress Ella and I liked and believed it was the one for me. After a while, feeling tired, I told Ella we should go back.

Ella, who had been on the phone, paled and insisted we should rest before returning because she was tired of driving. Knowing how demanding her schedule was being my Beta and the female warriors’ trainer, I accepted her request without question and we booked a room at a nearby hotel for a few hours.

I tried to mind-link Daniel but could not get hold of him. He had his walls up. He was probably too busy performing his Alpha duties.

Tania felt unsettled and anxious inside my mind, calling her mate all the time, and at first, I thought it was because of my pregnancy hormones. I found it natural and didn’t bother asking my wolf about it. It might have been the excitement of the day that caused my wolf to be so moody.

Tania’s unease was getting more intense, and it affected me. Not being able to contact Daniel worried me. What if something had happened to him? Unable to control my anxiety, I told Ella we should return and rushed to the door.

Ella stopped me and revealed that she had been in touch with Daniel earlier. He told her that Alpha Erick Williams of the Crescent Moon pack had attacked our pack with the help of some rogues.

“I had to tell Daniel about your pregnancy, Aria. You know you can’t shift now. So, Daniel wants you to stay here until he gives us the all-clear.”

I didn’t want to listen to Ella. Daniel needed me.

“Erick is after you, Aria, and wants to take you by force. He knows you are a descendant of the Moon Goddess and wants you to give him an heir. He is after your powers! Is that clear enough?” Ella said in one breath, trying to make me realise what was happening.

“But I am already pregnant with Daniel’s pup,” I said, and then I lost consciousness.

The loss of my senses was so intense that I opened my eyes and left my chair abruptly. Not the nightmare again. Not tonight.

I opened the window and let the crisp fresh air enter the room then I walked back, trying to calm my raging heart.

Tessa entered and informed me of the new arrivals. I had to greet some more newcomers.

A mass of dead werewolves arrived, and the cries of their loved ones pierced my ears. Welcome back, headache, I thought, proceeding to welcome my guests.

By the time I finished, it was dawn. Exhausted, I went back to my room and lay on my bed, and not giving it a second thought, I fell asleep immediately.

I sobbed uncontrollably. A knot in my throat prevented me from breathing and I felt the air leaving my body. Ella woke up and sat beside me, worried.

“He is dead, Ella. Daniel is dead! His wolf mind-linked Tania. He was frail and dying. Cole told Tania he loved her and said Daniel says he is sorry he didn’t live to see our pup come into this world. He asked us to be careful and never go back. There is nothing left for us there; the pack is gone-none of them survived,” I cried and Ella cried with me.

I was suddenly sitting opposite a gentle young woman.

“My name is Evelyn. And you are?” I didn’t reply.

“When is the baby due?” Evelyn asked.

“Two months from now,” I replied.

“I bet your mate is excited,” Evelyn said.

 “He is dead!” I replied, unable to breathe. I had to leave that place right away.

“I am so sorry!” Evelyn said. “Listen, if you ever need help, please come find me. I am the Luna of the Yellow Moon pack.”

“You know, you are lucky to have his pup. That way, he will always be a part of your life. I can’t have any pups, not after my miscarriage,” the young woman said.

I was in my room at Tessa’s house. Soon, my contractions were more frequent, and the pain was unbearable.

“Come on, sweetie. We are almost there! When I ask you to push, you take a deep breath and push, okay?” Tessa said. I nodded and when Tessa asked me to push, I followed her instructions, screaming in pain.

Ella touched my baby’s face, crying tears of joy.

“She is beautiful, Aria. Oh! Look! She opened her eyes! She has your eyes, Aria,” she sobbed.

I looked at my baby’s face, smiling.

“Hello, my love! You are mummy’s valuable treasure. Daddy must be thrilled right now. He always said he wanted to have a baby girl who looked like me,” I whispered, unable to prevent the tears that soaked my face and blurred my eyesight.

Suddenly, we heard a loud knock at the apartment door.

“Open up! We know you are hiding Luna Aria Taylor. If you don’t open it, we will break down the door,” the male voice threatened.

“Ella! Listen carefully. Take the baby and leave by the back door. You too, Tessa! Hurry!”

“There is no way I am leaving you behind!” implored Ella.

“Ella, this is an order. I am still your Luna. Do it now,” I ordered through gritted teeth, still in pain after having my baby girl.

“Where should I go? The baby was just born! “Ella whispered in submission.

“Take the baby to the Yellow Moon Pack territory. Luna Evelyn will take care of Alison. That’s what we should name her. Alison Taylor! Her dad had it first on the list of names for our future pups,” I whispered. “Go on. Take the baby and leave.” I kissed my baby girl on the forehead and said, “until we meet again, my love.”

“What do you mean you already gave birth to an heir and your powers are now his?” Erick Williams screamed, shaking my frail body.

“I told you,” I said in a weak voice. “The boy I gave birth to has my powers, and I gave him away. You will never find him. But don’t worry! He will find you soon enough. And he will deal with you once and for all, Alpha Erick Williams.”

“You, worthless piece of shit. You are no use to me anymore,” retorted the evil man and wrapped his hands around my neck, choking me.

The only thing I remembered after that was Tessa calling my name.

“Are you having the same nightmare, Aria?” A soft hand touched my sweaty face and I opened my eyes. I smiled weakly, facing my savior.

Tessa was the previous Moon Goddess’s trustee. Knowing what Erick Williams would do, the Moon Goddess had sent Tessa to earth to be by my side and help me ascend to Heaven. She wanted me to take her place and for me to do that I could not be completely dead or my soul would not receive the Moon Goddess’s powers.

Not replying to Tessa’s question, I let myself drift to the past when I had ascended to Heaven.

I had felt lost and depressed. I couldn’t even be reunited with my Daniel after I ascended. He was dead, and I had to take over a position I had never requested. Tessa became my support and courage, giving me the strength to continue my work as the Mother of all.

After I became the Moon Goddess, I could see what had happened in the Opal Moon pack on the day of Erick’s attack. With the help of a witch, he sprayed the pack with tons of wolfsbane right after Ella and I left, weakening everyone, including Daniel.

I could never forget how Erick tortured everyone with extra wolfsbane, trying to find out where I was hiding. The entire area was littered with body parts. The rogues had fun killing the weak warriors and their families. I could hear the cries of the dying pups, calling their mothers’ names and I struggled to keep my sanity at the sight of my loved ones being tortured like that.

The rogues set fires where the Omegas were working and burned everyone to death. I could hear their helpless cries while the flames licked their weak bodies and the sight of their charred, deformed bodies caused me to vomit with disgust for that scumbag, Erick Williams.

I watched my parents and in-laws dying holding each other’s hands, their eyes full of tears and fear for my future.

I cried as Daniel slowly lost consciousness after that monster injected him with extra wolfsbane. He had my mate chained with silver which burned his skin and then he burned his handsome face with a silver stiletto knife.

The knot in my stomach rose to my throat and the punch in my chest from the pain Erick caused my mate made my inability to breathe stronger. I flushed and screamed in my attempts to breathe but ended up falling to the ground unconscious.

When I opened my eyes minutes later, Daniel was dead. That bastard had beheaded the love of my life. I screamed, not caring for my surroundings, holding my empty belly, seeking my baby, and calling Daniel’s name.