Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
“She has died a noble death. We will honor her,” one of the women said, while another approached and lifted Lily into her arms with ease. “But you must rise, the battle is not done.”
“You must defeat Loki, or her death will mean nothing,” the other woman said.
“I will chase him to the depths of hell if I have to,” Geri said. “I will avenge my Lily!”.
The three women carrying the body of Lily left the stage. Geri was alone with the single flower. He knelt forward and touched the small, belled petals.
“The Goddess cries for you tonight, Lily,” he said softly. “She has blessed this land with her tears. So here, where your blood was spilled, this land will be known as Lily’s Rest.”
The lights went down. There were movements and muttered words, a small laugh from the audience sitting closest to the stage.
When the lights came back up, Geri stood in full armor, with several others standing behind him. Some were in their wolf form. Across the stage stood the flamboyant Loki, who smiled and laughed and generally looked ridiculous. Surrounding him were others painted with leaves in greens, browns, and golds.
There were speeches and taunts, and melodramatic pantomime of Geri chasing Loki from the north to south and finally the great battle. At the end of it all, Geri was wounded but lived. Loki had died, and peace reigned across the world of man.
Alexander had only caught a few lines here and there. Primarily he was searching for Selene. But, unfortunately, she had slipped away in the crowd, and he didn’t like it.
He looked back and forth, ducking between people and standing on empty chairs. But he didn’t see her anywhere.
“Are you really that worried?” Selene whispered from behind him.
He spun around and caught her in his arms.
“I wasn’t sure where you had gone,” he whispered, burying his lips into her hair.
“Nature called to me as well,” she laughed. Then looking back at the stage as Geri gave his final speech, she added. “Aww, guess I missed all the good parts.”
The lights went down, and the squeal of the firework went up. Then, several loud pops, one right after the other, rang out. Alexander looked up to see a mix of colors. Red, purple, blue, green. It was beautiful.
“Hey,” Selene said, drawing Alexander’s attention. “What did you mean when you asked why I thought the other Lunas had died?”
Several people pushed and pulled, laughing as they headed back toward the food and drink. Finally, Alexander looked around and dragged her to a slightly secluded spot beneath a row of trees.
“Well, I don’t know about Spring and Autumn, but Solana didn’t die. At least not when she left Summer.”
“What? How do you know?” Selene asked curiously.
“Summer has always been great at keeping records,” Alexander smiled. “Some of our earliest are about Alpha Caelter and Luna Solana.”
“Like what?”
“Well, regarding Solana, there wasn’t much. There was some mention of her being called home. Some people interpret that as her returning to the place she lived as a human. Others assumed that she had gone to Winter and died in the battle. That returning home meant she wanted to die fighting.”
“Wow…”
“But no matter how you interpret it, I don’t believe she died, at least not before Caelter, because he never suffered her loss. The destruction of the bond, it was not something he experienced. Instead, he died of old age, having passed the role of Alpha to his son years before.”
Selene looked away, feeling something akin to an itch in her mind, something scratching at her memory.
“Selene?”
“Huh?”
“I asked, what’s next?” Alexander said, looking into her eyes with concern. “Are you ok?”
“Yes,” she nodded and gave him a winning smile.
“Alright,” he said with a quick kiss. “So, what’s next?”
He looked around with excitement. Selene laughed at his adorable expression.
“Well, you’ve seen the dancing and the bonfires, the tables and tables of food… we watched the play and the fireworks… The wild hunt doesn’t start for another hour, maybe two… so that would mean…Oh!” Selene paused with a gasp. “Oh my goddess…”
“What?” Alexander asked, looking around with concern that something had caused the look of alarm on her face.
“Oh… that must be it… Oh! Alexander!!” Selene squealed with excitement and grabbed his arms, jumping up and down.
“What are you so excited about?” Alexander asked with a chuckle, glad to know she wasn’t worried about something.
“After the show and the fireworks and before the wild hunt…” she said, looking at him like she expected him to finish her sentence.
He raised his brows, waiting, and then sighed.
ɴ[0)ᴠᴇʟ “Selene, this is my first time. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh right,” she laughed. “Ok, well, before the wild hunt is the Mourning Call. It’s sort of like a scavenger hunt… except there is only one item, and it’s for all the pups who have received their wolf but only for a year or less.”
“Ok… and what is so exciting about that?” Alexander asked.
“The Mourning Call is a remembrance walk. It’s meant to represent Geri’s search for Lily before she was slain by Loki. The item that they are searching for is the same flower used on the stage tonight during the show.”
“That’s… pretty sad.”
“It is, but it’s not. The one who finds it is supposed to bring it back and give it to the Alpha, who then gives it to his Luna, completing the task that Geri was unable to. It’s supposed to bless the mated couples with a year of peace and boons,” Selene smiled.
“Ok, well, that is a much sweeter take on it, but why exactly are you so excited? You are young but still about ten years too late on the cut-off for the hunt….” Alexander laughed.
“I don’t want to find the flower,” Selene sighed, then her eyes lit up with mischief and excitement. “But this must be when he’s going to do it. I mean, it’s perfect. All eyes will be on him, and it’s romantic… it’s perfect.”
“Selene, please… just… speak English?” Alexander sighed.
“Axel!” she said excitedly. Then quickly looked around and quieted her voice. “He’s going to announce his Luna by giving her the lily of the valley!”
Galen set down the plate holding a mixture of boar, venison, fish, and a healthy portion of roasted vegetables. Besides it, he set down another plate. This one had a small piece of fish, which had been heavily debated, and a bowl containing a heaping pile of strawberries. And a specially requested and overly large pickle on a stick.
He grinned as he looked down at the thick cut, juicy slices of boar, carefully marinated for almost four days in a savory sauce that had kicked his salivary glands into overdrive. He stabbed the first slice with his fork, lifting it to his mouth.
“That looks good…” Bell whispered with heat in her voice.
The feel of her breath against the sensitive nerves of his ear sent a shudder of excitement rippling across his body.
He only wished the desire in her was directed at him, instead of the food on his fork.
Galen sighed and turned his fork, offering it to her. With an excited squeal Bell sat down beside him and took his fork, and his plate.
“Thank you,” she smiled brightly as she bit into the meat with a soft moan. “This is so good…”
“It looked good,” Galen smiled at her.
Bell stared back at him and then laughed.
“I’m so sorry!” she said. “I stole your food, didn’t I?”
ɴ[0)ᴠᴇʟ Galen chuckled.
“It’s alright,” he said..
“Here you can have this,” Bell offered, moving the bowl of strawberries in front of him as she took another slice of boar from the plate he had so carefully filled with all the tastiest offerings on the table.
“Thank you,” he said mournfully as he popped a strawberry into his mouth.
Bell smiled brightly at her husband as she continued to eat from both plates, even taking a few strawberries as they enjoyed the atmosphere of the evening and the fireworks of the play.
“Are you two not attending the show?” Corrine asked as she approached their table.
Galen looked at Bell, who turned her eyes away as she continued to chew on a thick piece of meat.
“We decided… it was probably best to avoid the crowds at the stage,” Galen said.
“Oh I see,” Corrine smiled.
“Just tell her the real reason,” Bell sighed.
“Are you sure?” Galen asked.
Bell nodded.
“Is everything alright?” Corrine asked, suddenly concerned.
“Yes… it’s not something to be worried about,” Galen began, putting his arm around Bell protectively. “With everything going on, Bell has had a few nightmares lately. And we agreed that a show where a mother believes that her child has been stolen from her by a monster wasn’t the best entertainment right now.”
“Oh, darling…” Corrine sighed sadly. She sat down at the table across from Bell and took her hand. “I’m so sorry.”
Bell shrugged.
“Nothing to be sorry about, it’s just nightmares,” Bell said picking up another strawberry and nibbling at the end of it.
“I am thankful if it is just nightmares,” Corrine said. “But even a nightmare can damage our soul. So, don’t forget that I am here if you want to talk, my girl.”
“I know,” Bell smiled. Galen squeezed her shoulder to remind her of the support that was all around her at all times.
A plate was suddenly set down in front of Galen. It was almost an exact copy of the dish he had made himself, except the fish portion was slightly more significant. Which, if he was honest, he had wanted but had run out of room.
Galen looked up with surprise to see Axel standing above him.
“Is this for me?” Galen asked.
“It would be very strange if I set my own food down in front of you, don’t you think?” Axel asked with a lopsided grin as he took a seat beside Galen, holding another plate of food.
Galen chuckled and nodded.
“It’s for you,” Axel clarified. “Bell has always been a ‘food sharer’.”
The last was said with air quotations.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?