Filed to story: Luna Riannon and Alpha Brayden Novel
That thought alone was so disgusting that the anger rolled over him in waves, finding the exit at the tips of his fingers as his claws grew.
“He.” Fenrir pulled Gleipnir to its limits.
“Doesn’t.” His claws went in between the links, cutting through them.
“Know.” The first link was broken.
“What.” The second was crushed into pieces.
“Love.” Pulling the chain by his other hand, he broke it in two.
“Is!” Gleipnir fell to the deity’s feet as his chest heaved with fury.
* The Moon Goddess didn’t flinch, watching him rise before her. It was as if she expected it, wanted it.
“It took you a while,” she commented calmly.
“Thanks for being as unhelpful as always,” he raised a brow at her.
“Fenrir, our old grudges are not important anymore. I am here, and I want to help,” Selene assured him, but he took it with a grain of salt. He would have killed for her help years ago, but what good was it doing to him now?
“I don’t need you,” he told her bluntly, without sparing her feelings.
“I guess you know Vidar’s plan then.” The Moon Goddess pursed her lips.
“I don’t need to know it.” He brushed her off, gathering the chains he had just broken. “I’m going to kill him and end this once and for all.”
“And how exactly would you do this?” The woman looked at him questioningly.
“That’s none of your business.” He let out a dry laugh. “You don’t think I will share my secrets with you, do you?”
“Fenrir, whatever Vidar is doing, he’s been planning it for years!” She reminded him.
“And I wasn’t sitting on my ass without thinking of our situation daily either,” he snapped at her. “He is going down this time.”
“Fenrir, he is a god in his prime power and you-“
“I know very well what I am, Selene.” His response was firm as he wrapped Gleipnir around his hand. “But if this is really Astrea’s last life, I am not leaving anything up to a chance. She is all that matters to me. If she dies, I die as well. Maybe in that way, we will finally be together without all of you meddling.”
“Is that all you want to offer to my daughter?” The Moon Goddess called him out, but he did not stop. This was nothing new to him.
“See you in another millennia, Selene!” He raised his hand to wave her a goodbye without turning to face her.
“Her divinity can be returned!” The woman shouted into his back, making him pause for a second.
He didn’t say anything, but she did not want to waste her chance, so she continued.
“One God can give his or her divinity to another as a sacrifice-“
Resounding laughter erupted and Selene bit her lip.
“There it is!” He threw his head back, unable to control himself. “Now, this whole conversation finally makes sense! You want me to sacrifice my divinity and immortality for Astrea!”
“Didn’t you say you love her?” The woman crossed her hands over her chest.
“Didn’t you?” He turned on his heels to meet her gaze.”
What was that about motherly love and all?”
“Do you think I didn’t consider doing it myself?” She sounded as if she was appalled. “Unfortunately, Fenrir, no one can replace me! I am the goddess of the Moon! | help to keep two races from slaughtering each other or maybe you have forgotten how you begged me once to give mates to your lycans too because they were losing their minds otherwise?
“How can I forget when you constantly remind me of that.
You have to give mates to everyone now, don’t you? After all werecats, werebirds and other creatures created to help destroy me needed them, too.”
“I hate doing this again.” She closed her eyes, exhaling sharply. “If Astrea will take the burden of -“
“Selene, so many centuries, and you still know nothing about me,” he reproached her.
“You don’t need to trick me to
help Astrea, you don’t need to ask me, you will never have to beg me. She is in my heart, and no one will ever take her place. All I do is always in her best interest, and if I need jo give up my divinity for her, it’s not a question. She can take it all my immortality, my soul and my life. She has them even if she doesn’t need them. She will always be the only keeper of my heart.”
“I am sorry,” Selene said as sincerely as she could. “Then Then, if you can do this, she could be saved. Everything will be restored to its place!”
“Really?” A scoff escaped him. “If I sacrifice my divinity, I will die, and you know it. Astrea will stay alone. It may come as a shock to you, but for the two of us it’s worse than death. At least in my case, I knew she would be reborn again and again. I had something to look forward to before you and Vidar broke me. When I am gone, Astrea will have nothing. And I am not sure she will be grateful to any of us for that decision.”
Fenrir raised his hand, creating a portal back home. He was done here.
“Wait!” Selene said, rushing to stop him, grasping him by his shoulder. Shock pulsed through the wolf god. That woman never touched him in all those years, considering it beneath him.
“What do you want?” He grunted. The wind of the portal was whipping both their hair.
“You are right about me. I don’t know you,” Selene admitted. “I never gave you the benefit of a doubt. I have long forgotten what being in love feels like. Ever since my husband died, I have been alone, our children were my only source of joy. And when my realm started to crumble, I lost them too. I was one of the last ones standing and I thought I knew what I was doing. You two proved me wrong.”
He was glad she finally understood, but here and now it was irrelevant.
“Your confession is too late,” he told her, locking their eyes.
“It will change nothing now, but if you need forgiveness, you have to ask for it from your daughter.”
“I don’t need forgiveness,” the goddess lowered her head. “I need I need to see her happy.”
“That makes two of us.”
She let go of him, and they stood like that for a few seconds before he exhaled heavily and prepared to leave.
“And what if- There is another way.”
“To hell with it, Selene! Why won’t you start with it then?”
She hesitated.
“Because I am not sure you are going to like it.”
Astrea stared at the man who had just announced his claim on her, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her either, mesmerised by her presence. Her body was reacting to him in a way she never imagined reacting to a stranger, waves and waves of emotions mixed with desire coursing through her. These waves, she had to shut them down as soon as possible. –
He is mate, Nova couldn’t calm down, restless beyond belief. I lost hope we would ever get one.
Don’t get used to him, Astrea commanded. We are not keeping him. You know very well that nothing is that simple in our life, and a mate appearing now, at this time, is suspicious.
Maybe he can save us, Nova suggested.
Or maybe he is the one we need saving from, Astrea reasoned. Besides, l’d rather we saved ourselves.
But it’s mate! Nova became agitated. He was destined for US
And what about Fenrir? The woman reminded her wolf. Or maybe you forgot we love him and that it’s not the first time we met?
Of course not. Now Nova was lost for thoughts, her excitement finally wearing off. Fenrir is everything, but
No buts, Astrea insisted. Fenrir is everything. It’s in our nature to be enchanted by a mate, but we have to think straight. We are stronger than that.
Got you, her wolf agreed, trying to build a wall around them quickly to avoid showing weakness or falling deeper.
“Did I hear what I think I heard just now?” Alpha Forrest whistled, watching the scene.