Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
The Moon Goddess pursed her lips tightly and then let out a small sigh.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like that,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
“It doesn’t matter how it was supposed to be,” Astrea seethed. “This is how it is now. This is how it’s been for centuries. And I only have you, my mother, to thank for it!”
“Child,” the Moon Goddess lowered her voice, “I know I made a mistake-“
“Mistake?” her daughter hissed, knowing the guards were too close to speak out loud. “A mistake would be a wedding dress in the wrong size! With your cursed mate bond, you bound me forever to the wrong man!”
Selene looked like she slapped her, but the Dragonfly did not feel sorry.
“Back then, I only wanted to protect you so that you wouldn’t have faced the destiny of your siblings-“
“And the one you assigned to protect me killed me dozens, if not hundreds of times!” Astrea countered.
“I chose wrong,” Selene whispered. “I knew so little back then. If you think I didn’t regret it every single day since the day you died for the first time-“
“And yet you did nothing to help me!” Tears burned Astreas eyes.
“I did-what I could.”
“Not enough, apparently!” The daughter locked eyes with her mother again, nothing but hatred in her eyes. “Well, at least you came for the wedding! Maybe he won’t kill me by the end of the ceremony! Fingers crossed!”
Selene dug her fingernails deeper into her flesh as if warning her. “He won’t.”
“This is useless,” Astrea muttered and tried to free her hand, but Selene grasped her wrist, her gaze on the bracelets and the ring.
Something twisted in the pit of Astrea’s stomach. How could she be so careless with that woman? Maybe her mother did not know what the bracelets were, but she surely recognised her own ring!
“Leave us!” Selene ordered the four men who followed them, and they stumbled, unsure whether they should listen to her.
“My apologies,” the tallest of them bowed, “we only follow orders of Vidar, The All-Father.”
“He’s not yet a father to be called that. Only one god had that name,” the Moon Goddess replied calmly. “But if you insist, didn’t the Ruler of Asgard tell you to make me feel at home when I arrived?”
“Yes, he did,” the Asgardian replied, dipping his head in his shoulders.
“So, let me inform you that I would never be comfortable at my home with four strangers following me this closely. I understand you must do your job, but why don’t you take twenty steps back? You will still be able to see us and perform your duties, but without disturbing me or my daughter.”
The guardians exchanged glances and backed away synchronously, allowing the two women more space.
“We have a similar taste in jewellery.” Selene returned her gaze to Astrea, and the latter yanked her hand away, ready to fight now if she had to
“That’s-“
“The mate bond wasn’t a mistake,” the Moon Goddess turned away to look at the sea behind the cliff they were on as if nothing special was going on between them. “Don’t get me wrong, I know that mating you to Vidar was one.
But the mate bond, in general, can be a beautiful thing. It became a beautiful thing for so many.”
Astrea rolled her eyes but said nothing. Before all this, before she met Fenir and got her memories back, she had once dreamt of a mate, too. Now, she wanted to laugh at her past self.
“Your bond was the first one, and I thought you and Vidar would be a splendid match. I believed I planned all that so perfectly. An heir of Asgard and the future of Olympians-I almost believed it was written in the stars.”
Astrea fidgeted with the ring on her finger, her nerves getting the better of her. She wanted to be done here as soon as possible.
“I forgot only one thing-” Selene clasped her hands tightly together, interlocking her fingers as if that was supposed to give her strength, “to ask my daughter, the Star Goddess, about all that.”
“That you did.”
“I was thousands of years old and truly believed I knew better. If I could turn back time-“
“But you can,” Astrea let out a mocking laugh. “You did it for Riannon!”
“I love Riannon,” Selene admitted. “She is the perfect Luna, one of the best she-wolves I have seen, but-when I turned back time to bring her back just one year, it weakened me immensely. I wouldn’t be able to repeat that any time soon.
And I didn’t do it for her alone. Not really… I did it for you and for the mortals in general. I brought Ria back because she started a chain reaction of changes that helped me to fix so much of Vidar’s and Joran’s work. Those boys-“
Astrea did not allow a single muscle on her face to flinch despite the waves of shock ripping through her body.
“You are not serious!”
1 am. Freyja told me it was your last life, and I became desperate. I was always carefully choosing the families for you to be born in, but each time it was a waste of effort.
This life, I was sure I thought of everything. I even gave you a twin to-“
She stopped talking but Astrea realised what she meant, memories of her sister Stella flooding her brain.
“No!” She rubbed her temples, not wishing for these dark thoughts to break her now when she needed to be strong.” You don’t mean-You couldn’t!”
“I am sorry.” Selene watched tears rolling down her daughter’s cheeks. “She was a sweet child, and I set her for the best new life possible after Vidar’s monsters killed her.
He thought she was you, and I thought that you would have a chance this time if he kept believing that.”
“You let him kill Stella instead of me-” she whispered what was the equivalent of a knife piercing her heart.
“There was no choice! Vidar tainted everything he touched.
He weakened our realm, and his is barely holding up. He took all the power and-“
“Listen to yourself!” Astrea raised her voice, desperation overwhelming her. “She was just a child! And you-you are a monster!”
Selene held her gaze with an unwavering determination.
“I am a mother,” she corrected. “But I am a mother not only to you but to many others, and my life goal is to take care of as many of you as I can. That’s a burden I carry with me.
I am not perfect, and I made my fair share of mistakes, but I am trying, As-Astrea. After what happened to you, I made it possible for mates to reject each other. I gave them a choice regardless of me connecting their souls. And I am sorry I cannot give this to you because you were first, and Vidar never died, making your bond unbreakable. You are still attached to him every time you are reborn. I wish I could break it, but it’s impossible since he is a god too.
Therefore-1 made a deal with Joran. It cost me a mate bond I did not plan to create.”
“Yeah, I heard,” Astrea frowned. “You ruined quite a few lives doing so, you know.”
“It all turned out well in the end. Besides, look at you. You are stronger than ever before, and you need this for what’s coming. I only hope you will let me be by your side.”
She contemplated for a few moments.
“I can’t trust you. Not anymore. Probably not ever. You took so much from me; you let Fenrir and me suffer for so long to prove a point. One conversation is not enough to mend what was broken.”
“I know, and I understand.” Selene nodded and then pulled her daughter into a hug roughly so that she didn’t have time to push her away.
“What are you-” Astrea grunted, wishing to distance herself as soon as possible.
“Your friend is not here,” Selene whispered. “Vidar doesn’t have her. He wants you to believe that so that you are compliant. She is still in the mortal realm and is supposed to be by Fenrirs side.
Astrea froze.
“How do you-“
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you need to get to the Source of power behind the main palace, and it will be heavily guarded at night, so choose a different time.”
“I don’t need your advice!”
“But you do. Vidar wants the wedding to go smoothly.
Whatever happens, do not let him mix your blood. He… he doesn’t love you. You cannot share your power with a man who has no feelings for you.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” her daughter promised, frustrated by the fresh revelations. She glanced at her mother with her brows furrowed, unsure whether she could believe her.
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?