Blue Moon Goddess

A Family?

At the mention of children an electric tingle shot through my body and I paused to examine the feeling for a moment as it was utterly foreign to me. "You want to have pups with me?" I asked hesitantly, still leery of his possible rejection. I had never put much thought into pups before simply because I thought I was destined to be mateless. Yet that was no longer the case and I had just discovered how desperately I yearned for pups to call my own. My youth may have been spent in a living nightmare, but I was brimming with a lifetime of bottled up love and I wanted nothing more than a family of my own to shower with affection.

I watched in fascination as his eyes flashed lava and stormy ocean clouds when Atlas pushed to the surface and Niklaus seemed to struggle to reign him in for several minutes. I knew he was back in control when I found myself once more drowning in emerald forests dancing with sunset orange fireflies and my breath caught from their sheer beauty. "My beautiful Willow, I want nothing more in the universe than to have dozens of pups with you. In fact, nothing could possibly bring me more joy than to learn that you were carrying my pup. You're my mate and I want everything with you."

I could see the candor reflected in his eyes and it made my heart swell that I had finally found my place in the world. In the course of a single night I had found out how important I was not only to my mate, but to the world. It was a lot to process, I still hadn't fully wrapped my own mind around it and now the possibility of a family was on the table. I didn't have time to think about a family just yet though because apparently the fate of the world teetered in my unwilling hands. How was I supposed to save the world when I couldn't even obtain the respect of my own pack? They had never even given me a fair chance, but in their defense, they were all terrified to act against Eric so maybe my solitude hadn't completely been their fault. It didn't make being ostracized any easier though. "I want kids too, lots and lots of kids," I finally breathed out and saw his dazzling smile in response. "But we have to save the world before we can add to its population."

He stroked a finger down my cheek and I leaned into the much needed warmth of his touch. "I can still dream about a house full of children and practice making them while we save everyone from their own stupidity."

It was my turn to smile at how positive he seemed of the outcome to all of this. He had just been told that the old gods wanted to decimate us and was so unwavering in his belief that I could stop this. How did he already have so much faith in me when we had just met? I was aware of how powerful the mate bond was, but this was something on a whole new level and I was still trying to wrap my mind around it. "I've always wanted a family of my own, one that wanted me in return."

~Niklaus' POV~

Her barely audible words tore at my heart, causing Atlas to rage and I reached out to lift her chin until her unusual gaze locked with mine. "We might now have children yet, but you do have a family and we want you with every fiber of our being. You are more loved than you will ever know and I know for a fact that my family and pack cannot wait to meet you."

Hope bloomed on her gorgeous face and she looked utterly vulnerable in that moment. "You really think they'll like me?"

"I don't think they'll like you, I know they'll love you, modicum lupus. Despite all of the things that were designed to break you, you're the strongest wolf that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. With what these people put you through, no one would blame you if you were completely rabid, but you're not. I wanted to kill everyone in this pack and yet you're willing to admit that there are some here who don't deserve my ire. You're so amazing and you don't even realize it."

She rolled her eyes at my words, something that no one else had ever dared to do and let out a breathy chuckle. "I don't want their blood on my hands and even if you did the killing, I'd still feel responsible. Not everyone in this pack has raised their hands to me and, even if they had, it was only at the behest of their Alpha. I don't blame weaker wolves for doing what they could to protect themselves and not be the whipping boy."

I growled at the phrase she used, pulling her closer to breath in her calming scent and buried my face in her neck. "See what I mean? You're willing to forgive them for your abuse because they're weak and I could give a f**k less about their weakness. This pack is plenty large enough that they could have overthrown Eric for his abuse and the Council wouldn't have stepped in. He deserved to be put down, hell they sanctioned it and his pack just stood by and allowed him to be a monster."

"Better the devil you know."

He looked at her incredulously and shook his head in utter disbelief. "What in the actual f**k is that supposed to mean?"

Willow bristled at my words and I watched as Selene's presence swirled in her eyes. "Watch your hostility with me mate. I may have had to tolerate it for years, but I will do no such thing now."

It usually would have sent Atlas into a fit of rage to be challenged in such a manner, but we both found it very sexy coming from our mate. We had just had our way with her, but her fiery response had me hardening for her once more. Oh yes, this woman spelled out more than trouble for us. "I'm not angry at you and I didn't mean for the hostility to be directed at you, but that set me off. Are you saying you feel safer with these monsters than with me?"

Her wolf dissipated from her eyes as shock registered on her features and she shook her head vehemently. "Not in the least! You said that the Council would not have retaliated had they revolted against their Alpha, but how were they to know that? For all anyone in this pack knew, the Council was aware of his actions and their lack of involvement could be seen as them condoning it. Why would they risk the full fury of the Council instead of just bearing their Alpha's cruelty? Besides, their lives became infinitely easier when I was old enough to abuse because I had a knack for pissing Eric off."

I lifted a brow in askance and when she failed to voice a response, I knew I would have to ask. "What do you mean by you had a knack for pissing Eric off?"

She rolled her eyes, the answer obvious in her mind, but he needed to hear the words from her mouth. "I've never been one to take abuse laying down and I've always had a quick mouth. He would tell me to do things, expecting me to mindlessly obey and that's never been my style. It only got worse once I fully understood that his Alpha command had no effect on me. I could have been smart, pretended that it did, but I've never been one to roll over and play dead. The scar on my back? I got it because I had the audacity to deny his command when he tried to force me to..." She glanced at the fury in my eyes and curbed her tongue as she sensed how little control I currently had over myself and Atlas. "Warm a visiting Alpha's bed. I told him if he was so keen on the man that he could f**k him himself and the other Alpha laughed in his face for not being able to control an Omega."

"How old were you?" I managed to get out between clenched teeth. She could see the murderous intent in my eyes and I could see her debating with whether or not to respond. "How old?"

She swallowed nervously at the rage in my voice and glanced away as though ashamed of herself. "Sixteen."

I stomped my rage down as she trembled in my arms and reminded myself that she needed me. She didn't need my fury, she needed my love and acceptance. "You didn't deserve that, love. You didn't deserve any of the things that you e suffered through. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to erase all of the darkness you've been subjected to. One day you won't even remember this time in your life," I vowed as I cradled the most precious thing in the universe to my chest.