Rejecting the Future Moon Goddess

CHAPTER 1 The Thief of the Night

　　Have you ever heard about the stories of Werewolves?

　　Do you know the legends and stories about beings forced to shift from human to wolf only once during a Full Lunar Cycle—on the night of a Full Moon?

　　Has anyone ever told you about those who have no control over their instincts or nature when in full wolf form and can attack anyone, both friend and foe?

　　Do you know about the beings whose Mates are destined to them and them alone by the Almighty Moon Goddess who created them?

　　If you said yes to any of these, would you believe me if I said these are true stories? Well, everything but the forced shift on the night of the Full Moon. Us wolves can shift whenever we want and stay in control.

　　My name is Geminie Starlight. I thought I was Geminie Blake of the Hidden Claws Pack and future Theta—also known as third-in-command—to my pack. It was supposed to be my birthright since the Beta would be my brother, Alex. But things changed when I was a child, and I soon learned how fast blood was not actually thicker than water. It soon went from bad to worse on the night of my eighteenth birthday. Life seemed to have a different plan for me, and my world turned upside down when rejection forced me into an early shift, and my true birthright came to be known.

　　I guess you're interested in my story and want to know what happened since you're already here, so I'll tell you. But, I need to start from the beginning...

　　Eighteen years ago…

　　The Harvest Moon's emits a soft, orange glow over the land, bathing the forest and surrounding meadow in an ethereal light. The soft breeze carries the scent of fall on the wind towards where two wolves sit in waiting, hidden amongst the tall grass and wildflowers that cling to life before the winter frost can hit. As the Harvest Moon slowly climbs to its apex, a mirage slowly appears on a crystal clear lake in the shape of a crescent moon. This mirage will soon be a lush green forest only visible during two events. The first is the ascension of the new Moon Goddess, who will take the place of the current one once she is old enough. The second is the birth of the Moon Goddess' pup. The latter is only if the Moon Goddess has met her Mate after becoming the next Goddess, and is a rare occurrence, happening only once in a blue moon.

　　Today is the latter event. The current Moon Goddess is due to give birth to her child after many years and hoping and waiting from the wolves she watches over. This is also the day for the two wolves to strike. The Goddess took their daughter from them just after the two heard their child's one and only cry. They plan to take her newly born child as revenge and make her face the suffering they have gone through as well. The right time soon comes for the wolves hidden in the shadows to strike as the lush forest comes to life. With only a twenty-minute timeframe from the moment the forest materializes to the moment the Full Moon begins its descent, the two wolves spring from their hiding spot, their paws thundering against the hard dirt.

　　The guards are sure to patrol the forest while the Goddess gives birth, so the two thieves take as much caution as possible while they slink like shadows along the trees and underbrush of the forest, the orange moon providing enough light to see but also enough shadows for them to hide in. Their snouts are to the wind, sniffing the air to avoid any wolf who may block the way to their goal—the centre where the weak Goddess will lay after childbirth.

　　"The Goddess' mate is on his way to retrieve the pup," The thieves freeze, their heartbeats picking up, as thy catch low voices conversing. If the Goddess' mate arrives earlier than expected, their plans are foiled.

　　"We have orders to take the Future Goddess to him outside the forest before this forest vanishes."

　　The thieves wait as patiently as they can until the guards move on. With the coast clear, they continue moving from shadow to shadow until the soft wails of an infant reach their ears. They have finally reached their destination.

　　Slinking out of the shadows, the two wolves bare their teeth at the woman sprawled across a bed of moss, her white hair fanned out behind her and her complexion waning from the hardship of childbirth. Beside the weak woman—the Moon Goddess—is a wooden stump carved into a bassinet where the sound of wailing comes from. A child with white hair and prismatic eyes protests her birth and the cold she is facing outside of her mother's womb. The future Moon Goddess is just within their reach. Suddenly, a twig snaps, altering the resting women to the thieves' presence, but no one is there to stop them.

　　"Please, leave," She whispers weakly, her hand reaching towards the pup, who has now settled down. The larger of the wolves growls menacingly, stopping the weak Goddess from moving in fear of her newborn being harmed. The smaller of the two wolves steps forward, her eyes trained on the newborn. The girl lays there so innocently, swaddled in a black wool blanket with small curly wisps of her white hair peeking out of the fabric. The smaller wolf knows she has come here to kill the infant pup, but instead of closing her sharp teeth around the little one's neck and ending her life, as the two had planned weeks before, the smaller wolf picks up the blanketed bundle and gingerly carries the pup away. Confused, her partner follows suit, and they scamper away. The heartbroken wails of the Moon Goddess follow their retreat and the guards are quickly ordered to find Baby Geminie.