The Golden Goddess

A Brother's Betrayal

Rafandra

The journey through our realm hadn’t been easy. My men and I were on edge from the moment we left the safety of the Heroux gates and into the land of The Cursed. Travelling through the derelict, torched ruins that once used to be full of life and thriving communities of wolves was soul-crushing. We had shifted into our wolves to travel to the portal as fast as possible without drawing the attention of the shadows or undead. All I kept thinking was how Kafele had made this journey alone. I never should have agreed to it. I should have been with him. My chest tightened at the horrifying thought that he may not have even made it to the human realm. That he could have succumbed to the clutches of The Cursed. But I had quickly dismissed that devastating theory. If something had happened to him while he was still in our realm, I would have felt it.

Being identical twins, our souls are connected from birth. It is one of the greatest honours granted upon me by the Moon Goddess; to share my soul with him. To know that I will never walk this world alone. When he hurts, so do I. When he is content, so am I. Our lives are intertwined, whether we like it or not. As the slightly older twin, I have always taken our connection very seriously. Watched over him with an eagle eye. Ensured he wanted for nothing and got everything. It was my role. Since our parents were killed by The Cursed many years ago, it made our bond even stronger. Unbreakable. But he doesn’t always see it like that. I know he finds me to be too much sometimes. We are opposites. Where he is sociable, I am brooding. Where he is easy-going, I am serious. Where he is impulsive, I am cautious. We balance each other in ways only identical twins can. So for him to be gone this long and to not be able to feel his connection, it's as though a part of myself is missing.

We reluctantly met the white witch, Kamari, in the Forest of the Forbidden so she could create a portal for us to cross over into the human realm. My skin crawled and turned to ice when I looked into her eerie white eyes. The glassy mist in them swirled and shone, but without the beauty of stars, against the dull, wrinkled skin of her face. The wispy strands of her white hair fought against the restriction of her grey hooded cloak as she stood hunched over in a clearing of trees, waiting for us. I hated the unknown and the unpredictable. And witches were exactly that. I didn’t trust them or their magic. But in this case, I had no choice but to put my life in the old hag’s hands.

“For your travels,” her silvery, ghostly voice echoed through the wind on a whisper as she raised her hand and our warrior clothes were replaced by thick wool and tight, uncomfortable material that covered our legs. I instantly felt restricted and hot. It was extremely unpleasant.

“What is this?” I growled, glaring at the witch.

A small smile of amusement tugged at the corners of her thin lips. “The clothes they wear in the human realm. You will need to blend in.”

I tugged at the itchy material around my neck as she stepped forward and started to mutter her spell to open the portal. There were very few witches remaining in this realm that had the ability to create gateways to another realm and this one was nearly 700 years old. Stone steps, that ascended and narrowed, up to a gaping magical door that appeared before us, causing my men to swallow audibly in apprehension at what lurked beyond. We had no idea what to expect. Kafele was the first to have travelled to the human realm in over 100 years. What dangers waited for us, we did not know. But it couldn’t be as deadly as what we were leaving behind.

I nodded to my warriors and they each started to climb the stairs to the portal, pushing down their nerves and stepping through without a flinch. I placed my foot, that was no longer bare but encased in some strange shoe, on the step, frowning at the sight. I felt a cold hand on my arm as I turned to stare into the haunted witch’s eyes.

“They are called trainers, Rafandra Usoro,” she sneered, and my back bristled that she knew my name. “Here. Take this.” She placed an emerald stone in my hand. “You shall need it to open the portal to return.”

I pocketed the magical stone in the rigid material of the trousers and followed my men through the glowing liquid that rippled and shimmered before me. It was bizarre. I had walked out of one forest and straight into another. The trunks of the trees were thinner and seemed to be more fragile as they leaned with the cool breeze; their evergreen leaves sparse and pointed. I glanced around at the ground, kicking the dirt with the white ‘trainer’ to assess how dangerous it would be to walk on. It seemed more than okay. My warriors were all wide-eyed and staring at the scenery in awe. I frowned. I couldn’t feel him. I expected to feel Kafele’s soul reconnect with mine the moment I entered this realm but… nothing. That was definitely not a good sign.

“We will head West towards this place called Oregon, where we will find the palace of the Blood Moon Pack and their leaders. I have been told it could take many hours,” I announced to my men, who had all turned to listen with seriousness. They looked ridiculous in those strange outfits. Not the fierce men of Heroux's army. Which meant I did too.

“Commander?” Nitoli stepped forward and I moved my gaze to his, in answer. “Which way is West?”

My dark eyebrows pulled down into the bridge of my nose as I studied our surroundings, spinning in a circle slowly. I had no idea.

***

The sun had set twice since we had been in this land and rose again after many hours. My men were weary but they refused to show it as they followed my wolf, Zaven, without complaint. We stopped and rested only when necessary, killing wildlife and chewing their raw flesh until we had enough strength to continue. Finally, I smelt wolves. Many of them. A loud howl echoed through the trees, raising the alarm that we had arrived. In a blink of an eye, we were surrounded by snarling jaws and deadly eyes. Zaven growled through barred teeth that carried the human clothes until the wolves parted slightly to allow for a giant, white wolf to enter the circle. An Alpha. Could this be our saviour? The man we were here for?

Zaven dropped the clothes to the mud and he immediately shifted into my naked human form. My men remained in their wolves to maintain defences as I had instructed via mindlink. The Alpha’s eyes narrowed and seemed to show confusion before it transformed into a very tall man, whose body was defined with muscle and strength. His sandy blonde curls fell forward on his forehead. His eyes were the same colour as the emerald the witch gave me.

“Make yourself known and the business that brings you to my pack uninvited,” he bellowed menacingly, holding my steady gaze.

“My name is Rafandra Usoro. I am here seeking a warrior from my realm. His name is Kafele.”

The Alpha’s head lifted with recognition as he looked me over. If he knew Kafele, of course, he would know we are related as we look identical apart from the fact I am slightly taller and have a tattoo down one side of my face.

“My name is Ezra Black. I am the Alpha of Blood Moon and King of all species in this realm. It is best that you and your men come with me.”

My hope faded and my caution returned as I narrowed my gaze. He was not the saviour. Alpha Aramis said the King and Queen would be able to help locate the saviour. So at least I was in the right place. But this man definitely knew my brother. And that had me on edge.

“Where is Kafele?” I asked frankly, which caused the man’s jaw to clench in anger. He clearly took offence at my disregard of his command, but he was not my Alpha nor my King. So, I did not have to do anything he asked.

“Like I said, come with me and we shall discuss this privately.”

“Will your Queen be there?”

His eyes glowed with his wolf’s presence, full of protectiveness. “Why is the matter of my mate’s whereabouts any concern to you, wolf?”

“You are refusing to tell me where Kafele is. And I am refusing to come with you until I know you will both be present,” I growled, flashing Zaven’s power in my own brown eyes.

“Do you not see the army of wolves surrounding you? And you still defy me?” He smirked.

“I see them.”

His smile faded as we stared into each other’s eyes with determination. Neither one of us would back down.

“Then you’ll wait here. Try and escape, you and your men will be torn to shreds,” he snarled, turning abruptly on his heels and marching through his army. The wolves immediately closed the gap, growling and glaring at the five of us. Then here we shall wait.

It was a while until he returned, fully dressed in similar clothes to what the witch had given us. “Queen Ruby and I will speak to you in the palace hall now. If you wish to find out where your brother is, follow me.”

He stormed away, giving me no chance to respond. I glanced over my shoulder and nodded at my warriors who shifted into their human forms. A large crowd of his wolf army remained at our sides and rear, striding along with us as we followed the Alpha through the forest. The trees cleared and huge glass and stone buildings appeared, neatly organised in rows. There were so many people walking through them, some laughing together and children playing in the roads. The moment they saw their Alpha, they smiled. They greeted him in a friendly manner, but did not bow or show any other form of respect. It was odd. He even laughed and joked with some of them as if he was of their rank. When their eyes diverted past him and saw me and my men, they widened. Men glared with animosity. Women gasped or devoured us with curiosity and desire. Children pointed and giggled. I kept my face set in an aggressive scowl, daring any of them to attack.

Alpha Ezra turned around to glance back at us when he saw his pack’s reactions. His face morphed into surprise and then anger as he stormed towards me.

“Why the f*ck are you still naked? Put your clothes on!” He gritted through his teeth.

“I would rather be naked.”

“Well, I would rather you cover up in front of my people and especially my mate.”

The corner of my mouth curved up when I realised what his problem was. “Fine,” I agreed, pulling the awful trousers up my legs and then the itchy wool fabric over my head. “Your mate will be safe from jumping my bones now.”

He stepped up to my face, pushing his forehead into mine as his wolf released a vicious growl. I stood my ground, staring into his green eyes.

“Alpha Ezra!” A voice commanded from behind him. After a few tense moments, he stepped back reluctantly, still seething with rage at the female’s warning. I glanced over his shoulder and saw a beautiful woman with long jet-black hair down to her waist. Her face was fierce but feminine. She was the strangest creature I had ever seen. Magenta eyes, the colour of the flowers in the meadows of our realm, studied me carefully. She had a very unnerving presence. The power of a wolf but also a cold, intimidating force and magical aura. She slowly descended the marble steps of the largest pristine building in this territory. It could not rival the exquisiteness of my Alpha’s palace, but it was still magnificent.

“Welcome to the Blood Moon Pack. I am Queen and Luna here. My name is Ruby,” she greeted with a tight smile. “Please. Come inside and let us talk.”

“Rafandra Usoro,” I nodded once as the Alpha narrowed his eyes at me and joined her on the steps. Together, they walked into the palace and we followed. Human guards took over from the wolves as we reached the top of the steps and entered the elegant building. We were shown into a large hall which had white pillars decorating the edges and a platform at the front with two large thrones.

They took their seats and I paused a few feet away, crossing my hands and standing firm. My men took the same stance at my side.

“Rafandra, my mate tells me that you are looking for a warrior named Kafele?” Queen Ruby spoke with obvious intrigue as she studied my appearance.

“I am. You have most likely guessed by now that he is my brother. It is written all over your faces. Which means you know where he is,” I replied and she smiled. It was the kind of smile that held no friendliness, only knowing.

“We understand your worry and concern for Kafele, but you can be rest assured that he is safe. We have been taking care of him.”

I narrowed my eyes and my nostrils flared. I didn’t believe a single word. If my brother was fine, I would be able to feel him through our connected souls.

“He was sent to this realm with clear orders to return with your answer within a week.” I paused as Zaven became restless and extremely anxious in my mind, pacing back and forth. “My brother would never ignore his Alpha’s command. Which means you must be holding him hostage.”

“I can assure you that is not what has happened-” the Queen started, but I was no longer listening. The sound of Zaven’s agitation was too much. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the palace doors opened behind me and the sweet scent of honey and almonds filled the room, igniting a delicious warmth in my chest.

“MATE,” Zaven roared in my mind with excitement as I quickly turned around to see a mass of tight brown ringlets that faded to a warm blonde and the most beautiful big eyes. They were the lightest shade of hazel that I had ever seen as they stared at me in pure shock. Her full, kissable lips gaped open as she looked me up and down slowly with disbelief. She was mesmerising. My entire being filled with intense longing and desire to touch her. Just to make sure she was real.

Ignoring everyone else, I stormed towards her as she stood frozen in place. I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and wrapping my hand around the nape of her neck, pulling her body into mine and causing her head to tilt up to hold my towering gaze. She was a lot shorter than me, barely reaching my shoulder. But then I had always been extremely tall. The feel of her soft curvaceous body up against mine had me instantly excited. She was all woman. Soft, sweet and smooth.

“Mate,” I growled as her captivating eyes darted between mine in understanding. Her full t**s were pressing against me with every panted breath. Goddess, I wanted to possess her right here, right now, but I knew I couldn’t. Kafele wouldn’t believe that we had a mate so pure. “What’s your name?”

“Neve,” she whispered, and I instantly smiled. Perfect.

“Rafandra,” I replied, and her eyebrows tensed in slight confusion, which was adorable, until she realised I had just told her my name. My eyes devoured every tiny detail of her beauty; the speckles of different shades of light brown and honey in her irises; her cute, little nose and luscious lips; the little crease above her left eyebrow that deepened with her focus. Her skin was the colour of smooth caramel and small freckles decorated the bridge of her nose and cheeks. I brushed my thumb down the side of her neck, melting at the softness of her flesh against my rough warrior hands. My eyes followed the trail. And that’s when I saw it. My whole body became paralyzed and I could no longer breathe. She bore a mark. She had already been mated and marked by another. And not just anyone. My brother.

I instantly removed my hand as if she was suddenly scolding my skin and stepped back abruptly. Her face morphed into a look of pure confusion and hurt, but then realisation. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest, torn to pieces and then roasted on a ceremonial fire by my own flesh and blood. My own brother. How could he do this to me?

“It’s not what you think,” she panicked, stepping towards me, but I immediately moved back, unable to be anywhere near her. It was torture. And the longing in her eyes was only making the pain one hundred times worse.

“It is exactly what I think,” I growled, turning away from her and returning to my place before the King and Queen. Every movement I made to distance myself from her was like a knife to my heart. My body ached just feeling her so close, yet all I felt was overwhelming betrayal. Zaven was livid, ready to kill his own kin. “Where is my brother?”

The Queen glanced over my shoulder at her before she spoke, which only made me more furious.

“He is resting at my parent’s castle in England. When he arrived in the realm, he was taken captive by a powerful warlock who was experimenting on supernaturals. Neve was also taken and held in the same place. That is how they met,” she explained, clearly hoping it would calm me. I glanced over my shoulder at Neve, my jaw tight and fists screwed into balls, before staring back at Queen Ruby. None of it made any difference. “Neve and Kafele managed to escape, but they were attacked. Kafele fought bravely to save Neve but was severely injured and, as a result, nearly died. He was treated by our pack doctors and I put him in a magical coma to help his body recover from his injuries. We were just about to wake him up when you arrived.”

What? My rage was too much. It had now shifted into a dark ball of scorching fire on hearing the complete disregard of fate’s course and the Moon Goddess’ wishes. How dare they use magic to save my brother’s life! He was a warrior of the moon. The highest honour there is for a wolf warrior is to die in battle. And they took that from him? They played with his life as if they had the authority of a God? I roared my thoughts at them in anger.

“If we had not, he would have died,” the Queen argued, as if that made it all okay.

“He would have died a death of honour. A warrior's death. He would have feasted with the Gods in celebration. The highest privilege there is for our kind. And you denied him that? You toyed with his life as if you were of equal importance as the Goddess herself?”

The Alpha bolted up out of his throne, his eyes flashing with his wolf’s presence and power as he released his Alpha’s roar before growling, “Speak to my mate with disrespect again and you shall meet your Goddess far sooner than you’d like.”

“If that is what the Goddess chooses, then that is my fate. Only she can decide who lives and who dies!”

“I am sure the Goddess wishes for no one to die today,” Queen Ruby stood up calmly and placed her hand on the Alpha’s forearm to soothe him. “I can see that you may have very different beliefs and traditions to the way we live our lives in this realm and I apologise if it has caused you offence. We only wished to save your brother’s life and spare Neve the agonising pain of finding and losing her mate so quickly.”

I froze at her words. Her mate. So they all knew. They had mated and marked each other with no regard for me. Did they even give me a second thought? Did my brother even care that he had ruined my life?

The Queen continued to tell me how Kafele had informed Neve that he had been sent here with a message from our Alpha, but had been attacked before he got a chance to meet with them. She demanded to know what that message was, but I was too full of complex emotions to be able to think clearly. I had to see Kafele. To know he was alive so that I could kill him myself.

“First, I wish to see my brother. I want to know he is alive and well,” I demanded and once again she glanced at Neve for her permission. The fire in my veins burned hotter.

Once she had agreed to take me to him, I ordered my men to stay behind and rest at the palace until I returned. Now knowing the Queen was in fact a witch, vampire and wolf tribrid, she came towards me to use her magic to transport us to a nicely decorated bedroom in a castle. There on the large double bed was Kafele, sleeping peacefully under an enchantment. I glared down at him, feeling a flurry of unwelcome emotions. Relief and love that he was here and I had found him. But rage and deep-seated betrayal at what he had done.

Within a matter of seconds, the now heart-wrenching scent of honey and almonds filled the room once more as Neve appeared alongside a very petite blonde girl with pink eyes. I narrowed my gaze at her when I realised she was a vampire. I had never seen one before in real life. They were banished from our realm centuries ago for good reason. They were only ever trouble.

The Queen started to prepare her spell to wake Kafele and I stepped back, trying to keep as much distance between me and her toxic magic as I could. When the room flushed with her power, I closed my eyes and started to mutter a prayer in our ancient divine language to my Gods for my brother’s and my tainted soul. If he had died in battle, my soul would have been fractured and I would have most likely died very soon after. But if that was what the Goddess intended, that is what should have happened.

Suddenly, the suffocating magic fizzled away and I opened my eyes to see Neve climbing onto the bed, taking Kafele’s limp hand in hers and staring at him with so much hope and love. My heart pounded painfully as I watched him slowly wake up and return her loving gaze as he lifted his hand to her face to stroke her cheek. I could feel his undeniable happiness and devotion for her through our connected soul, but I could not bask in it. I rejected it. His head turned, sensing my presence and our eyes locked.

“Rafe?”

“Hello brother,” I managed to hide my disappointment and anger in my steady tone. He hauled himself off the bed as Neve’s concerned eyes darted between us. He struggled to stand upright, but I’d be damned if I was going to offer a helping hand. Instead, Neve came to his rescue, steadying him on his feet. He stepped towards me, his identical eyes searching mine for a few long, tense moments. I could see it all. The guilt. The shame. The apology. And love. I reached out, dealing with my relief and loyalty to him as my brother first and gripped his bare shoulder, pulling him into me. His arms locked around me tightly as we embraced. Now… he was about to feel my wrath. Pulling away from him, I threw all my fury into a violent punch to his face. Neve gasped. He fell back onto the carpet from the force and I leaned over him, glaring into his eyes with loathing.

“That’s for marking her,” I growled, before I stepped over his body. I stormed out of the room, slamming the door and nearly breaking it off its hinges. Kafele might as well stay in that coma, because the brother I once had was dead to me.