Luna and her Alpha mate

01 ~ Where it all began

The past… the dawn of creation.

The earth goddess Gaea and the water god Oceanus were already together, mated, and marked for eternity.

Despite Gaea being pregnant with the sky god Ouranos’s offspring, for they had previously been together before Destiny had created the mate bond, the water god had been understanding and made no issue, simply opened his arms and accepted her completely, pregnant belly and all.

Now at the final term of her pregnancy, she sat on a grassy prairie, making flower crowns and necklaces to bring as a gift to the new river spirits on the eastern side of the fast-growing mainland. A new forest was prospering there and she wanted to personally thank them for sustaining the young flora and fauna that have already made it their new home.

“My dearest Gaea…”

Gaea looked up and saw her mate Oceanus standing several feet away, leaning against a tree with a small smile on his lips.

She smiled widely at him before looking down again to continue making the crown of daisies. “Oh, there you are, my love! Come and help me get these done in time. I want to bring them to the Aki river spirits in the east. The new forest is thriving and I want to thank them for—”

Suddenly she found herself being lifted by his strong arms and she yelped in surprise, giggling as she felt him smelling the back of her neck, breathing in her scent. “Oce—”

“Shhh… No words… I need you. Now.”

“But I—”

“Shhh…” He sealed her lips with a kiss and she closed her eyes, wondering briefly why he was acting strange. Usually he was very gentle, teasing her slowly, opening her up little by little, a slow burn until she couldn’t help but cry out for him to take her. Maybe he was just feeling especially amorous today.

“Did you indulge yourself with oysters again?” She teased him, but all thoughts flew away from her head when he laid her on the grass and placed his mouth on her feminine core, making her gasp from the sudden onslaught of pleasure.

He feasted on her like he was starving and she cried out in just a few minutes, her world a blast of colors and sensations.

“Oh! What… Why are you—”

“Shhh…” Before she could say more, he turned her around, careful of her pregnant belly, and entered her from behind while she was still throbbing from her previous org@sm and she moaned in ecstasy with him. He certainly was quite different than usual… but she liked this lustful and dominant side of him. She could feel another explosion building up and she whimpered.

“Please…”

There was a hint of a smile in his voice when he asked. “Please what, Gaea?”

She gasped, almost desperately. “Please don’t stop!”

He gave her what she wanted. He told her everything she wanted to hear, he made her beg and whimper, moaning until she could no longer bear it and they both finally reached their peak together.

“I love you!” Gaea cried out.

“I love you too…” He whispered from behind her. “And I missed you so…”

Even in her very sated state of post-org@smic bliss, that sounded quite wrong. “Missed me? We were just together this morn…” Cold fear suddenly creeping in, she opened her eyes just in time to meet her mate’s blue ones staring at her in shock from several feet away.

She quickly pushed away whoever it was that just claimed her body, dread filling her whole being.

“Who…!?” She frowned when she saw the same face on the man she just had coitus with, but this one was smirking.

“I thought…” Gaea looked at the other Oceanus and saw immeasurable pain in his eyes before he turned and walked unsteadily away, obviously in great pain.

“Oceanus, wait!”

But he didn’t stop, merely shifted into his water form, before flashing away to dive back to the sea.

Gaea stared at the Oceanus beside her who was smirking. “Who are you!?”

“Couldn’t you tell? Who else can love you this good?”

She stared in horror as his form morphed into the human form of Ouranos, the sky god.

“You tricked me…”

“Only to remind you how great we are together! Don’t you remember, Gaea? Can’t you see how perfect it was? Don’t you want to have it again?”

The earth goddess stared at her former lover with disbelief and dismay. “You tricked me…” She repeated in a dull voice.

“Gaea—!”

“I am going to lose my mate…and the land…my children will suffer because of your selfishness…” She whispered brokenly.

He paled, expecting a completely different reaction from her. “No! No, Gaea, we can make this work, you and I! We can make Destiny revoke the mate bond! You only need to choose me instead! Choose us!”

She stood up, her knees trembling, holding her belly protectively.

“I don’t understand…” She mumbled to herself. “How could I not recognize that you weren’t him? The mate bond should have told me something was wrong…” She remembered thinking his behavior was different but she had dismissed it, trusting her eyes and not really expecting anyone to impersonate her mate.

He even smelled of the ocean…

She shifted into her favorite form, a white deer, and immediately sprinted toward the beach, hoping to be able to find Oceanus and beg him for forgiveness… for another chance…

“Gaea, wait! Come back here! What about us!?” He demanded angrily.

She didn’t even turn to answer him. She couldn't forgive him for what he had done, and couldn’t quite forgive herself for what had happened either. All she knew was that she needed to find Oceanus. She needed his understanding, his calming presence… now, more than ever!

“Oceanus!” She cried, shifting to her human-like form when she reached the stormy beach, a clear reflection of the water god’s inner torment. “Oceanus, come back to me! I’m sorry! I swear, I didn’t know! I thought it was you! Please, please…believe me!”

“You told him you love him…”

Relief flooded her being when Oceanus mind-linked her. “I thought it was you! My declaration of love was for you…please…please believe me! I love you, Oceanus!”

He didn’t answer and the waves whipped the shore with vengeance, almost as if he was a wounded creature trying to swipe back at those who hurt him.

Gaea fell to her knees, weeping in desperation. She felt dirty all of a sudden, sullied and violated.

Water…she needed water…

She couldn’t believe she had, even unconsciously, allowed another who was not her mate to be inside her. Why did her senses fail her? What did the sky god do to her!?

It wasn’t her fault at all and yet she couldn’t help but feel so terribly guilty for the pain it caused the water god. She could feel his agony through the bond and he didn’t deserve it. He had been nothing but a kind and loving mate.

“Gaea, stop!” The sky god shouted, following her to the beach.

The audacity! Ouranos must be insane, still intent on pursuing her.

“Stay away from me!” She screamed at him, her eyes darkening with fury. “I never want to see you ever again!” She cursed him and the sky god disappeared but she didn’t even notice him anymore. Truth be told, she didn’t care.

There was such agony and much desperation in Gaea’s scream that made even the water god pause and the waves of the sea immediately quieted down.

The sky god stood rooted on the spot, unable to believe his own ears. This was not how he had imagined this moment at all. He was going to be triumphant. Gaea was going to be convinced that they belonged together and they were going to face Destiny, side by side, declaring their choice of mate. The victory of free will.

He was supposed to win her back, and reclaim their happily ever after, but now it appears that he had lost her forever instead…

"But Gaea... you belong to me..."