The Awakening of the Moon Goddess: Embracing Destiny and Defying Fate

Tears formed in my eyes at the pain I felt while fifty wolves surrounded me after Beta Bastien grabbed my hair and dragged me to the middle of the room. His steel-toed boots connected with my rib cage as he screamed at me for being a clumsy, useless idiot who could do nothing right. The crowd mocked and laughed while I rolled into a ball and covered my head, silent tears streaming down my face. I had learned long ago not to make a sound, knowing that the crowd loses interest when the wolf is beaten as punishment is quiet and accepts their fate.

"When Lilly and Misbah rushed to my side and helped me clean and bandage my wounds, it was late, and it took a little longer to finish chores. That's why I was late," I continued, feeling my friend taking the sword still grasped in my hand and throwing it behind her.

"You don't have to explain everything to me, little wolf. Just cry it out," she said gently. And with her words, I cried. My sobs filled the air while Genesis cradled my body in her arms, her hands clutching at the pastel pink tunic she wore while her fingers ran through my curls. She hummed a lullaby while my heart twisted with pain and grief. Almost everyone in my pack hated me, blaming me for the death of Alpha Artemis and Luna Everleigh. Being a weak wolf who had not shifted at sixteen like the rest of my peers made me an easy target for their abuse.

That's why Genesis agreed to train me the Elven way, as a way to protect myself against any sneak attack unjustly thrown my way inside the pack house. Between my exhaustion, tears, and the pain in my heart and body, my sobs turned into sniffles soon, the little energy I had left leaving me even weaker. I hated this feeling. The feeling of weakness and helplessness. My life had revolved around this feeling since that day eleven years ago.

"Feel better?" Genesis asked, her worry still evident in her voice. All I could manage was a nod, her calming scent wrapping around me, making me drowsy. I felt safe in her arms, something akin to motherly love from her.

"Come on, Madison, let's get you into the hot springs to heal, Little Wolf," she sighed, pulling away and giving me a soft smile. She helped me to my feet, her arms wrapping around me as I leaned on her six-foot frame for support. The hot springs, located fifteen meters away from the entrance, were surrounded by moonflowers, their magic emitting a welcoming warmth.

Genesis frowned as she helped me undress, leaving only my undergarments on and the multitude of bruises and scars littering my worn-out body to her view. She stayed silent, her forest green eyes giving me a once-over before helping me crawl into the shallow basin and laying me down gently.

A comfortable feeling washed through every pore of my body as the healing effect of the water took hold quickly. My prism-colored hair floated around me as I stared at the silver-white moon above. I did not heal the same way as normal wolves. Being unable to shift when I turned sixteen effectively left me as a strong human, an even bigger disappointment in the pack.

I had no wolf form, meaning the quick healing every wolf is born with never took effect for me, leaving my curvy body littered with bruising and scarring that took days, sometimes weeks or months to heal. If I could get to Genesis and the hot springs, then my body would be blemish-free. Sometimes that took days or weeks to happen if my punishment was severe.

"Mads, when will you leave the pack? We both know you are not safe there, Little Wolf," Genesis's voice was filled with sadness, and her eyes shone with unshed tears for me. At three thousand and some odd years old, Genesis looked no older than thirty. Her lithe body, filled with muscles meant for fighting, and her long hair splayed out around her made many envious. If it weren't for her long pointed ears, she could be a model in the human realm.

"My high school graduation is tomorrow. So is my eighteenth birthday. If I find my mate then, I'll stay. If not, then I...I will leave." Genesis was right. I had spent eleven years being abused for a situation out of my control. Staying here would only put my life at risk. The problem was leaving Genesis and the Unicorns behind. It was the only reason I was hesitant to leave in the past. But once I graduated, I would have no more ties keeping me here. Finn had already stated he would leave, as would Lilly and Misbah. If I could convince Genesis, we could find a place to settle down outside pack territory where the Unicorns would be safe.

"I wish I could watch you walk across that stage tomorrow, Mads, but I have to stay here and protect the Unicorns," Genesis sighed, holding a towel up for me. I smiled at my friend and accepted the towel, wrapping it around my body and sitting on the edge of the hot spring as we stared up at the moon.

"If it weren't for the school being shut down for renovations after exams, I would have walked across the stage already," I chuckled. Genesis would be busy with both protecting the Unicorns and dealing with the magic the harvest moon would provide. Even if I asked my friend to join me for my graduation, being isolated from the world for hundreds of years would bring a culture shock to the Elf.

We chatted for about an hour, and with a final sigh, I dressed in my black clothing and bid farewell to Genesis and the Unicorns before making my way back to the pack house before anyone could notice my disappearance. The night was still young, and I had a lot to plan for my future outside Deep Water.