by Drea Shane
Coming to terms with having a dirty mind was the easy part. Fantasizing about taboo shit that won’t happen might be another story.
“Here’s the best part,” Lila answered. “Sex is subjective. Anything goes in life. It comes down to what you and your mate are comfortable doing. That’s the simple explanation. Also, the big no-noes don’t really apply for you, so no worries about taboo. You’re not a rapist, child molester, or fucking a family member.”
“You just cussed. Didn’t think you knew that part of the vocabulary.”
“I’m a lady, but I use the term as needed. A spade’s a spade. No need to call it somethin’ else.”
“Thanks.” I gave her a grateful smile.
“The closer you come to your birthday and spend time with the potential mates, more emotions and sensations will develop. The Goddess designed it that way so you’d be ready to conceive after mating.”
Well, one question answered. Lila knew about our mating process and the need to conceive when first mated.
“It’s getting late, and you need some sleep before your big day. You’re such a peach to spend time with.”
Sleep wasn’t what I needed now. After everything that happened today, I had a lot to process. I needed time alone to deal, but only after making sure Lila was asleep first.
“That’s a good idea. What side do you want?”
“I can use whichever you don’t normally sleep on. No worries there, sweetie. Do you cuddle or happen to be a cover hog? Should I protect my virtue?”
She made me laugh. The mischievous sparkle in her eyes showed playfulness without a hint of seriousness.
I rolled my eyes in an exaggerated manner and shook my head. Lila was a force all on her own. I admired the fire inside her and spunkiness she exuded.
“Goodnight, Lila; talk to you in the morning.”
I waited until Lila had settled into her side of the bed before tucking into mine. She had the covers pulled up under her arms and lay on her side.
My mind was on overload, and all I could do while waiting was think. Lying on my back, my gaze flickered across the stars glowing on the ceiling. I stayed still until the sound of her breathing leveled out, and she slept.
My attention turned to the books sitting on the desk. Grabbing the stack, I sat in my window nook. It was my favorite spot in the whole house.
Once the blanket covered me, and everything had been situated, my eyes scanned the titles. It was an odd mix, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.
The History of Shifters from the B.C. Era
Current Enforced Laws for Shifters
The Moon and Its Significance in the Supernatural
Greek Mythology
The first three books weren’t anything I didn’t expect. That last book? Why would I need to know more about Greek Mythology? Our Goddess, Selene was a Titan, but I’d already thoroughly read about the Greeks.
I really didn’t know much about the first three, other than speculation in books. But a lot of information existed about Greek Mythology.
Apparently, Dad felt the book pertinent. Maybe it was like the first few and held real material not available anywhere else.
It made sense, in a way. I always liked reading fiction so that I could laugh at how wrong they got shifters. Could it be the same for the Greek gods and goddesses?
Again, I circled back around to Lila. She was supernatural. What was she? My little bubble as a shifter was about to burst. There was more to the supernatural world.
If I had a guardian angel, they’d be shaking their head at my excessive use of the word, ‘fuck.’ Did fairies exist? Not the kind found in society. They were real and okay in my book.
The mythical species of fairies were known for their immortality and extreme dislike of iron. I liked the idea of brownies. They cleaned. Males with wings, though? They didn’t appeal to my savage wolf.
Curious, I studied it first in the stack. This book was old, no—ancient. I worried it might fall apart in my hands.
Gently, I lifted the tome up and opened the cover. Something fell out and into my lap. Setting the book down with care, I picked up the item.
A folded piece of very old paper. I wasn’t sure if touching it was a good idea, for fear of disintegration. The thirst for knowledge overrode my worry over its wellbeing. Ever so carefully, I opened the folds, finding a hand-written letter.
Dear Sydney,
I’m sure you are wondering why you’re receiving this letter. There’s no way to know what you have been told at this point in your journey. You don’t know me, but we will meet when the time is right.
You need to know this book is important. The closer your eighteenth birthday approaches, the more pieces will fall into place. By the time that life-changing day arrives, you’ll understand who you are and what your destiny is.
Have faith in the necklace you were given. It’s a guide during this confusing time in life and designed exclusively for you. It’s a piece of me, meant to help reach your full potential.
You play a role more important than just a Luna, an Alpha’s mate. For now, trust your wolf, your Alpha, the necklace, and read this book.
Until we meet, I send my blessings and strength, sweet Sydney.
I’d read the brittle paper multiple times before my mind could process. Huh. Cryptic much?
I had tons of questions about shifters, but didn’t expect to need a crash course in Greek Mythology. Before now, I’d been certain my knowledge on the subject was solid.
Why me? All this talk of destiny and potential was reminiscent of Dad’s comments. Clearly, I was left out of the loop for a reason. But why?
More confused than ever, I watched the quarter moon hang in the inky night. It resembled the exact shape of my necklace; the crescent moon.
Dad had some family secrets that were vast. I knew that much. Just how sizeable and what they were, well, that was what I needed to figure out. Tomorrow morning I’d make him tell me. In the meantime, I read while Lila slept.
Was my lack of supernatural knowledge because of the letter and this book? How was something so old addressed to me? Nothing made sense. And my destiny? I was to be Luna of the pack my mate and Alpha belonged. Otherwise, why call Assembly?
My hand went to the necklace, and as I touched the crescent, that luminous glow returned. Waves of calm and drowsiness coursed through me. I instantly panicked. Sleep was the last thing I needed. There were books to read and mysteries to solve.
My anxiety started to rise, and both hands automatically tried to take the jewelry off. That’s how I discovered it wasn’t removable. Some sort of magic held the clasp in place, permanently sealed around my neck.
My dad handed over a family heirloom that turned out to be a supernatural chain locking its powers around my neck. I couldn’t think straight enough to decide if it was a gift or a curse.
Just like the other times I freaked, my breathing increased. This was happening too often. Something was very wrong with me.
Another mystery to solve and one I had to deal with later as my vision dimmed. The familiar black spots danced in my sight until nothing was visible and I tumbled into the abyss.
My mind grew with mental clarity as consciousness returned. This was another dream, and I was right back to ancient Greece like before.
Subconscious, the Goddess, Fate, or something, wanted me to see these things. There was a purpose to them. I just wasn’t sure what, especially since these dreams slipped away when reality resumed.
My vision brightened, and sounds filtered from my surroundings. Time to open my eyes and see why I was here.
Once again, I was at the base of the most gorgeous castle or palace ever constructed. This time my body was relaxed, sitting on one of the stone steps. Looking up, the view was breathtaking.
It was almost hard to look at due to the illustriousness wrapped around the structure. No, not a structure—a sanctuary. Waterfalls ran down the mountain in-between lush greenery and lavish flowers.
>
The mountain and sanctuary were so high, a ring of soft cumulus clouds surrounded them. The clouds were fluffy and perfect, offering a shield from any of the elements.
It was comfortable here, with the perfect temperature and not a drop of rain. I closed my eyes just long enough to soak up some indirect rays. It was bright out, but the cloud cover protected the mountain from the sun’s harmful properties.
When my eyes opened, a thought occurred to me. Who was I? Last visit I was some girl named Pandia. The time before, a silent observer.
Holding out each arm, it was clear they were my own. I checked myself over, finding each visible inch of my body was indeed me, Sydney.
The only differences were few. My skin shimmered, almost glowing. I looked as ethereal as the goddess present in the last dream. This version wore a gorgeous white gown with gold embellishments. Even the solo strap on my right side was gold.
I felt every inch the goddess I looked. Without a mirror, there wasn’t a way to be sure, but seeing the rest of my body was enough to know.
“Thanks for waiting. I hoped we would go up together, but you slipped out before I was ready.”
A shadow fell over me, and the voice sounded familiar. This was the girl from last time—Ersa? She was speaking to me and obviously knew exactly who I was. Creepy, yet a sense of comfort enveloped me.
“Apologies, Ersa. I just needed some fresh air. The view is so peaceful here.”
My eyes connected with hers and she crinkled her brows. Had I already said something wrong? Goddess, I hoped not.
“Sister, you do realize the nine muses are the only one’s present. They are all in stages of undress, frolicking in the lagoons.”
Oh—Oh. My cheeks heated, and I knew they must be an unpleasant shade of crimson. That was a botched attempt at acting casual. Watching while muses stripped and frolicked hadn’t been the intention.
With a quick glance, I saw what Ersa was talking about. It was as if someone caught me watching a sex video, where naked women played around, looking sexy.
Okay, not that I watched those—just knew of them. Gah! Goddess help me, I was not handling this correctly. Epic fail.
“Do you still have a case of the dumbs, Pandia? You had better snap out of whatever it is. Father will not be happy if you show up for our visit like this.”
I tried to think of something to say in response, but she continued.
“And if Hecate or one of her minions caused your lapse in intelligence, Father will punish her. Even if it wasn’t them, I am in favor of having them punished anyways.”
This time my brows were the ones furrowing. I tried to keep up with the conversation while soaking up all the information Ersa was dishing.
“There is something not quite right with the lot of them. It’s a queasy sense of foreboding that settles in the pit of my stomach each time they’re mentioned. Witches. Thessalian witches.”
Wait, what? Witches? What – The – Hell? I really needed time to digest all this information and sort it. However, that time wasn’t now.
“Don’t worry about Hecate. She and her witches have nothing to do with me. I’m fine, just a bit out of sorts lately. I promise to behave.”
Hopefully, that was the truth. With luck, reality would pull me out of this bizarre vision/dream.
Ersa turned and started up the steps. Without looking back, she responded.
“Come, let us not keep him waiting. Zeus is very busy, and we are lucky for even this small window of time to visit.”
In a state of shock, I jumped to my feet and hurried to catch up with her. Zeus? Were we his daughters? Nothing made sense. Mind officially blown.
My eyes popped open, disoriented. Breathing became easier realizing I was in my room, on the window seat. My muscles cramped from the uncomfortable position I had been in, but quickly recovered. Ugh. AGAIN! I was so over passing out. Wolves didn’t get sick!
However, when I thought back, excitement spread. My dream. I remembered part of my dream! But the content was confusing. It must’ve been from thinking about the Greeks right before passing out.
Otherwise, that would mean all these lost dreams connected to the one I just had. What was it about Greek mythology that would have anything to do with me?
That begged the question—what was Dad hiding?
The whole Zeus was my father and I had a sister situation was bizarre. Oh, and there was also the goddess that Ersa called Mother. Why was I dreaming about being somebody named Pandia?
It didn’t matter now. The dream and its contents were fading, becoming fuzzy, and I was quickly losing the clarity I thought I’d gained. Shit. This was so damn frustrating.
As the last vestiges of the images fell away, I began to orient myself. The dream completely dissolved, and I had to put that issue aside for now.
What time was it? How was I going to get any reading done? There was much more to learn before the showing.
The thought of choosing potential mates from all those Alphas had me more than a little nervous. Because then it’d be a real, tangible thing. I’d be meeting each shifter face-to-face, only familiar with one.
With a shiver—not from the cold, but the thought of Joe—I wrapped my blanket tighter. Looking toward the computer with shifter eyesight, I was shocked only a few hours had passed. My breath released in relief. At last look, when Lila fell asleep, it was around eleven at night.
The letter had me aching with curiosity about the mythology and how it fit into all the current events. As much as I wanted to figure it out, the reminder of the showing had me looking for a shifter book instead. There really wasn’t one that said, ‘Read this book for information about Assembly.’
I did notice a pattern that wasn’t obvious before. Each book, except for Current Enforced Laws for Shifters, was historical.
The Greek Mythology tome placed itself several hundred years B.C. I bet the same rang true for The Moon and Its Significance in The Supernatural.
Between the pattern of the books and typical supernatural stories, I was positive my theory was correct.
Besides the letter and information about mythology, noting the timeline of the books had me more puzzled. That was awfully far back. Yet another thing to question my dad about.
There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach that screamed ‘Syd, you’re missing the most important puzzle pieces. Prepare to have your world implode. Do not pass go. Do not collect two-hundred dollars.’
Shaking off the unease, I picked up the book on current laws. Just my luck, it had been set up as a legal reference and not a reading one.
It was hopeless to wade through it this close to the showing, but I needed to understand the rules surrounding Assembly. I couldn’t screw this up for my pack or myself.
I waded through the information for what seemed like hours. There was not much in the pack laws regarding the stupid mating process. It still baffled me as to what my dad was thinking when he decided this.
Some of the Alphas swarming the testosterone infested pack land were only here to see what Assembly was like. I’d no doubts about their motive.
Based on what I’d read so far, the law was intact, but not amended in over a century. Did that mean it’d been that long since they had updated the law, or was that the last time they called Assembly?
The legal jargon was giving me a headache, never mind how we didn’t usually get sick. The change was messing with me more than I’d heard of before. Was Mom’s this bad? She was gone before we could talk about that.
Thoughts of her turned my mood maudlin. Every time I tried to focus on the information in the books, memories of that horrible day slid front and center, coating my vision with blood. It was too much, too overwhelming.
In the interest of avoiding another panic episode, I gave up on research and tucked into my side of the bed. Wolves were graceful and silent. That worked in my favor as Lila stayed asleep the whole time.
A good night’s sleep could calm my anxious wo
lf. She wanted to shift under the night sky and feel her paws gain purchase in the soil as she ran free. Couldn’t happen, not even if pigs flew by the window. I learned that lesson with the reality check Dad handed me the morning after my gray wolf visited.
With one look at the nails embedded in my window frame, I scolded her for wanting the impossible. She was too volatile and unpredictable this close to my birthday. Dad had explained that would happen since we’d be merging on my eighteenth birthday.
Combining life forces was a major life change. I’d no longer be wolf and girl—my intelligence and her instincts would blend into one.
Admittedly, that scared the tar out of me. Her instincts meant no filter. My attractions, desire to shift, attitude, and did I mention attraction? It was a foreign emotion but quickly becoming stronger.
So far, she’d been hard to tame near Joe. That’s expected though, as one of my potentials. A fact he was in-tune with and using to his advantage when possible. My dad encouraging him hadn’t helped, either.
It was a good thing my transition to Luna would happen soon. My wolf was equally as dominant as me. We wouldn’t bow down to anyone, and I sure hoped that we had enough sense to mind our Alpha until the time was up.
Even as worked up as she was, I managed to smother the thoughts long enough to drift into sleep. It was late, and morning would come soon enough, along with it one of the most important days of my life.
Turned out, the morning went by interruption free. Lila didn’t want to wake me, knowing it’d be a long day. Max was the pack member stationed outside the room. He could hear my breathing and knew I was still sleeping.
Dad didn’t want to wake me either, so he waited until it was eleven o’clock before loudly knocking on the door.
Amazingly enough, the knock jolted me awake and into a seated position. Realizing the room was sans Lila, I hustled to open the door.
“Good morning, sleepy head. I hope you got enough rest. Lila mentioned you were up late reading. Neither of us had the heart to wake you earlier than necessary.”