Chapter One
Grace held her mother’s hand and bowed her head to their joined fingers, kissing them. Her mother squeezed her hand tight and took a ragged breath. Grace raised her tear-stung eyes and fought to be strong.
The scent of death filled the bedroom stronger than it had in the past two months, and Grace knew Fay’s time drew near.
What she didn’t understand was why. Why was her mother sick?
Why was her life being cut short by disease?
She couldn’t put the pieces together to figure it out.
Shifters didn’t get sick. Not even a cold.
So getting cancer was unheard of. Grace wondered if it had been because Fay’s mate had left when she’d adopted Grace as her own, but no one spoke of what had happened between Fay and her mate.
So she didn’t think that was it. Besides, that had been over twenty years ago.
Fay took a wheezy breath and smiled at Grace. “It’s time, my Goddess child. Call them in.”
Grace fought to hold back more tears. She didn’t know what her mother wanted to tell the elders.
But they would follow her mother’s wishes, whatever they were.
When Fay’s mate, Grace’s biological father, the Alpha of their pack, had disappeared, Fay took charge.
Being an Alpha herself, she had held the pack together.
Under her rule, the Midnight Moon Pack had thrived.
Even though everyone knew Fay wasn’t Grace’s biological mother, they had accepted Grace without question.
They’d treated Grace with both love and respect.
She’d always thought it was because Grace was the former Alpha’s daughter, but then Fay had told her the truth of her birth.
Grace’s mother hadn’t just been another shifter female that her father had cheated with.
It had been the Moon Goddess Luna herself.
Unable to bear her children, Fay had happily accepted the gift of Grace from the Goddess.
It had been Fay’s mate, Grace’s father, who hadn’t been able to deal with the results of his infidelity.
“Grace, your destiny lies far from these woods,” Fay had said. “You must go before it’s too late.”
Grace shook her head. “I won’t leave you.”
Fay brushed the hair from Grace’s face. “My sweet Goddess child. You have been the light of my life, but you and I both know this is not where you belong. You cannot remain here after I’m gone.
Your light and power are reserved for someone of far nobler birth than any of the males here.
Not to mention that you aren’t like the rest of us.
You are different. You know what I speak of. ”
Grace did know. It was the reason she’d never shifted in front of anyone but her mom. Why she never ran with the pack. Why she never partook in the mating rituals. She was no normal shifter.
“Promise me. Promise you will go far away and find the person you were meant for.”
Fay squeezed Grace’s hand so tight she was afraid it would break. It surprised Grace how much strength her mother had left in that moment. It had been a week since she’d been able to hold utensils to feed herself.
“But… where will I find someone like that?”
“The Underworld. Go to the Underworld. Someone there is waiting for you. The Goddess told me.”
Fay never called the Moon Goddess Grace’s mother.
She only ever referred to her as the Goddess.
Grace wondered if it was out of respect or possibly because saying it would remind Fay that Grace wasn’t her child by blood.
Either way, it didn’t matter. As far as she was concerned, Fay was her mother.
The only one she’d ever known. The only one she’d ever loved as a mother.
Who had held her as a mother had. Wiped her tears as a mother should.
Taught and raised her as only a mother would.
Yes, in every way that mattered, Fay was Grace’s mother, and that would never, ever change.
Grace scrunched up her face. “What is the Underworld? Is it a bar? A city?”
Fay shook her head. “The Underworld. Lucifer, Hades, Hel, The Underworld. You’ll find an entrance in Los Angeles.
The Goddess will guide you where you need to go.
Follow her promptings. I did the best I could for you.
She gave me a gift I never thought I would ever have.
But your time has come. You have a destiny to fulfill.
One that I knew would take you from me sooner or later.
I wish…” She took in a ragged breath. “I just wish we had more time.”
Grace fought to understand Fay’s words. Underworld? Lucifer? Los Angeles? Destiny? She didn’t understand.
“Go,” said Fay. “Go now before I do. He will come as soon as I’m gone. This is the only way to keep you safe.”
Grace shook her head. “Safe from who?”
The Alpha gold tinge overtook Fay’s eyes, and though her alpha commands had never worked on Grace, she’d always respected what it meant. It meant business.
“I command you to go now. I command you to leave and seek out the Underworld. Don’t stop until you get there.
Until you are safe.” Fay’s voice came out stronger than it had in months.
The wave of command pushed through Grace, and though it didn’t compel her to do what her mother wanted, Grace knew that disobeying would disrespect the woman who had loved, raised, and protected her.
Tears flowed from Grace’s eyes. “Please don’t send me away yet,” Grace whispered. “Please, Mom.”
Tears flooded Fay’s eyes, but the gold in her gaze blazed brighter.
Grace hugged her mom tight, remembering the wonderful times they’d shared.
Learning to love reading. Learning to make wild berry jam from scratch.
How to raise bees. How to hunt and run- even though she was never allowed to shift with the pack.
Her love of old western movies. Nights looking up at the stars and talking about the stories of the Moon Goddess.
Helping the pack. Playing with the pups.
All of it. A beautiful life. A privileged life.
And now it was ending. She was being sent away.
Fay said it was for her own safety. Her destiny.
But what destiny? And who was she being kept safe from? Shouldn’t she be told?
Fay let go and pulled her hands away. “Go, Moon Child. Live your life. Find happiness.”
Grace opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
The door behind them opened, and Old Robin walked in. Though a good twenty years older than her mother, Robin had always been her mother’s best friend.
“Take her,” Fay said.
Robin strode forward and lifted Grace to her feet. For only being five foot two and no more than a hundred pounds, Robin retained the strength of a wolf in their youth.
“Come,” said Robin.
“But-” There was so much more Grace wanted to say, wanted to ask, needed to know… but she didn’t get the chance. Robin ushered her out the door. Grabbed the two packed suitcases and nudged Grace to the back door with them.
Robin plopped the bags in the backseat of an old muscle car and opened the driver’s side door for her
Grace looked back at the log cabin she’d grown up in.
Robin pulled her into a hug and then bent Grace’s head to kiss it. “It has been an honor to know you, Goddess child.”
Grace blinked. No one had ever called her that before, besides her mom. She hadn’t even known Fay had told Robin. She’d made Grace swear not to tell anyone.
“Live well.” Robin pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and pushed it into Grace’s hand before helping Grace into the driver’s seat, putting her seatbelt on her, and then closing the door.
“Go,” said Robin. “Love and live.”
Grace stared at Robin, wanting nothing more than to run back into the cabin to her mother.
But she turned the car on instead. The engine roared to life, and she looked to the dirt drive heading away from the house.
The road that would take her out of her woods.
Out of her town. Out of her state. And into the unknown.
She looked at the piece of paper in her hand, which read three words.
The Raven Weaver.