Chapter Thirty-Two
Rowan stared at me for another long second before he traced my forehead with a finger. “You’re Goddess blessed.” He sounded breathless and surprised.
I nodded, staring into his eyes. “Yes…” I furrowed my brow. “I thought you knew.” A soft light rippled on his face, and I looked up to the sky, to see if the moon was trying to shine down on us through the clouds.
“I did.” He tilted his head, still staring at me. “But hearing it and seeing it are two very different things. This,” he waved his hand. “Is different.”
“What do you mean?” I looked from him to Alannah and then landed on my mother. “Mom?”
“Your mark…your eyes…they changed.” She pointed to her own forehead. “It was a normal Goddess Blessed mark, the crescent moon. But now it’s more…” She trailed as she leaned closer. “I don’t know why.”
“More?” I looked back at Rowan. “ More how?”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and aimed it at my face. I heard the click of his camera as he took the photo. He turned the screen towards me, and my breath caught. “It’s more.” He agreed as he stared into my eyes. “And your eyes…they are silver.”
If I weren’t looking at photo proof of their words, I would have laughed.
But they were right. My eyes were molten silver that shifted with a light burning from within.
The crescent moon that I once carried was gone.
In its place was a triple moon. An empty circle flanked by crescents on both sides.
Curling vines trailed down my temples and star-shaped flower blossoms bloomed on their tendrils.
All of it pulses with a soft glow, like moonlight shining from under my skin.
I looked up from the phone when I heard tiny footsteps coming from the cabin.
Carly was coming back, and that meant something was wrong.
I pulled myself from the grave just as she came to a stop at the foot of the hole.
“Hello Pandia.” Her soft white eyes saw more than she let on.
Her soft, chubby face held a soft smile, but that smile made it seem like she was hiding the secrets of the universe.
It was unsettling. She giggled, as if she had read my mind.
“Pandia?” I recoiled from the name, but it settled in my chest; a soft glow of light flickered under my skin. “My name is Amy.” I sounded foolish to myself. Carly knew my name. “You know my name, pup.”
She laughed, a sultry laugh that had no business coming from a little girl.
“Yes, your name is Amy. But you are the Pandia. And you know I am more than that, Pandia. I am a Shaman, the eyes to the past, present and future. I am the warning call in the middle of the night when the world turns dark.” She tilted her head; her little pigtail shifted over her shoulder.
“But I think you already knew that, about both of us. Even if you don’t want to admit it. ”
“You are a little girl…my little girl.” I reached for her, but she backed away and laughed. Her white eyes sparkled under the moonlight.
But it was my mother’s hesitant voice that snapped us back to the conversation. “What’s the Pandia?” My mother turned to my pup and crouched down.
“A chosen daughter of a goddess, but Amy wasn’t just chosen by one, were you?
” Carly smiled. “Your bloodline will be strong, and it needs to be.” Carly stepped closer.
“But remember, with power, comes enemies. Watch over your flock, Pandia. Someone is hunting us. Someone who doesn’t want a king or a queen.
They want chaos and death, and they are coming.
” Carly’s eyes shifted back to her soft brown ones, and she dropped to her knees.
She landed face first in the dirt before anyone else could catch her.
My mother rushed to her side and picked her up from the ground, turning to Alannah.
“I’m just going to put her in the house, then I will be right back.
” She shifted to look at me. I recognized the look.
It was a warning. We would be speaking about all of this later, when we weren’t in the middle of a funeral.
Alannah gave a sad smile. “I’m okay. Go. She is always so tired after her visions, and she has had a handful today.” Alannah rubbed her belly and grunted. Everyone froze.
“Are you okay?” Rowan paled a little.
Alannah waved him off. “False contractions.” She turned back to me. “Can I have a minute alone with my mate before you…” She nodded towards the pile of dirt.
I walked over and kissed her cheek. “Of course.” I turned and took Rowan’s hand as I walked away. We walked back towards the cabin with my mother, and I heard her sit down.
“Hi baby.”
I leaned against the side of the cabin, and Rowan settled next to me. “That was…” His voice was soft, and hesitant.
“A lot.” I finished. He laughed.
“It’s gone.” He looked back at the grave.
“What’s gone?” I turned to look at him.
He waved his hand at me. “Your mark. You are back to normal.” He smiled. “Which is great because I missed your normal eyes.” He leaned over and kissed me. “You are so beautiful.”
I snorted. “I’m covered in dirt, blood, and I don’t want to think about what else.”
He cupped my cheek and stared down into my eyes. “That changes nothing. You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” He kissed me again as the door slammed open.
“Get a room, you two.” Rick limped out, a bruise healing on his face.
“You look rough.” I grabbed for him as he stumbled over the hose.
“Yeah…I’m still weak from Vince. So healing is taking a little longer.” He winced as he licked the corner of his mouth. “Can’t worry about it too much.” He settled next to us as he nodded over to Alannah. “Ternen?”
I sighed. “She is saying goodbye.”
He blew out a breath. “He did what I couldn’t do.” I almost missed his whispered words.
“What?”
He looked at me, and I saw devastation there, but also pride. “He protected his family. He didn’t wait for you to save them; he did it himself.” He looked away.
“Hey. Different scenarios.” I grabbed his arm. “You couldn’t fight against magic, Rick. You don’t have magic.”
He turned back with a nod. But I saw anger there. “But I’m meant to protect my mate. My pup. But-”
“But you were taken advantage of by your Alpha.” Rowan finished. “You can’t fight something you know nothing of…” He wiped his face. “Believe me. I knew about magic, and I was still at the mercy of people that had it.”
Rick stared at Rowan for a second, and I saw a flash of relief. “Really?”
Rowan nodded. “I almost lost my mate because of it. It’s not your fault, and there is no shame in that you needed Amy to help you.” Rowan looked down at me. “I did too.”
Rick nodded once, and the back door opened. Everyone filed out, one by one. Alannah turned at the commotion, and she bit her lip as she stood. She raised a hand, and we all started back over.
I reached her first. “You okay?”
She shook her head, her lip trembling for a second. “Can you do me a favor?”
I reached for her hand. “Of course. Anything.”
She swallowed and nodded towards the grave. “Can you get his necklace and ring?” She turned to me with watery eyes. “I would, but…” She trailed off as she rubbed her stomach.
“Of course.” I smiled as I rubbed her arm. Then I touched her stomach, and I felt the skin stretched tight over rock-hard muscles. I knew instantly something was wrong. I turned to look at my mom. She caught my worried glance and walked over.
“I’ll stand with her when you go down.” My mother wrapped her arm around her back, her hand coming to rest on the side of Alannah’s swollen belly.
“It’s okay.” Alannah said, but she leaned into my mother’s side.
“We know it is okay. But I would rather have someone with you while we do all this.” I jumped into the grave, doing my best to ignore the niggling feeling I had in the back of my mind.
“Hello friend.” I whispered as I knelt next to Ternen’s side.
I gently took his hand in mine and slid the simple band from his stiffening fingers.
I placed his hands on his stomach and moved to his neck.
The chain was a little harder to remove, but I got it.
“I think you pups are coming faster than we are prepared for.” I brushed the bangs from his eyes and then I stood.
I slipped the ring onto the necklace and then I climbed back up. Alannah walked over to me. “What were you saying to him?” Her lips trembled as she looked down at her mate.
I slipped around her back and slid the necklace around her neck, letting the ring settle on her chest. “Just that I will take care of you so he can rest well.” I clasped the necklace and stepped back around her and faced the grave.
“Lay well, Ternen Omega by rank Alpha in spirit. May you rest well knowing that your sacrifice saved the lives of three of the most important people.” I grabbed a shovel and went to stand at the pile of dirt. We had to move fast now.
Rowan grabbed the second shovel. “Rest well, Ternen, and know that your children will be warriors, regardless of rank. We will ensure that they get the best out of life.” Allanah cried as everyone said their goodbyes.
She stepped close to the edge of the grave.
“Goodbye, my love. I will raise our pups to know everything you did for us. Second chance or not, I will meet you when I cross over. I will love you forever, and you are who I will spend the rest of eternity with.” Then she dropped another flower onto his chest.
There was a flash, and a crescent moon glowed from Ternen’s forehead as a scream ripped through the clearing.
Everyone spun from the grave to see Alannah bent over in pain. Her hands were clutching her heavy belly as she stared down at the barely filled grave. “No…it’s too soon. They aren’t ready.” She turned to look at me, and I could see the panic there.