Leyla's Point of View
"Mom, I need you to tell me about the prophecy."
My mom closed her eyes tightly. I could see her grip my father's hand, did he already know what the prophecy was? Was she seeking his reassurance or his strength, I didn't know. All I knew was that this prophecy meant something to me. It meant something to my mother and it was enough for pain to linger on her face.
"Leyla, the prophecy..." She nervously replied.
"Mom. No more secrets from this point onwards. It's not a coincidence that you found me that the Moon Goddess' pool and it's not an accident that Amira led me there when I escaped. So I'm asking you to trust me and be honest with me. I deserve that much." I confidently respond.
She looked at me, searching for a way to avoid my questions. She looked at my father who was giving her the same look as me. That there was no time for running and hiding, that we needed to know what we were up against if we were going to survive.
"Very well. Take a seat." She said as she plumped herself on the ground. The water that was once surrounding us had returned to its source in the river. My father took a seat in between me and mother, we were in a tight circle. My mother took a deep breath and began to explain her story.
"The prophecy has been around for centuries according to Selene. Tell me Leyla did Nona teach you about the old god's?" My mother asked.
"The old god's?" I asked questioningly.
"Do you mean the founding god's?" Alexander responded.
"Founding gods, Old gods essentially they are the same thing." She shrugged. I shook my head. "Very well. The Old Gods are known essentially as the Greek Gods in human terminology. Selene, well she was one of the Old Gods. Selene was the daughter of Hyperion and Thea. Back then it was expected that Selene was to be Queen to Zeus. They grew up together, they were best friends, there was love between the two. They simply cared for each other. They had a child who was blessed, her name was Pandia. She lived amongst the Gods and she was loved by all. It wasn't until many years had past that Selene and Zeus realised their love was based on friendship."
"Selene had fallen in love with a King on earth named Endymion, he was everything to Selene. Zeus watched on with happiness as he watched his best friend fall in love. He granted Endymion the choice to leave his Kingdom or join Selene amongst the Gods. He chose to live with Selene, for he too loved her. Years later, Zeus grew lonely and he stumbled across Hera. She was humble, beautiful and everything he wanted in a partner. He loved her and decided to make her his Queen. Queen of all Gods."
"At first, everyone was happy for Zeus, the Gods had come to accept Hera. However, Hera was unhappy. For she saw the love between Zeus and Selene, she saw that he had betrayed her and had given the rights of his first borne to Selene. Hera became very petty and jealous. Even as she birthed her own children, she couldn't accept Zeus' previous daughter Pandia. She saw Pandia as a bane in her side that just wouldn't disappear. For she saw the happiness Zeus had when he spent time with Selene and her daughter."
"Hera wanted Selene to suffer, for she was very jealous and petty. She took Selene's happiness away and placed Endymion in an internal slumber. Selene became heartbroken and although she knew it was Hera who had done this, she had no proof. Hera then did the unspeakable and drained Pandia of her Godly traits and banished her to roam the earth."
"When Selene had realised what had happened to her daughter it was too late. There was nothing she could do to stop what had happened. The damage had been done and there was no returning Pandia to her home. Selene then decided to bless her daughter with the gift of being half beast and half human, so she could forever protect herself."
My mother looked up to the sky and I could see that the stars were shining brightly. "That was the start of our kind, the origin of our people. Despite Pandia being banished to a mortal life, she lived a full and happy life. She had children of her own, which lead to her having grandchildren and so forth. Although Selene was heartbroken that her daughter was no longer in her arms, she watched and blessed her from afar as she had a beautiful life."
"Zeus also took interest in Pandia's mortal life and he was happy to sit with Selene and offer her comfort as they watched their daughter from afar. This only infuriated Hera further, for the children of Pandia were led to believe that Selene was their mother and she had blessed them with gifts of the wolf. Hera was jealous of the worship they showed her and decided to created a war amongst those that Selene saw as her children."
"It was then that Selene created the mate bond to interfere with Hera's plans. She hoped that by creating a bond of love, devotion and dedicated that it would stop the war. It was the first time that Selene had appeared after generations of werewolves. She told them what would happen if they rejected the bond. She warned them of the imbalance it would cause."
"For many years that seemed to stop the war. Again, Hera was seething with rage and jealousy as she watched those who treasured and worshiped Selene. Hera had attempted so many times to destroy what Selene had loved and failed miserably. So she went to earth and founded what we know as The Order. She decided to use Selene's children against one another to fulfil her evil plans."
My mind was racing at what my mother was sharing, I briefly remember childhood stories that sounded vaguely familiar. I remember Nona telling me the foundation of mates but I didn't realise there was a bigger war. "How do you know all this?" My father asked.
"Well it is part of our history and the other parts, I saw within a vision. As I explained to Leyla, I have a spirit wolf and I have a close connection with Selene." My mother replied.
"How?" I whispered. "How and why do we have this connection with Selene?"
"We are the descendants of Pandia. Our family line traces back to the original wolf. The woman in our family have always had certain abilities, whether they be small or big. I wasn't aware of it until my wolf guided me through our family history."
"Wait your family is from the Lumos pack?" Alex said, it was almost as if a lightbulb went off.
"Yes, you must remember my father. I don't know if he's still kicking about, but I know my brother is Alpha now." She murmured.
"He's alive. He hasn't quite been right since your execution." My father replied. I could hear the guilt laced in his voice.
My mother shook her head. "Anyway, in terms of the prophecy, I heard it when I went through visions of our lineage history. Unfortunately, I didn't know the prophecy would involve our daughter." She sighed out.
"The prophecy is something that is elusive to me, the goddess warned that it may change but what she did foresee was a child being born from dark and light and that the would restore balance amongst her children. The child would be reborn as the light returns, when the blood of an innocent is spilt." My mother muttered out as she squeezed her eyes.
"The innocent blood?" I question.
My father, Alex pinches the bridge of his nose. "Nona. Nona was the innocent blood." He whispers.
Amira, there is more you know isn't there. I question.
Yes Leyla, Nona knew what was going to happen, what was meant to happen. She knew she would have be sacrificed in order for you to gain your powers. Amira whimpered.
"Amira said that Nona knew." I gasped out.
My mother nodded her head. "I recognised Nona as a kindred spirit, she had a gifted wolf."
"Does this mean that it is Nona is the reason I became the saviour? I mean if Nona had just left me to die then none of this would be happening." I shook my head.
"Leyla, Nona did not save you for you to become the saviour. Nona loved you like a mother loves her own pup. Nona saved you because she knew it was the right thing, she knew that you were the rightful heir to the throne. Even without that, she saved you because she loved you. No one enacted the prophecy other than those who wished to harm our community, our kingdom." My father said wisely.
I could see my mother's shoulders stiffen when Alex mentioned Nona being like a mother to me. She was in pain at hearing my love for another woman in a motherly way. A part of me felt empathetic but equally I wouldn't trade the years I had with Nona. She was the best thing to happen to me in that pack.
"So all we know is I am meant to restore balance, but we have no way to identify how I am meant to do that?"
My parent's silence seemed to answer that question. I closed my eyes and grabbed the amulet that was hanging around my neck. I squeezed it tightly and asked for some clue, some hope, some way to know what I was meant to do. How I was supposed to stop an organisation that my mother couldn't even catch up to?
"Sis... there's us some unexpected guest at the boarder. I don't know who he is or how he found us. But your needed now." Reed's muffled voice comes through the trees. He smacks the branch out the way. It's then that he's halted in his footsteps as he takes in the three of us huddled around in a circle. He looks at his sister and Alex's proximity.
"Reece?" Alex says questionably. There's a small linger of excitement in his tone.
"Alex? What the hell are you doing out here?" He responds angrily. He takes in the scene in front of him. I can see the clogs ticking away in his brain.
"Sis, what is going on here? Why are you and Leyla cozying up to this mutt?" He spits out.
My mother jumps to her feet, I feel her rub her temples. "I don't have time to give you explanations. I'm going to go deal with the issue on the boarders. But anyway, Reed meet my daughter Leyla. Leyla meet your uncle." She gestures with her hand as she makes her way past him. She quickly places her hands on Reed's shoulders. "Reed, you know Alex, the King well he is my true mate. Leyla's father." She slaps him on the back and walks away.
It's then that Reed's mouth starts gaping as he looks at me up and down. He starts to scratch the back of his neck. His shock is quickly smeared as soon as he lays eyes on my father. His eyes darken, his body starts to shake and that's when he pounces and launches himself towards Alex hoping to cause him some serious damage.