A week later...
I woke up in the middle of the night to somebody poking my side. I grunted and glanced up at the person. Cole crouched over me, his blue eyes shining brightly. I was tempted to smack him and tell him to go back to bed. I stopped myself when I saw the smirk on his face. He has something sexy in store for us, my wolf purred.
"What Cole, it's almost midnight?" I grumbled.
"It's actually five in the morning, the sun is about to rise," he corrected, I smile, we're going to go see the sunrise, "I wanted you to come watch the moon set with me."
"What?" I sputtered. I guess we're not watching the sunrise together, "that's not a thing."
"The moon is brightest with the sunrises and its splashed with all sorts of color. We can watch the sunrise some other time."
He managed to drag me out of bed and outside. We were currently staying in a little cottage outside of the main population area. It was close to Lyra's grave, so we could visit her daily. The statue that I had given them, hadn't rusted or even broken. The sound and movement no longer worked, but it was still all good. I could fix it up and give it to my kids. In the past months me and Cole had been together, I hadn't had the time to tinker with anything. I missed it a lot.
As we ran across the wide valley, Cole jumped and shifted. I followed pursuit, our wolves prancing side by side through it. This reminded me of the first time we actually bonded. We ran through the river, over the hills, and then near the edge of the territory. We rushed up the cliff that touched noses with our border line.
The moon was a bright full thing. It was so large from our position. I unconsciously shifted back into human form and pressed into Cole. It was cold, but I didn't mind all that much. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pressed a kiss to my mark. I hadn't noticed it in the past week, but it fully blossomed now. It was an actual Luna mark. There was the outline of a crescent moon and a wolf head. It was gorgeous and I would lay in bed, my hand pressed up against it, a corny smile lighting up my face.
It had only been a week since Cole and I had resolved all the shit going on in our life, but we very happy now. We weren't young teenagers in love, we were more like a happy married couple. A happy married couple with no financial problems.
"While we wait, why don't you tell me about the place you were in while you were half-dead?" He asked, leaning back on his elbows.
"I've already told you this, multiple times," I sighed, running a hand through his thick hair. He just made a pouty face at me.
"It's fascinating. Not everyone can say that they died and came back to life."
I smiled and laid down, half of my body on Cole. I stroked his muscled shoulders while I started up with the story for the millionth time.
"Well... it was blank at first, nothing but white and ashes...
++++
It was an odd place, so quiet and empty compared to the world of life. I felt empty inside as well. The light gray ashes fluttered in the air and I watched with boredom while they swirled around. There was no time here, I could feel it in my soul. This place was full of death.
The ashes slowly started to form into the shape of a wolf. The wolf was a russet red and its whole body moved like liquid. Muscles bunched up in every part possible. Its blank white eyes watched me as it circled slowly. I was stiff with nerve, but not fearful. The wolf wouldn't hurt me, it was just observing. I knew this somehow.
It leapt at me, but I didn't move. It hit me, disappeared, and color burst to life all around me. I was in a field of flowers. They continued on for miles in every direction, but there was so much more. There was a quiet, tinkling music all around me, despite nothing else being there. There was no wind, but I could feel a cool breeze brushing my whole body.
The land of death was everything and nothing all at once. It was winter and summer, cold and hot, dry and wet. It was... completely and utterly imperfect.
The colorful flowers that filled the field that I sat in brushed away as black flakes. I watched as they swirled and twirled like a tornado. They tore up all the other flowers, taking everything that was fakely beautiful away.
There was silence all around me, but I could hear a loud drumming in my ears. I shook my head, I didn't belong here. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but despite having a body, it wasn't quite functional.
"You're way too early," a woman's voice murmured from behind me. I tried to move my head but couldn't, "let me help you."
The warm, unearthly presence that had been behind me disappeared. That was when I heard Cole's voice.
"...dying... anything, of course," his voice was all around me. I tried to listen for something other than the little words I was getting. Nothing, absolutely nothing.
"You should be glad child you have a chosen who truly loves you," the woman was back. Her voice was silky, but there was a darkness to it.
My mark burst with warmth and it spread all around me like a flower. My body buzzed and hummed with life. That feeling of searching for something unfindable disappeared. I blinked my eyes and came face to face with Cole.
++++
"And the minute I saw your face, I knew you did something stupid," I finished, eyeing him. He smirked at me and pressed a teasing kiss to my lips. I grinned at him and shook my head. I gazed up as the moon slowly sunk behind the trees.
"Here it comes," he murmured.
I watched as the colors of morning burst through the sky. The large white moon was a canvas begging to be painted. A mix of pinks, yellows, oranges, and purples crossed over it. As the sun's light bounced off it, the moon shone even brighter. The moon's light outlined our small silhouettes.
Cole pressed a hand to my bare back and dipped his head to mine. I fell back into the long grass as he steadied himself above me. His blue eyes were bright in the dawn. I grinned at him and brought his head down to mine.
And there we were, two silhouettes caught making love in the moon's bright light. Colors splashed the places around us, and to this day, I swear I saw a golden ray surrounding us. And when I glanced at the moon as it sunk down, I could feel someone meeting my gaze. A higher power dipping her head to me.
++++
Ten years later...
"Mom," Emilianna murmured, "this strange lady was talking to me."
I stiffened up, it was finally happening. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eyes. The mirror image of Cole stared up at me, a thoughtful expression in the depths of her blue eyes. I offered her a small smile.
"What did she look like?" I asked, carefully slicing the tomatoes.
"Silver hair, the palest skin, and eyes of a starry night sky. She was so kind, she smiled down at me and told me I had a great destiny," she whispered. I turned to her and ruffled her hair. Just then, both her siblings, Zillian and Dylan ran in.
"Did you tell mom about the weird lady?" Zillian whispered, clutching her sister's hands. Emily nodded.
"Now this is intriguing, why don't all of you tell me about her?" I asked, pulling out the kitchen chair and sitting down, "did she do anything."
"At first Zillian couldn't see her, but then she started playing with us and we could both see her!" Emily crowed, "she is really good at hide and seek! She always found us, no matter how well we hid!"
"Even better than daddy?" I gasped in mock. The two nodded. I glanced at Dylan as he watched his sisters with a confused look, "did you see this lady, Dylan?"
He shook his head, "they're crazy. I was playing with them and there was no lady."
"Hmmm, Dylan could you be a dear and go help Beta Molly?" I asked.
When he was gone I turned to my daughters and pulled them to me. I glanced down at them with serious looks.
"You two must always promise me you will only talk to this lady, if any other mysterious woman appears before you, do not talk to her! She means to tear you two apart," I said sharply, meeting their green and blue gazes'.
"Yes mom," they both murmured.
"You two are both very special, but you must learn to use your... great destinies for good. Never think that you are better than the other, or not as great, okay? Promise me."
"We promise mom!" They both cried and I smiled as I linked my pinkies with theirs.
"Good, now go play," I said, "I love you!"
"Love you, too!" They called over their shoulders as they ran out of the kitchen.