Chapter 28: 28. Last preparations before the hunt
AT THE NIGHT
MICHAEL
I pretended to be asleep. Curled up near the fire, one arm tucked under my head, Zavier sitting so close our knees brushed, not that I noticed or anything, I listened to Selene and Rose whisper like they were plotting my murder.
"You’re enjoying this too much." Selene said, her voice flat, no-nonsense.
I could hear Rose smile without even looking.
"Of course I am. He’s hilarious. He growls, he blushes, he nearly faints every time someone mentions fate, it’s delicious."She smirked.
Excuse me? I nearly sat up right there. Nearly faints? I had fainted once, okay, maybe twice and everyone really needed to stop bringing it up.
"He’s supposed to be focusing on the challenge." Selene snapped.
"He is." I could hear the grin in Rose’s voice as she tilted her head, probably toward me, the sleeping disaster in question. "Look at him. Bond’s practically glowing. You should be happy. Isn’t this what you wanted? The Moon’s favorite boy, finding his mate?"
Oh my god. The Moon’s favorite boy? Could we not? Selene made a frustrated sound.
"I wanted him to fulfill his destiny, not flirt his way through it."Selene groaned.
Rose chuckled, low and amused.
"Destiny looks like flirting sometimes."She said.
I buried my face deeper into my blanket. This was my life now. The morning started like any other, me trying to stretch without looking like I was dying, Zavier trying not to laugh and failing miserably, and Charlie being far too chipper for someone awake at dawn. Then the light changed. Silver spilled across the clearing like someone had flipped the moon on early. My breath caught. The world went quiet. And then she appeared. The Moon Goddess. Radiant. Terrifying. Perfect. Her hair spilled around her like it was spun from starlight, her presence so heavy my wolf immediately dropped low in submission before my brain even caught up. And she was laughing. Like... actually laughing.
"Oh, this is marvelous." She said, her voice sounding like bells and thunder at the same time. "Three days, and you’ve already made this much of a mess."
"Mess?!" I blurted before I could stop myself, promptly tripping over my own feet and stumbling right into Zavier’s arms.
He caught me obviously, and looked entirely too pleased about it.
"You’ve made progress." The Goddess said with a grin sharp enough to make my stomach flip. "Which is much more entertaining than I expected. Do you know how long it’s been since I laughed like this?"
I blinked.
"Uh... no?"I said.
"A century." She said cheerfully. "Possibly two. And yet here I am, laughing so hard I nearly woke the stars."
Great. Wonderful. Glad my entire existence was now cosmic stand up comedy. Zavier bowed his head, perfectly respectful, perfectly calm, and somehow smug about it. I could feel it radiating off him.
"You’re enjoying this way too much." I muttered at him.
The Goddess tilted her head at me, smiling like I was the funniest thing she’d seen in centuries.
"You’re fiery, stubborn, dramatic oh, little wolf, you’re going to make this challenge very interesting."She said happily.
My entire face went hot. Charlie, who hadn’t even bothered kneeling, because apparently divine etiquette was optional for him, clapped his hands.
"See! She likes you!"He said.
"Stop saying that!" I yelped.
The Goddess laughed harder, bright and warm, like moonlight on water.
"Don’t stop, little moonbeam. He needs to hear it."Moon Godness grinned.
Rose smirked from where she was leaning against a tree, looking unbearably smug.
"Told you she was having fun."She grinned.
Selene sighed so hard you’d think she’d been personally wronged. I thought I might have a moment to breathe. I was wrong. Silver light spilled across the clearing again, and the Moon Goddess laughter cut through the forest like wind through dead branches. Her presence made the ground hum beneath my feet.
"Oh, little wolf." She said, voice dripping mischief. "Do you remember what I told you three days ago?"
I froze. Oh gods, she remembers.
"The Moonflower trial." She continued, spinning the words like silk. "Rare, beautiful... and dangerous. Untouched, intact, blooming only under moonlight. If your Silver alpha, yes, Zavier can retrieve it before sundown, he keeps you to himself."
My jaw dropped. Keeps me to himself? I glanced at Zavier. He was already smirking, like someone had just handed him a cheat code for life. His silver eyes flicked to mine, steady and blazing.
"Well." He murmured, low enough that only I could hear. "Looks like we’ve got work to do."
I groaned.
"Work? You mean near certain death disguised as a flower hunt!"I said angrily.
Charlie, bouncing nearby, clapped his hands.
"Oh! That sounds so fun!"Charlie said.
I blinked.
"Fun? Fun is eating ice cream, not potentially getting yourself vaporized by magical petals!"I said annoyed by Charlie’s childlish looks.
Rose appeared silently at the treeline, arms crossed, smirk sharp as a blade.
"You worry too much, little wolf. The Goddess is watching, yes... but she also admires courage. And chaos."She said.
Selene’s glare could have melted steel.
"Chaos is one thing, but don’t make me deal with a burned down forest."Selene said.
I muttered under my breath, because clearly my life had become a cosmic sitcom.
"Why did I even survive until now..."I asked.
Zavier wrapped an arm around my waist.
"Because I’m here. And because no one else is allowed near you."He said.
My wolf purred traitorously at that. I glared at him anyway.
"Yeah, thanks for the reassurance, Mr. Alpha Hero."I frowned.
The Goddess laughter rang out again.
"Ohhh, I do love chaos. Especially when the Silver alpha is protective, the omega is dramatic, and the little saint omega is... delightful."She grinned.
Charlie grinned at me, completely ignoring the doom-level stakes.
"Don’t worry, big brother. I’ll help! Maybe!"Charlie said.
I blinked.
"Maybe?! You’re supposed to be helpful or dead weight, not maybe helpful!"I said angrily.
Zavier leaned closer.
"Ignore him. We’ll get the flower."Zavier said.
I squinted at the glowing shaft of moonlight peeking through the trees. Somewhere out there, a Moonflower waited, tiny, silver, and apparently able to kill us if we weren’t careful. I swallowed hard. Perfect. My life now hinged on a glowing flower, a mischievous goddess, a protective alpha, and a hyperactive omega who called me ’big brother.’ I groaned, already regretting every life choice.