The Rise of Lunar's Light (The Story Before Mateless)
Chapter Two

Tim’s Pov:

“Your son must come around,” the Woman spoke, her voice barely heard and yet it still betrayed the anger at the Girl’s plan. Shadow’s Light pack was always one of her favorites.

“I understand things, since our joining has become difficult to understand. We need him to trust me, us, as he always has. You must trust in our plan as unbelievable as it may seem,” she pleaded.

“Goddesses, I vow to do all I can to bring my fool hearted son around. I beg you to reconsider turning my people into rogues. They have done nothing but serve you. Have they not been dutiful to you?” the old Alpha begged.

The Woman glanced at her companion with a look I couldn’t fully read. “Perhaps there is more for us to discuss at this moment?” the Woman asked. “Perhaps, but do not hold your breath, old wolf,” the Girl replied thoughtfully before they left us.

I let out a sigh of relief. “My dear friend, do you think they will reconsider?” the old Alpha asked.

“I do not know for certain. What I can tell you, you need to convince your son to rejoin you. Nothing good will come of all this. Mark my words,” I grumbled.

“I believe, my dear friend, the time has come for us to retire until your sons can meet with us as well. The Goddesses expect you to be the one to deliver the message, as you received it from me. Either Silverlight falls or Shadow’s Light does. This is the will of the Goddesses. Your younger son moves against the Goddesses themselves,” I curtly reminded the old Alpha.

“As they wish,” he replied. “The Omegas will take you to your rooms for rest. They will bring you as much food and drink as you wish, old friend. I will send for you when the time comes. Please enjoy my home as your own Elders.”

We followed the Omega’s to our rooms. Which, compared to our current living quarters, were quite spacious, private, and heavenly. A man could get used to living like this. Choosing to take full advantage of my current luxuries, I filled my glass with sweet wine.

A week passed before the brat dared to show his face to his father. “Dear Elder, the Alpha’s are ready to speak with the council,” an Omega bowed, entering my room.

“I will inform the rest of the Council. Tell your Alpha we will be with them shortly. I must convene with our goddesses once more,” I replied. “Your wishes be done, sir,” he smiled, before leaving my room.

“Goddesses?” I called to them, understanding they’ve already seen what will happen. My mother was the one to appear. As she took a seat on my bed, she invited me to sit with her for a moment. “Dearest son, for the first time, we leave it up to the hearts of mortals,” she sighed.

“I am not sure what you mean, mother,” I replied, hoping she’d explain further. “My companion, she will not relent. Shadow’s Light shall be destroyed. I already see what is in the heart of the young Alpha. He will not yield,” she sighed.

“It’s not time to explain it to you. What I can tell you is the Old Alpha Martins and his heir understand what they must do. They accepted their fates.” Mother’s voice dropped to a low whisper, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

“Mother, is there nothing that we can do?” I pleaded. The members of this pack have long been my closest friends and allies. She shook her head no.

“Go, it is time to set our plan into motion. While there is much to be lost, there is much more to be gained. Remember that Timothy, when you pass the judgement and turn this pack into rogues,” she informed me, fading from my view.

Stunned, I took a moment to compose myself. “Brothers, it is time,” my voice betrayed my heart ache through our link. This was difficult enough without appearing weak.

Above all else, we needed to be objective, united. We couldn’t accomplish this if our heads were not present. Determined, I was going to somehow pull off the impossible and save my friend and his pack.

The voices of my brothers flooded my mind, letting me know they were ready and eager to start this meeting. They believed the young Alpha would come around.

Unfortunately, mother knew otherwise. Shadow’s Light would be no more thanks to the pride of one wolf. One who was meant to always watch out for its well-being. Shame for what I needed to do weighed heavily on my mind.

“Swallow your pride. This is the insolent brat’s fault, not yours. You are here to do our bidding. Balance must be maintained; otherwise, others will step out from our path. Chaos will ensue,” the Girl’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“Yes Goddess, of course. If there were no repercussions, everyone would defy you,” I submitted. “Their love keeps us in existence. We need them as much as they need us,” she admitted, a thoughtful smile crossed her face. “Balance,” she whispered.

“Brothers, let’s finish the path we started,” I commanded. “The Goddesses’ will be done,” all replied. Somehow I held my head high, to appear as if I carried more confidence that I did.

We walked into the grand hall where the Alpha’s were waiting for us. My heart thudded hard against my chest. I swore every wolf could hear its pounding.

“Good day gentlemen, as you are all aware, we’ve convened in the neutral ground of Shadow’s Light lands. We are here to discuss once more and for its last time, the dissolving of Silverlight. Young Master Martins, you will relinquish your illegal pack effect of immediately. Your members given back to their former packs. You will rejoin under your brother, forfeiting the right to run any pack,” I demanded. My brothers showed their unrelenting support for the Goddesses’ word by slapping their hands repeatedly down on the table.

“Don’t make me laugh Timothy, the Elders lost their nerve. They openly support the slaughter of our kind. You no longer hold any authority over true wolves,” the brat scoffed, earning cheers from his comrades and glares from the rest of us in attendance.

“Watch your tongue, boy,” the Girl spat, driving down the temperature in the room. Several of the serving Omegas bolt unceremoniously from the meeting in utter fear. “Shut up, child,” he laughed at the Girl.

“I swear to you if you keep running your mouth, boy, I will show you and all of your descendants no mercy,” she seethed.

“Some power you have,” he cackled. “You threaten me, but then tell me I will have descendants,” he replied smugly. Thankfully, the temperature in the room returned to normal, despite the icy smile that crept over the Girl’s face. Her eyes narrowed on to the brat.

“Yes, I want you to have many, many descendants. I will hold you in the afterlife, forcing you to watch as I torment them, turning them into a quivering mess. And when they finally die off, I will lead them straight to you. I will show them this moment in time. So all will know the curse placed upon their head was all because you are nothing more than a pestilent brat who dared defy their goddess. I will give you back the ability to feel pain. They will torture you until time itself ends with silver and wolfsbane,” the Girl beamed.

Even from where I was, the questioning expression his eyes held was astounding. While he still felt disdain for the Goddess, he lost his nerve. Not wanting to test the waters with her any further, he backed down.

“Humph,” The Girl laughed. Slowly and methodically, she walked over to him before pulling an arrow from her quiver. Amused by his fear, she leaned against the table next to where he was sitting, holding his gaze.

The Girl’s smile grew as she moved her attention to the arrow that she was twisting with one hand into her index finger. It was just hard enough that it would not break her skin.

Without warning, she slashed him deeply across his cheek, stopping close to his right eye as he jumped away from her. “So much for me having no power,” she laughed, walking back to me. Satisfied, the Girl motioned for me to once again carry on.

“I understand, Master Martins, you have yet to forgive the former situation with the Amazons. Even you can’t deny that in more recent years they have attacked no wolves. Instead, they accepted mate bonds and are actively looking for theirs,” I pressed.

“So what? A few years versus countless decades. At any moment, those mindless half breeds will return to their old ways. Before they do, Silverlight will slaughter them all. We will do this alone if we must. I will not allow them or their illness to spread,” the brat yelled.

“Son, please! You don’t understand, the Goddesses have spoken. This hybrid of wolf and amazon is what they want. We must trust their plan,” the old Alpha pleaded.

Annoyed, the younger shook his head. “I do not accept this child as my goddess. She has poisoned mother moon against us. Kill the amazons and we will save Mother Moon,” he growled.

“Your actions threaten us all. Why can’t you see that, brother?” the current Alpha of Shadow’s Light interjected. But his words only seem to infuriate his younger brother.

Frustrated, I raised my hands, hoping to call for a moment of respite, allowing things to cool down. To my relief, everyone complied. “Stop stalling, Timothy,” mother’s voice chided me through our connection.

Finally accepting what it was I needed to do, I hung my head, defeated. “Of course, Goddess,” I sighed, just loud enough to be heard. All eyes fell on me, understanding the Goddesses have spoken.

Angered by the events unfolding, I glared the young Master Martins in the eyes. “For Silverlight to continue, Shadow’s Light must fall. It’s members outcast and forgone from the love and warmth of any pack. I forbid your people and your descendants to join any pack until such a time that Silverlight’s end is near. Can you, young Master, truly condemn your former people to this fate?” I bellowed, placing my hands on the table in front of me.

I risked a glance at my closest friend. He cast his eyes down. He understood what I already knew. His son’s pride cared more for his ambitions than it did for his people. A mark of a weak Alpha.

The young Alpha slammed his tankard on to the table. His cold eyes glaring at me in total disbelief. “You can’t be serious!” he screamed. His rage seeped through the room.

“Oh, but I am! Little runt,” the Girl taunted. “Mother Moon has always favored us,” the brat scoffed. “We were, son, until you defied her plans. You dared to mock her companion. Do you really expect her to look favorably upon us after that? I implore you once more son, relinquish Silverlight. Come back and serve under your brother. Restore our favor with the Goddesses,” the old Alpha begged.

“I cannot. Someone has to free Mother Moon from the grasp of this imposter for a goddess,” the blind brat vowed.

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