The Betrayal

Chapter Seven

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"Mae, wake up," Valerio's voice drifted through my mind. He nudged me gently. "Mae, we have to go meet your mother today," he stated.

I fluttered my eyes open. My lips trembled as I thought about the lesson my mother taught me in my dream last night. The dream felt real. It felt as if my friends were really dead. I couldn't decipher what all of it meant.

There were five bodies all with parts of themselves in jars. What did the jars represent? What did they mean?

Taking a deep breath, I sighed. If I failed as the Moon Goddess, everyone I love will die. Luca, Damon, Aaisha, Valerio, and all of the pups. The werewolf species would be facing self-extinction. And, it would be all of my fault. Everyone would blame me. 

A stray tear slid down my cheek and I quickly pushed it away. I couldn't fail. I wouldn't let myself.

I sat up in my bed as Valerio frowned down at me. He studied my face for a moment, his eyes void of any emotion. He grimaced. "Mae, your dream last night... that will be the fate of nearly all of the wolves if we don't stop the Challengers together."

I had an urge to narrow my eyes at him for stating the obvious, but I just sighed. 

Nodding my head, I pushed the blankets off of me and jumped up, letting the breeze chill my skin. "Have the Challengers done this before?" I asked.

"Killed people before? Yes."

I shook my head. "No, not that. Have they experienced a change of power from one Goddess to a new one?" I asked.

Valerio shook his head at me. "No. You will be the first, but they are getting stronger by the day."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, so are we. They might have faced my mother, but they have not faced me. My mother was weakened because she was attached to me, her daughter. I'm not attached to anyone in the same way she is. Everyone that I love can defend themselves."

"So, if Damon and Luca died tomorrow in the hands of the Challengers, you wouldn't be weakened?" he challenged, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded my head. "I would, but I don't have to worry about them now. They are strong and can defend themselves in a battle."

He raised his eyebrows at me and nodded. "I have people working endlessly to uncover new Challenger hideouts, while we prepare."

"Good." I padded out of the room and to the kitchen to grab breakfast. After Valerio and I made toast with butter, eggs, and bacon, I grabbed two plates and sat down at the table, thinking about my dream last night.

Glancing up from my food, I looked at Valerio. His eyes were trained on his food and his jaw was clenched. "Are you okay?" I asked. I realized that if he saw the dream with me last night, that means he saw his dead body. If I were him, I would have been freaking out by now. I'd never want to physically see myself with gashes all over my body or see my dead eyes as they stared up at me.

After Damon admitted to feeling all of the pain I went through, I realized that all this time I had only been thinking about myself. Now that I was to be the Moon Goddess, I wanted to make sure I wasn't just thinking about me all of the time. The things I did and the choices I made, had effects on everyone. I couldn't just selfishly care only about myself anymore.

He inhaled sharply and avoided eye contact with me. "Yes."

"No, you're not."

He sighed. "Yes, I am. I'm just shook. I've seen dream like that before."