Chapter 33

• Mama Lia’s POV
• Hazel was a child of fate. It had never been heard of the Moon Goddess interfering in the creation of humans, but with Hazel, it had been different, and it had been for a purpose. More than a decade ago, when we’d hunted her family amongst other humans and sought vengeance, the Moon Goddess had let me know she was going to be different and that no harm must come to her until it was time for destiny to manifest. That fateful day, after the humans who’d found their way into our world started off a murder mission that my twin sister and I hadn’t understood at first until our mother, the Moon Goddess, had revealed it, But with the revelation came strict warnings: never let anyone know the truth. To let things happen as they were destined to. To not interfere in fate’s plans. It wasn’t the first time she’d given us warnings, and though it was frustrating most times, we had no choice but to obey. That had been our cross to bear ever since we realized who we were at the tender age of five. We were pups still enjoying the freedom that came with being a pup, but ours was different; we just weren’t like the regular pups. The birth of ’Children of the Moon Goddess’ in any pack was a blessing to that pack, but it had its limitations, such as not saying whatever had been revealed to us without permission from the Moon Goddess. It has always been a hard task for Mia and me, watching our kind go through all sorts of tests and trials and being instructed not to do anything about it, especially for me. I hated seeing anyone suffer, and knowing I knew the root of the problem and possible solutions to ending it didn’t make it any easier, but I couldn’t go against the will and wish of the Moon Goddess; she, after all, was our mother. We came directly from her in a special way, unlike the other werewolves. We had this unbreakable connection with her; it was as if she’d taken a part of herself to create us.
• We were born with huge responsibilities, which was why there was no other way to live except on the Moon Goddess’s purpose; we had no mates either, and strangely enough, we’d never questioned it or even bothered about it. I began to suspect that part of that responsibility was to groom Hazel. The Moon Goddess had already revealed it would happen, but she hadn’t let us know when — she shows us what she wants to and when she wants to. After her whole family had been wiped out, the cry I’d heard when we’d been about to go home stunned us because we didn’t believe there was another human alive. But I had received a signal immediately from the Moon Goddess — I still wondered why she chose me — to go look out for the little, scared, wailing human child. I knew why she chose one of us, the two of us going away together, especially when the rest of the werewolves who’d gone with us on that killing spree had also heard the voice and were already prepared to search out the child and launch a vengeful attack, but my wonder had been, "Why me, why not Mia?" I always thought it was based on two reasons: one, it was because, though we were both strong and powerful werewolves, I was a bit more soft than Mia, or it could be she didn’t have any reason; she just chose any of us. Whatever the reason was, I didn’t wait to clarify as I signaled Mia to ward off the rest of us while I took the child far away as the Moon Goddess had requested. I had been in my wolf form, which was when Mia and I were our most powerful. Our wolves were really strong and could never be defeated in battle; even the Alpha's wolf could never win us in any duel. I took her in that powerful form and ran out of there. I’d never forget the way she’d stopped crying immediately, her eyes meeting mine, and the carefree way she’d climbed onto my back, clinging tight as we ran through woods and past bushes. Her child-like giggles melting my heart, her big blue eyes devouring every scenery we passed, admiring landscapes in the way only children would do, reminded me of mine and Mia’s childhood, or rather, the lack of it. There and then, I had sworn to protect and care for her like mine, as the Moon Goddess had wanted it and as I had suddenly craved it. In my wolf form, I ran with every vigor; survival instincts had kicked in — not for me but for her sake; she needed to be alive. We were on the dangerous part of our territory—that border of the land where no one in the pack would’ve ever found us except maybe they strayed. I had increased my pace when we neared, knowing enemies of the pack were always on hide-and-seek mode, stealthily waiting, crunched low behind fields of green, patiently on the lookout for any innocent werewolf to unintentionally stumble upon their hiding place and seek them out. I hadn’t been scared for myself, but for her. That fear quickly morphed into strength and anger when I heard low, menacing growls from behind bushes. In an instant, I had been surrounded by werewolves, and I recognized one of them — Alpha Lokris of the Moon Star pack. The most greedy and vicious werewolf in our region, he’d always envied my pack and, even more, my nephew — the Alpha—and that envy had morphed into an intense hatred. I had been half expecting him to crawl out, and he wasn't disappointed.