Their forced luna novel Chapter 51
Cee inclined her head to me. "A Prime Luna? Do you know that we have been trying to kick your kind off of our land for the last twenty years or so?"
I shook my head. "I'm not born a Prime, I'm just mated to one."
Cee gave me a sad soft smile. "Were mated to one," she corrected me.
"No," I replied. Rage simmered in me at her words. "I'm not staying here. I don't care if you're a favorite or if you plan to give me up. When I've gotten what I need, I'll find a way to escape. If you want me to get my people off your land, we'll try to figure out a solution."
Cee clucked her tongue. "You're quite young to my people. You'll never escape from Aren. He is favored by the Moon Goddess. She's given him so many of us." She brushed the crook of her neck with her fingertips. "Do you see a mark here?"
I peered closer. But there was nothing. The only mating mark I could see was on one of her shoulders as it peeked out. Even Aren's mark had a strange beauty to it. The twists and twirls of his coat of arms was very unique. But even if it was the mark of an artist, I didn't want it on my flesh.
"I don't, sorry."
"Aren has the power to take our marks away, our mating bonds can be severed in seconds, and it doesn't kill us."
I stared harder at her. No. I knew it wasn't impossible. The Moon Goddess had done much the same for me before. So I understood it could be done. But why? "Why is she helping this fanatic?" I demanded.
The demon shrugged and sighed heavily. "If I understood that, I wouldn't be here." Her hand slid to her slim stomach. "I've been lucky so far but it's only a matter of time until I conceive a child for that man. Those like us are few and far between, but we are the ones he craves the most. Be careful, Prime Luna. Not everyone you meet here will be your friend." She inclined her head to me again. "I shall see you at the dinner. Please, don't be late. He hates it when we're not on time."
"I'll get her there in time," Mitsi reassured with quick little bows.
"What is this guy's deal?" I demanded of the maid. "Why does he have powers from the Moon Goddess herself? He sounds horrible."
She tilted her head as she studied me. "Maybe a little more blush on your cheeks." She waited until she was busy powdering me before she spoke again. "Luna, can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?" I said holding back a growl. It wasn't her fault I was stuck here and she had her own problems to deal with.
"Why do you think the Moon Goddess is a good person?"
I jerked and she had to grab a napkin to blot the mess away. "She's the Moon Goddess, she's the one that chooses our mates and blesses us with our powers. She's never done anything but help me."
"Well, you're a wolf," Mitsi pointed out. "My people have a story about your Moon Goddess. Do you want to hear it?"
No, I didn't want to hear anything that would be blasphemy to my goddess. But still, a part of me was dying of curiosity. What reason would the Moon Goddess have to help someone like Aren? "Tell me."
Mitsi glanced at the door again and leaned closer. "The Goddess of my people isn't a wolf obviously, its' the Goddess Basetta and she's had fights with your goddess for centuries. They were as close as sisters at the start. But whenever Basetta created something, your Goddess Sabbi would always have to create something bigger and better. One day Basetta created the first cat shifters and set them to multiply throughout the world."
I had a feeling I really wasn't going to like more of this. "Then what happened?"
"Sabbi created hers with fangs and claws with powers to rend and tear apart Basetta's. Your people have always hunted mine. There are not many of us left. While your Goddess has let her creations run wild, ours created a plan. Not all of your kind were brutal and blood-thirsty and Basetta found her champion." Mitsi paused. "Do you know who that was?"
I'd never even heard of her Goddess before. How could I have known all that? "Who?" I almost whispered the words.
"The God of the Primes. He created a type of wolf that wasn't beholden to the Goddess and could keep her in check." Mitsi glanced away. "And then the Moon Goddess tried to kill him for it. God or not, he barely escaped from her and only with Basetta's help. Sabbi was furious. She swore to their fleeing backs that this wasn't over. She would take full control back, and they'd never see it coming."
"Why didn't she just kill the Primes herself?" I questioned. "She's all-powerful."
Mitsi chuckled. "You think so? But all gods and goddesses get their powers from the same source, those that believe in them. With the Primes, there was a faction that was not hers to control. If she could have stopped it before an entire pack was formed maybe she would have been able to change the outcome, but she failed. She'll strike from within next time, those were her last words and so we've all been waiting for her to rise up, and those that are left will stand with Basetta and fight her."
I let her words sink into me but I couldn't bring myself to make a sound. This all sounded like some cruel joke. I needed to speak to her, figure this thing out and directly confront her. She'd come to me before, maybe I could find a way to get her to do it again. There had to be a mistake, there just had to.
"Mitsi," snapped Aren's voice at the door. We turned to him and he gave me a warm smile. "I'm here to escort the newest Luna to meet the rest of her sisters." He licked his lips. "And after a little nap, I'll be unwrapping her. You've done a great job of making her scrumptious for me once again. Good girl, Mitsi. I'll be sure to take very good care of you, now get out of my sight."
I got to my feet and smoothed what parts of the dress that weren't see-through down. I hated this, hated everything but I'd endure. And I'd get that conversation with the Moon Goddess the first chance I got. I just had to survive him first.
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