HAVEN
As I stared at the symbol on the page, Wesley’s arms wound around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. “Breathe, Sugar Plum,” he whispered in my ear, and I inhaled immediately as if his voice held some sort of power over my body.
“You said you recognized it,” I murmured, glancing at him. “That you knew you’d seen it but couldn’t remember exactly where.”
“This story was Maddie’s favorite,” he said, his eyes flicking towards his sister, where she still stood in front of our chair. “She couldn’t say Asteria when she was little, so called her ‘Ria’ instead.”
“‘Selene’s Gift?’” I asked as I read the title on the page. “What’s Selene’s gift?”
“Lycans,” Harrison said.
“Fated mates,” Sebastian chimed in. “Second chances,” Nolan added.
“And Ria,” Maddie told me. “Just read it!” she said, her excitement and anticipation palpable.
“It will make more sense if you read it,” Wesley agreed. “It’s easier than explaining, I promise.”
I looked around the room again at everyone and their waiting faces then took a deep breath and began to read.
“A long time ago, before you and I were even a distant thought in the Moon Goddess’s plans, Selene gave birth to a daughter. She named her daughter Asteria, for she was born on a night with no moon, a night when the only light was that of the infinite stars in the sky.
“Selene had longed for a daughter for centuries. For although she had taken many lovers in her life, she had never had a companion who would match her own lifespan. Her hope was that, in time, her daughter would grow and raise a family of her own.
“Her daughter and her daughter’s offspring would have the same lifespan as the gods. All of them would live and love each other forever as the world changed and the mortal beings around them faded into memory.
“Selene loved Asteria more than she’d ever loved anyone, and she was fiercely protective of her precious child. She never let Asteria out of her sight. Asteria traveled with Selene everywhere, from her realm on the moon to the city of the gods in the clouds to the werewolf packs Selene visited frequently.
“In each pack, the wolves had created a home for Selene and her daughter, and the packs all looked forward to when she would visit with Asteria. The wolves loved spending time with their creator, and they adored her daughter. They were happy that their goddess had someone to keep her
company in her immortal life, and they treated Asteria as one of their own pups.
“As Asteria grew, so did her beauty and her kindness, and wherever she and Selene went, everyone was in awe of her. When she reached adulthood, she had many suitors—human, god, and werewolf.
“But Asteria only had eyes for one: Conan, a wolf who was a descendant of Karl and Eydis, the first werewolves. The two had grown closer to each other with each of Asteria’s visits, going from childhood playmates to teenage companions and, finally, to lovers.
“Conan made his intentions known to Selene, asking her permission to take her daughter as his lifelong mate.
“Now, at this time, fated mates did not exist. The werewolves still chose their own mates in the same way that the warriors of Eydis and Karl’s time would choose their mates. They would then mark their mates as their own, claiming each other for all to see.
“Selene, being protective of her daughter as she had always been, worried others would be jealous of Conan and Asteria and would try to hurt them. So, she blessed Conan and the other males of his family.
“She granted them unprecedented strength and skills in combat, creating in them the first lycans. She hoped they would use these gifts to protect her precious daughter.
“Conan and his brothers were delighted with their newfound abilities. And Conan was especially pleased that he would have the means to protect Asteria, as well as any children she would give him in the coming years.
“The pack also celebrated the family’s blessing. They named Conan’s father, Ulric, as the prime, or alpha, of their pack and Conan as his heir, as he was the oldest of Ulric’s sons.
“As the days passed, and the pack prepared for the ceremony in which Conan and Asteria would unite, Selene noticed the pack growing and thriving because of the designated leader they looked to for guidance and strength.
“Alpha Ulric and alpha heir Conan used their strength and dominance to make the pack stronger, and the members of the pack also became stronger. The wolves grew closer together, their bond with each other healthier than Selene had seen in any other pack.
“Because of this, she decided to create lycan alphas for all the other packs, hoping to see the same prosperity among all of her wolves that she had seen in Ulric’s pack.
“She traveled around the world, visiting all the packs that had formed since her creation of the first werewolf. She granted the lycan alpha power to one family in each pack that she deemed worthy of being the leaders.
“Selene planned her travels so she would return to Ulric’s pack in time for Asteria’s union ceremony, where he would mark her under the new moon. She left Asteria behind for the first time since she had been born, knowing Conan could keep her safe with his lycan alpha.
“While waiting for her mother’s return, Asteria enjoyed the freedom of being out from under her mother’s watchful eye. She especially enjoyed being able to spend more time with her soon-to-be mate.
“The pack was excited about the upcoming ceremony. But Lyall, one of Conan’s cousins, was jealous of the blatant favor Selene had always shown to his uncle’s family. He felt it was unfair of Selene to not only grant them the lycan alpha power but also to allow one of them to form a union with her daughter instead of any of the other wolves, who were also her creations.
“He had lusted after Asteria for years, hoping she would turn her eye towards him, but it was to no avail. The young woman had always favored Conan, and years of rejection had created a deep-rooted jealousy in Lyall’s soul.
“He wanted Asteria as his mate. He wanted her to spread his seed. It was his belief that pups born from the Moon Goddess’s daughter would be stronger and better werewolves than those born from any other female.
“He concocted a plan, a plan that would ensure he could have Asteria for himself. The night before Selene would have returned, he captured Asteria in her sleep, taking her to a cave hidden deep within the forest.
“Asteria was frightened when she awoke and found herself bound and laid in a bed of straw, her intended mate nowhere to be seen. She held her fear and her tears back, though, refusing to show any weakness to the monster who had taken her away from her love.
“Conan was furious when he woke to find Asteria missing, and it did not take long for him to realize that his cousin Lyall had been behind her disappearance. He had seen the lustful gazes Lyall had always thrown towards Asteria, and he knew the other werewolf had nefarious intentions towards her.
“He quickly rallied the warriors and trackers of his pack, leading them on a desperate search for Asteria.
“Lyall, knowing he wouldn’t have much time before Conan realized his deception and found him, decided to mark Asteria as his mate before Conan could track them down and rescue her. He brought his fangs out, quickly embedding them in Asteria’s neck to leave his mark on her, as all werewolves did once they had chosen a mate.
“What Lyall failed to understand, however, was the depth of love Selene had for her daughter and how far she had gone to protect Asteria from something like this. For she knew there would be jealous wolves lusting after her daughter, even after Conan had claimed her as his intended. And although Conan had his enhanced abilities, she did not want to rely on only that to keep Asteria safe.
“So, she’d used her magic so Conan would be the only male able to leave a mate mark on Asteria, further binding them to only each other.
“It outraged Lyall when he saw his mark instantly fade from her skin. He tried to mark her a second time, only to be met with the same result.
“Repeatedly, he tried to mark her, sinking his teeth into her neck again and again, to no avail. Every time he removed his teeth, his mark would vanish, leaving no trace behind. And with each bite, he grew more and more frustrated. He descended further and further into the madness that had been growing in him since Conan had claimed Asteria.
“While all this was happening, Conan and his wolves were racing through the forest, following the scent trail of Lyall and Asteria. Because of the bond Selene had created between the two, Conan could feel Asteria’s pain, fear, and panic. Knowing that his love was in such a state pushed his lycan to run faster in order to rescue their mate.
“Realizing that he could never mark Asteria as his, Lyall decided that if he could not have her, no other wolf should have her either. He shifted into his wolf form and tore Asteria’s throat out in one swift movement, just as Conan burst into the cave where the two had been hiding.
“Conan could feel the exact moment that his beloved died. A sharp, deep, unimaginable pain tore through his body, starting from his heart and spreading throughout his entire being, straight to his very soul. Without a
thought, he inflicted the same punishment on Lyall as Lyall had on Asteria, tearing his throat out and killing Lyall instantly.
“His lycan stayed by his mate’s body in the cave. His spirit weakened from the loss of his love. He let out a long, low, mournful howl, the sadness of which was heard and felt by the entire pack.
“He sensed her before he saw her. Selene’s gentle, loving power filled the space of the cave. She knelt beside him on the ground, her hand pressed to his lycan’s chest, just above where his heart beat sadly. Her own heart and soul mirrored the pain that he was experiencing.
“Every wolf and lycan in the world could feel the sorrow of their mourning goddess. Across the globe, they lifted their muzzles in the air, howling for losing their beloved Asteria.
“As the chorus of howls dissipated, Selene quietly disappeared from the earth, heading to the moon to live with her depression in solitude.
“Before she departed, however, she left behind another gift for all of her wolves and lycans who remained, all the wolves who had always stayed loyal to her and her daughter.
“She gifted each of them a mate. A true soulmate meant for them and no other. She hoped the knowledge of a wolf out in the world meant just for them would eliminate the possibility of something so tragic from ever happening again.
“She also granted Conan a second chance, providing him with his own soulmate after several years had passed. He marked her, and they lived together happily, having many pups together over the years. He never forgot his first love, though, and would constantly thank Selene for letting him love her daughter, even if it had only been for a short while.
“One night, many years later, when Conan was near the end of his days, Selene appeared to him in a dream. She promised him in the future when her heart had healed fully and she was no longer mourning for her beloved Asteria, she would have another daughter. This daughter would be the true mate of a worthy male, one who had proven himself to be of the same caliber of lycan as Conan.
“Conan passed this knowledge to his children before he died, and they passed their father’s story down to their children.
“And so it went. From generation to generation, the story circulated throughout the world as Conan’s descendants spread far and wide. Until every werewolf and lycan knew of Selene’s fabled promise to once again grant a lycan alpha the honor of being her daughter’s mate.”
I closed the book and held it in my hands, staring at the gold scrolling on the cover as I processed everything. Behind me, Wesley’s heart beat against his ribs.
“So, Selene’s gift was Asteria. Her daughter,” I said, vocalizing my thoughts.
“Her first daughter,” Wesley corrected. His arms around my waist tightened, and he swallowed. “And the promise of her second daughter.”
“And you think I am this second daughter? The one she promised would be mates with a worthy lycan?” I asked.
“It fits,” Wesley murmured. “It fits better than the other story.”
I shook my head. “No, it doesn’t,” I declared. “In this story,” I said, tapping the book, “it said Selene loved her daughter and took her everywhere with her. Protected her. Cherished her.”
I swallowed against the lump forming in my throat as I voiced the insecurities I’d carried with me for so long. I felt the eyes of everyone in the
room on me, but I didn’t look at anyone because I didn’t want to face the pity I knew I’d see there.
“My parents abandoned me,” I continued. “Dropped me off at a fire station when I was only days old, wrapped in a blanket. And just because the symbol on my blanket matches the symbol at the beginning of this story doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a coincidence. I can’t be a—a—a demigod or whatever! I’m not special. I’m just Haven.”
My shoulders rose and fell, and my voice got louder with each word out of my mouth. I hugged the book to my chest to keep myself from chucking it across the room like a live grenade.
Wesley turned my body towards him, his hands cupping my cheeks. “You’re special to me.”
I wanted to melt into him and sink into his love and warmth, but I had to stand my ground. “I know, Wes, but that doesn’t make this true,” I replied, lifting the book. “It’s just a story.”
“And all the stories are based on truth,” Sebastian repeated. “Lycans are real. Fated mates are real. Second chances are rare but real. Why wouldn’t her daughter be real too?” he reasoned with a shrug.
I blew out a breath and climbed out of Wesley’s lap. I had the book hugged to my chest again with one hand as I paced back and forth and played with the end of my braid with my other.
“Okay, okay. Let’s say I suspend my disbelief for the moment and say I believe you. That I believe I am this—this promised daughter. If it is true— how did Lennox know who I was, and how did his parents find me?”
“I don’t know,” Wesley said as he stood from the chair. “But I know how we can find out. Let’s go ask him.”
