Lunar Shadows: Awaken

Kyran

Lunging forward, I catch Selene as she falls, crouching to lift her into my arms and cradle her against my chest. Glancing at Hekate and Asteria, we share a look of concern and I follow them as they make their way toward the cottage. Their dogs bound ahead of them, oddly unaffected by my presence. As I step up the porch and through the doorway, Selene groans softly and I notice her eyes fluttering open. Glancing around as I enter, I find the home to look exactly the way I’d imagine the witch goddess to live. Hekate gestures toward a small leather sectional before she disappears and I cross the dimly lit home, laying Selene down gently. Quickly looking around, I decide to sit in an armchair beside the couch to give her some space.

“Would you like some tea?” Asteria asks me quietly, carrying a tray holding an ornate porcelain teapot with matching cups and saucers into the living room.

“Yes, thank you,” I offer a small smile as I take a cup. Sniffing it, I sense lavender, chamomile, and mint among a few other scents I can’t quite place. Taking a sip, I find the tea to be very pleasant and soothing, bringing me immediate relaxation. Narrowing my eyes over the rim at Asteria, I state dryly, “There’s more than just herbs in here.”

A sly smile pulls at her mouth as she looks sideways at me, setting the tray on the coffee table by the sectional. “Indeed,” she replies candidly, pouring herself a cup and sitting at the end of the couch by Selene.

“Care to enlighten me? What’s in this?” I ask lightly, raising my cup.

“Now, Kyran, a witch never reveals her brew,” she intones sarcastically, giving me a wide grin.

I stare at her flatly, her demeanor reminding me of my brother in a way. Before I can say anything else, Selene sits up slowly, rubbing her forehead. Asteria sets her cup down and looks back at me with a smile.

“No need to fret. There isn’t anything debilitating in it, just natural herbs to help calm the nerves and a little magic to boost it a bit. I wouldn’t give you anything harmful, not intentionally,” she adds lowly, looking toward the floor.

“Hey, it’s alright. I would’ve sensed anything before drinking it, and I trust you,” I say quietly, smiling when she looks up at me surprised.

Selene drops her hands to her lap with a thump, silently looking between Asteria and me. I watch her as her weary eyes flicker to me and flutter around my bare torso and her brows drawing together with a small frown pulling the corners of her mouth down. As she glances back at Asteria, her frown deepens further and she lets out a sigh. She stands slowly and I rise to my feet quickly, sending my cup clattering on its saucer.

“I need a moment alone, please excuse me,” she says quietly, stepping swiftly around the low table, past me and up the wooden staircase.

As her feet disappear, I sink back down into the armchair, feeling unsure what to do with myself. As I sip the tea, I find Asteria staring at me with an arched brow and I raise mine back in silent question.

“What’s it like, for you? Did you know when you met her who she was? How does it feel to know that your bond is a real possibility for you?” she murmurs, crossing her legs and leaning forward curiously.

“Honestly? It feels extremely…foreign,” I sigh, “I don’t really know how to process anything I’ve felt since meeting her. I just know that she feels right. I did not know what she was at first, I was confused for a while until we pressed our hands together that day at the park. Even then, I was totally thrown off because of my mark. Since it appeared, I had a…challenging time accepting it. After meeting Selene, I feel both hopeful and afraid about my bond, but mostly confused still. There’s a lot I don’t understand right now,” I mumble, leaning forward and setting my cup and saucer on the table.

Asteria has a wistful look on her face as she thinks about what I’ve said. Her brow lowers as she replies, “That’s nice to hear, but you didn’t answer one of my questions.”

Unsure what she means, I scrunch my brow, asking, “Which question?”

“If you knew who she was when you met her,” she says tightly, her eyes slightly narrowing at me.

“What—”

“Asteria, enough,” Hekate’s sharp voice cuts behind me, making the hairs on my neck raise.

Turning my head, I see both her and Selene making their way down the stairs and notice Selene holding my gray t-shirt. As they come into the living room, Hekate sits beside Asteria and Selene stops beside my chair, meeting my gaze shyly. I rise to my feet as she holds out my shirt and I take it, pulling it on over my head.

“Now I can listen properly, you’re very distracting,” she murmurs and gives me a smirk.

I feel my eyes crinkle with the wide smile that spreads on my face and watch as she blushes, turning quickly to take her seat on the couch. I meet her gaze and then Asteria’s, and the three of us look at Hekate simultaneously. I sit down and lean my elbows on my knees, waiting patiently in the silence.

With a sigh, Hekate turns to Selene to ask, “Are you sure you are ready?”

“Yes. I understand I didn’t accept what you both were saying and kinda had a freak out, but I want to know the truth, all of it,” Selene replies firmly.

“You actually did much better than I anticipated,” Asteria says with a small laugh, leaning over and giving Selene’s knee a pat.

She rolls her eyes but smiles back and pulls her feet underneath her. I can’t help the small smile I feel pulling my lips when I watch her and I try not to stare for too long.

“Well take it from my perspective, how hard it is for me to wrap my head around all…this,” she gestures vaguely around with her hand at the lot of us, making everyone chuckle. “It does feel right, though, almost familiar? I don’t know how to place it at the moment, but I believe and trust my instinct with everything I’ve been told. And shown,” she adds quietly, glancing at me for a moment.

“I understand that, we all do. I, for one, wanted to have this discussion with you under better circumstances, however for your safety and well being, it is best you know everything about who you are and the life you’re destined to live. If you truly feel ready, I have a lot to go over with you and the three of us here can answer any question you have at any time,” Hekate’s voice is strong and clear. “Kyran, much of what will be discussed I am sure you’re well aware of and most will be previously learned knowledge. However, what you uncover here today with us must not be spoken about with anyone else, do you understand?” she sternly asks me.

“Yes, of course. I vow to never speak, write, or communicate in any form of what we discuss today with anyone outside of this room, unless you grant your approval,” I hold out my hand to her and as she clasps it, our magic flashing as it seals the vow, binding me to it.

I will leave the matter of mates to you, for when you decide it is best to speak about it with her. I trust that you will handle it delicately, she mindlinks me, her gaze hard. I nod my head once silently in acknowledgment, holding her gaze firmly.

Nodding her head, Hekate adjusts herself momentarily before turning to Selene again. I see her eyes are wide as she stares at my hands then flickers her gaze over to Hekate and blinks a couple times before giving us a small smile.

“Okay, well, it’d be best to start at the beginning, hmm?” Hekate says lightly, folding her hands in her lap.

Settling back into the chair, I watch Selene as Hekate begins the story of our origins.

Selene

Was that magic, just now? There is so much I want to know, I wonder as I wait for my mother to begin speaking once more. My chest feels a little tight with an anxiety I can’t quite tell is good or bad and I chew on my lip in anticipation.

“Selene, if at any point you are unsure of something or want me to stop, please interrupt me. I want you to have as best of an understanding as possible but I want you to be comfortable at the same time, okay?” my mother speaks gently.

“Yes, I will, thank you. Okay, I’m ready,” I give her a small smile and look at Asteria to see her smiling at me as well.

I can feel Kyran’s heavy gaze on me and although it isn’t uncomfortable, I do feel warm and can’t bring myself to look at him as I listen to my mother speak.

“Do you recall the mythologies I had you study when you were younger?” she begins and I nod my head silently as she continues. “Good. Much of what you read had been written as tales, however everything holds truth, although most of the events had taken place between realms and planes of existence surrounding this one we live in currently.”

My eyes widen at that with a question already forming. “Does this include every culture’s mythology?”

“Yes, certainly. A lot of cultures held awareness of the same beings and entities, and through time had developed separate languages and stories. This altered some depictions and names, but I can assure you they all connect if you really look at them. I can explain realms and levels of existence to you on another day, if you wish to learn about them,” she offers and I nod my head enthusiastically, smiling wide. That would be so crazy, I’m going to need a notebook. Or a few, I catch myself running off track and take a breath.

“Please continue,” I say at her pause, focusing back on the explanation.

“I told you that you are—what you know at the moment to be as supernatural beings—a werewolf. As you saw with Kyran, they are more than just fantasy stories in books and movies, that they are real. I’d like to start with the creation of werewolves, but to do that you need to understand me and a few other goddesses that are interwoven with this creation.

“As I said before, I am Hekate, goddess of magic and witchcraft and I created the race of werewolves. The reasoning behind their race is due to Nyx, the goddess of night. She created the vampires. Being the daughter of Chaos, there really isn’t much question as to why she made them, I suppose. Vampires resemble some of her attributes, creatures of the dark with telekinetic powers, unsurmountable strength, and are virtually invulnerable giving them eternal life, in a sense. Nyx created the vampires from mixing her soul’s essence with humans to bring herself power through their existence. The more of them there are, the stronger she would become. As you can guess, this wreaked havoc within the mortal realm, disrupting the balances that had carefully been put in place.

“Your namesake, the goddess Selene, had felt it was unjust for Nyx to empower herself at the humans' detriment. She came to me, requesting my help in creating a race that can balance the vampires,” my mother pauses as she notices my scrunched face.

“Hold on a moment, I don’t fully remember who she is, exactly?” I ask, unsure of my studies.

“Selene is the moon, my dear. With her, myself, and Artemis, we three are close in our duties and work well with one another. I’ll save that story for another time, though,” she smiles softly before clearing her throat. “Now, at Selene’s request, I came up with the idea of warriors, in a sense, to combat the destruction caused by the vampires. Being partial to canines myself, I chose to intertwine them somehow with humans to form a new race of beings. Having my plan formed, I sought out Fenrir to make a deal with him.”

“Is this Nordic? As in, Odin and Ragnarok?” I ask, fascinated.

My mother nods her head, smiling. “Yes, exactly. Being that he was essentially helpless, bound and imprisoned unfairly, I offered to weaken his bindings in exchange for some of his essence, his…soul, you could say. He agreed, seeing how the Fates decided that one day he would break free and seek his revenge on those who imprisoned him.

“Taking his essence and my idea, I met with Selene to explain to her my thoughts and she happily agreed, offering for me to mix her magic in so the werewolves would have virtual immortality along with the vampires. I concocted an elixir with Selene’s magic, my own, and some of Fenrir’s essence and gathered willing mortals to take it. Both men and women were born into the race of werewolves, having super speed, strength, heightened senses, night vision, and the ability to shape-shift. I personally added in the ability to speak telepathically with one another to aid in their efforts with battling the vampires. There was a discovery, though, of the werewolves sharing bodies with another soul, the human half and wolf half respectively having a mind of their own. The complexities behind that is what Kyran can explain to you when you have the time to delve deeper into it with him,” she pauses again, flashing a glance at Kyran before adjusting herself in her seat.

“Selene had asked these first werewolves if they would agree to bind their lives to her, aiding in her empowerment as a deity, to which they accepted. She had felt it would be necessary in case Nyx needed to be checked and has yet to ever pull from that pool of power, thankfully. Very quickly, our race of wolves began to succeed in culling the vampire numbers into a manageable amount, keeping them in line without eradicating them fully. Many had come to an agreement of sorts, only keeping willing mortals and not slaughtering villages upon villages of people endlessly. In her gratitude for my success in the werewolves’ creation, Selene had proposed a gift of sorts, a second daughter for me, on one condition,” my mother’s voice grows quiet as she looks at me warily.

Sitting there with my mouth hanging open, I snap my jaw shut and take a deep breath through my nose. Glancing over at Kyran, I find him watching me carefully as I think about everything I just learned. If I’m a werewolf, then he should be able to hear me, telepathically, right? I wonder. Staring at him harder, I concentrate, If you can hear me, answer this question out loud. What do clouds wear beneath their clothes? I roll my lips inward, suppressing a giggle and watch as he grins widely with a deep laugh escaping him.

“Thunderwear,” he says aloud with another laugh and my eyes widen into saucers.

My mother chuckles and Ria looks at him quickly, completely confused before she turns her head to me.

I feel slightly dizzy and astonished as I gape at Kyran. “You, you can hear me?” I breathe in amazement.

“Ah, that must mean your stasis is wearing thin, this is great news!” my mother chirps excitedly, sharing a smile with Ria.

“My what?” My shock turns to confusion as I look from Kyran’s smiling face to my family.

“If you don’t mind, I will circle back to this in a moment, okay? I’d like to continue again, if that’s alright,” she gives me a small smile.

“Alright, I’ve only got about a million questions, but go ahead,” I chuckle, giving her my attention once more.

“As I was saying, Selene wanted to give me a gift of sorts, on a condition which I easily agreed to. She gave me a piece of her pure soul—her essence—to entwine with Fenrir’s, and with my magic, we created a powerful werewolf to unite the race as one and keep them in check with one another. This wolf would be above all hierarchy, with abilities far greater than the others and would essentially be the personification of Selene, bearing her name. Thus, you were born.” She smiles warmly at me as she drops a bomb on my reality.

“I—what?” I gasp uncomprehendingly.

“The white wolf,” Kyran whispers with his eyes rounded. “It—she—is supposed to only be a legend,” he says quietly, looking toward my mother.

“Yes, I know. That would be my fault,” she admits with a wan smile.

“Both of us,” Asteria adds, placing her hand on mother’s knee.

“Wait, wait,” I plead, trying to understand. “How, um, old am I, exactly?” I ask in a high voice, my throat closing tight with my rapidly growing distress.

Asteria scrunches her nose before replying, “Technically? About a couple millennia,” she tries to smile but it just looks like a cringe.

“T—technically?” I stammer, completely shocked.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m a bit older than you,” she smiles, trying to ease my tension.

“I don’t, um, I am not sure I fully can grasp all of this. I think I need a break, for a moment, if that’s alright,” I say on a breath, feeling overwhelmed as I stare at nothing.

“Of course. Take all the time you need, I know how this must feel like a lot right now. I’ll be here when you’re ready,” my mother smiles at me and pours herself a cup of tea.

Slowly rising to my feet, I cross the room to the kitchen and make a glass of ice water. Shakily, I raise the glass and need both hands to take a sip, and I make my way to the back porch, carefully lowering onto the bench swing. Staring out at the gardens, I reflect on everything my mother has told me so far.

Everything sounds like pure insanity, but somehow I know it to be true, deep inside. Why do I not remember any of this? How do I not know myself? What did Kyran mean by the white wolf, how it is supposed to be a legend? There is so much I still need to learn, I groan internally and let out a heavy sigh.

I sit in silence, swingingly gently and turning my thoughts over as I watch the clouds drift by until my nerves settle.