Chapter 18

Flora’s P.O.V

“Thank you for calling me here.” I smiled up at Andre as he poured me a glass of water. I didn’t like alcohol so I had opted out when he had offered me some.

“I’m glad you accepted my invitation.” Andre smiled and took the seat opposite to mine.

The cool night air was a welcome feeling against my flushed skin. I didn’t know why I felt so nervous, but it probably had to do with the fact that Andre was a powerful wolf; his energy was a constant hum on my senses.

But to see how this wonderful and powerful man had made all these arrangements by himself…it made me feel glad that I had accepted the invitation.

We were at the balcony of one of the residential complexes inside the castle and this was one place I didn’t often frequent, so I had no idea exactly what I had been missing. The balcony overlooked the front gates as well as a major part of the Shrine and seeing all the lights and hearing the hustle of my packmates all around me, made me feel happy. However, the balcony was high enough that it still gave us privacy and saved us from curious eyes.

The railing was lined with potted plants and a couple rose bushed, hence telling me where my gift came from and then there was the table, a bit on the inner side to give us privacy. Andre told me that this entire area had been offered to Andre by Malachi and he was the only person who lived on this floor. Two guards stood on the farthest ends of the balcony, both to prevent anyone from coming up her and to warn Andre of any emergency. The man was dedicated to his job.

Andre had set up a table and a romantic candle light dinner for two, with stake and wine and sautéed vegetables in butter sauce as well as a chocolate mousse cake for desert. He told me he had given special instructions to the kitchen to have these prepared the way he thought I would like them, and he was right. The stake melted in my mouth as soon as I had it and the vegetables were delicious.

We had enjoyed dinner in a comfortable silence with Andre occasionally asking me about my duties as a Lunar Maiden. I wasn’t allowed to disclose much, so I gave him some vague answers and as little information as possible, until he understood what was going on and changed the topic with a laugh.

He had a nice laugh and whenever he did, I found myself smiling too. It felt good to smile freely again. It felt like it’s been ages since I smiled properly.

“You can ask me anything you want to.” Andre’s grey eyes sparkled with delight. “I want to be as open as possible with you. We are mates, after all.”

Every time he said the word ‘mate’, the wrongness of it hit me anew, but I couldn’t let it show. Like Daphne said, I couldn’t let the rumors spread about me. So I asked him the only thing I could think of right at the top of my head. “Why did you become a rogue hunter?”

It probably wasn’t the best thing to ask a rogue hunter as his expression darkened immediately. I was about to tell him that he didn’t have to answer me, but Andre beat me to it.

“My entire family was slaughtered by rogues.” His voice was harsh as he spoke. “I was only a child. I had to watch them rip apart my father and then my mother. But for some reason, they let me go.”

“I’m so sorry.” Now I felt guilty for asking him the question. He had to have gone through such severe trauma as a child after witnessing such violence.

“Don’t be.” He shook his head, making a few stray strands fall on his forehead. “Keeping me alive was their mistake. Now I live to slaughter them. They were the reason I found my calling.”

“Calling?” I frowned.

“My purpose in life.” Andre shrugged with a smile. “But now that I’ve found my mate, I have another calling, another purpose. To protect you and to love you eternally.”

Once again, I felt awkward at not knowing how I should react. His words were flattering, kind and wonderful to hear, but they just didn’t feel like they were from the heart. Or were my fellow Maidens right and I was an abnormal wolf?

“So, tell me,” Andre came to my rescue by deciding to change the subject. “What do you think is your calling?”

“My calling?” I raised my eyebrows at him. “I’m a healer. I don’t think there’s anything else I’d rather do.”

“Oh, silly me.” Andre laughed. “Of course, it is! I’m amazed at just how different we are. I’m a rogue hunter and you’re a healer. I guess the Goddess had a purpose of putting us together. To learn and to grow together.”

“Yes, indeed.” I gave him a polite smile. “The Goddess indeed had a reason of putting us together.”

*

*

Andre’s words stayed with me a long time after I had returned to my quarters. He had been the gentleman and left me at my door and I was glad that I had an overall nice time with him.

He was a good person and I was happy I got to know him a little better and also got to know about the tragedy of his past that made him the man he was today.

But now, as I stood in front of my large windows alone, looking up at the full moor in the sky…several questions plagued my mind.

What was my calling? Whatever it was, it wasn’t just limited to healing. I had healed two soldiers but one of them had turned rogue anyways, but Samuel hadn’t. And when I had healed the rogue Alpha…he had been able to turn back to his human form.

There has to be a connection between the two. What if…what if that was the connection? What if I was supposed to heal not just wolves but rogues?

I looked at the moon for answers, basked in its silvery glow. But I found none. The Goddess remained silent and my mind was still swirling with so many thoughts.

I hadn’t realized that I had been unmindfully twirling with my pendant until the clasp came loose and it fell to the floor with a dull thud. Looking down, I found the moon reflecting off of the pendant in a faint glow, making the colors vibrant, almost like they had come alive.

I picked it up quickly and wore it around my neck, afraid of losing the necklace…and suddenly, the entire world started to spin.

“What…” I pressed my hands to my head, to prevent the dizziness, but black spots appeared in my vision and I fell to the floor, unable to keep my balance.

And then the entire world was engulfed in darkness.