Chapter 41

Ezra’s P.O.V

“Till now, we have been made to believe from birth that the Moon Goddess, the creator of all werewolves, had given us a blessing…a chosen mate who is born just for us.” I looked at my Maidens as I spoke, as I laid out my heart and hoped for the best. “But even us wolves have a heart. A heart…that sometimes has a mind of its own and that wants to make choices even though it might not be the right one.”

“Four centuries ago, when Lindersay castle hadn't yet been constructed…a war broke out between two rival packs. The Lindersay wolves and the WoodlandHunters.” I told the Maidens, remembering those days like it had only been yesterday. “The war started for very obvious reasons; because the wolves wanted more territory, more power and also because the packs worshipped two separate Goddesses. Lindersay worshipped the Goddess Selene and WoodlandHunters worshipped Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt and also of the moon. I was the beta of the WoodlandHunters.”

More than a few shocked whispers came from the room and I knew that no one here had imagined me being a beta of a pack. They were used to seeing the calm and collected woman that I had become, not the warrior I had been in my youth.

“Malachi had recently become the Alpha at that point and I met him at the battlefield. I shot an arrow at him and he caught it with his bare hands. And just like any fairytale…it was love at first sight.” I could remember that day clearly…the first time our eyes met. Those impossibly blue eyes that had entranced me with just one sight.

“The war ended in a draw, after fifteen days and several casualties. Both packs surrendered and since my Alpha was getting old, he decided to merge the packs instead of going separate ways. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Malachi took over as the new Alpha and the packs merged and the Lindersay castle started being built along with the shrine.”

“WoodlandHunters got dissolved and we left our house in the forest to come here as this palace had more space. And Malachi and I were finally together. But there was one problem, a problem that we, at that time, had no idea of its magnitude…we weren’t mates and even after decades of being together, the mating bond never formed.”

“We thought we could deal with it, that the bond might form eventually; but we were dead wrong. Because one day, right after the castle was finally completed…Malachi’s mate appeared in front of him and instantly wanted to claim him.” My eyes connected with Flora first and then several other maidens. They held understanding as well as shock. I knew a lot of my maidens had already suspected that Malachi and I had a connection, but speculating and saying it out loud was another thing.

“So Malachi did the only thing he thought was right. He rejected his mate.”

Gasps and looks of horror. Rejecting a mate went against everything that the Moon Goddess Selene has taught us. It was considered blasphemy. But my story had only just begun.

“Malachi couldn’t feel the mating bond, as in his mind; in the mind of the wolf…the bond didn’t exist. So rejecting her was his only option to spare her the pain. But even though Malachi’s mate accepted her fate, it angered the Goddess Selene immensely. Not only because Malachi had gone against her rules…but also because Malachi was her own son.”

Shocked silence filled the room. I couldn’t even hear them breathing for an instant, as if the revelation had been too much for them to take. Just when I thought I had to stop for today, one of the maidens spoke, almost in a whisper.

“What happened next, my Lady?”

I gave her a sad smile. “What could’ve happened? The Goddess couldn’t turn her own son into a rogue, so she warned him to go back to his mate. But Malachi was adamant. He told the Goddess that in his mind, he had chosen me as his mate and he shall mate no one else. He rejects the mating bond. And that angered the Goddess beyond words. So she erased our memories of each other and made me the Shrine Maiden as punishment. If I could gain my memories back within five years, then I would’ve been free to mate Malachi, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to regain all my memories back on time and Malachi and I were forever doomed.”

“However, even though I was the first to reject the mating bond and love someone else…I was certainly not the last.” I looked at every maiden in front of me and I saw realization dawn in their eyes, especially Flora’s. “Each and every one of you standing here has suffered the same fate as me. Each and every one of you here have dared to love someone other than your mate that had ended in a rejection and committing a sin…and almost everyone here had failed the test of the Moon Goddess where you regained some of your memories, but not the memories of the people you loved…except Flora.”

Everyone turned to look at Flora and she gave me a nervous look, but I smiled reassuringly at her, telling her it was going to be alright.

“The women in this Shrine are one half of the pair that the Goddess herself separated, while the men we had chosen as our mates had been turned into rogues and now reside in the forests around Lindersay. It is precisely the reason why Malachi has always been against hurting or hunting the rogues. He had always held onto hope for all of us, even though we all failed the test. But we have a new hope now, Flora has managed to regain her memories of her lover and so has he…but the Goddess hasn’t kept her side of the promise.”

“That’s unfair! Why would the Goddess betray us?” One of the maidens asked.

“I cannot go against the Goddesses words and neither can any of you. We still stand in her shrine, in her robes…but today, I want to apologize to each and every one of you for not telling you the truth sooner.” I knelt on the floor, hoping to earn my maiden’s forgiveness, even though I felt I didn’t deserve it. “I had no right to keep the secrets you had every right to know, but my hands were tied by the Goddesses oath and I didn’t have the strength to bear her wrath, not until she took away the only man I had loved for centuries away from me. And…because she wants to sacrifice a couple of true lovers on the next full moon, to wake up Endymion, the lover who had been cursed to eternal sleep.”

“She wants to sacrifice Flora?” Daphne and Emma spoke in horror.

“No.” I lowered my eyes. “Malachi and I are to be the sacrifice.”

“So that’s why Andre captured Malachi? To sacrifice him? What do we do now?”

“What do we do now, my lady?”

I sigh of relief left my lips as I closed my eyes momentarily and stood up straight. When I opened my eyes once more, everyone was still standing and they all had determination in their eyes.

“Now, we pray.”

“To the Moon Goddess? After everything she has done to us?” Came the incredulous reply from several.

I gave them a bright smile. “Yes, to the Goddess of the Moon and beasts. To the Goddess of vegetation and of chastity and childbirth. To the sister of the Sun God.”

Several eyes lit up in anticipation and understanding and then everyone started chanting together, at the same time.

“All hail Artemis, hear our prayers.”