Heirs, 42

(POV: Deniel)

I fix my gaze on the back seat and contemplate the girl who remains asleep. Even with the truck jostling through the rugged terrain of the mountain, she appears completely exhausted, not moving a muscle since she entered the vehicle.

A loud noise fills the air, and I realize it's her stomach growling. Surely, she didn't hunt while in her human form, and my intuition tells me this was her first transformation.

After a long half-hour drive on pothole-ridden roads, I finally park the car in front of my house. I step out of the driver's seat, go around, and carefully lift the fragile girl from the back seat. A sense of peace floods my heart with this gesture, as if my life suddenly gains a new purpose. However, it brings a painful memory, one I've tried to erase from my mind for so long: the moment I held Lina in my arms. Yet, what I feel now is different, deeper, and more meaningful.

"Aperire," I recite the word in Latin, commanding the door of my house to open. As soon as I enter, it closes automatically. I walk straight through the living room and up the stairs leading directly to my bedroom. As I climb the stairs, I remember the first and only time I saw her, unconscious in my arms. The door is already open, so I enter, carefully place her on the bed, and wrap her in blankets.

I stand there for a moment, admiring her beautiful and serene face. She is truly lovely and stirs strange sensations in me. Sensations I can't allow myself to enjoy because she is a wolf, something nature forbids me to have.

However, against all logic, I remain standing there, gazing at her angelic face. It's as if I want to care for her tenderly and protectively, if only given the chance.

I shake my head to try to dispel these thoughts, but it's in vain. This is my desire, something inexplicable. I don't know why or how, but I feel something deep for this girl, something that I know could be my downfall.

But what if, by a twist of fate, she is truly my soulmate? I question this to the void. No, it's impossible. I can't believe in such nonsense. How could my soulmate be a wolf?

I am the last of my kind, a witch. If I ever had a destined mate, she died in the massacre. That's the logical sense.

I have no control over my heart, but I can't allow it to fall in love with a wolf. It seems that misfortune likes to accompany me, as I face so many adversities that would drive anyone to madness.

I sigh in frustration and leave the room, needing a moment to think. I quickly descend the stairs, open the living room door, and walk toward my truck. I sit on the hood and look up at the sky, specifically at the full moon, silver and sovereign, shining in the starry sky.

"It seems you like to play a lot, don't you?" I question the Moon goddess, the guardian of the night, the deity of supernatural creatures. She's known by many names, and I suspect she's the creator of the three supernatural races.

"Moon Goddess, Night Goddess, Goddess of Supernatural Beings," I ponder. "Could you be the creator and guide of them all?" According to wolf legend, she created them. Deep down, I believe she's the goddess who rules everything and everyone.

"Don't you think you've punished me enough?" I ask indignantly. "I don't even know what I'm being punished for," I lament, a lone tear escaping.

I remember my children, who never had the chance to experience adolescence, whose lives were cut short prematurely. Sometimes, I still blame myself for not dying with them.

"I spent so long alone, filled with anger in my heart," I recall creating failed projects, including Lina. "I fell in love with one of my own creations, what an illusion. That was never a genuine and strong feeling, but I still suffered," I sigh. "Now, to complicate my life even more, there's this girl," I think of the sweet angel resting on my bed. "She's just a girl, and she's a wolf on top of that. And to make matters worse, I think I'm in love. I feel like she's my soulmate, but it seems like a mockery from you," I accuse the goddess, looking up at the sky as she shines brightly.

I cover my eyes with my hand to shield them from the intense light and wait until it diminishes in intensity.

"I have plans for you, Deniel," I hear a soft voice, and as I remove my hand from my face, I find a woman in front of me. She wears a long silver dress and emits a soft blue light from her skin, softer than before.

"What..." I stammer, rubbing my eyes. "Who are you?" I ask, surprised and bewildered, though I already suspected her identity.

"I am known by many names," she replies with a shrug. "But my true name is Selene, the Moon Goddess, the creator of all supernatural beings," she smiles serenely, while my mind is flooded with shock and awe.