Chapter 442 - 442: I'm Here
Chapter 442 – 442: I’m Here
Luna withdrew her hand weakly from his body, struggling to sit upright. The white light dissipated, revealing a cloudy sky threatening to pour any moment now. The goddess was tired from the spell and was struggling to deal with the aftermath of her actions.
His wound had long healed, a thick coat of crimson drying on the side of his chest. His soul was now stable, emanating a healthy buzz of energy from it. But her hands were still shaking. Her entire body ached from the loss of magic. The splitting pain in her head that she had long hoped to have left behind resurfaced, making her vision blurry.
"Wake up," She commanded, her voice thick with pain.
As if called forth to life for the first time, the man's lips parted and color returned to his face. With a shocked gasp, he sat up, banging his head onto the goddess's forehead with his sudden movement. Luna yelped in pain at the impact, trying her best not to glare at the man who she had barely dragged out from the void of death.
"Y-you!" He exclaimed, shifting away from her hastily. "You're a witch!"
The goddess rolled her eyes at the comment. That was the first thing that seemed to have rolled out of his tongue. An accusation. Did gods, too, become shallow and thankless when they were reborn as earthlings? She thought, the corners of her mouth pulling down to form a frown.
"No. But the one who stabbed you was." She said, narrowing her eyes at him. "How did you manage to piss her off so soon? Or did you know her before? Why have you come here to cause trouble? Is it because of me? Have you-"
"You talk way too much." The man said, cutting her off abruptly.
Luna huffed at his statement. It seemed that she had put too much effort into the healing. The man was brimming with energy, and she could barely sit upright on the sand. Apart from the way he looked, there was nothing of his mannerisms that resembled the sun god.
"Are you going to answer?" She asked, pointing a finger at him in irritation. "Or should I turn you into a fly?"
The man narrowed his eyes at her, the bright green orbs sparkling "I dare you to." He challenged, his expression more conflicted than anything else.
Luna smirked, flashing to his side in the blink of an eye. She caught his chin and pulled him close, encouraged by his widening eyes. There, that was more like it, she thought, a warm bubble of joy growing inside her shivering body.
"Don't tempt me." She whispered, her voice low as she leaned further towards him, their lips barely touching.
The warmth of his body was slowly easing her pain. His hands unconsciously reached out to her hips as his heartbeat skyrocketed. He was like a fly drawing towards the flame helplessly. Even in his human form, his soul recognized her presence. Luna sighed, enjoying the moment of ease.
"Who are you? Why do you make me feel so…." He trailed off, pulling her close. The sweet scent of his breath fanned against her mouth. "…unhinged?" He asked, searching her face desperately for something that he was unable to put his finger on.
The goddess smirked, stepping away from him. "You still haven't answered my question. Why did Circe stab you?" She asked, tying her hands over her chest.
"Who?" He asked, looking disappointed and confused at the same time.
"The witch," Luna said, putting a hand to her head as the ache resurfaced.
"I don't know." He said with a frown. His brows knitted together as he recalled the events that led up to their meeting. "One moment I was fighting their alpha and the next thing I knew I was stabbed."
"What?" The goddess asked, her brows raised in concern.
The man chuckled, pushing his hand into his hair awkwardly. "Let's say that I didn't find them in the most appropriate of times." He pointed out with a shrug.
Luna's jaw dropped in shock at his reply. Had he barged into Vera's house without any concern? Was he an idiot, or was he too confident in his own abilities? She wondered, looking at him incredulously. The man looked away from her in embarrassment, his cheeks flushing with color as he struggled to maintain his composure.
She was about to ask him more when suddenly she heard a loud growl from behind. The goddess's head whipped towards the direction, her eyes widening in recognition. William sounded furious. And it seemed like there were more wolves with him. Thankfully, they were still quite far. But she knew that that distance would be covered in a matter of a few minutes.
"Shit. We have no time." She cursed, stepping towards the man urgently. "Do you trust me?" She asked, grabbing his hand.
"I don't know." He replied, his heart skyrocketing with her touch. "Witches can't be-"
"Where do you live?" Luna asked, cutting him off.
If she were to wait for his opinion, all her efforts would go down the drain. No, she'd just have to decide everything on her own. She'd deal with the consequences later, she thought, looking into his deep green eyes with determination. With what little magic she had, she pushed at his mind, trying to bend his will to her own.
"Wolfbreak," He whispered- as if caught in a daze.
"Will you be safe there?" She asked, putting a hand to the side of his face as she drew out the memory of a small town.
"Yes." He replied, his eyes still trained onto hers.
Luna nodded in acknowledgment. Without wasting another second, she stepped away from him, slashing the air before them to form another portal. Hoping that she had gotten the place right, she turned to him in urgency.
"Then go." She whispered as she pushed towards the void.
"Wait! NO!" He screamed as he was snapped out of his daze, falling back into the fast closing portal.
His hands were outstretched towards her helplessly, and his eyes wide in shock. Luna smiled as she staggered backward, the pain shattering every bit of her rationality.
"Come with-" His voice was cut off as the portal snapped shut.
With nothing to keep her steady, the goddess swayed to her sides, turning her back on the empty beach. Through her blurry vision, she could see the silhouette of a huge animal charging straight at her. Luna shook her head, irritated by her weakening body.
As tears slid down her eyes, her vision cleared for the fraction of a second. The wolf was massive and strangely looked beautiful, the white patch on its forehead- making it stand out from the dozen other wolves that were trailing close behind him. For some reason, it looked like it was worried.
The goddess frowned in confusion as she swayed again. Why would anyone be worried about her? She wondered as she watched the creature shifting in motion. Its silky brown fur was slowly getting replaced by taut, flawless skin. Just before she fell, she caught a glimpse of his annoyingly handsome face. She didn't like it one bit.
Strong arms wrapped around her body moments before she hit the ground, breaking the fall with their strength. Luna wanted to struggle, to push the alpha away from her. Her magic was not sealed. There was no doubt that he'd have already felt it by now.
"Stay awake!" William's voice echoed in her ears, trying to pull her out of the endless pit of pain that she was falling into. "I'm here." He whispered, his voice trembling with emotions.
The goddess frowned in her mind, wanting nothing more than to get away from him. Who was he to worry about her? And why was he still holding onto her even now? Hadn't he already realized what she was by touching her in this state? Why was he not scared? She wondered, her mind barely staying above the pain that was fast drowning her.
"William!" She heard a woman's voice from somewhere afar.
Luna didn't bother to open her eyes. Not that she could, even if she wanted to. Her eyelids were too heavy. But she knew who that hateful voice belonged to. And if that woman were to find her in this state, then it would be over for her- she thought, her worries following her even through the unbearable pain.
"Don't approach!" She heard the alpha shout, "Stay back!"
That was the last thing that she remembered before the darkness enveloped her. Nothing mattered after that. She lost control over her consciousness as she was dragged into the depths of her being, the voices of a thousand Chosen Ones echoing in her head once again, just like the day that the shards of her soul reunited.
There was nothing pleasant about it.. Death after death, torture after torture, she was pulled through the nightmarish memories again, with a beast's roar following every dark moment.