The Rise of Lunar's Light (The Story Before Mateless)

Tim’s Pov:

“Goddesses, come quickly,” Olympia screamed. “Relax. Amethyst is, as she just jumbled out, fine,” the Girl muttered. Upon hearing this, I let out a sigh of relief, earning a questioning look from Olympia. “She just needs to rest. As the power she required to absorb Gretchen’s failure would have killed any ordinary witch,” mother smiled, softly stroking Amethyst’s now white hair.

The Girl cast an angry glance out over the rest of the trainees. Many of whom were hoping to claim Gretchen’s title for themselves. “I expect none here who witnessed Amethyst’s accomplishment still believe she is undeserving of the title of High Priestess?” she growled.

“None of you saw the devastation which Gretchen was about to bring, not only upon herself, but to you as well. None of you acted. Instead, you ran screaming like a bunch of weak little girls. No, not one of you deserves this title,” the Girl hissed.

“All hail Amethyst, High Priestess of the temple of the Moon,” Gretchen’s daughter chanted. The Girl’s face was aglow with surprise at her actions. Without warning, she walked over to Gretchen’s daughter, kissing the top of her head.

“This is a pleasant surprise, child. I name you a priestess under Amethyst. May you both live long prosperous lives,” she announced before motioning to my mother to follow. “Little Thyst is full of surprises,” mother whispered, giving one more loving stroke to Amethyst’s hair.

“I believe we all can agree we have seen enough of this demonstration of power for one night, hmm?” Olympia scolded. And sent the apprentices scurrying back to the village. “Want me to take this one back to her mother?” Olympia asked, grinning like a fool.

“No, I can manage. I will keep her until she wakes. No need to worry her mother,” I replied, keeping my voice even and devoid of emotion.

“Whatever you say, Alpha,” Olympia winked. Clearly, this predicament amused her as she strutted away, whistling. “What in the Goddesses names am I ever going to do with you, Amethyst?” I sighed, making my way back to the pack house.

After I reached my room, I laid Amethyst down on my bed. Her skin still burned from harnessing a power which should have killed her. Unsure of what to do, I grabbed a basin of cold water and a cloth. I removed her cloak, hoping this would bring down her temperature.

After, I left the damp cold cloth on her head, hoping it would help her rest. Once I was satisfied, I had done all I could do. I blew out the candles which lit my room. Exhausted by the day’s events, I made my way to a chair tucked in the corner and closed my eyes. Tonight, rest would not come easily.

Screams of pain woke me up, nearly causing me to fall out of my chair. Cautiously, I crept over to Amethyst to ensure she was ok. But the unmistakable sounds of bones breaking and reshaping filled my room, stopping me dead.

“Amethyst?” I called out. However, the only thing which greeted me was heavy breathing. “Amethyst?” I tried again. This time, a little more urgent. My efforts were rewarded with a whimper from her. “Little Thyst is full of surprises.” My mother’s words seemed to haunt me.

“Thyst?” I linked. “Timothy, where am I? I can hear you, but I can’t speak,” her voice shakily entered my mind. Panicked, I found my way to my bed and fumbled to light a candle.

Once lit, I turned my attention to where I had last seen Amethyst. Her appearance took me by surprise, knocking me off balance. “Goddess Amethyst, you’re a wolf?” I cried out in surprise.

A beautiful white wolf with icy blue eyes stared at me with surprise. I reached my hand into her fur, petting it softly. “Let’s get you back to yourself, shall we?” I whispered. Amethyst’s eyes held onto her confusion.

“Close your eyes, picture yourself. Remember, every detail of your body, every mole, every freckle. But uhm, I guess you will need to picture yourself with hair as white as Gretchen’s,” I explained.

Moments later, her breathing became ragged. I grabbed her cloak to cover her now shifting body. I rubbed her back as her voice broke through into a painful scream. A hybrids’ first shift was far more painful than a pure blood’s.

“You got this, Thyst,” I whispered as her screaming continued. She choked as her lungs tried to take in the air. But because of the pain, she couldn’t take in the amount she needed.

“You’re ok,” I cooed, still rubbing her back, trying to keep her calm. She struggled to regain her human form. It was taking far longer than it should have. I tried not to let my fear get the better of me. As I heard rumors, not all hybrids survived their first shift.

Finally, the room filled with her sobs as her body finished shifting. I linked an Omega to bring some clothing for Amethyst. For now, I wrapped her with some furs before pulling her onto my lap, rocking her gently.

The sound of her crying broke my heart. The pain she went through must have been extraordinary. I kissed the top of her head, then rested my cheek where I just placed my kiss. Thankfully, this steadied her breathing. She swallowed hard, trying to speak. “Will it always hurt this badly?” she asked. Her voice sounded as if she was trying to regain all her control.

“The first few times you shift, it will. But eventually it will stop,” I replied, holding her a little tighter. She leaned in closer to me, closing her eyes. Curiosity got the better of me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a hybrid?” I asked.

“I, I didn’t know... My mother never knew who my father was,” she whispered. She squirmed uncomfortably thanks to my question. “She was raped, that’s all I know,” she breathed, her eyes finally meeting mine.

“Amethyst, what happened to your eyes?” I blurted out in astonishment. “My eyes? What do you mean by my eyes?” She cried in shock, leaping off my lap. As she did, all the covering I placed on her body fell to the floor.

Amethyst’s Pov:

“My eyes? What do you mean by my eyes?” I choked, jumping up. Unfortunately, I forgot about the furs and cloak covering my body. The expression of surprise which crossed Timothy’s face stunned me. Much to my own, his eyes wandered across my body before he darted to the floor, grabbing the furs and wrapping them around me once more. Stunned, I lifted my face to stare him in the eye. He met my gaze briefly before glancing at the door.

“What’s gotten into you Timothy?” I asked. His current behavior struck me as odd. After a moment, his eyes returned to mine. His arms wrapped around me just a little tighter. In the dim candlelight, I could just make out the redness which brushed his cheeks. “Well, Amethyst, you just shifted,” he mumbled. “Yes, so? What’s the big deal?” I growled, unsure of what he was getting at.

Once again, an expression of surprise crossed his face before he suppressed a smile. “Uhm... Well...” he stammered, the redness becoming even brighter. “What happens when a wolf shifts?” he grinned, looking like a fool.

The realization of what he meant hit me full force. “I am naked in your room, aren’t I?” I whispered. The thought completely mortified me. Praying this would all end, I closed my eyes, sensing my cheeks heat.

“Very much so,” he laughed.