SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Twelve
Tim’s Pov:
Instinctively, I pulled little Amethyst closer. My eyes flashed to Olympia, who jumped to her feet, sword drawn and ready to fight. “Who’s here, you little whelp?” Gretchen snapped at Amethyst.
“Watch your tongue, witch,” Olympia snarled. “We both know this child is important to the Goddesses. And because of this, you will respect her as such,” she demanded. I glanced at Amethyst. “Silverlight?” I asked. Much to my relief, she shook her head no. “It’s the wild ones who are to join us. They’ve arrived,” Amethyst yawned.
Unsure of what might happen, I carefully placed Amethyst down before we started towards the sounds of the howling. I called back to them, and this seemed to lift their spirits because their howls were filled with joy.
Together, we crossed into the meadow where we first arrived. “You sure about this?” Olympia’s voice filled my mind. “Yes, it is the will of the Goddesses for all of our species to become one,” I replied, hoping my own doubts don’t betray me.
On the top of the hill, sat a large stone. There was something about this formation which drew me to it. Feeling a push from the Goddesses, I motioned for Gretchen and Olympia to follow my lead. I pulled us up and peered out to the valley on the other side.
Currently, two hundred wolves were pouring out of ships which were guided by Luna moths. My breath hitched as I processed the scene before me. Amethyst wrapped her arms around my leg. Nervousness seeped from her. “Don’t worry, all will be ok.” I smiled at the child.
“I know that, Timothy.” Amethyst rolled her eyes at me. Before I could stop myself, I reached down and lifted her back into my arms. “My dear Beta and Gamma, shall we introduce ourselves?” I grinned.
“Right.” Olympia hopped down first. “Brothers and sisters, welcome home!” she bellowed, raising her arms in victory. The rest of the Amazons that followed us cheered loudly, so much so, I almost miss the howls of rejoice from the wild ones.
Together, we walked to meet the newcomers. Some ran out to greet us, while others cautiously hung back close to the ships in case they needed to make a quick retreat. Some of the new arrivals seemed to be mated families, while others were lone wolves who were leery of others. Unfortunately, my work was cut out for me.
“Are we truly welcome?” a wolf asked. He was almost afraid to hope. “Of course you are. Have the Goddesses not promised you a pack? Have they not guided you all here safely?” Olympia asked, pulling him excitedly into a hug.
“I am Alpha Timothy White. This is my Beta Gretchen, Priestess of the Moon. This overly affectionate one here, believe it or not, is my Gamma, General of the Amazon warriors. And we welcome you home,” I introduced us.
“Come all, come to your new homes. You must all be tired. We will convene once more to officially welcome you all once the moon hangs high in the sky tonight. For now, take rest and rejoice, knowing your hardest days are behind you,” I announced.
Hours passed peacefully as we waited for the moon to hang high in the sky. At the appointed hour, my brothers and I gathered the newly arrived wolves to induct them into our pack. The Goddesses instructed Gretchen, going forward we are to meet at this rock. Which from here on will be referred to as the altar. Gretchen, Olympia, myself as well as the Goddesses stood upon the altar overlooking the sea of frightened wolves.
“I know some of you are still frightened, feeling vulnerable. But the Goddesses demand you cast your fear and doubts aside. Because you are being rewarded for your unrelenting devotion to the Goddesses. And now it is time for you to accept your rewards,” I preached. I studied the crowd. So many were trying to put on a brave face. “Gretchen, if you could, the Goddesses chalice please,” I commanded.
From thin air, Gretchen produced the chalice. Before I could ask Olympia, she produced the Girl’s dagger, slicing each of our hands. For a moment, we allowed our blood to run into the cup.
“With this blood, it symbolizes our bond with you. Thus, allowing you to hear our thoughts and to become one with us. This bond is one of love, family, and unity. Drinking our blood signifies you accept us as your leaders chosen by the Goddesses themselves. Once you drink, they will not undo this bond without extreme punishment. Or unless the Goddesses see fit to mate you to another pack. From this moment on, we are of one mind,” Gretchen chanted.
The chalice glowed like the embers of a dying flame. She poured our blood into the barrel of wine. As soon as our blood contacted the liquid, it bubbled and hissed. The barrel took on a thick metallic aroma.
“Drink of us and join us,” Olympia boomed. Immediately, the newcomers lined up to drink the wine, although many still looked a little unsure.
“I will not lie. This will hurt. But your strength will grow, and the voices of everyone will enter your mind. For some of you, it will hurt more than others. Trust us as you trust the Goddesses,” I explained.
Almost instantly, the wolves who drank clutched their bodies as pain ripped through them. As a result, many of those who are yet to drink appeared fearful and questioned the liquid. “Drink!” the Girl hissed, walking through the crowd. “Or do you now doubt your Goddesses?” she spat.
Thanks to her outburst, the remaining wolves drank their wine without further question. As I could not handle the screams which filled the night air, I closed my eyes, hoping it would help me concentrate on the influx of voices. “Focus on my voice. It will help to shut out the rest,” I explained.
The screaming stopped as the rogues, one by one, lost consciousness. “What do we do now?” Gretchen whispered. “We watch over them until they awake, then we ensure they are well,” Olympia responded. Her tone was harsh, as if she thought this should be the simplest thing to understand. Without hesitation, Olympia hopped down to check on each new member. Gretchen glared at Olympia for a moment before shooting me a questioning look. “She’s right,” I shrugged, joining Olympia.
By dawn, most of the wolves awoke. Carefully, we looked them over to ensure they were alright before we sent them to their homes for more rest. The Goddesses gave each one their rank within the pack while they were under, thankfully, so we do not have to guess. “So, Lunar’s Light is now complete,” Olympia said. A proud smile was stretched across her features as she looked towards the rising sun.