The Shadow Howlers

“What do you mean, they have the mark of the goddesses?” Gunnar asked as he and Bianca squatted down next to Sabnac and looked into Trisha’s and Polly’s eyes.

“Stare into their pupils. Do you see the gold flickering?” He asked. Bianca gasped as she stared into Trisha’s eyes. She’d never noticed that before. Gunnar was stunned when he saw the same thing in Polly’s eyes.

“What does this mean?” Bianca asked. Polly and Trisha looked at Sabnac in confusion.

“We aren’t pups?” Polly asked him. He chuckled a deep chuckleand everyone around him looked in disbelief at the demon. No one had thought they’d see a demon like him laugh.

“You’re still pups, but you’revery special pups. A goddess sent you here. I don’t know who or why, but someone sent you to Earth. That’s why you both are so mature for your age and have good instincts.” He explained.

“How do you know so much about this?” Alani asked.

“I’ve studied everything I can about gods and goddesses. Like I said, I wanted to destroy them, so the best way to destroy your enemy is by knowing everything about them. The mark of the goddess is something I read about often. When they see a need, they will send a child with their mark to be born on Earth.” He explained as he stood up and held one pup in each arm. He was much bigger than anyone else at the palace. Zaiden was close to seven feet tall, but Sabnac had to be at least eight feet, and his muscles were enormous.

“If a goddess sent us here, does that mean we have special powers?” Trisha asked excitedly. Everyone laughed. Of course, that’s where the pup’s minds would go.

“I think the glitter is bad enough,” Helios said. He was still upset that they had glittered him and not Sabnac.

“We can do it again,” Polly warned, holding her hands up. Helios hid behind Hermes and Daphne.

“No way. Use that on someone else,” he said, peeking over Daphne’s shoulder.

“Wow, I never thought I’d see a god afraid of two little pups,” Sabnac said, smiling at the girls.

“I’m not scared. I justdon’t want to be covered in glitter again,” Helios replied from his hiding spot.

“You sound like a big baby. If you’re going to cry, what’s the baby going to do?” Polly asked. Everyone, including Sabnac, burst out laughing. While they laughed, Trisha, Polly, Bianca, and Gunnar suddenly felt like they were falling. A minute later, they were in a forest that none of them had ever seen.

“Welcome.” They all spun around, and behind them was a beautiful woman with hair that looked like shimmering silver. She was wearing a long, flowing teal dress.

“Where are we?” Gunnar asked.

“I’mSelene the Moon Goddess. I brought you to my realm because I’m aware that you just found out something about the two pups.” She smiled at Trisha and Polly.

“Mr. Sabnac said that we are goddess marked,” Polly said. Selene’s smile grew.

“I don’t think anyone has ever called him Mr. Sabnac. He is correct. You are both goddess marked because a goddess sent you to Earth,” she said. Bianca and Gunnar looked at their daughters and worried about what this meant for their future.

“We call him Mr. Sabnac because he’s so big, and he’s nice,” Trisha said.

“Why were they sent to Earth by a goddess?” Gunnar asked.

“They were sent by the goddess Soteria. She is the goddess of safety and salvation. They will have the power of goddesses when they become adults. The reason they are so protective of the queen and want to guard her is because that’s what Soteria would do.It’s their instinct to protect others and keep them safe from harm. They saw that Selena was being threatened and instantly wanted to guard her. One day, their unique abilities will be needed. The fight against Achyls will be hard, but you will come out on top. Unfortunately, this won’t be the worst battle to come. The next one will be much more difficult, but it won’t happen for some time. Trisha and Polly will know what to do when that time comes.” Selena smiled at the pups, who looked disappointed.

“Does that mean we can’t fight this time?” Polly asked. Gunnar and Bianca shook their heads while Selene smiled.

“Sorry, little ones, but this isn’t your fight. Your powers won’t be needed, but your time is coming,” she answered them.

“What about their birth parents? Are they not their real parents?” Bianca asked. They still hadn’t told Trisha the truth about her parents. Selene looked thoughtful.

“They were their parents as far as flesh and blood. When goddesses send pups or other children to Earth, think of it as a ray of light they shine down on a pregnant woman. The child they have already conceived is given the mark of the goddess. Most gods and goddesses can’t go to Earth. So they instill some of their power into babies who will be almost as powerful as the god or goddess themselves.” Selene explained. Gunnar and Bianca didn’t like the idea of the girls fighting something worse than Achyls. However, they trusted Selene.

“What do we do now?” Bianca asked.

“I’m going to send you home. Achyls will be coming soon, but I’m confident with all the help you have, you’ll be able to stop her and the witches.” Before they could respond, they were falling again and were suddenly back in the palace.

“What happened to you guys?” Alani asked. Sabnac, Helios, Hermes, Nyx, Jameson, and Andrew all answered at the same time.

“Selene.”

“How did you know Mr. Sabnac?” Polly asked. He patted her and Trisha’s heads.

“That’s what she does,” He answered. He loved that they called him Mr. Sabnac. It made him feel distinguished.

“I have a question,” Eris said. Everyone had almost forgotten she was there because she had been silent since Sabnac’s arrival.

“What’s your question?” Selena asked. Eris glanced at Sabnac and then away.

“How do you know if you have a mate? I’m a goddess, so we don’t have mates like shifters,” she said softly. Nyx saw her glance at Sabnac again and chuckled.

“You feel an instant attraction and when you touch it causes sparks,” Nyx replied. She glanced at Sabnac who was staring at Eris. When she wasn’t playing tricks, she was quite beautiful.

“Oh, okay,” Eris replied as her face turned red. She liked attention, but this type of attention was making her uneasy. Trisha and Polly looked at the goddess and the demon. Polly grabbed Sabnac’s hand, and Trisha grabbed Eris’s hand. They pulled them until they were standing in front of each other.

“Touch each other,” Polly said. Sabnac held his hand out. He never thought about being someone’s mate. Demons can have mates, but most don’t like to be tied down to one woman, so they never accept them. A few days ago, he would have felt the same. However, now that he had a new purpose in life, he didn’t think it would be a bad thing.When Eris looked up at him with her gorgeous blue eyes, his heart raced. Could it be that he had a fated mate? She slowly held her hand out and placed it in his. The sparks that raced through their bodies were immediate.

“You’re my mate,” Sabnac said in disbelief. Eris smiled and started laughing.

“What are the chances that the demon who wanted to kill all gods and goddesses would be mated to a goddess?” She asked. Everyone began laughing with her while Sabnac pulled her closer.

“Are you okay being the fated mate of someone like me?” He asked nervously. Eris placed her hand on his cheek and smiled.

“Yes. I was much like you. No one ever paid me any attention, so I played tricks on people because I was lonely. Now, neither of us has to be alone again.” Sabnac wrapped his arms around her. His heart finally felt whole. Maybe there was love out there for everyone if they looked hard enough.

The others smiled at the new couple enjoying the happy moment. They knew before long Achyls would be at their door, and they would be ready for her.