A Gift from the Goddess

Book Two - Ch#28 Over two weeks had gone by since | first cto the Ashwood pack.

And things were going... pretty good, to be honest. There hadn't been any major incidents since my arrival and, though there were certainly still a lot of adjustments yet to be made, | was settling in quite nicely. | was learning more every day and even had a routine now. Sort of. Most of my mornings were spent reading or exploring; though the latter entailed an escort after what happened in the town square. I'd also found a library inside the packhouse that helped educatea little more, albeit there were still a lot of gaps in my knowledge. But | was getting better. Slowly. And | was getting healthier too. In fact, | couldn't even remember the last tI'd felt a wave of real nausea. My head was finally starting to feel... clear.

And as for Kieran...? Well... things between us couldn't be better. Every day we had grown closer, discovering new things about the other. And when we weren't shacked up in bed, we were usually out sightseeing or training.

Which was where | was heading; a private one on one training with Kieran. The usual way I'd spent my afternoons over the course of my there. It was the thing | usually most looked forward to, the exercise being both something | enjoyed as well as something familias. | grabbed my sports bag from the table, and with one final look around the room, | left to go meet up with him. We normally met at the place we trained, him coming directly from whatever Alpha heir work he needed to do in the morning.

However, as | began my commute through the packhouse, | was surprised by one of the faces | saw. Not that he wasn't allowed here, just that... it wasn’t normal for him to frequent this place. Nevertheless, | Nashed him my best smile. “Afternoon, Sterling,” | said without stopping.

It was intended to be just a quick greeting and nothing more, knowing | had somewhere to be.

After my last encounter with Kieran’s uncle, I'd cto learn that only the eldest of ranked members were given titles, thus Sterling had no actual authority. The move he'd pulled onduring my welcdinner was apparently a power play in spite of that. Not that I let his pettiness get to me.

| continued to walk past him towards the front door... however, his words behind then gavepause.

No... they madefreeze. “Where are you off to in such a rush, little bird?” he asked.

And my mind flashed to memories of my childhood; of during my early years with my father. He used to say similar things toback then. His little bird... his raven.

IT 1 shook it off.

This analogy was to be expected when introducing myself with a nlike Raven’. | might not like it anymore, nor feel as though | wanted to be that person ... but it wasn’t all that strange for a guy like Sterling to say it.

| couldn’t let small things like this get to me.

“I'm ah... I'm meeting up with Kieran now,” | said, keeping it vague. “He's expectingany minute.” He held my gaze for a moment, sending a small chill through me, before finally nodding. “Fair enough,” he said.

“Better not keep my nephew waiting then.” And with another polite smile, | left before he could say anything else, grateful for a valid excuse to leave.

It wasn’t as though there was anything wrong with him, but the tension with his family was obvious now | knew the truth. From my perspective, | thought it would be best to just not get involved. Ranks and titles were still a learning curve forand | didn’t want to accidentally slip up like | had the first time.

Well, that... and | tended to avoid the topic of titles, especially around Kieran. The reminder of what a ‘Luna’ was still madeuncomfortable.

“There you are,” Kieran said upon my arrival. “How was your morning?” And | found myself stopping to smile like an idiot, just as | did every t| saw him these days. It didn’t seem to matter if only a few hours had passed, seeing him always filledwith a rush of emotions that exhilarated me.

It was feeling even more intense of late, as though there was a scratching in my head to go find him as soon as we parted. A need to go be close to him that, at times, felt a bit strange. Almost as if it weren't entirelythinking it and it was More... instinctual, perhaps? But | was learning so many new things every day, both about the world and about my body, that it was natural for there to be dissonance. | was sure that one day 1 would look back on this and wonder how | could have been so in the dark about it all “It was good,” | said, composing myself. And he walked over to my side, immediately wrapping his arms aroundas he placed a kiss on my lips. Tender enough forto melt at his touch, the scratch inside soothing... but my mind was still focused on the task at hand.

“Ready to have your ass kicked?” | asked, biting my lip fiendishly He raised a brow at me. “We'll see about that.” And we proceeded to jump straight into it. I'd thought that my there would makesofter, no longer under the strict training regof Gavin. But, if anything, | felt even more skilled than before. Kieran was one of the only people I'd met able to fully keep up with me, his technique almost as good as my own. It inade him into a great training partner. He was able to shownew ways of lighting and, in turn, | shared my own knowledge. It was a way for us to both improve Though... coming into this, | did have one major disadvantage against him. But it was one that | was slowly closing the gap on at an unexpected rate. A revelation that seemed to surprise us both.

Because as | managed to land a kick squarely across his chest, | hadn't intended to send him flying backwards the way | did, his back roughly hitting the wall. “Kieran!” | yelled in shock, instantly running towards him. “I'm so sorry. Are you okay?” Without meaning to, it seemed i'd put way too much force into the movement. Yet it didn’t feel like I'd done anything too different from normal.

| reached out to him in concern, but he just laughed off the whole thing.

“You're ah... you're getting pretty strong now, huh?” he said, trying to sound light-hearted.

Yes... strength. Before, Kieran had still held an edge of strength against me, making up for what he lacked in matching my speed. But | was getting stronger now too. So quickly that | was struggling to adjust my own movements to accommodate it.

“I'm sorry,” | apologised again. “Does it hurt?” But he shook his head. “I'm fine. It just tookby surprise more than anything.” | would have felt relieved to hear that if it weren't for the slight unmistakable winer he did as lu move “Seriously, Kac, I'in inic,”le said. “Don’t kwik soup “Then don’t look so hurt,” | replied back. “IIs ard not to feel terrible here.” “Well... then | guess you could kiss it wtter luat would probably six the problem.” And | looker! up at him, my lips tugging back into a smile, “Oh, is that so?” | laughed. “And where were you hurt again? Here” | pointed to the spot on his chest wielrecalled my leg hitting “Munti... pretty sure it was higher up. Like probably tear my mouth,” he said “Mmmm... pretty sure | hit you in the chest. Think you knocked your head a little too hard there, buddy” “All the more reason for you to kiss ir better then,” he said slyly.

I laughed but still moved in slowly, planting a trail of small kisses from his collarbone to where my leg had hit.

And, as | did so, | could feel a small shiver run through him under my touch, feeding the excitement building inside me.

When I finally placed the last kiss at the perfel spot, | then looked back up al him, lempting him with my eyes.

“And your lips as well..?” | asked inoxently.

And he quickly leaned forward to catch my mouth, envelopingagainst his Which was exactly how we becabsorbed for ile next (rw minutes that passed, his hands holdingto him as we embraced. A need for his bly burning within me, But, eventually, | managed to pull myself away. Just enough lo tease him smose.

“I see you've inade a full recovery,” said. “Tlus method of medicine inaybe has sinerit after all.” But instead of immediately resuming where we'd just stopped, he then seemed to pause, a crease forming between his brows.

“...What is 11?” | askerl, confused by the abrupt change.

“Your eyes...,"” he said quietly, but then paused. It was only after a few seconds had passed that he then seenied to realise something, his face becoming happier, “Coine with me,” he said, quickly grabling my hand, “Kietan?” But he had a firm grip as he started to lead us outside, heading toward where a thicket of trees were in the distance. It was a small woods area that we promptly entered into, walking until we cto a small clearing within it.

“Are you going to tellnow?” | asked as we cto a stop.

And he turned back to look at me, now excited.

“It's been over two weeks,” he simply said.

Which was something that didn’t really help clarify much, “Two weeks? Like... two weeks since | arrived?” “No... Well, yes, but | mean it's been over two weeks since you've gone to the doctors,” he clarified, “Melissa said that it would be about two weeks needed for the medicine.” “Oh... right,” | said. “...And?” “And... have you been feeling anything weird? Like an almost foreign weird feeling in your head that doesn’t quite seem to belong to you?” Always... but | was pretty sure | knew what he was specifically referring to. That new itch to be near him whenever he'd just left... like a whining inside. Yes, I'd noticed it recently.

“...Yes,” | answered. “Is it important?” But his smile seemed to only grow more at the confirmation.

“That's your wolf, Rae,” he said. “She's finally able to break through the damage the suppressors left. It means you're actually healing and the medicine is working.” However, rather than reciprocating the excitement he felt, instead, | could feel as iny body froze up a little at his words, my face paling.

Because whilst | knew this was probably going to happen eventually with the medicine, I didn’t expect it so soon.

It was a renewed liability that | wasn’t sure how to deal with.. and that scared ine. Ever since I'd chere with Kieran, I hadn't experienced that sickening feeling of almost losing control or blacking out. Not even once. In fact, things had been pretty peaceful. So much so that I'd almost forgotten about the threat it posed.

But... hearing this now? Knowing that it was actually just growing stronger inside withoutrealising? Well, the very idea of it having more free reign over my body was disturbing. Especially after what had happened last time.., all the pain...

all the blood. What is next tit wasn't just a scratch? What if its next victim was Kieran? And so, whilst I may have wanted to learn how to live amicably with it once... | now had my reservations about that.

“Okay... so then how do | learn to keep it out?” | asked.

But it seemed Kieran wasn’t on the swavelength as me, his next words contradicting my thoughts.

“Keep it out...? No, you learn to becone and embrace it,” he said. “That's how you truly get better.” “I don’t...,” | started, my voice trailing off in uncertainty.

But he interjected by then holding both my hands in his “Do you trust me?” he asked.

...It was that question.

That sdamn question. The one I'd heard from him now twice before. Both times prior I'd been unable to tell him what he wanted. But things were different now. He'd easily proven how he had my best interest at heart, making good on the promises he made me. And so | finally caved and answered truthfully.

| answered truthfully... even though | had a feeling | was about to instantly regret “Yes...,” | said. “Yes, Kieran... | trust you.” And with a completely serious look on his face, he then held my gaze...

...And asked a question that instantly filledwith dread. “Then lethelp you to shift,” he said. “The proper way, this time.”