Page 64 of Shifted Fate (Broken Luna #1)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

I

turned to my mother and nosed the sliding glass door to the backyard. She hurried to the door and slid it open, and I walked out. I left the room full of the chaos I sowed and let the three of them figure it out. “Mother.” I called out, and she quickly followed.

“Nix…Did you have to do that?” She came out and walked next to me.

“I did,” I answered honestly. “She pushed her luck too far and we are tired of dealing with her.” I turned to my mother.

“Shift. I want to run with you.” My mother let a small smile break out and nodded.

She quickly shifted, and her brown wolf was a little smaller than Nix’s shifted form. Bigger than the average wolf.

I took off with her trailing behind me. We breached the woods, and I slowed down, allowing her to overtake me as she knew these woods and I didn’t. She shot out in front, dodging trees and bushes she was intimately familiar with, while I barely made it out of the way.

She chuffed out a laugh as I stumbled over roots. I didn’t see, but I caught up to her. “We have things to discuss, you and I,” I called out to her, and she nodded. She took off in a streak of brown fur that matched Megan’s in my mind.

We came to a stream, and I figured she would sit down, but she jumped on and swam across.

It was ice cold as I plunged in, and I wanted to howl, but I choked on the water.

She was beside herself, rolling on the ground with laughter when I finally made it across.

“You are so clumsy.” She tossed out at my glare, and I had to give it to her. This was a new body.

“Fighting came so much easier.”

“That was your will to live. You needed to fight, so you did. This is just learning how to move in your new form. It will take time.” She came over and nudged me up. “Come on, pup, we have a way to go.” She darted into the woods on the other side, and I followed slower.

We ran for two hours before we came to a stone cabin in the middle of the woods. “Where are we?” I tilted my head to the side as my mother shifted back to her human form. I didn’t realize it before, but she kept her clothes. “How did you keep your clothes during the shift?”

She smiled over her shoulder and opened the door. “Come in and I will explain.” I shifted back, surprised to find myself fully dressed.

“How is this possible?”

“Have you never noticed before?” She beckoned me with her hand, and I walked in.

“The first time I shifted was to fight, then I woke in the hospital. I don’t remember shifting back.

” My mother nodded and walked deeper into the cabin, pulling sheets draped on furniture off as she walked by.

She walked to the fireplace, balling the sheets in her hands and dropping them to the ground.

Then she crouched down and pushed some kindling into a fire already stacked with wood and lit it.

I watched as the fire took and the soft smell of burning wood filled the dimly lit cabin.

“Are you going to stand in the doorway, or are you going to come in?” My mother turned from the fireplace to finally look at me and she looked comfortable here.

So, I slowly closed the door, and the room grew darker.

The windows were all covered from light coming in, so I moved closer to the fire to see my mother better.

“Mom, where are we?”

“Before you ask questions, let me finish and then we can get into all the details.” She started around the room, and everywhere she went, the room grew lighter.

I watched as she was slowly pulling down wooden window coverings, and lighting oil lamps.

I was confused as she walked into what I could only assume was the home’s version of a kitchen and grabbed a few things.

She walked over with her arms full, placing a kettle on the ground and a few other things, like cups and jars. Then she walked outside. I heard the splash of water and then she was back, closing the door behind her. “Where are we?” I put more force into my voice and she smiled.

“We are home…or I should say, I’m home.” She spun in a slow circle, with a smile on her face, then she came back to the fire.

She sank down and put the kettle on a hook that was hidden from view over the fire.

“This was my home before I met your father. My mother raised me here, away from my father’s pack, until I came of age. ”

“Why?”

“Because…” She looked up at me. “We were the last Lycans.”

I dropped down next to her with a thump. “What?”

My mother smiled. “I should say my mother was the last pure Lycan, other than the King’s family.

And I am three quarters as my father was half Lycan as well.

A secret his line has kept almost as well as your father’s magic.

” She looked over at me. “You are a little muddled. I don’t know if you have enough Lycan in you to have one. ”

“Have a Lycan?”

“Yeah. So Lycans have a bigger wolf, and a wolfman form. But mixed Lycans, well they are blessed with two wolves…”

“Two wolves?”

“Yeah. One that is their Lycan and can have multiple shifts. And their normal wolf. They inherit both wolves.” My mom shifted to her large brown wolf, and then into a smaller grey wolf, then back to herself.

She panted as she settled back down on her knees.

“It’s also why we keep our clothing. A gift passed down the Lycan line.

But when the Lycans were hunted, they spread the rumor that any wolf strong enough could keep their clothing. ”

“I’m Lycan…”

“Well, partly, yes, but you wouldn’t be considered a Lycan unless you had both forms.” She looked over at me. “Do you have two wolves?”

I looked at her and allowed Nix to come forward; the shift was becoming quicker. Once Nix was fully formed, I turned to Megan. “Are you ready?”

“Truly?”

I laughed and pushed her forward. “It’s just for a moment, but I made you a promise and I intend to keep it.” Our next shift was slower. Black fur rippled to a soft brown mixed with grey, and I felt my bones shift and shrink. After a few minutes we sat on our haunches trembling.

“And who are you?” My mother’s eyes glittered in the firelight.

“Megan…” Megan finally stood, and I could figure that we stood no taller than any other wolf, maybe even smaller. “My name is Megan.”

“A beautiful name for a beautiful wolf.” My mom ran her fingers through her fur. “You are her wolf form, I’m guessing?” Megan gave her version of a nod.

“I’m a Gamma.”

“Still a good rank for a Luna.” My mother smiled and booped Megan’s nose. “Don’t think for a second you are any less than because you are weaker than her Lycan. My wolf is unranked, and even so, I love her more than anything. And I know Amy loves you as well.”

“I know she does.” Megan preened under her words. “As soon as she found me, she has always listened.”

“Found you? What do you mean?” It was my time to explain some things. And I pushed forward.

I shifted and sat next to her, panting. “You were right. Shifting so many times, this close together is hard.” I looked around the cabin. “Is it safe to talk here?”

She nodded. “My father made sure this was a safe place for my mother to raise me. We had a lot to discuss, you could say.”

I took a deep breath. “Mom. I guess it’s my time, to be honest.” The whistle of the kettle scared me, but she took it off the fire and poured water into the cups. She randomly had tea bags, and I lifted my brow.

“I stock this place every few months. I spend a lot of my time here if I can.” I nodded in understanding. “But what do you need to tell me?”

“You know daddy’s grandmother was a witch. A human with powers, right?”

“Yeah. Your father told me about her. She sounded amazing.” My mother handed me a cup of tea and motioned me to continue.

“Well, what daddy didn’t tell you is that if the Goddess blesses us, then as wolves we can have our powers too.”

“Your father had powers?”

“Yes…”

“What can your powers do?” She looked at me and took a sip of her tea.

“A lot. Anything really.” I looked into the fire. “It can help me change my scent. It can make someone infatuated with another.”

“Can it fake mating betrayal pain?” Her words were soft. I refused to meet her eyes when I answered.

“Yes.” My answer was soft as I heard her intake of breath.

“Why would he do it?” I turned to see her hands trembling.

“Because there is something else our line does for us.” I grabbed her cup and put it on the ground.

“What?”

“Remember on my birthday? How I woke up and was acting differently, weird even.”

“Yes.”

“I lived another life. One where I lived until I was twenty-four. I was mated to Brandon, and I was pregnant with my son. Shannon convinced him I cheated, and he killed me and my pup. I woke up six years in the past, and I swore to the Goddess that I would change my fate. And then I saw you alive again and I broke down.”

“Alive again?”

I nodded. “In my last life, Brandon, had you killed. Dad was killed. Everyone was gone.”

My mother took it better than I thought she would. “So, you are saying that you lived a first life…”

“We all do.” I looked down at my hands, where I was twisting my fingers. “Our gifts, they give us a do over, you can say. Like the Goddess wanted us to see what could be, and she gives us a second chance to change it all.”

“And it’s always bad…”

I nodded. “As far as I know.”

My mother trembled. “You saw what happened to your pup, and now you’re changing who your mate is…” She looked at me with a tiny spark of hope in her eyes. “Did you pick where you went back to, the time?”

I shook my head no. “The Goddess selects, I think. One minute I was dying with Brandon screaming over me, and then next I was in bed six years younger. I didn’t choose to come back here. But I know I am determined to change the outcome. I refuse to watch my pup die again.”

My mother’s breath caught, and I saw the wheels turning in her head. “Amy…”

“Yeah mom.” I knew what she was going to ask before she did.

“Did your father see something so bad that he cheated on me?” Her lips trembled, and I knew the answer would shatter her.

“No mom, he didn’t.” I saw her sag. I couldn’t tell if it was relief or disappointment.

Maybe both. “What he saw had him using his gift to convince you he cheated so you would break your bond.” I wanted to look away.

I wanted to lie to her. I could have stopped, but she deserved the truth.

“He lived a life where you had more pups. And when there was an attack on the pack, we were all killed. Then he was killed.” She shook her head back and forth.

“He came back and tried to figure out who was behind the attack.”

“He was working with the King…” She dropped her head into her hands and started to sob.

“He tried to figure out who was after you. But as time went on, and life unfolded how his first life did. He panicked. He wouldn’t lose you, so he did the only thing he could.

A she-wolf told him she was sure she was pregnant.

It was very early, honestly too early to be sure, but dad used his magic.

He confirmed the baby and the plan quickly unfolded.

He called her mate in, and they struck a deal. ”

“Oh, Goddess.”

“He waited until you turned in, and in the room beside yours he hid in the closet, closest to your bed. Then he used his powers to fake the betrayal pains in you. You felt him cheating and started to scream. He sat in the next room and cried with you. He knew you thought he was breaking your bond, shredding your heart in the process, and it broke him. Ronnie held him the entire night until he passed out. But when he finally woke up, you had already sent out transfer requests, and Vince accepted us.”

“I thought he broke our bond that night. I haven’t felt anything else from him since then. Not a twinge.”

“He kept his emotions locked away from your bond.”

“But he couldn’t stop betrayal pains. I would have felt him mate with anyone since I left.” She was nearly frantic.

“If he had mated with anyone, you would have.” I whispered to her, and she yanked her hands back.

“You are lying. Tell me you’re lying.” She stood, anger coming off of her in waves. “Amy, tell me you’re lying.”

“I can’t.” My words caught, and I watched her waver on her feet. She closed her eyes and tears trailed her cheeks. Then she threw her head back and she started to scream. She screamed so loud it rattled the windows.

She crumpled to the floor, falling to her hands and knees, and then the sobs came.

Whole wracking sobs that shook her entire body.

“I betrayed him.” The words tumbled from her lips, and I could feel the desolation with them.

“He shouldered all that responsibility. He gave us up, his family, to save us. And I betrayed him.” She looked up at me and when her eyes met mine, it was the eyes of her wolf I saw there.

“We betrayed our mate.” Her voice shifted, and then she pushed up from the floor and howled.

The sound of their heart break was all-encompassing.

She howled again and again until her voice was raw. I didn’t know how to stop her. “Mom.” But she was lost in her pain. She howled long and low. I couldn’t stop her. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I mind-linked my dad.