Flora’s P.O.V
I needed to get out of here. I needed to be with Clay.
I paced around my room restlessly, unsure of what I was to do next.
No, it wasn’t that I was unsure of what I had to do next…it was more along the lines of how I was supposed to do it.
I found myself fiddling with my pendant unconsciously as I paced in front of the window. The last I had seen Clay, he had to flee because of Andre’s guards and I told him to return tonight. No matter what happens, I plan on keeping my promise.
**I have a lot to lose as well, if I decide to help you and no matter what you think I’m capable of, know that I’m always on your side and that is one truth that even the Goddess cannot change.**
Ezra’s voice kept playing in my head as I kept going over my conversation with her last night. Why would she have anything to lose? Why was I or Clay in any way related to her?
Was she one of them? One of us? The women who fell in love with men that weren’t our mates and went on to defy the Goddess? My gut feeling about her and Malachi…could it really be true? But they hardly interact with each other and when they do, it’s only as Alpha and Shrine Maiden.
I wasn’t going to ask Ezra for answers anymore, because all I would get in turn would be more riddles, but I knew who to get answers from. But before I went to see him, I took out a bag from my closet and began packing all the necessary things I would need to survive outside of Lindersay.
I had made up my mind, and I wasn’t about to change it for anyone.
*
*
Malachi had one look at me and his face lit up with a bright smile, an expression I hadn’t quiet thought about when I had come into his office, but it was an expression I would welcome any day.
He was happy…it meant I had passed some kind of a test.
“Malachi-”
“Why did I tell you to forget about Clay? Why didn’t I help you? Why did I keep on getting in the way of you remembering your past? I’m sure there are more questions, but let’s start with these, shall we?”
I shook my head at him. “You knew what happened to me all along. Why did you make me a Lunar Maiden?”
“To protect you,” he said simply. “An unmated maiden is free game and besides, The Goddess herself put a curse on you, so what better way to win her over than to be in her service?”
“I don’t think anything can win over the Goddess.” I told him truthfully. “She has thousands of Maidens all over the world, worshipping her with utter devotion. What difference would my prayers have made?”
“A lot.” He gave me another smile as he got up from his seat and came forward to place his hands on my shoulders. The power inside him brushed against my senses harshly, but I stood my ground. “You, Flora, my child, are a miracle. You had not only had the guts to stand in front of the Goddesses and tell her that you choose to be with someone that isn’t your mate, but you also defeated the curse that the Goddess had place upon you herself. You have earned your right to happiness.”
“Then why does it feel like this is just the beginning?” I looked up into his impossibly blue eyes. “Ever since I got my memories back…I cannot forget the anger she had on her face as she looked at me and Clay. I don’t think our tests end here. What’s to come next, Malachi?”
“That even I cannot tell, my child.” Malachi let out a sigh as he let go of me and leaned back against his desk. “You are right in your feelings, the Goddess is quiet even though you have your memories back, which lets me to believe that there is a greater purpose to all this. But even I cannot predict what’s to come next.”
“There’s so much on my mind, Alpha Malachi…” I shook my head. “But all I want now is to be with Clay. I’ve survived two whole years without him; I don’t think I can any longer.”
“Then you are free to leave.” Malachi told me with a smile. “I’ve made sure he lives comfortably.”
My eyes widened in shock and I realized why the scent on his clothes had seemed familiar. “You’ve been helping Clay!”
“Of course.” He shrugged. “You helped him become human again, so I should have helped him adjust to his new life. It was the least I could’ve done for the both of you.”
It was a huge relief, knowing that Malachi had at least tried to do something for me because he couldn’t help me directly. It made me sad that I had to leave him, but I wasn’t ready to face anyone right now.
Two whole years without Clay…it was impossible to think how I had made it this far…how he had made it this far as a rogue. I couldn’t wait to go to him, to spend my days in his embrace…but mostly, I needed to bring Clay back from the edge.
The thing was, we had all heard tales of how a wolf can become a rogue due to several factors, one of them being the loss of a loved one, but no one knows how to turn a rogue back into a normal wolf. Clay became a rogue because the Goddess had not only separated us, but erased our memories of each other. Now I’ll need a way to get his humanity back, turn him normal once again so we could live a happy, normal life together, like we had always dreamed about.
“How do I help Clay?” I asked Malachi one final question.
“Just like you helped him before,” Malachi told me. “By healing your rogue Alpha.”