Chapter 217: The Forest of Selene
Her deathly pale eyes were staring right at me, and instantly, a shiver ran down my spine. It felt as though her sight could pierce right through my soul and look at what’s within, stripping me bare of all my defenses until I am nothing but my core, ready for the Moon Goddess’s judgment.
I couldn’t see her face clearly― there was a translucent white vein that covered the bottom half of her face, but the movement of her lips was still clear.
As she spoke, even her voice didn’t sound as though it was from this world. There was a strange resonance after each consonant, making it feel as though her voice was relayed directly into our minds. Perhaps this was the closest I could get to a pack link.
"The Moon Goddess is eager to meet you," she said.
Even though there was a strange echo, I caught the words crystal clear. Yet, even though my ears understood it, my mind didn’t. Instantly, my brows furrowed as I took a step forward. The action was natural, beyond my control or command. My body was filled with an unquenchable need to find out more after the enigmatic words the Oracle had just thrown at me.
"I don’t understand," I said, stepping forward.
"Harper!" Damon hissed, but his words flew to the back of my mind― I didn’t even regard it.
"How do you know me?" I continued to press.
This time, Damon didn’t bother trying to call out my name. He reached out, grabbing me by my elbows, rooting me in place. I was tugged back immediately, all while the Oracle watched wordlessly. She didn’t even move an inch from where she stood. It was almost as though she knew that I wouldn’t be able to fully advance to her.
The second I returned to Blaise and Damon’s side, I took a large gasp of air. I hadn’t even realized it but my lungs felt painfully deprived of oxygen, as though I had been plunged under a pool of freezing cold water for far too long, almost drowning in it.
I dropped to the floor, panting hard as the cold crept further into my body. There was no water. There was no pool. I hadn’t been drowning. Yet, when the first speck of snow touched the mossy grass right next to my hands, I understood why the air suddenly turned chilly.
"It’s snowing," Blaise commented, frowning as he looked to the skies. "The meeting will begin shortly."
"Snow?" I echoed weakly on the ground.
Blaise dropped to his knees to help me to my feet, easily carrying me in his arms when I wobbled and staggered. Instinctively, I looped my arms around his neck for support, allowing him to bring me wherever we needed to go. I could barely feel my feet, much less walk.
"The Forest of Selene is said to be a location beyond Earth," Damon said, watching us. "It doesn’t follow the laws of nature. Although, how much of that is true, I am skeptical."
The Oracle merely looked at us, and I thought I saw a flash of mockery dance through her eyes when she heard Damon’s words. Nevertheless, the moment we were on our feet — or more accurately, I was safely tucked in Blaise’s arms — she turned on her heel, and crooked her fingers, a wordless gesture to follow her.
With that, she walked straight ahead onto the narrow path, disappearing into the fog that surrounded the trees ahead.
"Better not lose our guide," Damon grumbled under his breath.
I felt a flash of irritation run through me, an emotion that was clearly not my own but from the man who just spoke. I guess he didn’t like being beckoned like a pup. He did a slight jog to catch up to the Oracle, and just like her, disappeared into the fog once he was past the first two rows of trees.
"Let’s go then," Blaise said, offering me a smile. I returned it, and he gently lifted me a little to adjust my position in his arms before he followed his brother into the trees.
The entire path was filled with fog. With human eyes, there was no possible way for me to be able to make out what’s what. If I had been walking on my own, I wouldn’t even be surprised if I ended up lost to the forest forever.
Yet, Blaise expertly maneuvered through the forest and down the path as though it were the corridor of his own home. I couldn’t see more than five steps ahead of us, and when we finally caught up to Damon, we were nearly plastered against his back.
"Took you long enough," he muttered under his breath.
I felt Blaise’s chest move as he laughed, shaking his head.
"Why the hurry?" he said. "Wouldn’t it be funny to waste Alpha Thorton’s time? The lunar eclipse isn’t even up yet. When it is, who will stop us?"
"If you would like to make enemies with the other alphas present, then sure, be my guest," Damon sarcastically threw back.
Blaise merely chuckled in reply, shrugging when I glanced at him. He offered a consoling smile, mouthing the words ’he’s worried’ inaudibly before casting a pointed look in Damon’s direction. I nodded, perfectly understanding why.
It wasn’t just the meeting that could go wrong― Damon had tons more to worry about, such as Fangborne’s safety and Darach’s recovery. Even the slightest error or misfortune could topple the balance he had built, leading Fangborne and the surrounding packs to war.
"We’ve arrived," the Oracle said, finally speaking to everyone, her voice practically echoing. She stood still to one side, allowing us to walk past her and into the clearing. "The others are waiting."
"Thank you, Oracle," Damon said with a slight bow of his head, to which she returned, and he advanced past her.
Blaise and I followed suit, and right behind Damon, we entered the clearing in the center of the forest.
Without the canopy of trees shielding us, we were at the full mercy of the heavens above. The snow was a little heavier than before, but it wasn’t a full-blown snowstorm by any means. Strangely enough, it wasn’t as cold here in the center of the forest as compared to outside― it felt as though we were in a comfortably air-conditioned room, yet the snow held up its shape without melting instantly.
There were many tables situated in front, each meant to only seat three people at the maximum. In most cases, it was for a pack’s alpha, luna, and beta. There were a few empty tables, but my gut feeling told me that those belonged to the packs that Damon had annihilated over the last few months. One table, in particular, stood out, along with three seats, most likely reserved for us. It was closer to the center, directly opposite Thunderstrike’s table.
The moment we stepped into the clearing, the chatter and commotion that had filled the area calmed down. All eyes turned to look at us and I didn’t miss the sneers nor the looks of curiosity that came in all directions.
Clearly, the news of Dahlia Elrod’s ruined wedding ceremony with Damon had already spread far and wide among the packs― these people were eager for a show.
Right on time, the main star stood to her feet. It seemed like Alpha Thorton hadn’t brought anyone with him other than his beloved daughter, the child who was most likely to be his next heir.
She shot to her feet the moment she saw us arrive, and her eyes narrowed at me, who was still in Blaise’s arms.
Dahlia screeched, pointing a finger at me without a care for the watching audience. "How dare you show your face here!"
