Defying A Goddess Part 1

*The name at the top of each chapter is the point of view the chapter is based on. Bold is inner wolf voices, italic text is mental links*

Sinlan:

I looked at the tent opening as the woman walked through. Her scent calling me and my wolf begging me to follow. She said no! It wasn't a rejection but it wasn't exactly a good sign. My brain was running faster than it ever had as I replayed the last few minutes in my mind. She saw me and thought I was someone else, but realized quickly I wasn't who she expected. She must have met Sie first, and he must have called her his mate. So was she saying no to both of us or just me because she saw me second? Were we both really her mates? It was rare to have more than one mate, not unheard of but incredibly rare. 

My eyes went to Sie, my best friend who was practically my brother. He had been my brother in arms through battles ever since we were pups. What would he want to do? If he wanted her to himself I would have to back away, he was the Alpha. He wouldn't want that for me though, would he? "He'd never ask such a thing!" My wolf was right. Sie knew the importance of a mate and the importance of someone having multiple mates.

"Did you say what I think you said?" He asked, his voice sounded distant, and I realized my mind had been wandering for a little longer than it had seemed.

"Yes, and you?" I watched as he nodded slowly. I took a deep breath and looked into the sky. Was the Moon Goddess testing me? What were the chances we would have the same mate? Mates were fate, but why were we fated to share? "What do we do?"

I looked at my best friend, the one man I had always trusted with my life and whose life I'd defend without a thought. He was looking at the ground, his eyes scrunched together in thought. "We have to honor the Goddess, we both know the purpose behind multiple mates. If she's destined us to share one, it has to be for a good reason. However, if you haven't noticed, I don't think our mate is as understanding of the Goddess's wishes." So it wasn't just me she was denying. She had run away from him as well.

"She ran from you as well?" The words stung a bit, to know he had found her and she walked away. It hurt when she did it to me but I knew it hurt him as well, it was a double-edged sword thinking of both at the same time.

"She did, should we follow her?" I was usually the level-headed one so I could see why he was asking me, but my mind was blank right now. 

"I don't know, I'm still processing the shared mate part of the evening, to be honest. She said no, I think she's planning to reject us." I felt my wolf howl in fear at my words and saw Sie flinch as his did the same. His eyes met mine, his usual control shattered, he had the same thought. How could we change her mind? 

"We have to get a plan together. I don't think her wolf is awake, she's definitely more than just a wolf. Her scent tells us that much." 

"I agree, there's something there. I was watching while she healed the pup. Her energy completely changed! I've never seen anything like it. The way it morphed and blended like that!" It was amazing to see. Whatever else she was, she had amazing energy skills.

"I know, and she was able to completely take away his pain. Even now, she said it would continue until he was asleep. Harvest offered her anything and all she wanted was the pup to be in bed quickly and an update or call if he needed help again." His eyes glazed over and a proud smile found his face. He was the energy work king of the north. Seeing her utilize such control and unique energy abilities probably had him hypnotized, I know it did for me. I remembered her energy as it had branched out and her scent grew. It was like cool silk as it had wrapped around the room pulling from the boy. I'd been able to follow the energy as it passed through her and into the ground.

Then I realized something, "So wait, if she pulled his pain and is grounding it away, that means until the pup is asleep she is still taking on his pain and grounding it away!" That means his pain every time his leg is moved shoots through her. Even with immediate grounding, it has to be felt, there's no way it can be eliminated. Sies' eyes grew wide, he knew as well as I did the balance to energy. It couldn't be erased, she was cleansing it, but it was going somewhere and unless she painted someone else with a target and we missed it, it was going to her.

"Wait, so until the pup is asleep, it's going to her? It has to be, it couldn't just be filtered through him without him feeling it, and she didn't target anyone else. I was close enough to have noticed that even with the distraction. She even managed to make everyone else forget the situation and move on while going through that!" We both stared at each other this time eyes wide with surprise. 

Her energy capabilities were not only focused, but clearly strong enough to multitask two things that were each practically impossible to do in themselves, Her energy work capabilities were definitely stronger than anyone we had ever seen. She was also in absolutely no emotional or physical situation to be in an understanding mood with all that pain going through her. She shouldn't even be working in that condition!

As if on cue out walked the woman who smelled as if a river was crashing over the most beautifully scented flowers to ever exist. My wolf called for her, but I stayed in place. If she had truly changed the atmosphere for the party after healing the pup she was probably exhausted, and she would definitely be in pain right now. She needed us to be patient. "Fine, but if she rejects us I will make sure you remember who made us wait." I rolled my eyes a bit at my wolf and his impatience.

"Look I don't have time to do this all drawn out. I heard your names and I'll make this as quick as possible." This was it she was going to reject us! We had to do something! 

"Wait!" I called out and she looked at me. It was the first time she let her eyes meet mine fully. Her eyes looked sad, they even seemed to have tears in them. Was that from us or the pain of the pup? It could even be both, she had enough to deal with tonight. "Look we know what you want to say, but with everything else you are handling tonight why don't we put a pin in it?" She looked at me like I had just said something unimaginable.

"A pin in it? Like wait and have me do it tomorrow?" Those deep hazel eyes were whirling with thoughts and emotions. 

"Yes, we know you have the pup's pain going through you and we should have realized it sooner. Please accept our apology for not, but don't put any extra pain on yourself. Give it the night, we can re-address it tomorrow." Sie sounded calm, and focused, his Alpha side was showing. I watched as her eyes seemed to realize we meant what we said. I tried not to smile at the hope that she may let us take the night. She'd be resting and we could come up with a plan to change her mind. We had one chance here, we couldn't mess it up.

"You aren't going to like chase me down and force me to come with you or mark me?" Her voice sounded genuinely surprised.

"No one forces her to do anything!" My wolf growled and I agreed. We both kept our eyes even with her as we nodded. Why did she think that was an option? What did she know about her wolf? Forced marking was not exactly uncommon, but it wasn't considered the proper process and often ended in spite even with the mate bond pulling someone closer. She didn't deserve anything being forced on her, even if it was fated, she had a choice.

I kept my face neutral as my desire to help carry her pain kicked in. I had to hide the fact that I was fighting every instinct to go to her and take her pain away. Choice, she had a choice. "But she needs help, she's in pain!" I ignored my wolf, he was right, but she had to decide, like he had said before, no one forces her to do anything. I kept my voice steady as I talked, "Absolutely not, although if you let us, we can help with the load from the pup. We are from the Shadow Moon pack, energy work is our forte."

I saw her flinch, her eyes closed as she focused, we waited. Silent and patient, hiding the fact that our every instinct was to go to her. I felt Sies' pain through our link as Alpha and Beta, and I knew he felt mine. It wasn't physical pain but one from denying our instincts as our wolves pushed for us to comfort her. 

She was already on the edge of rejecting us, we couldn't afford to misstep here. After a moment she opened her eyes and they seemed darker somehow, more tired than just a moment ago. "I actually appreciate the pin for the moment. My wolf is banging on my head though so I don't think any help would solve my problems entirely. So no, but thank you. My manager gave me permission to leave early so I'm going to do that."

"I want to go with her, but my wolf says we should be patient. He's right, but it's so hard!" 

"I know, it's taking all my strength to stay put." Sies' wolf was right, as much as we hated it. Patience would be the key here if we wanted any hope of changing her mind. 

"Do you need a ride or a car to get to the hotel?" She couldn't possibly walk from here, especially without her wolf awake.

For the first time, she had a small smile, it made my heart flutter and feel lighter, my wolf filled with excitement. It was a gentle smile, one of appreciation, small but it was the best thing about this entire meeting so far. "No thank you, my friend drove me and my manager is letting her off early to take me home. With most of Harvest gone because of the incident, there are a lot less people to wait on." I nodded, not wanting to speak and ruin the good foot we were ending on.

"Sylve, you ready?" A woman with a short blonde pixie haircut and blue eyes came out of the employee tent with a set of car keys. This must be the friend. "Oh, uhm hi there." She seemed surprised to see us talking with the lovely Sylve.