Chapter 177 My Heart, My Soul
860words
I knew that bloodthirsty look playing on Jaxon's face; he was going to kill her. He was going to single-handedly rip her throat out as revenge for my death and then tear Alpha Christian's next. Bailey begged out loud, apologizing frantically to spare her life, but it was as if Jaxon either couldn't hear her or simply didn't care. His wolf was hurting—that was all I knew. A heartbroken wolf was as dangerous as shifters could get. They lost their sense of humanity; they lost any compassion that might have once existed. Still, though, I didn't want to see her die. I wanted her to stay alive; I wanted her to live with the fact that she had killed her best friend and literally fed her to the shadows—or should I say, her once-upon-a-time best friend.
The more I fought to return to the ground, the more I moved upward. Please, I begged the Moon Goddess. Please, let me help him.
I shut my eyes tightly, desperate to refocus my energy. My eyes bolted open when I heard birds chirping in the distance. The last thing I remembered was the sound of war breaking out underneath me. I opened my eyes to see a green meadow. It looked so magical and serene. There was a particular sense of peace here as my feet returned to the ground. I felt the grass beneath my feet and strangely connected to the nature surrounding me. I wondered where I was as I started to walk through the meadow. I stopped to touch the countless wildflowers all around.
I plopped down on the grass, realizing this must be some sort of afterlife. A searing pain ran through my chest when the thought of Jaxon settled in my mind. I couldn't help but wish to see him one more time—to feel his touch, his lips pressed against mine just once more. I would give anything. I felt a pool of water start to form behind my eyes. I used my hand to wipe the tears as they began to crash down. I pictured his smile, his laugh. I remembered how safe I felt wrapped in his arms. My mind immediately took me to the Moon Goddess and the countless warnings she had given. "Protect the Alpha." It was as if it was burned into my mind now.
I pulled my legs to my chest and shoved my head into my knees as I struggled to remember every part of him. He was my entire heart; he was the missing half of my soul. He was more than I could have ever wished for in a mate. The Moon Goddess truly ensured devotion between mates. The connection was so strong and special—simply incapable of being put into words. A small giggle sounded behind me, and I couldn't help but snap my head up, turning in the same direction. A young boy sat a few feet away from me. He looked no older than four or five years old. He gave me a bright smile, and I swore I felt my heart begin to explode.
I moved my body to face him, memorizing his eyes as I crept closer. They were golden and glowing—eyes like that only belonged to one person I knew. Just like that, somehow I knew this little boy. He owned every fiber of my heart. The boy staring back at me was my son. "Mom," he whispered as he turned and ran through the meadow. I struggled to stand up as quickly as I could and began to bolt after him. I was desperate to know everything about this little boy. I already knew I would do anything for him. The maternal need to protect him aggressively took over.
I kept chasing him, following to see what he was trying to show me. It felt like an encrypted message or something as I kept moving closer. I reached out to grab him in a hug from behind, but when my arms wrapped around him, he vanished into thin air. I blinked again, and there I was, floating over the mess beneath me, except now I was being returned to the forest floor. It was as if no time at all had passed. Jaxon was snarling over Bailey, and within moments I knew what he was about to do.
I looked around for any sight of the little boy, but he wasn't there. My heart ached; I just wanted to get to him. Worry began to blossom inside me like a volcano spurting, inching closer to explosion. I landed back onto the forest floor and felt myself reconnect with my body. When I stood back in my human form, everyone around me went silent as their faces paled. "Get her," Alpha Blake muttered to the rogue. The rogue glared back with so much pride in his eyes as the shadows all broke apart, one by one dropping down into a bow. "The Queen has arrived," the rogue called out to the mystical creatures.
"I said, get her. I'm prepared to give you ten times the agreed amount," Alpha Blake insisted to the rogue.
