A Gift from the Goddess by Dawn Rosewood novel Chapter 100

Chapter One Hundred 

I sat atop a tree, looking down at those who would be fighting for our survival today. 

Any minute now we‘d be leaving, shifting and beginning our journey to the camp near the Silver Lake pack. With this many people, it was agreed that going on foot would be best, knowing that travelling via roads added more time and allowed for a predictable ambush. 

And there was no denying we had many people. After the final count, we numbered around two hundred strong warriors ready for battle today. 

... Ready for war. 

I sighed, the wind gently catching in my hair as I stared at all of their faces. I wouldn‘t forget what they looked like this time. No, this time I sent our men to war, I would remember them all, committing their appearance to memory and fighting alongside them to the end. 

On this day, I wasn‘t Ariadne Chrysalis, the former Luna of the Winter Mist. Always hiding behind my desk as I allowed our people to die without questions or guilt. 

Today, I was Aria the Saintess, the Alpha of the Winter Mist. Someone willing to die as I weighed the risks and acknowledged the impact it held for, not only me, but all of the people before me as well. 

Let this be the first and last war I ever see in this lifetime. 

I was meant to be getting angry, to be emotionally charging in. The whole plan was hinging on that. Except this morning, I couldn‘t help but feel impossibly calm. Almost... serene. As if this was all inevitable. Truthfully, it felt somehow eerily familiar. I wonder why? 

And with another moment of thought, it came to me. Acceptance. This was how I‘d felt right before I‘d been killed in my past life, when I‘d placed my head upon the wooden stump willingly for my execution. The acknowledgement that I couldn‘t stop my death from occurring. It was as if my body knew today was probably my expiration date, without anything even being confirmed yet. 

Perhaps this tranquillity was a good thing though. Thea needed to be within a certain distance to directly mess with me and she‘d probably already left to make her own preparations at the camp. Now it seemed almost quiet inside. If anything, these were the last moments I‘d have to myself before I‘d need to resume my role. To become the person expected of me. 

... But what I wouldn‘t give to just go back to the cabin in the woods. 

I guess it all had to end someday. Would I be allowed to see Myra again inside the Abyss? 

The warriors below then started to get restless, shuffling as their whispering became louder and louder. I could feel their anxiety and nerves radiating off them, making them more uneasy as every second passed. 

But it was their glances of scepticism that were the hardest to ignore. Many of them didn’t want me as an Alpha, I knew that. Aleric had always been the poster child for what a strong Alpha looked like, groomed since birth to fit that role. I was merely a usurper to some, a Luna who didn‘t know her place. Stealing the role by invoking Selene‘s name and authority. Locking Aleric away had surely not secured me any favour either. But regardless of their personal feelings, we needed to band together today if we wanted to survive. 

Suddenly, Alexander appeared then at the bottom of my tree, looking up at me expectantly. 

I knew what this meant. 

...It was time. 

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| quickly jumped down to meet him and he nodded his acknowledgement. 

“Oliver has everything here under control?” I asked. 

Brayden‘s father, Gamma Oliver, was the only ranked member we had that possessed enough experiencet o be trusted with the pack in our absence. It was true that I‘d prefer him on the battlefield, but I needed someone at home to protect our most vulnerable whilst we were gone. This left me with Alexander and Brayden as my right-hand people to help coordinate. 

“Everything is prepared,” he confirmed. “We‘re ready to leave on your order.” 

Well, I guess we should get this over with. 

“Everyone!” I then shouted to the crowd, stepping towards them. 

Silence immediately fell as they all turned to look at me, holding mixed expressions. 

“I‘m sure many of you are nervous or maybe even conflicted about what we‘re doing today,” I started, meeting a few eyes. “...And I don‘t blame you. But there isn‘t any reason to fear what is ahead for us. Help me and I promise to help you as much as physically can.” 

Judging just by their reactions alone, I could tell many of them still didn‘t believe me, and I quietly sighed. 

“I know some of you are probably wishing Aleric and I‘s positions were swapped,” I continued. “Make no mistake, I‘m entirely aware that some of you don‘t like me. I know I‘m not perfect. However, today I‘m not asking for you to ‘like‘ me, but I am asking for something that is going to be far more difficult than any rogue you will face.” 

I paused to gauge their response, proceeding only once I felt they were still following. 

“...I‘m asking for your trust,” I said. “Trust that I‘m sending you out there today with only good intentions, committing fully to live and die by your side. We‘re fighting to save Aleric, to retrieve back someone who the majority of you know personally. Despite your individual feelings towards me, it‘s imperative that we don‘t lose focus on the purpose for why we‘re fighting today. Because you‘re not fighting for me. Today, w e go to war to save one of our own, one of our fellow pack members... we‘re fighting for our future.” 

Let them interpret that last part how they will. All that mattered was they remained focused on what needed to be done. And, with a few howls and cheers, I was pleased to see my words had gotten through to at least some of them. 

With one last look towards Brayden and Alexander, I gave the final nod for everyone to shift into their wolves. 

...And into the woods we went, beginning our journey. 

Whilst we ran, I carried several supplies and clothes in a bag for when we arrived. The three of us ranked, and several other chosen warriors, would be fighting on two legs in order to coordinate the numbers, separating into different units that communicated with each other. With any luck though, the fighting itself would be minimal. 

... So long as everything went to plan. 

As we travelled, I focused on what I needed to do. To prepare myself and delve into that negative emotion Thea would be expecting. Festering in the thoughts she would be implanting into me. 

I‘m going to kill her today. I swear by it.‘ 

It took a few hours before we arrived, a howl being sent into the air by one of our scouting wolves in front t o alert us. They were the most familiar with these lands so their knowledge here was crucial. 

Un ahead. I could see a clearing opening up into a large field. This would be the furthest we‘d go for now. 

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Whaplet One Hundred 

Currently, we were still obscured by the woods but I could smell that these lands were occupied by many more people. Hundreds of rogues if Sophie‘s words were to be believed. I could even faintly make out the sound of their people if I focused enough. 

... They were waiting for us. 

Aleric would be here somewhere. I just needed to get to him. 

Would Thea be standing with the fodder she sent for slaughter? Or would I need to dig her out of the dirt like the worm she was? 

| quickly shifted back and started changing into my clothes. They were specifically designed with both agility and protection in mind and I was pleased with the result. I could feel the small protective padding i n key areas but none of which would slow me down in any way. 

And as for weaponry...? 

I pulled out three silver daggers, my original dagger Thea had once taken, a standard one from the armoury... and a new one I’d had specially made for today. Each was then strapped to my body. One on m y thigh, another by my hip, and the last by my shin. Areas I could refer to for quick access if needed. 

“Are you sure about this?” Alexander asked, coming up behind me. 

And I nodded. “I want nothing more than to see Thea finally pay today. Locking me up wouldn‘t even be enough to stop me right now.” 

‘I wonder what the blood of a Goddess does to the dirt. Or does it become as meaningless as her existence upon exit? How will it feel for her to die by a mortal‘s hand?‘ 

I started walking towards the clearing, several eyes watching me as I moved. “Tell everyone to stand back until I give the order. I want to make it very clear that no one is to intervene, regardless of how much danger they think I might be in.” 

I could feel his confliction as he walked with me, but he accepted my instructions nevertheless, 

‘This is far enough,” I said to him, implying he shouldn‘t follow me any further. “...I‘m going in.” 

And I turned to face the battlefield. 

...Are you listening to me, Thea? Do you feel how much hatred I hold for you? See how far I‘m willing to go just to kill you?‘ 

I started walking into the open clearing, immediately seeing as the opposite side started to move. Almost as if a wave of wolf bodies came out of the trees to greet me. 

There really was a significant amount of them. Possibly a hundred or so more than even Sophie told us. 

‘Will you be too scared to face me today? I came all this way to finally finish this. Winner takes all. 

...Surely, you‘re not afraid of a child, are you?‘ 

More and more rogue wolves came out from the trees, slowly making their way towards me, but I didn‘t remotely falter or slow down. I kept walking to them with my head held high. 

‘Think of how easy it will be to track down Cai once you retrieve your foresight back, Thea. Though be sure to tell the weasel that I‘ll be making his afterlife more unpleasant than the Abyss for abandoning me.‘ 

I‘d been purposely preparing myself for this. Refusing to engage in anything that might weaken me so I could divert all of my attention to this very moment. 

...They just needed to come a little closer. 

However, abruptly, they then stopped further than I would have liked, clearly unnerved by my lonesome 

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Chapter One Hundred 

...And I took a deep breath, watching their approach carefully as every step they took reminded me of my mission. 

...And I immediately fell to the ground from exhaustion, trying to catch my breath.