Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

Chapter 98

Daughters of the Moon Goddess by Neener Beener Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Katherine’s POV

It takes three days to find Cora and Dante. They lead the sisters who we call Agrios or The Feral. They have always been more wolf than human. Preferring to be outdoors in wolf form, not having t o abide by restrictive confines of society’s rules. About three thousand years ago, they decided to leave our pack and live peacefully as nomadic wolves. Watching them struggle with life in human form was painful.

I still remember the day we watched the rusty brown wolves with red eyes happily bound off in different directions into what is now known as Germany’s Black Forest. As long as they stay away from prying human eyes in wolf form, they can live hundreds of years at a time. We only see Cora if Dante dies while she waits for him to be reincarnated. Occasionally, we need Cora and Dante to help us with family issues. The oil lamp coming to life with a flame was one of those issues. A harbinger that we need to come together and rally against an imbalance . The purple of the flame indicates something specifically related to The Dark O I find them deep in the Khangai mountains of Mongolia. The closer I get, the more it feels like something is wrong. I can feel their pain, but it is so raw and animalistic, I can’t pinpoint what’s causing it. Seraph runs countless miles until their scents are strong enough for a good, long howl t o summon them. 1 She waits until she feels their presence. I can’t smell Cora or Dante, but two of the Feral are waiting for me in the thick trees. When I’m sure they are watching, I shift back to my human form and call out to them. “Sisters, please. We need Cora and Dante to come home. The Dark is trying to shift the balance of power. We need help. Mother has lit the harbinger flame,” I speak loudly into the dusk of the forest. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

A giant, rusty brown wolf comes into the small clearing. Her red eyes express that emotional pain I can’t define. She walks forward and uses her mouth, gently pulling on my hand, whining with worry. I shift back to Seraph’s form, and we follow them for a couple of hours. We come to an area with a

network of shallow caves they are using as their homes. The metallic smell of blood is thick in the air as we approach, putting me on full alert. I look at my two sisters, who are pained and worried. I tentatively pad my way into the cave where the smell of blood is the strongest. Cora is in human form, crying, draping herself over Dante’s body. I don’t know if she didn’t hear me or just doesn’t care. She’s mourning the loss of her mate. I feel her pain in my chest, but I push it down. She needs my support right now.

I wordlessly sit beside her and pull her into my arms. She is covered in Dante’s blood. Surprisingly, she easily lets me embrace her as she continues to wail at the pain of losing Dante. I understand exactly what she is going through. I look down at him to see his injuries are almost identical to Cordell’s. Leticia has committed this crime. I’m too late. Questions swirl in my mind, but none of them are important at the moment. Not more important than comforting Cora. “Cora, darling,” I whisper gently as I stroke her long chestnut brown hair, “The flame has been lit. I hate to ask this of you, especially right now, but I need you to come back with me instead of making the trek on your own.” Cora looks up at me and sniffles, letting me wipe the tears from her scarlet red eyes before I take her in my arms again. “Cora, The Dark has done this. Mother has lit the violet harbinger flame. We are summoning Iokaste.” I rock her gently as I break the news to her. Regardless of how wild she may be, at her core, she is my little sister. She just wants to live in peace, and that dream has been ripped away from her. She sighs and looks down at her mate sullenly. “Giati (Why]?” The sound of her voice startles me. Raspy and dry. She probably hasn’t spoken in human form in centuries. “Why? Do you mean why did Dante have to die?

Why was the flame lit?” I shake my head and look at her in confusion. She doesn’t have words. I get the feeling it’s been so long since she has had to speak, that she doesn’t quite remember enough human words to respond. “Come on, Cora. Let me help you bury him before we go back to Greece. I have a private airplane waiting for us in Bulgan. It is large enough that if you want our sisters to come with us, they can stay in wolf form. The only one I need to be in human form for now is you, but we can go most of the way to the airport as wolves. Alright?”. She takes another ragged breath and nods. She

leans over and kisses Dante, stroking his chin one more time before walking away and shifting. Our wolves dig a grave nearby, then we shift back to carry him to the burial site. The four of us gather around the mound and howl mournfully into the mountain sky, sending a prayer to Mother to protect him and send his spirit back to earth quickly. “Cora, where is everyone else? Our other seven sisters?” I ask when we are getting ready to leave. She thinks about my words for a moment, possibly trying to remember their meaning. Finally, she holds up seven fingers, holds them to her chest, then throws her hands out. She has let them roam to where they please. “Alright. Seven fewer people to worry about, I guess,” I shake my head as I mutter to myself. Our sisters decide to stay in the mountains while Cora and I leave immediately. When we get outside the airport, I take her to the spot where I left a duffel bag with clothing. I give her a loose fitting dress, slip on boots and a coat. Just enough to cover her, but easy enough for her to remove quickly if she feels like she needs to. When we walk in the doors to the estate, something feels off. The energy of our home feels different. “Cora, I will send Amari and Jasen to find you, but for now, go mourn,” I gently take her hand in mine. “Iokaste. Thélo próta na ti do (I want to see her, first].” I nod and lead her down the hall, hand in hand. We make our way into the depths of the estate to find Amari and Tessa. Being in this close proximity to Cora is making my wolf side feel stronger. just as I know her human side is being strengthened by being close to me. I feel her squeeze my hand as we walk.

I look at her with a smile and she gives a weak smile back. Her silent gesture shows support, even through the pain I know she is enduring gives me a little hope that everything is going to work out for the best. “Julia, what is happening? Where are Amari and Tessa?” I ask an omega who crosses our path in the hallway. She looks between Cora and me nervously, “They have summoned lokaste. S- she’s here, Luna.” “What? Where are they? Where is lokaste now?” “S-she’s in the Waiting Room, Luna.” “WHAT?!” I scream, unintentionally frightening the girl and making Cora jump a little. I don’t have time for apologies right now, I turn and rush down the hall to stop my sisters from whatever torture it is they are imposing on lokaste.