The Alpha’s Curvy Cinderella - Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Jordan POV
The air had a slight chill to it, fog drifting through the air. The forest seemed ominous at night, the trees slightly forbidding rather than their usual welcoming self. The branches swayed back and forth as the breeze caused the leaves to rustle, casting dark shadows on the ground, the smell of pine and dirt wafting through the air. The full moon glowed brightly overhead, casting pinpricks of light through the trees and lighting the way. I could sense the presence of several wolves as they frolicked and played through the forest, going for runs and hunting down the creatures who had the unfortunate bad luck of being nearby. I tried not to wince as I heard the sounds of the creatures falling as they became unfortunate victims of the hunt.
My bare feet walked on the bare ground, feeling no pain. They were cold as I walked, the loose-flowing fabric of my white nightgown flowing around me, my long brown hair loose along my back. My gaze was steady, my hands swinging by my sides as I continued to walk forward, my eyes scanning the forest for what I was seeking instinctively, my face full of determination. It was nearby, I just had to find it.
A wolf darted out from the trees. I sucked in a breath. Pure white with the softest-looking fur and the bluest eyes I had ever seen stared back at me silently. It was the most beautiful wolf I had ever laid my eyes on. It sat on its haunches, its tail moving back and forth. I wanted to touch it and reached out, but hesitated as its eyes narrowed, its lip curling back slightly. It c****d its head at me, staring at me curiously, sniffing my scent, its nose high up in the air. I stopped breathing, awed by its sheer magnificence and the powerful aura it exuded. One wrong move and I wouldn’t be standing any longer. But some small part of me knew instinctively that it had no desire to harm me, although I couldn’t say why.
It got to its feet and walked around me in a circle as I stood motionless, barely daring to breathe lest I scare it away. It licked my hand and I jumped from the coarseness of its tongue. I could swear it smirked at my reaction. It came back in front of me then paused before walking away a few steps and glancing over its shoulder as though expecting me to follow it. My feet began to move of their own accord, slow, steady, staying well back of the wolf, which began to lead me further into the trees, occasionally glancing over their shoulder to ensure I was keeping up with them. Its eyes gleamed in the moonlight as it peered back at me.
What was this strange wolf? White wolves did exist but were extremely rare, few and far between, and I had never had the pleasure of seeing one in person, at least not until now. It was said that a shifter had to be a kind-hearted soul with the blessing of the moon goddess in order to have a white wolf, hence its rareness.
What was a white wolf doing out in the woods all alone? Who was its human form? Thoughts whirled through my mind as I followed, never once questioning the white wolf’s motives. If it had wanted to harm me, and I highly doubted it wanted to, it had had endless opportunities to do so by now. Not to mention I suspected that it had ulterior motives in mind.
How much longer would we continue to trek deeper into this never-ending forest? The forest didn’t even look familiar, and it didn’t look like the one that surrounded Blaze’s territory. I was somewhere else but where? Why wasn’t I panicking? Why did I feel so calm, so serene? So peaceful? Why wasn’t I panicking? If anything, it felt like time was passing by incredibly slowly, yet I didn’t feel the need to rush or hasten my steps. It felt like I had plenty of time to spare. Not to mention the white wolf was walking, not trotting or running. It clearly did not feel the need to rush to whatever location we were destined for. In fact, the wolf looked quite placid as it moved.
A huge lake was coming up ahead. My mouth gaped to see such a sight, yet it didn’t seem to be out of place. Flowers surrounded it, of all kinds. The white wolf stopped, drinking thirstily, its tongue lapping at the water, its eyes closed as it drank. I paused and then cupped my hands. The water was clear, a pure blue colour and as I drank, the refreshing and cool liquid trickled down my throat and I gasped at the delicious taste. It was the best-tasting water I had ever had the pleasure of drinking. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as the wolf regarded me coolly. God, I wanted to run my hands through its fur, badly, but it would be offended if I did. I just knew it would be.
“Beautiful, isn’t she” came a soft-spoken voice from behind me.
The wolf trotted off, and I sighed in disappointment, even as I turned to view the stranger who had spoken, not sensing any danger from her.
She was gorgeous. Stunning didn’t even begin to describe her. She was otherworldly. She had long shimmering silver hair that cascaded all the way down to her ankles. Bright blue eyes that twinkled as she looked at me. Pale unblemished porcelain skin that glowed in the moonlight. She wore a white Grecian-style dress that was off the shoulder, the straps loosely draped on her arms, tight around the bodice, and then flowed down to her ankles. Her feet were bare, except for a gold anklet that had crescent moons around it. She wore a simple gold bracelet around her wrist and a crescent moon necklace around her neck that nestled just above her rather impressive breasts. I tried hard not to gape at her. This was no mere human.
I was speechless. My mouth refused to cooperate with me. I’m sure I resembled an i***t as I grew flustered, uncertain of what to say. The woman’s eyebrow rose as she regarded me with amusement.
“I don’t bite you know,” she said, her voice musical and soft, laughing gently.
“I um, yes the wolf is beautiful” I stammered, looking at where it had disappeared forlornly. It had been such a beautiful wolf. Majestic and royal.
She smiled. “I’m so glad to hear that you like her,” she said looking at where the wolf had gone “You see she is rather special to me” she continued pride in her voice.
“White wolves are special and unique” I agreed.
“Oh it’s not because she’s a white wolf but because she’s one of my children,” the woman said lightly, motioning for me to follow her.
What did she mean? Her children? If the wolf was one of her children, then that could only mean…I gasped as realization dawned. This had to be a dream. But even so, it was rumored that the moon goddess herself visited one’s dreams on occasion. But mine? I was a nobody, why would the moon goddess see fit to visit my dreams?
She winked at me, looking completely at ease, her movements so graceful it was almost like she was dancing as she walked. “Yes I’m Selene, the moon goddess,” she said respectfully “And I know who you are, you’re Jordan” she beamed” I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“Me,” I said bewildered “but I’m nothing special. I don’t even have a wolf” I said, not complaining just genuinely puzzled. I was nothing special. Why would the moon goddess be interested in me? Perhaps she had mistaken me for somebody else?
“Don’t you?” Serena murmured cryptically “You seem certain of that,” she said quietly, as we walked, side by side in the forest.
“Well, I didn’t shift on my eighteenth birthday,” I said sadly “so that means I must not have one.”
She regarded me in surprise “Would you have been in danger if you had shifted on your eighteenth birthday?” she asked shrewdly.
“My father would have probably dosed me with wolfsbane every day if I had shifted” I muttered without thinking “or put me in the hole every day.” Or god knows what else.
“Then perhaps it was for your own safety that you didn’t shift,” Serena said nonchalantly as I frowned.
“But wouldn’t I have heard my wolf by now?” I asked confused.
She arched a brow. “Haven’t you heard it? Perhaps you haven’t been listening closely enough” she admonished me as I fell silent, pondering her words.
Did she mean the strange voice I occasionally heard in my head? But that wasn’t my wolf. They had never claimed to be and it only ever came to me very rarely. I was confused now and more than a little puzzled by Selene’s strange behavior.
“We only hear what we want to hear sometimes” Selene sighed and shook her head, glancing at me wryly “and sometimes it takes a special something to help us when it comes to transitioning. A white wolf is special, and unique. They have their own timeline when it comes to shifting. They will only shift when they deem themselves ready, not just because it’s deemed normal to do it at age eighteen.”
Okay, why was she telling me all this?
“White wolves are also only given to those who show they have a kind and forgiving nature as well as a compassionate and loyal one. You have to have a rare temperament in order to be able to transform into a white wolf and I don’t just grant them to just anyone. If you have a white wolf, it’s given to you for a reason. Some people consider it a blessing, others see it as a curse. Simply because others seek white wolves for their own selfish gains. A white wolf makes you stronger, faster, more agile, and makes your mate stronger than ever before. If your mate is cruel, they become crueler. That’s why one must be careful granting someone a white wolf. Because it can change the personality of the mate, depending on their nature.”
Okay but still not really a problem of mine, although I had to admit that the lesson was fascinating. Not to mention one does not interrupt a moon goddess. Not unless one has a death wish. I very much still wanted to live.
She waved her hand, and the white wolf came trotting back out. This time to my shock it came right up to me and nuzzled my hand. Selene looked pleased as she surveyed us both with critical eyes.
“A bond has been established as I suspected. Now all that’s left is for you to finally open your mind up and accept it. Thankfully, now that you’ve been marked that should no longer pose a problem. Your mate, although unintentionally, has just put that into motion without you knowing.”
As she spoke I was gently stroking the wolf, enjoying the soft and silkiness of her fur, rubbing behind her ears, feeling awestruck. The wolf seemed so gentle and so placid. Yet I suspected it could easily kill me in seconds if it felt threatened. It was instinctive. I gulped.
“Her name is Lilith,” Selene said quietly, turning her big blue eyes on me “and she will serve you well child. She has another rare quality that other shifters do not” she informed me as I looked at her, stunned and still confused “she is able to shift while pregnant without harming the child, in fact it is safe to do so.”
“Wait,” I said, astonished “are you saying she’s mine?” I spluttered and Selene smiled, waving her hand again, the forest becoming blurry, the wolf disappearing in front of my eyes, everything beginning to spin, Selene’s voice sounding in my ears “Good luck and remember, white wolves are loyal, but only if you exhibit that same loyalty to them.”
I woke up with a start, my heart racing wildly, my mouth open in a scream, startling Blaze awake who was right next to me. {aom began to shoot through my body.