Haven't Seen The Light In A While

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sam, always the anchor, spoke next, calm and commanding: "Look at me, Mel. Just look at me."

I blinked rapidly, my breath fogging in front of my snout as I turned my head toward him. He stepped forward, careful and deliberate, his eyes locked onto mine with unwavering strength.

"You're safe, and whatever this is, whatever the Moon Goddess awakened in you, we'll figure it out. You're not alone. You hear me?"

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. I hadn't even realized a wolf could cry like this, but the emotions pouring out of me were impossible to stop. Their voices filled my head, their love wrapped around me like a tether, holding me together when my world had spun off its axis.

Still, the panic wouldn't entirely go away.

"Please don't leave me," I whispered, barely audible even through the bond.

Vince's voice returned, fierce and trembling. "We never will. Not ever."

My ears pinned flat against my skull as the murmurs grew louder, the crowd swelling beyond the porch and sides of the house. I could feel their eyes on me—curious, anxious, and even frightened. My wolf let out a low, whimpering whine, shaky and pained.

I crouched slightly, tucking into myself.

"Sam," I whimpered through the bond, my voice flickering like a flame in the wind. "Can you... Please... tell them to go away? I can't—I can't think. They're too loud. Their thoughts, their scents, the way they're looking at me—it's making it harder to focus, harder to shift back."

Sam didn't hesitate.

He stepped to the side of me immediately, his tone booming with command, sharp and decisive as Alpha. "Everyone, back inside. Now. That's an order."

The pack hesitated only a second before the sheer weight of his voice drove them into motion. They dispersed quickly, some casting confused or lingering glances, but none dared disobey. Sam turned to stand protectively in front of me, Vince and Rory flanking him while Odin crouched near my side, his hand gently brushing my fur.

The silence that followed was almost dizzying.

Only my mates remained.

And yet I still trembled.

I lowered my head, hiding my face beneath my massive paw, and let out another helpless whine as the cool night air brushed against my fur.

"Thank you..." I whispered, my voice raw even inside the bond. "I just—I need a minute. Everything's spinning. My head... my heart... I don't know what's happening to me."

Odin leaned in closer, his voice like a balm.

"It's okay. Take all the time you need. We're here. We're not going anywhere."

The wind suddenly stilled. The crisp, trembling night air, filled with the remnants of chaos, went silent.

And then it shimmered.

A soft, silvery glow spread across the pack grounds like a mist—cool but warm, familiar and foreign. My wolf stilled, fur prickling with recognition I didn't understand—every breath of the forest surrounding us hushed. Even my mates froze.

Something ancient was coming.

She descended from above, woven in starlight and moonbeams—graceful, ageless, radiant. Her bare feet never touched the earth. Her white hair rippled behind her like a river of light, and her silver eyes settled directly on me.

The Moon Goddess.

Gasps sounded from behind me. Vince swore under his breath. Sam dropped to a knee. Even Odin and Rory bowed their heads instinctively.