Our Other Mate: Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Merricks POV

There was no way that I could believe Phillip. My father had taught me that the moon goddess had a plan in store for each and every one of us we all had a true mate a true love to fulfill our destiny. We were only given one shot, of course, we did have chosen mates but it wasn't really the same. You could love a chosen mate but you would never have the same connection as you would with your true mate. So, to say I was surprised when Phillip announced he was Ella and I's mate was a bit of an understatement. I could hear my father's voice ringing through my head, "It's just not natural for two males to be together, not if we expect our species to survive."

I feel my heart flutter as I start to panic thinking about what my father would say and in an instant I'm up and out of the door. I had just gotten married and we hadn't even spent a night together and now we were mated with my best friend? I would be lying if I said there wasn't an attraction but I had never let myself feel those feelings about Phillip. How was I going to explain this to the king and queen, when I couldn't even understand. When I finally reached my room, I slammed the door behind me locking it. I walk over to the small altar I had placed in the moon goddess as honor, lighting a bloodstone candle, I prayed. "Why are you doing this to me, goddess? I've been loyal I have followed you made sacrifices in your name? And for what? So, you can give me two mates neither of which I love" I pray.

I take to my feet going over to the small bar that I had in the corner of the room, I grab a bottle of Dalmore. Might as well drown my sorrows... My chest starts to hurt and I know that it's coming from Phillip. I can feel his pain, his fear of my rejection of him. I can also feel Ella's anger towards my leaving but I didn't know what else to do. Soon she was at my door banging loudly telling me to open the door. I tried my best to ignore it but my Lycan saw her as my mate and made me open the door. I ignored her words mostly, At the end, she just yelled and took my booze, and left me alone as I asked.

I dragged myself over to the minibar grabbing bottle after bottle. It was the only thing to numb the bond between us. When I had finally had enough, I pulled myself into bed, the light of the bloodstone candle flickering in the air. Almost as soon as I closed my eyes, I felt water pool underneath me and the distinct sound of water trickling all around me. I opened my eyes to see myself floating in a stream, And the tallest tree is reaching up into the sky. My hands go down to catch myself and I find that I'm at a shallow end of the stream. I set up and observe my surroundings, wondering where I might be.

I called out for Ella and Phillip but there was no one there. When I finally stood up and decided to walk into the forest I'm hit with the perfume of lavender and vanilla almost as if Ella was standing right in front of me. The scent was driving me wild and I followed it until I came to a clearing in the forest. And then I see her... A beautiful pale figure stood before me, warm light surrounding her. Her hands beckon me to come closer and I do so happily. "Who are you", I asked when I am close enough to hear her. "Merrick Saint-James, you have been summoned by the moon goddess, Electra" I feel the blood leave my face and go white," Are... Are you the moon goddess?" I question.

I felt the ground begin to shake and the warm glow that once illuminated her was now a dark cloud hung overhead. "HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY JUDGMENT?" her voice shook me to the core I felt my knees bend and give as I fall to the floor. Before I can even open my mouth to answer her, she speaks again "I am the Goddess Electra, I weaved together the threads of fate that bind your world together. I have made the past, played in the present, and known the future long before you were alive, young one. you have no right to question me or to beg me." Her words feel like a knife stabbing me through the heart. In a few short moments, I had betrayed everything I knew my best friend, my new mate, and the moon goddess. without looking up and without thinking I opened my mouth to speak, "my goddess, you gave me a mate, Alliyah, remember? how can you ever expect me to feel the same way about anyone else, let alone two people?" I tried my best to suppress my rage, knowing I had no use for it here. If this was my fate I at least wanted to know why. "Whether you believe it or not Merrick, this is for you. When Alliyah died, she begged and pleaded for me to send you another mate. She knew you had a bigger role to play in this war and offered herself for your happiness."

The darkness that had once surrounded the goddess was now gone and the glow began to fade back. "I am not here to answer your questions and I'm not here to tell you about your future. What I am here to tell you is should you reject your new mates, you will lose your Lycan, forever." My head snaps up looking into her eyes for the first time, the soft hue of her blue eyes gave me a sense of sadness. "So many of your kind have rejected their mate simply because they are the same sex, if it was my will to end your kind, I would have already done so." She turns, walking away and leaving me stunned and heartbroken. The thought of losing my Lycan was painful, unbearable even. With him, I was nothing but an empty shell.

I jump, as I awoke from the dream. It must have been a figment of my imagination I thought to myself, how else could you explain me seeing the moon goddess... I got out of the bed and opened the curtains and to my surprise, a full moon was shown in all its glory. A run sounded good, it would take my mind off of this whole situation and the nightmare I had just experienced. I creep silently into the hall and down the steps to the garden door in the kitchen. The moon was still high in the sky so it couldn't have been too late, as a stepped out into the moonlight. One by one I took off each piece of clothing and folded it neatly sitting it on the patio table, careful not to ruin them with the transformation. I felt myself start to shift my fingers elongating and my snout more pronounced than my human nose. Ripples of black fur began to cover my body and I felt the familiar feeling of my tail brushing against my leg. It was the first time in over a month I let my Lycan free.

"Let's go, buddy! how about a run around the property?" I tell him but he just sits. "What is it?" He walks over to the door grabbing the handle, whining to go find our mates. "Are you serious?" I shout. I could feel his longing to be close to our mates and the need was driving me mad. "we are not going inside, you haven't been out for a month we need to run off this energy" I tell him and try my best to pull him away from the door. Instead, he plops down in front of the door and begins to clean himself. We were at a standstill, I wanted to go and he wanted to stay.