A Pact With Destiny

Nadia took a deep breath, stepping cautiously into the crumbling ruins of the ancient temple. The fading light from the setting sun cast a gentle glow over the landscape, wrapping the forest in a quiet, mysterious stillness. It was the perfect moment for what she had come to do.

She moved carefully among the scattered stones, her eyes focused on the narrow path leading to the heart of the ruin. There, at the center, stood two massive stone columns, seemingly untouched by time's relentless decay. The rest of the temple had fallen into ruin, its walls crumbling, but those twin pillars remained, their intricate carvings still vivid. If she had arrived at dawn, the first rays of sunlight would have bathed them in a warm golden light. But tonight, her mind was focused on something far more urgent.

Nadia stood between the pillars, her back to the fading daylight, facing the distant snow-capped mountains. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. The air was calm, the sounds of the forest barely a whisper, just the rustling of leaves and the quiet scurrying of small creatures. In that stillness, she felt an uncanny connection to the world around her, as though she had become one with the forest itself. A faint smile touched her lips as she began her chant, her hands rising with each word of the incantation, the night breeze playing with her hair.

And then, the breeze stopped.

Silence swept through the ruins like a heavy fog, and Nadia's senses sharpened. Something someone was watching her. Her heart raced, and though every part of her screamed to turn around and face whatever it was, she couldn't. A force beyond her comprehension held her still.

"Is that you, Luna?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and reverence.

From the shadows came a voice soft, soothing, but undeniably powerful. "Why did you summon me, my child?"

Nadia shivered at the sound. It was a voice unlike any she had ever heard, comforting yet commanding, warm yet distant. The world seemed to hold its breath. Nadia's own breath caught in her chest, unsure if she was dreaming or if this was real.

"Is this real? Are you truly here?" she murmured, the doubt in her voice almost unrecognizable.

"I am as real as the woods and sky around you," the voice responded, calm and unwavering. "Now, tell me, why have you called upon me?"

The presence behind her grew stronger, and Nadia's knees almost buckled under the weight of it. A rush of regret and determination flooded her, but there was no turning back now. She had come this far.

"I am searching for a mate," she confessed, the words heavy with longing.

The voice chuckled softly, the sound both gentle and knowing. "I could have guessed."

"My life has been a long wait," Nadia said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "In my world, most wolves find their mates long before their twentieth year. Isn't it too late for me?"

"Nine years late, to be precise," Luna responded, her tone warm yet carrying an edge of something that Nadia could not place.

A deep sigh escaped Nadia as memories of heartbreak washed over her. She had always been the one left behind, the one who watched everyone around her find their perfect match while she remained alone. Jason, her last companion, had vanished without a trace, taken away by fate to join his own mate. Her previous lover, much older and once promising, had left her with nothing but a cold message. Every loss chipped away at her hope until, finally, she had resolved to live alone, hoping that fate would eventually guide her to the right person. But the loneliness had grown unbearable.

"I understand your pain, my child," Luna said softly. "But know that every creature finds its time."

"Then when will mine come?" Nadia pressed, her voice desperate, filled with a longing she could no longer conceal.

"Soon," the goddess assured her.

"But how soon?" Nadia asked, her impatience beginning to show.

"You shall know in time," Luna replied, her voice steady but carrying an unspoken hesitation that made Nadia pause.

"Have you already found someone for me?" Nadia asked, a mix of defiance and hope in her voice.

A moment of silence passed before Luna spoke again, her words thoughtful. "Tell me, is there anything specific you desire in your mate?"

Nadia's eyes lit up as she considered the question. She had never been asked this before. Her previous relationships had always been a matter of necessity, of choosing from the few available mates around her. But now, with Luna's guidance, she could finally speak her heart.

"Yes," she replied, her voice filled with the hope that had eluded her for so long. "I want a mate who understands my soul, who is as strong and steadfast as the ancient pillars and as wild as the untamed forest. I want someone who will share my joys and my burdens."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, and Luna's presence seemed to grow heavier, more expectant.

Nadia continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "I want someone who will treat me like I am the most fragile thing on earth, but at the same time, be fierce with me. I want someone who will support me, challenge me, and love me with everything they have."

The goddess remained silent, and Nadia felt a strange sense of peace. She had poured her heart out, voiced all her deepest desires, and though she could not see the goddess, she knew she had been heard.

"I hear you," Luna finally said, her voice carrying an odd, unreadable tone. "But there is one condition."

Nadia's heart skipped a beat. Of course, there was always a price. Nothing worth having come without one.

"What condition?" Nadia asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"It's simple," Luna replied, her tone hardening. "Whatever I give you, you must accept without question."

Nadia froze. She had expected a price, but this? The fear of being rejected, of accepting something she might not be ready for, tightened in her chest.

"I will accept my mate," she said, though her voice faltered slightly.

Luna's laughter echoed, mocking and cold. Nadia's heart raced, and her hands trembled. What had she done?

"You must keep your word," the goddess warned, her voice dark and ominous. Nadia could feel the weight of those words pressing down on her, draining her strength. The overwhelming power in the air made her knees buckle, and before she knew it, she was on the ground, barely conscious.

"I will," Nadia whispered weakly, her vision swimming.

Luna's laughter rang in her ears as darkness overtook her.

The goddess's final words echoed in her mind as her consciousness faded. "Sleep, my child. Rest well before they find you."

Nadia's thoughts swirled with confusion. Who were "they"? What did Luna mean by that? But the answers slipped away as the darkness consumed her.