Chapter 70: Chapter 69

Chapter 69 – The Promise

“Keep every promise you make and only make promises you can keep.” – Anthony Hitt

Kiya

I woke up in my bed with a splitting headache. Exerting my newfound powers must have drained me and knocked me out cold. The last thing I remembered before blacking out was Neron’s arms grabbing me before I dropped to the floor. Thank goodness he had been there, or else I would have woken up with worse pain.

Rising from my pillow, I ruffled my hair and stretched the corkscrew curls to examine them. My hair had changed back to my natural color as I slept. Not only have I fully awoken‘ as Selene called it, but my appearance dramatically changed when I did.

“Good Goddess…” I mumbled, rubbing my forehead. Selene’s power seethed beneath my flesh, warming sensations more prominent than before. I felt weird like I wasn’t in my own body. Having a separate energy source that was out of my control weighed on me mentally. How much power was stored inside my body? Was I like a ticking time bomb? Could my powers hurt me or others?

I wish Phoebe were here. She would help me, especially since she was a fellow avatar. She always made me feel safe. Her motherly energy, despite being four months older than me, was something I needed now.

“You’re awake.”

I jumped, spotting Neron sitting at my desk. His large body in a smaller chair was an interesting sight. “Yeah, I assume you brought me here?”

He nodded. “You fainted at the hospital. It seemed fitting to bring you here.”

“I’m half surprised you didn’t take me to your room. Now that I’ve mentioned it, I’ve never seen his room. I was never allowed near it, not even to clean it. Curiosity piqued my interest, what sort of things would Neron have in his room? Pictures of women? Was everything carved out of wood? Was it made to fit royalty?

“That thought crossed my mind.” He confessed. “But I thought it’d be best for you to wake up in a familiar

room.”

“How did you get in?”

“Door was unlocked.”

“Oh…” Right. I rushed out as soon as I heard the screams. Locking my door was the least of my worries. “Um…thank you, I guess.”

“It is my pleasure.” He shuffled out of the chair, albeit noisily, and stretched his arms toward the ceiling, almost touching the ceiling. Goddamnit, he was so tall. Fucking skyscraper. “How are you feeling?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Okay, I guess.” Honestly, it was difficult to put my feelings into words. The only word I could describe was strange. I transformed into something else. Instead of shifting to a wolf, I shifted to this…being who shares power with Selene. I didn’t notice Neron moved to sit on my bed until it dipped under his weight.

“Something’s on your mind.” He folded his hands in his lap. “You must have so many questions about what

Chapter 69. The Promise

happened to you. Believe me, I do too.”

I stay silent, unable to find the words to reply, so he continued, “How long have you known that you’re an

“For a while,” I answered, not willing to reveal the complete truth. “My powers came about 2-3 years ago during training back home. I accidentally hurt a fellow warrior, but I thought I figured out how to control it through a friend.”

“A friend?”

I nodded. “Phoebe is her name and she’s amazing. She’s a witch whose part of my pack and the avatar of Hekate, the Goddess of Magic.”

His eyes widened in shock. “There are more avatars out there?”

“It looks like it. But I haven’t met anyone else outside of Phoebe.” I sighed, rubbing my temple as my headache throbbed. “Goodness, this is too much.”

Neron bit his lip, pondering deep in thought “I know how you feel.” I eyed him incredulity as he continued, “Being overwhelmed with the sudden weight of responsibility put on your shoulders like there’s already so much you have to do, but then life throws you in for another loop. It makes you feel like… you’re not in control.”

“Dude, you’re in control of everything.” I retorted. “You’re an Alpha by birthright, inheriting this entire pack. You have the power that other low–ranking wolves would kill for. You’re telling me you felt burdened by it?”

“Believe it or not, Kiya, I never wanted to become Alpha.” My eyes grew a bit wide at his confession. “I hated the lessons and training my father instilled in me since childhood. He carved me out to be his perfect son and the perfect Alpha when all I wanted is to be a normal werewolf. Mom used to tell my Dad to lighten up, to allow me to enjoy being a kid.”

My hear a pool of pain at the thought of Luna Celeste, a beautiful woman that I looked up to along

sunk I with my birth mother. She was firm, but never overbearing. She cared deeply for everyone, treating all pack children like her own children. She truly was the embodiment of what a true Luna should be.

I miss her. I miss Nuria too, my spunky partner–in–crime.

“Your Mom would have been proud of you,” I whispered, “Even though you didn’t want to be Alpha, I think. she still would have been proud.”

Neron shook his head with a sad frown on his lips, “No, she wouldn’t. I broke the one promise I made to her. That if I ever found my mate, I’d treat her right and never make her question my love for her. I’m sure she’d be ashamed of me. Nuria too.” He smiled bitterly. “She’d probably smack me upside the head with something harder than her stuffed puppy toy.”

Old memories rose to the surface at the mention of the toy. Nuria carried that thing everywhere, even when we’d have a sleepover in each other’s bedrooms. It was a big, black and white dog, with stuffing that made it as soft as the clouds in the sky. We would tease each other about who had the better toy, her with her puppy or me with my bear.

I hated how my heart twisted at every thought of her, my first best friend. Why did those with good hearts

have to die? I was convinced the Grim Reaper was a confused son–of–a–bitch.

“Kiya.” Neron held my gaze for a moment. In his eyes, many emotions swam in his cobalts, but the one I saw most was griel, “You have every right to hate me as you do now. I was a terrible person back then, and | deserve every ounce of your hatred. I’m surprised you stuck around me for this long.”

“It’s not like I had a choice,” I shrugged again, calm. “We’re living with each other until the end of summer.”

His eyes looked pained. “…I’m not looking forward to when that day comes.”

“Neton…” I sighed, closing my eyes, “You helped me, even when I pushed you away. You helped me through my heat, my poisoning, and now, with this… awakening of mine. I want to believe that you’re doing this out of the kindness of your heart, but I can’t help but think you’re doing because you’re compelled to.”

“The bond has a little to do with it, yes.” He nodded. “But I also know that my feelings for you are true. I love you, Kiya and I’m a fucking idiot for realizing that alter you died.” There was a brief pause before he asked, “How did you survive that fall off the cliff?”

“That’s another story for another day,” I say, looking out the window. The sunlight peeks through, spotting my blanket. “You say you love me Neron, but you said those words to Odessa too. You also loved her for a time.”

“I did. I won’t sugarcoat it, I loved Odessa, she was my first love. Now, I can’t say I love her the same as before.” He rubbed his face, expelling a deep sigh. “When I reflect on who I was back then… I hate it. I hate that Neron, someone so selfish, abusive, and tyrannical. Coupled in with the pressure of my father and the swimming negativity going on in the pack, it reflected on me as Alpha. I did things I wasn’t proud of, Kiya. Having Odessa at my side made me feel better because she loved that Neron. A 20–year–old Alpha without his true Luna, full of grief and anger…and I took it out on you when I shouldn’t have.”

I knew Neron felt grief for what he did to me, but I was also still in pain from it. I couldn’t just let the past go and start over, not with everything they did to me, “You marked me for death.”

“Unjustly.” He nodded, unable to meet my gaze. “If Kwame and his family hadn’t uncovered the truth, I’d most likely still believe that you deserved what you got from me.” His hand encased my own, sending intense sparks of warmth to my palms. “No number of apologies could ever change what I’ve done to you. I ruined your mind, your body, and your soul. I was a terrible person, Kiya, but I’ll never be that person again. I don’t want to revert to the beast that took advantage of you.”

“Your father seems to have other plans,” I revealed, pulling my hand away. “I heard what he said about us when I was at the hospital. He wanted us to mate. He wanted me to give you my power,”

“He always held pride for his pack, but that same pride misguides him. I don’t know what would happen if you and I ever mate, even if this mysterious power exchange would take place.”

“He sees me as a tool, Neron. A tool to elevate you and this pack. He doesn’t care about me at all.”

“He doesn’t, but I care. I fucking care about you, Kiya, so much.” A deep rumble in his chest echoed in the silence between us, “Whether or not he accepts it, I won’t force you to become my Luna. I don’t want this power or this so–called “greatness‘ he alludes to. I’m supposed to help my people, not just myself.”

Going against the former Alpha was trouble. He didn’t hold the title, but he still had command within the pack. I held no bond to Zircon Moon, but he still scared the living shit out of me. He was willing to sacrifice me for Neron. That was some twisted parental love he’s got. His mate’s death did more than put him in grief.

Chapter The Py

Jonathan Prince could be going mad.

“Kiya. I’ll make a promise to you on my honor.” Neron shuffled on the bed, now sitting directly in front of me. “I promise you I’ll do nothing to hurt you. To never break your trust or betray you. I promise to put you and your well–being first before my own. You’re your person, and you deserve autonomy. I promise to defy all orders that would pose a threat to you, whether it be from my father or anyone else. You’re my heart and soul. You’re my treasure, and I’ll fight all the gods in heaven to keep you safe.”

His face leaned in close to mine, our lips a few inches apart from each other. “You don’t have to trust me. May the Moon Goddess strike me down if I ever were to hurt you.”

The heaviness of his promise almost made me choke. There was so much emotion in that declaration. He believed his words, truly. I believed him. He will protect me; he will keep me safe at the expense of his health and well–being. Words of denial and apprehension were stuck at the base of my throat as his eyes gazed at me with boundless love and promise.

“Neron…” I whispered, my eyes eyeing his pink lips. His lips aimed for mine, but in the last second, opted to kissing my forehead. The touch of his lips was delicate and light as a feather, but the emotion pouring from them was immense. Through them, I felt his promises to protect me from all harm. His ambition, dedication, and love poured from that single gesture. My heart pounded rapidly in my chest as he grinned. “I’ll s–see that you uphold your vows.”

“I will, my love. I promise.” He shot me a wink that colonized my cheeks with fire. “There is another thing I want to ask you. It might be inappropriate to ask now, but I’ll take that risk.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Will you go on a date with me?”