Mated in the shadow of my sister by lady gwen
Chapter 215

Chapter 0215

(Lily POV)

“Let me explain more,” the Moon Goddess said.

Before she could, I interrupted with my own question. I could not help it. The Moon Goddess’ words were re-opening old wounds and making me remember all my old insecurities about living under Stephanie’s shadow.

“Are you… are you saying that I was your second choice? And that Stephanie was your first?”

Feeling my distress, James quickly pulled me off of my chair. He then adjusted our positions so that I was sitting in his lap while he held onto me protectively.

The Moon Goddess smiled at his gesture before she leaned forward, grabbed both of my hands, and looked at me with almost-scary seriousness.

“I was worried that you might think of it that way, Lily. But, no, I am not saying that you were my second choice. I am saying that you were not who I originally expected to put into this position. That even I

sometimes make mistakes.”

“That sounds like the same thing.”

“It is not. I love a

all of my children, and you have always been very special to me. I always intended for

you to have a very special destiny.”

I did not say anything: I just continued to listen intently.

“Each of my mission wolves-and, yes, you are one-receives from me powers and gifts that are necessary to help them achieve a specific task or goal. The mission wolf referenced in the prophecy will receive the most gifts and powers, because her destiny involves the goal that is most important to is a destiny filled with power and hope, but also danger and responsibility.

It

Yes, I admit that my original expectation was that Stephanie would take the position discussed in the prophecy. I expected that she would be the one to get the powers that I am giving to you today, and that

she would be the one to focus on my most important priorities.

And, had any of that happened, your destiny would have been different. Not bad, but different. However, my plans and expectations changed.

Free will can be used for good, and free will can be used for bad. That is why destinies are never fixed or

certain. They can only sometimes be predicted, but they can always be changed.

I already had concerns about Stephanie’s worthiness before she turned 14. Because of my concerns, temporarily masked Stephanie’s special wolf so that she and others could not see it. It was an extreme thing for me to do, but it gave me time to determine if Stephanie could be redeemed with proper guidance. Unfortunately, six months later, I was essentially forced to make the temporary mask

permanent.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“The day that I did it, one of Stephanie’s younger classmates –who had not yet turned 14-confessed to Stephanie that she liked James and planned to ask him to go with her to the school’s spring dance. Later that day, Stephanie pushed that classmate down three flights of stairs, causing her to break an arm and

two legs.”

I gasped. I know that I should not have been surprised, but I truly did not realize that Stephanie had started doing those kinds of things so young.

“The worst part about it was that Stephanie planned the attack,” the Moon Goddess continued. “She did not act on spur of the moment jealousy or possessiveness, and no one urged her to do it. She had hours to think about it, she came up with the idea all on her own; and she spent hours blocking out her wolf who was pleading with her not to do it.

I decided right then and there that even if Stephanie could later be redeemed- I could never trust her to be the chosen wolf mentioned in my prophecy. I immediately freed Stephanie’s special wolf and replaced her with a wolf who was willing to try to work with Stephanie to make her better.

The whole thing is really sad. To this day, I do not think that Stephanie has ever realized that I replaced her wolf. She has always cared so little for what her wolf says or thinks that she only barely knows her

wolf’s name or the sound of her wolf’s voice.”

The Moon Goddess sighed.

“Anyhow, I am glad I did what I did. I am glad that plans changed.

Unfortunately, however, masking Stephanie’s wolf created a very large wrinkle. And following that up by

replacing Stephanie’s wolf permanently in turn created one of the largest waves I have ever seen.

That led to huge ripple consequences.

One of those consequences was that the forces of evil learned about the prophecy and my plans for a special wolf. They became determined to track down my special wolf and either make her theirs or kill

her.”

I gulped. James squeezed me tighter..

The Moon Goddess sat up straight, and looked at me with a look of sincerity in her expression.

“Despite everything else that I told you, and everything else that you have been told, I want you to know that James and Stephanie were never intended to be mates. Never. Not for a second. The two of you were fated to each other from Day One, and Lily you were always supposed to be the West Mountain

Pack’s next Luna.

was

The only thing that changed was that you and James now have an additional role as well.

I also want you to know that as much as I regret the choices that Stephanie made and the choices that she continues to make- there has been a silver lining. And that silver lining is you, Lily.

After Stephanie did what she did, I had planned to scrap the prophecy entirely and look for another way to achieve my goal. It was not ideal, but it would not have been the first prophecy to have been scrapped or

changed.

But then, in the middle of Stephanie’s darkness, you began to shine almost like a beacon of light.

Day after day after day especially when you were still living full-time at West Mountain- you proved. that you had the courage to be everything that I had hoped my chosen wolf would be. From intervening when others were being abused, to volunteering to be tortured, to helping care for the families of the hurt

and fallen, to helping Joey….

The Moon Goddess squeezed my right hand and looked at me sympathetically.

“I know that you have suffered, Lily. So much. No one other than you and I fully appreciate how much

you have been through, and how much you have done to help others. I know that not even Rose knows it

all, because you do not want to talk about it or re-live it. You also do not want to see yourself as a victim.

tiny, and you

I wish I could have helped you more. I want you to know, though, that I was always there and I did help.

you when I could, and I have always been incredibly proud of you. You have earned your destiny,

are the only one suitable for it. Not as a second choice, but as the only choice.”

I silently looked back and forth between James and the Moon Goddess, trying to absorb and understand what the Moon Goddess was telling me. James wiped the tears off of my cheek and kissed me gently. “Now, if you are ready, let us talk about that destiny of yours. Your earned destiny.”

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