Sophie POV

It felt like I was floating in mid-air, my body suspended in limbo, and I reached out experimentally, feeling nothing, seeing nothing but darkness all around me. I could feel pain, but it was fading, my body convulsing and then stopping in intervals. My hand crept to my stomach which was no longer swollen with child and I felt tears come to my eyes. I struggled to remember what happened to me. I had drunk something, sweet tea? But it had been full of poison and the last thing I remembered was that omega standing over me, watching as I slowly and torturously died in front of her. But was I dead? Or was there something else, going on? Had I perhaps lived or was I stuck in limbo, not in heaven or hell but doomed to stay stuck in the middle forever?

I gently placed my feet on the ground, expecting to fall or for my feet to sink into the nothingness. Instead, it was like I was touching solid ground, even as my eyes blinked, trying to adjust to the dark. I could see a small patch of sunlight in the distance and as though I was in a trance, I slowly began to walk my way toward it, barely even noticing I was naked, just wanting to be out of the dark and in the sunlight once more.

Time had no meaning. I couldn't say how much time had passed as I made my way toward that small patch of light, but it felt like a lifetime of slowly stepping forward, my body never growing tired, and the pain has gone completely. Finally, I burst into the light and took deep heaving breaths of fresh air, the sky a beautiful blue, birds chirping away in the distance. The sun felt warm on my naked body and I felt the warmth with gratitude. My feet sank into plush green grass. A wolf was lying beneath a tree in the far-off distance and I hesitated, feeling an overwhelming need to go to it. What was so special about that wolf?

I wondered if there was anyone else nearby. I opened my mouth but all that came out was a strangled sound. My voice felt like it was on fire, my lips were dry and I let out a small growl of frustration. The wolf lifted its head and regarded me steadily and then placed its head back down and rested it between its paws. I felt nervous as I made my way to its side. What if it tried to bite me? Or attack me? But it seemed placid enough, its eyes regarding me with curiosity more than anger or annoyance. Why did this wolf seem so familiar to me? Like I had seen it before or knew it from somewhere? I reached out with a trembling hand and began to stroke its soft silky fur, hearing it give a growl of contentment, much like a cat that purrs when it's being patted.

"Do you not remember your wolf?" came a voice from behind me.

I turned around and gaped at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had silvery blonde hair that cascaded down over her shoulders. She had pale, white skin and lovely pink lips, with sparkling blue eyes. She wore a simple and plain white dress that gathered on one shoulder and went tight at the bodice, before flowing down to her ankles. She was barefoot but wore an anklet that had moons dangling from it, crescent ones. Something pricked at my memory. I knew this woman, I was certain of it, but I didn't know where from. Her name would not come to me, no matter how hard I tried to remember it.

The woman looked upset to see me. I wondered why. Was she perhaps dead as well? Maybe I had been wrong and this was heaven?

"You don't remember your wolf" she repeated as I frowned at her.

"My wolf?" I asked, gently reaching down and patting it, "what do you mean by my wolf?"

Now the woman looked perplexed, reaching out to touch my cheek, stroking it gently, her eyes losing their sparkle. "Oh child" she sighed "I guess this is going to be harder than I thought."

The wolf let out a low huff that sounded suspiciously like laughter. The woman glowered at it. "Sandy that's enough" she admonished it and the huffing stopped. So the wolf's name was Sandy, I thought to myself bemused, how interesting. "Sandy" I repeated the word, glad to note I could now speak, my voice sounding hoarse but illegible.

The woman sighed. "What do you remember?" she asked me quietly, sitting down on the grass and motioning for me to join her, sitting next to the wolf.

I sat down gingerly and stared into the distance, trying to gather my thoughts together. "I remember being in a cabin with Darius" I began thickly "and then an omega came in and gave me something to drink" I continued with a heavy sigh "and then I think I died or something. Is this heaven?" I asked the woman and she gave me a searching look.

"It's not heaven per see," she said slowly "and I guess now would be the time to tell you I'm the moon goddess. We have met before, but you won't remember it" she added.

The moon goddess! I couldn't believe my ears. I had thought she was nothing more than a legend that people told around the fire, a tall tale told to children. I certainly hadn't envisioned that she was real. I gaped at her and she fidgeted uncomfortably on the grass. "You're the moon goddess," I said slowly, trying not to squeal "but how, why am I here?"

Now she looked regretful. "You're here because you died" she explained quietly "and I'm here to rectify a mistake that I made. One that should never have happened," she said sadly.

The moon goddess had made a mistake? Surely not? Did Gods and Goddesses make mistakes? I guess in hindsight they were more like regular people than I realized. But what mistake was she referring to?

"What kind of mistake?" I asked quietly.

She sighed and shook her head, eyeing me carefully. "Your death for one," she said calmly "not to mention the loss of your baby. I once told you that you would replace happiness with Darius if you came clean to him, but even I couldn't foresee just how evil he was." My hand went protectively to my stomach and tears welled in my eyes. She glanced down at my stomach and nodded grimly to herself. "Your child is where it belongs now, back in your womb," she said and tears trailed down my cheeks. Had she given back the baby I had lost?

"Yes," she said as though reading my mind "I looked after your child until such time as you came here. Now they are back with you and will remain with you until it's time for you to give birth."

I blinked back the remaining tears and felt nothing but sheer, unadulterated joy at the thought of having my baby back. I couldn't believe it. I felt certain I was dreaming.

"This is no dream," said the moon goddess kindly "and you did die, but now I'm giving you a second chance. One that I don't offer to a lot of people," she said with an exhale "but you've more than earned it. Plus, you are needed very much by your family, who are grieving the loss of you."

I glanced over at the wolf. That was my wolf, I realized, Sandy was mine. The moon goddess watched my eyes dart toward Sandy and gave a wry smile. "Your wolf is also ready to take the next step in your journey with you," she said as the wolf gave a nod and a low grunt. I couldn't help myself and laughed out loud, embracing the wolf with a hug, no longer fearful of it. My wolf was as much a part of me as my baby was, perhaps more so. "So what happens now?" I asked the moon goddess with a frown, wiping my tears away.

"What happens now is that you wake up in a minute, far away from your pack" she explained, "you cannot let Darius discover that you are alive, do you understand me?"

I nodded. There was no way I wanted my ex-husband to know that I had survived his plan to poison me to death. I had no qualms the poisoning had been his doing. "Where do I go?" I asked and the moon goddess smiled at me.

"Make your way to the vampire King's Castle. Your family is there including Amber, your sister, and your mother. Your father remains at the pack for now" she explained. I wasn't surprised by that. Knowing my father, he'd probably turned to the drink once I was dead. More than usual I mean, considering he was a full-functioning alcoholic. "What about Sandy?"

"Your wolf will come back to you, but only when you need her," said the moon goddess "she is recuperating from the poison and needs to rest. She will come to your aid when required," she told me cryptically.

I heaved a sigh of relief. Then I looked up at the clear blue sky and raised an eyebrow as I saw storm clouds gathering in the sky and lightning flashing. What had seemed to be so tranquil was fast becoming chaotic. The wind picked up, and I shivered, the moon goddess seeing my discomfort. "Goodness you must be freezing" she exclaimed, waving her hand at me.

I was engulfed in a shimmering white light that pulsated gently around me and then when the light had faded, I glanced down to see myself clad in warm leggings, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. They were comfortable and fit perfectly, another one of the moon goddess's talents it would seem. My long hair had also been put back into a ponytail, pulled well away from my face. "You might as well be comfortable" chuckled the moon goddess.

I patted my wolf and the moon goddess motioned for me to walk with her, away from Sandy. I did so, reluctantly, with one last glance over my shoulder at my wolf.

Lightning cracked and I found myself flinching at the sound of branches breaking and the trees swaying wildly in the wind. The moon goddess appeared unphased however by it all. Even her dress wasn't billowing in the wind like I imagined it should be. Soon enough, the further we walked, the darker the light above us got, until we were standing in a small patch of darkness.

"It's time for you to wake up now Sophie," said the moon goddess quietly as she waved her hand. I gaped at her, but didn't get the chance to call out or yell or anything like that, as I felt myself falling from a distance, crashing rather roughly, it had to be said, into a large shrubbery bush-like thing and wincing from the pain.

Are you alright?

I rejoiced in hearing my wolf's voice, even as I awkwardly sat up, feeling pained. The moon goddess could have given me a warning about the crashing at least. I could feel bruises and scrapes all around my body. I winced as I stood up and peered around with curiosity. I was in the forest, that much I was aware of but how close was I to the Vampire King's Kingdom and how far away was I from my own pack? I could still remember the moon goddess reminding me not to let Darius catch me or see me alive and I was cautious, sniffing out nearby shifters and rogues, of which there were none. A backpack came tumbling down from the sky and out of reflex, I caught it. It was heavy and full of food items, clothing, and even a blanket. At least, I thought to myself wryly, as I put the backpack over my shoulders, I was well equipped for a long journey. Without hesitation I set off, determined to replace the nearest pack and orient myself.

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