The Rise of Venus

Written in the Stars

Song: dark academia/royalty playlist

When I opened my eyes I was on the cliff again.

The waves were crashing against the obsidian rocks with anger. Sickening shades of dark blue glared at me from the decaying scenery below. I felt nothing sweet in the wind for there was nothing kind to breathe in. The tall trees were silently wilting with no life to their decaying leaves.

Everything around me was dying.

Like all the other times before, I fell as I finally got my bearings. Through the vision crowding darkness came the strong sound of Mother's voice. Calling out to me while the void stole the once-pretty landscape away.

I closed my eyes and surrendered to the fall.

From Mother's eyes I watched her shout words of praise and give firm commands. My Pack, although the same way I'd last left it, was alive with disarray. Wolves ran to and fro, no pups were out. The youngest I saw was a Warrior named Aidan. He'd just turned eighteen a few weeks ago if I wasn't mistaken.

Fear was alive inside his muddy brown eyes.

A wall of magick surrounded our borders with evil eyes glaring through from the other side. Gamma Fray's haunting eyes were frightening compared to her sickly pale skin. After seeing Pride overexert himself, I recognized the signs of fatigue in his mother. Gamma Fray was a powerful Witch, that much was clear. But even she had her limits with magick.

"Front line, shift!" Mother shouted. The cracking of bones filled the air with a twisted melody. Shades of brown, grey, white, and black fur emerged from the snarling Warriors. Father's large wolf growled, snapping his jaw as he advanced past his best Warriors and stood alone at the front.

Through the determination hammering within Mother's heart I felt a spike of fear shoot up her spine. The sight of her Mate so close to danger, so out of reach, made her waver in her orders for a split second. But like the level headed Luna she was, Mother pushed aside her own feelings and focused on the needs of her Pack.

"When you let the barrier down, I want you and Nicholas to get to the pups as quickly as you can," Mother said. Her internal emotions were everywhere but her steady voice betrayed none of that. From the corner of her eye she watched Pride's father bound over to his exhausted Mate. Gamma Nicholas pressed his side against his wife. The brown hues of his fur meshed with Gamma Fray's dark pants and shirt.

"Luna!" My heart jumped at the familiar voice. Anxiety filled my entire being as Mother nodded for Mera to speak. She was a mess with her dirty face and scratches lining her skin. But that's not what I noticed first. The first thing I saw was the fishtail necklace I'd given to her before leaving. The one she was to wear if Syrena was actually-

Just over her heart was the indent of a Mermaid's tail burned into her white skin. She and Syrena were Mates. And, they were married now too.

Envy, heartbreak, and happiness all attacked me from different angles.

It was in this moment I realized that I never mind linked Mother once a day like I promised I would. Sure, I felt her reaching out through our bond every now and then to confirm I still breathed. But that was it. She never pushed me to speak, or to send news of our progress. And I, I never offered anything of the sort.

I didn't reach out to Mera on the day of her birthday to confirm her and Syrena's relationship. Nor did I take the time to reach out to Father or any other of my Packmates. No one knew I found my Mate. I simply threw myself into the task at hand and tried my hardest to avoid any other distractions.

And that was perfectly ok.

The old Venus would've been beating herself up for being so inconsiderate of others. But the person I was becoming understood the meaning behind one of Mother's sayings.