Macy POV
The sun is beating down on my face, and the grass under my feet is thick and lush. I get the feeling that I am a long way from home, but I have no idea how I got here.
I squint against the light and see two women walking toward me. The one I recognize it is Luna Queen, but the other woman I have never seen before.
She has long silver hair that hangs effortlessly down her back. She appears to be floating instead of walking, and I do a double take when I see pointed ears hiding behind her hair.
The women do not speak to one another as they approach me. The Luna Queen looks irritated at the mere presence of the other woman.
I get to my feet and brush off my clothes and I notice I am no longer wearing the black dress I wore to the party. The dress I am wearing is not mine. It is nothing that would ever be in my wardrobe. It is long, black, and lacy. It is lovely but not my style.
Large, colorful flowers are in bloom all around me. They are colors that I have never seen before. As I look at my surroundings, it is as if there is a whole new color palette I have never seen before. Everything is so lively and vibrant. I reach out to touch one, and it retreats from my hand. When I pull my hand back to my side, the flower blooms brightly again. When I look up from the flower, I see both women watching me carefully.
"Where are we?" I ask the women.
"I was going to ask you the same thing," the Luna Queen responds. "I am in your mind, but I have never seen a place like this before."
"It is not Macy's mind," the other woman says. "It is mine."
Her voice floats like a feather on the wind. It is nothing more than a whisper, but I understand her clearly. I know this voice. I have heard it every day since the beginning of my life. I stare into her bright blue eyes, and they are so familiar that they make me feel uncomfortable.
"Nyx?" I gasp.
The woman smiles at me brightly. "How do I look?" She spins playfully in a circle.
"I don't understand," I whisper.
"I don't expect you to," she says gently. "It is a long story that cannot be told in a single night. Perhaps one day I can tell you everything, but that is not what is important right now."
"But you are human," I respond. "But you are also a wolf that lives in my mind."
"I am not human," she says. "I am also not a wolf."
"Then what are you," the Luna Queen snaps at her.
Nyx cuts her eyes at Raven. She is not threatened by her authority. She never has been. "I told you that is a story for another time. Now we need to discuss what is happening to Macy."
The Luna Queen huffs in anger, but she doesn't argue. "Go on then," Raven snarls at her.
"The veil between the Human realm and the Immortal realm is thinning for the first time in five hundred years. Magic is seeping into the Human Realm, affecting everyone who has Fae blood running through their bodies. That is why I have taken over Macy's mind, to protect her from the magic that is forming within her," Nyx explains.
I snort with laughter. "You think I am a fairy?"
Nyx flips her silver hair over her shoulder and glares at me. "I never used the word fairy."
There is a disdain in her voice, and I know I have offended her. I shrink back and mumble an apology under my breath. "What is happening to me?"
"You won't be safe around unmated males," Nyx begins. "Everything about you is drawing them in. Your scent, the glow of your skin, and the sound of your voice. You have officially become the most sought after female in the Human Realm."
I think about how it felt like all eyes were on me at the party and the group of men that surrounded me. The way Jason acted at the bar and Jacob kissing me all makes sense if what Nyx is saying is true. That also means that I am no longer invisible.
"How do I make it stop?" I speak the words, but I barely make a sound.
"There is one way," Nyx says. "But you won't like it."
I already know the answer. "They have to mark me."
"Yes," Nyx says sadly. "I was hoping I could protect you from your lycan mates forever, but that doesn't appear to be the case. The Goddess's plans will not be changed."
"My sons are not the problem," Raven hisses at Nyx. "They may be troublemakers, but I know they are good."
"You are delusional," I groan. "They are cruel and heartless."
"They saved you tonight," Raven shouts at me. "They care for you, no matter what their actions say."
"One act of kindness does not mean they care for me," I spit at her.
"You will have to find a way to get along with them," Nyx sighs. "They can keep you safe until the veil opens completely, and you can slip through to the Immortal Realm."
"I am supposed to leave?" I ask.
"You don't belong here," Nyx tells me. "Neither do your mates. But we will deal with one problem at a time."
"Are you suggesting that my sons leave this realm as well?" Raven snarls.
"You will have another child. A girl. She will carry on your reign," Nyx says shortly. "But you already knew that, didn't you."
The Luna Queen snaps her mouth shut and wraps her arms around her chest, and I don't have to guess that she is already pregnant.
"What if I don't want to leave?" I sigh. "This is my home."
Nyx gestures to the grassy field around us. "No, this is your home."
"I can't hold this for much longer," Raven interrupts us. "What else needs to be said?"
"Macy must not be allowed around unmated males," Nyx says. "She cannot be marked or mated by a male that is not her mates. If that were to happen, they will burn the world to the ground."
I open my mouth to protest. I have school and my time at the bar. I refuse to be held captive, but Nyx is already fading away, and so is the beautiful landscape surrounding me. Soon, I am left in nothing but darkness, and my mind is silent.
The scent of cinnamon and vanilla is all around me, and I know the twins are near, but I don't want to see them. So, I keep my eyes closed tightly and pretend to be asleep.