Riley
Adrenaline is pumping into my veins, and my heart is pounding so hard I'm half-terrified it might crash through my ribcage. William and I are speeding through the skies, chased by his entire fairy clan.
"ARE YOU ANYWHERE CLOSER TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO OPEN THAT DAMN PORTAL?!" I shout at the top of my lungs.
"Give me some more time!"
"I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE TIME! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST OPEN THE PORTAL?! YOU'VE DONE IT BEFORE!"
He laughs. "Yes, but I don't know what I did or how I opened the stupid portal! I'm lost here, but I'm trying!"
I can barely keep my eyes open due to the harsh winds hitting me in the face. Flying isn't as great as one would think. So far, I've eaten three flies, which wasn't a pleasant experience.
"Try harder because your entire family is after our asses!"
William snorts in amusement. "For being so damn tiny, you sure are bossy. I'm trying my hardest, okay?"
I spit out another insect and grimace. "Ugh... if we ever have to travel like this in the future, I want a helmet!"
"A helmet, huh?" William sounds entertained.
"And possibly motorcycle clothes since it's cold..."
His hands shift around me, fingers tightening their grip as he tries his hardest to keep the winds away from me. His chest is warm, but I'm still worried about the fairies chasing us.
I speak into his warm skin. "I might also need a whip since you aren't trying to open a portal right now, pal! Why did you stop chanting in that weird language?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, your majesty. I will immediately continue. I was just tending to another task... you know... the task of keeping my mate from freezing to death."
I snort. I'm about to throw a smart-assed comment back, but then I notice William's eyes are closed. He is focusing, and I listen to him chant in the fairy language.
No word makes sense in my ears, but I'm grateful when a portal forms a short distance away from us—William is doing it! We will finally be able to leave this hellish realm!
I want to shout and celebrate this moment, but I don't want to interrupt William's focus, so I remain silent. The portal is coming closer, and the fairies behind us have noticed too.
"No-no-no!" William's mother shouts behind us. "They are about to leave the fairy realm!"
"Stop them!"
"We can't let them leave!"
The fairies seem to speed up their pace, but it's too late—William and I crash through the portal, and it closes after us. And then we are thrown back into our world.
"Shit-shit-shit!" I scream.
Everything is shaking, but I relax once I realize I'm still securely held. William is the one who tumbles around until finally landing on his ass in the middle of the forest.
"Ouch, that hurt..." William mutters. "I will never get used to traveling between worlds..."
I hear him loud and clear, but I cannot answer him. My eyes are stuck on a familiar windmill. It's an old wooden thing that is no longer used, but... it burnt down a year ago. Some kids set it on fire... but it's still here... so what the heck—
My eyes widen in realization. "William..."
The fairy shifts behind me, struggling with trees and branches sticking into his arms. "Hmm?"
I lift my chin to meet his glowing eyes in the dark, "I think we have traveled back in time... that windmill over there is no longer supposed to exist. It burnt down a year ago."
William grows silent and then lifts his head, staring in the direction I'm pointing. Surprise latches onto his face when he sees the windmill, and his lips twitch into a full-fledged smile.
"I will never figure out how my fairy powers work, but... this must be the universe's way of telling us that what happened in our world never was supposed to happen."
"Agreed."
William and I jerk in surprise at the new voice.
We turn our heads, and I audibly gasp when my eyes land on a gorgeous lady wearing a white dress.
Her skin is dark, while her hair is white and falling down her back. Eyes the color of the ocean are glowing in the dark. Parts of her dress are glittering with a glow that seems unnatural, and she must be the most breathtaking woman I've ever seen.
I stare at her, and then I know exactly who she is despite never having seen her in my entire life.
"The moon goddess..." I whisper.
A smile spreads over her lips, and her voice washes over me like a warm caress. "Humans aren't supposed to be enslaved by werewolves. Their existence is supposed to be kept a secret, and things should be kept that way. The order in this world should be maintained."
"Is that why you brought us back in time?" William asks. "Because this is your doing... isn't it?"
"No, it's yours," she looks at William, smiling broader. "Your powers brought you here, but... I came to explain the situation to you two."
She pauses, gauging our reaction before continuing. It seems to please her that we are silent, waiting for her to talk.
"Every day, the werewolves stray further away from me. The Crescent pack is especially evil, but if you can kill alpha Asher and Josh and take over that pack, I believe you can save many lives. But... there is a slight problem with this plan."
For some reason, fear threatens to choke me. I haven't heard what problem the moon goddess is talking about, yet I'm already... afraid.
She continues talking. "With you here, there are two versions of you. The ones that are here, and also your past selves. This is a problem. I can't let there be two versions of you in the same timeline."
"So, what do you suggest?" William asks.
A sad smile takes over the moon goddess's lips. "I will send you back to your own timeline, but I will start by only sending Riley back. William, you might join her after you take care of Josh and Asher."
I narrow my eyes. "But wait... if William changes the past, won't that affect the future too?"
The moon goddess nods. "Yes, it will change everything."
My chest constricts. "Everything? Wait. Will I still remember what happened? Because I'm... I'm fairly certain I'm pregnant and can't lose William! I won't let that happen!"
"You won't lose him," the moon goddess smiles. "I'm not that evil, but I can't let there be a war between werewolves and humans. I must prevent that from happening; this is the only solution I have in mind. I'm sorry it must come to this. The two of you have been through a lot together, but I can assure you that a sad ending isn't what I'm trying to achieve."
With that, the moon goddess claps her hands, and before I can object, everything turns white.