A Gift from the Goddess

*MARCHIA POV*

“The Devils of the Mist’

That was what I'd grown up being told, at least.

Unlike any other territory in the country, if not the world, they were regarded as some of the most dangerous people you would ever meet. A force you didn't want to cross, lest your head be taken in payment of apology.

..And, of all places to find oneself, I had been sent there today.

I'd been eleven years old when the Council of the Silver Mist was first established. Back then, it was completely unheard of for more than one Alpha to control a pack, and yet the council consisted of at least three in their midst; three and a Luna, if you included the second Saintess. A conglomerate of two packs that now held authority over whatever they desired.

But for the past seven years, we'd been taught in our pack that their ways were wrong. That we held traditions with respect for a reason. That no one pack alone should hold so much power over others... and yet they did.

“Marchia,” a voice then said nearby, catching my attention. I looked up and found a warrior standing there, a clipboard in hand.

“You're Marchia, correct?” they asked. “The others have already gone inside the waiting area if you want to head on in.” I nodded my head silently, failing to find my voice from nerves, and walked to where they had instructed; a large hall where I was expected to find a few others in similar situations. I couldn't help but wonder though that, if I were to become trapped here, whether anyone would ever find my body.

..But that was presumptuous of me, I guess, to assume that anyone would even bother to come looking. After all, I'd effectively been sent here as a sacrifice.

Inside the hall, I found three others; a boy and two girls. Each dressed with an emblem that represented their home pack, making it immediately clear why we were all here.

Because today was one of the most invaluable days for many small packs. Today was the day where a select few would be able to approach the council... and appeal for their aid. I couldn't imagine our Elders or Alpha ever agreeing to such a thing several years ago, their hatred for this place running far too deep. But I suppose it didn't matter what they thought anymore. After all, none of them had survived the massacre that destroyed my home.

“You're... Chia, right?” one of the girls then said, having caught sight of me in the doorway. I frowned, looking her up and down, but couldn't initially place her at all. Her brown hair and matching eyes didn't particularly strike anything in my memory, though she was pretty, all things considered.

..But it was then as I noticed her emblem, one of a waterfall inside a circle, that recognition finally hit me. She was from the Grey Falls pack.

This meant she was most likely the eldest child of the Alpha there... Felix.

Her presence here told me that her pack must not be doing too well. Probably financially, if I could recall correctly. They were running low on resources after their last rogue attack a few years back. It would make complete sense if they weren't able to recover, their pack being just as small as my own.

“Oh... You're, um... Felix, right?” I asked.

Her lip twitched into a nervous smile as she nodded.

"Yeah, it's been a while. We met a few years ago at a party,” she explained.

It was surprising she even remembered me at all; especially given my position. No one ever remembers the third daughter of a Gamma. I used to be considered basically unranked due to my circumstances; no true purpose other than to live and die, possibly becoming mated to someone in a neighbouring pack to form an alliance.

..I wonder if people would remember me now though? ...Now that I was the highest-ranked survivor? It probably didn’t matter. They had Nicholas for everything these days. He didn't even have a drop of ranked blood in him and yet they still all chose him over me to become the next Alpha. He held the most desired features they were after: he was a good fighter... and he was a man. Naturally, they wanted me to take him as a chosen mate to avoid conflict, but that hadn't been possible. Nicholas had already found his mate several years earlier, a girl who also held no rank. There was therefore no union able to made, leaving me as the undesired thorn in their side.

And so, what better way to get rid of your only competition than to send her on a suicide mission? To the place everyone dreaded to even step foot in?

Today was going to be a win-win for my pack regardless of the outcome. Either I secured the deal with the Council of the Silver Mist... or I died in the process. It would be a day to celebrate a fresh start for them regardless.

"Have you ever met them before?” she asked, noticing me fidget with the hem of my shirt.

But I shook my head. Of course, I hadn't. This was my first time even stepping foot out of my pack. All I had were scary stories and doubt filling my mind, wondering if all the things I'd been taught to think were actually true.

That they might really be devils.

"..Have you?" I asked quietly.

However, she shook her head too. “No... But I know of them. I saw them in passing once and my mother explained to me who they were.”

..And with that, the door behind us suddenly opened loudly, and a man walked in.

A sight that made me both terrified and in awe.

You could see the way he carried himself with such confidence, feel the sheer authority rolling off him without even trying, that there was no question over whether he was an Alpha. A powerful one at that.

His body was built so incredibly strong, his hair as black as night... and yet those weren't the scariest features about him.

No, that would be his eyes. Cold, green eyes that pierced without even trying. Almost as if they could cut you down where you stood.

..And it sent a shiver of fear through me, thinking how easily he could do just that.

“That's Alpha Aleric,” Felix whispered to me as he strode to the top of the room, seating himself on a chair. Though if he could hear us at all, his face didn’t betray it as he held the same icy expression the entire time. “Lethal with all things combat, strength unlike any other you will ever see. And he has a nickname too... The Handler.”

*..The Handler?"

She nodded. “You might think he’s intimidating however I heard he's the one you want to be dealing with. His exterior is scary, sure, but, believe it or not, he’s actually the most normal one of the whole bunch despite his brute strength. He just got the nickname because he’s the only one able to handle *her*. A creature even more deadly than him.”

“Who—."

But I never got a chance to ask as suddenly the door opened again, this time giving way to a girl who looked only to be in her mid-twenties.

..And she was stunning.

With flowing silver hair and striking violet eyes, she was unlike anyone I had ever seen before. Almost ethereal in how she carried herself, an elegance about her that one could only attain from an extremely sophisticated upbringing. There was no question to her importance; her entire being radiated with it.

I went to look away, now somewhat uncomfortable by Felix's words but, as I was about to do so, suddenly the girl's gaze caught mine... and I froze.

"..That's Alpha Ariadne,” Felix said. “..The most dangerous being you'll ever come across.”

And the person Felix had apparently just described then smiled at me gently, her face only full of kindness as she did so, before turning towards the other Alpha.

"...Or you might know her better as the Silver Saintess.”

They were words that instantly made my heart stop.

I'd heard of her before, of course. Everyone knew about the Saintess. There were only two in existence and, before that, none had lived for centuries prior. They were living, breathing embodiments of the Goddess herself. I remembered the first announcement when I was seven years old. Everyone had said it was a blessing that someone such as her was walking amongst us now. A sign from our deity that we were loved.

..But then everything changed once she became eighteen.

“They say her mark from Selene turned her insane. That the power of the Goddess descended her into madness,” Felix said with fear in her voice. “A crazy, power-hungry creature that will change moods as easily as flicking a switch. She brutally murdered her last attendant, right in front of the girl's mother no less, and single-handedly killed her last Alpha with no mercy, doing so before she had even experienced her first shift. Then, of course,... there was the “union day".” I knew what she was talking about. It was the day the notice was issued.

“Submit’, it had read.

There was no second choice. The authority of a Saintess was undeniable. Our pack was forced to bend the knee to her, even at the cost of our previous alliances. And not just us either; hundreds of packs were. Many went to try and negotiate independence, but all left her pack more cemented in the alliance than before. No Alpha had the power to refuse her.

So, this was the person who had done all of that? The girl who had just walked in and smiled at me so kindly?

And a feeling of cold dread shot through me to my core.

"Why is she called the Silver Saintess?” I asked, curiosity now creeping back in despite my situation. “It's not just because of her hair, if that's what you're thinking,” Felix replied. “It's because someone once stabbed her with a silver weapon... and she still didn't die. Twice. Not even silver is strong enough to purge her existence from this world. She truly lives up to her title through and through... there is no question that she is touched by the Goddess. No one else has ever survived such a thing.”

..She was a monster. So powerful, so dangerous... no one like that should be able to exist. And not just her either, but the man too. If she was that strong... then what did that make him if he was the only one able to control her?

And, almost as if on queue, the Saintess then arrived next to her cold Alpha mate... though her presence apparently did more than expected. His face had immediately softened as she entered, almost like ice finally melting.

“Can we keep this one short?” Alpha Aleric said to the Saintess. “I need to check a few things before it gets dark today and Cai needs a hand with some stuff up north.”

"Stop it,” she hissed back. “This is important. It'll take as long as it takes. Cai can wait.” I frowned at the encounter between them, unsure how to feel, but I didn’t get much time to dwell on it. Quickly, the Saintess’ eyes then flicked up to the four of us by the door, and gestured for us to approach.

“You can come forward,” she said gently. “It's a pleasure to meet with you all today, even though it might not be under the most pleasant of circumstances for you. Thank you for coming all the way here to meet with us."

Per her instruction, we all nervously crept forwards, bowing our heads in respect towards her. And I swear you could have heard a pin drop with how silently anxious everyone was, holding their breath for fear even the smallest thing would upset her.

'She could tell us to jump off a bridge right now and we'd probably all do it," I thought anxiously. She had absolute control to utilise as she wished; the authority that came from being chosen by the Goddess.

..But wasn't there supposed to be more of them? I'd heard about there being at least four, but I was under the impression that the council consisted of several other members too. A few former Elders, Betas and Gammas were said to be included in their midst.

Maybe only these two were required for the meeting today, the financial consequences not impacting them enough to warrant the others. How easy must it be for them to completely change our lives if that was the case?

“So, I've had a read of all of your petitions and I only have a few questions,” she said. “Firstly, I'd like to start with—."

“Aunty!” a voice then squealed, and I felt myself freeze from fear.

Who would be crazy enough to interrupt someone like her? sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FindNʘᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

But as I looked towards the door, I saw a child, maybe five years old, slip through a crack and was now bolting towards the Alphas.

“No! W-wait!" someone else yelled.

And the child proceeded to throw themselves into the Saintess’ arms.

“I'm so sorry, Aria,” said a girl entering the room, the one who had yelled out after the child. “They should know better than that.”

She was very pretty with brown hair and blue eyes, holding a very caring aura about her. Something I was relieved to find after being subjected to the Alphas conducting the meeting. Her presence immediately had a soothing effect on a few people around us.

But she definitely looked to have her hands full though. With one child running off on their own, a younger toddler attached to her hip, and early signs of being pregnant herself, I could only imagine how tired she must be.

However, after looking carefully at her face, I didn't see any signs that she was worn out in the slightest.

“No way..." I heard Felix say next to me. “I-l didn't ever expect to see her.”

"Who is it?” I whispered back, my curiosity piqued.

*...I think that's the other Saintess,” she said stiffly, her face starting to go pale.

“Myra,” Ariadne said, smiling at the girl who entered. “It's fine. These things will happen with kids. I'm a little surprised to see you here though. I thought you'd be resting today.”

“I know, I know,” the girl said. “We were on the way to the park and planned to drop by before the meeting but... well, we were a bit late. *This one* didn't seem to care though. They think everyone will forgive them because they're cute.”

And the child that was now latched onto Ariadne turned to smile cheekily at Myra, the one I assumed was their mother. However, in doing so, I couldn't help but notice how they possessed some of the most mesmerising golden eyes I'd ever seen.

“Wonder where they get that from,” Alpha Ariadne said, detangling herself from the child and patting them on the head affectionately.

“Well, I'm not the one who keeps enabling them, am 1?” she replied back pointedly.

And Ariadne laughed, much to my surprise, but it was something that apparently not everyone reacted to in the same way. Despite how I thought it made the room feel more relaxed, I didn't miss how Felix had flinched, her demeanour still incredibly tense from when the second Saintess had entered.

"What is it? Why are you so scared?” I asked her.

But as I asked the question, I remembered what she'd told me earlier.

She'd said the man with green eyes was the most normal of the whole bunch.

So... if the second Saintess was considered part of the council... what did that mean for the sweet young pregnant girl who had just entered? With the kind, loving aura?

"..Myra the Saintess,” Felix said, her voice distant. “She rarely makes public appearances, choosing to usually stay within the pack. No one in my territory has ever seen her before... not that anyone is complaining.”

“I don't get it,” I said, frowning. “What's so bad about her? She looks sweet.”

*...Looks can be deceiving,” Felix replied, still refusing to take her eyes off the girl. “Especially when they belong to someone who's meant to be dead.”

And I froze next to her, unsure if I'd just heard her right.

“What...?"

“The Angel of Death’, is what they call her,” she continued. “She died at sixteen. Buried, funeral, crying, the whole ordeal. I heard it was a rogue that killed her, the Silver Saintess being the one to find her body.”

“I don't understand... Then how can she be...?"

But Felix just shook her head. “No one knows. She just suddenly appeared again at eighteen years of age, mated to the Alpha heir of the pack formerly known as the Silver Lake. But she was different after coming back. Marked by the Goddess, just as Ariadne is.”

Then did the Goddess purposely resurrect her? Was such a thing even possible?

..And she looked so normal too. Just a young mother with her child.

But it was then that I finally noticed how it was no longer just the two Saintess’ nearby, a third presence having appeared. During the distraction of learning Myra's story, I hadn't seen Alpha Aleric approaching.

“Thanks for looking after this one for us,” he said, grabbing the second toddler from Myra's arms. The little one looked no older than two or three years old.

But there was no confusion as to who this one belonged to; the black hair and violet eyes being a dead giveaway. Somehow, they looked even more otherworldly than even their parents.

Yet for a man who had previously been so terrifying, it was nice to see the intimidating Alpha was capable of being so gentle.

Myra then smiled warmly at the previously stoic man. “It's no trouble. I've handled more troublesome kids than these at the orphanage; this one’s father being the biggest child of all,” she laughed. “Compared to that, these two by themselves are a walk in the park... though, speaking of parks, we should really get going. I've already interrupted for too long and these people didn't come all the way here to watch us fuss over kids.”

“No, you're right,” Ariadne said, transferring her child from Alpha Aleric's arms, back to Myra's. “We have work to do... don't we, Aleric?”

And the man then grumbled, turning around to return to his seat.

“If that's just three of them... what's the last Alpha’s story?” I found myself asking Felix. “The one the second Saintess is mated to?”

“Oh... him. Alpha Caius,” she answered, feeling somewhat more comfortable as Myra started to leave. "He's known as The Siren.”

*..Like... the mythological creature?”

She nodded. “He doesn't need to exude authority to have a person carry out his orders, like what an Alpha or Saintess would need to do. Anyone who meets him instantly gravitates around him, his charisma affecting a person in a weirdly prominent way that you can't refuse.”

“That's insane,” I said, completely taken aback by this pack’s collection of members.

“I know,” Felix agreed. “And don't even get me started on The Spider and The Raven too.”

More people? It was no wonder they were referred to as The Devils of the Mist. This seemed to go beyond the normal scope of powerful ranked members, beyond the sanctity of the Goddess’ name and her love. These people were all demons, possessing abilities beyond comprehension.

Except... except I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the stories I'd been told weren't all true. Especially after seeing Ariadne with the children and how she conducted herself in such a polite, friendly manner.

Was that really the face of a person who'd been driven to insanity?

“I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting,” Ariadne then said, bringing our conversation to an end. “That was incredibly rude of us to take up your time.”

Not that any of us would have even dared to think that was the case.

“I'd like to start off with... Marchia,” she said, sending a shock through my body as she suddenly said my name.

"..Y-yes, Saintess?” I took a step forward and bowed “I've read your petition and also a little about what happened to your pack. I'm so sorry for your loss. It must be devastating to lose, not only your family, but almost your entire pack too.” I frowned, doing my best not to think about it too much. It was true that I missed my family... but I'd be lying if I said I agreed with how my pack had acted since the massacre.

“Thank you, Saintess.”

"So, I would like to extend a hand to help where possible. Both financially... and in other ways.”

Did she say “in other ways'? What did that mean...?

"I will give you all the money and resources you require to get back up on your feet. This being on the condition that we'll see a small percentage of income tax returned upon you regaining stability.” “T-thank you, Saintess!” I said again louder, though now in disbelief it'd been so easy.

Was that really all it'd taken? A simple petition to finally turn our lives around and recover from the destruction? Would I finally be given the time to mourn for my family?

"...But this offer of mine will only be extended to the Alpha of your pack,” she continued.

And my stomach dropped.

We'd been so close... and it'd now been for nothing. This meeting had already been such an impossible achievement; if not a once in a lifetime opportunity. It seemed unlikely that a small pack like ours would survive until we were maybe granted another audience one day.

"You look disheartened,” she said, her eyes observing me carefully.

"Y-yes... Saintess,” I said, feeling devastated. “I'm afraid I won't be able to make the deal today. You see, I'm not the Alpha of my pack.”

But then her lip twitched into a small smile, her eyes gleaming with a knowing humour.

"Well, then... how would you like to change your fate?"

[End of Book One] - Book Two "Nevermore" starts after the next 2x Bonus Chapters (they are optional reads but not required). It follows a different character in a new time period but it is still a sequel. I hope you enjoy figuring out how the books connect.