MATED TO THE ALPHA AND HIS BETA - Season 5 Episode 86

Stella

No matter how much I asked, Selena refused to tell me about this club.

She shook her head and waved a hand at me. Some color had come back into her cheeks. She thought it was the vodka, but I’d been subtly sending out some healing energies to her. Nothing overt, just tiny touches to her liver and stomach. I knew she’d be mad if she thought I was manipulating her body…and that was something I’d need to ask the Moon Goddess for guidance about.

Wasn’t it okay to use my talents for good use, even if the other person didn’t know and might not want it?

“Quit grumping about it,” Selena’s voice broke into my thoughts. “I just don’t want you spilling the beans to my sister or your dads. They’d never let us go where I’m planning to take you.”

“Why not?” I thought I was being clever, trying to get her to reveal more to me, but Selena just laughed and wagged a finger at me.

“Nope. You’ll find out when we get there. We’ll leave later tonight, oh, like around nine. That’ll get us there by…” She paused and grinned. “Not telling you, in case you decide to use some of those freaky tracking talents or whatever you’ve got going on to map out all the possibilities within travel distance.”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “You’re just being ridiculous now.”

“Are you telling me that if my sister gets a whiff of our plans and confronts you to your face, you’re not going to tell her everything?” Selena sounded gruff, but I could also tell that she was curious. I squirmed a little. “I don’t want to lie to my parents.”

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Her eyebrows rose, and her smile tipped up the corners of her lips. “But you will, huh?”

“I…” I could feel my expression twist as I tried to keep it looking neutral. I’d never talked much about this to anyone. “I did basically lie to them from birth until just a short time ago.”

“About being a Celestial,” she said.

I nodded. My heart was heavy, but I also couldn’t deny it. “I was born knowing and aware, and guided by the Moon Goddess to only reveal my true self over time. If I’d done it right away, my parents wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Everything has to happen at the right time.”

“I don’t believe in the Moon Goddess,” Selena said. Her eyes flashed.

“How can you not believe-”

“I mean, I believe that maybe once upon a time, there was some kind of thing or whatever, but is she still around? No. Does she answer prayers? Hell, no.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to answer

this without making her angrier. “It’s not her job to answer prayers. We have to make our own choices and be responsible for them. The Moon Goddess is there to guide us, but in the end, we all do what we do on our own.”

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“So why bother with her, then?” Selena demanded. She got up from her chair and went to one of the shelves, to run her fingertips down the row of books before turning back around to face me again. “If we can’t count on her, why should any ofus ever ask her for help?”

“I…” Once again, I started to speak but couldn’t find the words.

Selena gave me a triumphant look. She stabbed her finger at me in the air. “Ha! See! You don’t know, either. And if a Celestial can’t figure it out, I sure as hell can’t be expected to.”

She had so much anger inside her, and I thought could understand a lot of it. I wished there was a way I could help her through it, or take it away…but that would mean actively shifting her emotions. I’d just told her all about how we have to make our own choices and be responsible for them. Helping an upset stomach was one thing, but it would’ve been hypocritical of me to manipulate her into letting go of her angst.

That was something my aunt was going to have to work through on her own.

The door to the library opened to reveal my mom.

Selena shot me a look. “I thought you locked it.”

I could only shrug.

“There you are,” my mom said, worry clear in her voice. “I went to your room to make sure you were okay, and when you weren’t there…” “I’m fine, Mama.”

My mom’s gaze shot to her younger sister, and her expression softened. “Hey, Selena. I’m so glad you’re here. Maybe we can grab some tea?”

“Why don’t you go on ahead and get it,” Selena said. “I’ll meet you in the dining room.”

My mom’s expression was a mixture of happiness and uncertainty, but she nodded and quietly let herself out of the door. She closed it behind her. As soon as it was shut, my aunt turned to me. “See?” she hissed. “It doesn’t matter how tall you get. She’s never going to let you grow up.”