Once everyone is gone to the marquees, it’s just my mates, my brothers, Mum, and Dad with us.


    “Uh…So I’m guessing this isn’t normal?” I point to my head where I believe there is some sort of magical smoke…not a smoke crown.


    “No.” Mchi clips out.


    “May I?” Julius reaches his hand out to touch it, and I nod. When his fingers touch the metal, I hear a sizzle, and he pulls his hand back abruptly with a hiss. “What the fuck?”


    Arztec pulls his hand out and opens it, showing a clear burn on his fingertips. I touch the crown again in confusion, and it doesn’t burn me, then I look to Xavier. “You touch it.”


    “Ah… I’m not sure…”


    “I’ll do it.” Haiden steps forward, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck before he reaches out slowly and ces his hand on it with no effect.


    “Weird.” He whispers.


    He looks around at his brothers, touching each of them with no effect.


    “So I’m guessing only the people with the cool new crowns can touch them.” He shrugs.


    “Cool? Really, brother, that’s the word you’re going with?” Noah rolls his eyes.


    “Well, what would you call them?” Haiden crosses his arms.


    “I don’t know, creepy. They look…dark.”


    “Can you try to take it off? Maybe we can’t touch them because they’re on you.” Mchi asks.


    I reach up, grabbing the sides and attempting to pull it free, but it doesn’t budge. My mates do the same with no luck.


    “Uh, nope, looks like they’re permanent,” I say quietly.


    “Fuck…does mine at least look cool? I don’t want a shit crown for the rest of my life.” Haiden attempts to look upwards at it with no such luck.


    Levi, ever so quiet, finally speaks. “What does mine have on it? They all have different things.” He points


    out.


    “It has a ck horse and a scale,” I tell him.


    “Hmm… like… Famine.” He points at Noah’s. “A sword and a red horse, like War and Bloodshed.” He points at Haiden’s. “A white horse and a bow. Conquest.” Then to Xavier. “A pale horse and a sword. Death.”


    “The four horsemen of death…” Dad whispers.


    “What-what about me? What does mine have on it?”


    “It’s…a skull, wearing its own little crown,” Noah tells me, swallowing hard.


    “It kind of suits you, love, honestly, you look badass.” Haiden tries to lighten the mood.


    Turning back my attention to Mchi, I ask, “Do you think you could use your sight to see what the hell is going on?”


    He tilts his head for a second. “Alright, yeah, let’s try that.” He ces his hands near my face, clearly avoiding putting his hands anywhere near my new essory, and closes his eyes. His face scrunches up in difort before his eyes shoot back open, and he takes a step back from me with shock evident.


    “Uhh… What did you see?”


    “Death. I saw death, a lot of it. I don’t know what that means. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”


    “I don’t mean to be pushy…” Mom says in a squeak. “But…we do have a celebration to attend to. As Alphas and Luna, it is customary to see to your pack members…and then we have the shift at midnight. We have quite a bit to get through. Maybe we can shelf this little…hup untilter?” She forces a smile, and Iugh at her.


    “You’re right. Pack first. I’m sure they’re just as curious and confused as us.”


    We walk towards the crowd, and everyone’s eyes are on us. I know it’s not because of our new status either. We take our seats at the long table in front of all the circr ones, with our pack members seated at them patiently. Noah gives the go-ahead to the servers to begin handing out dinner, and Xavier stands to address the pack.


    “Red Moon members! Thank you all for attending this evening. As you can see, your Alphas and Luna have acquired some new essories. While the meaning of these is still unknown to us, we are confident we will find out when the Gods feel it is the right time. We believe this is a good thing. Our pack has been blessed with something unique. We will happily share with you more news when we know, but for now, let’s feast!” There’s pping and hollering from the members at the tables, filled with delicious-looking meals, and music fills the air. I lean over to Xavier as he takes his seat.


    “Spoken like a true Alpha.” I wink at him, making him smile. As the night wears on, we all begin to rx a little more. Each of my mates dances with me more than once, and a photographer shows me little shots she’s taken throughout the night, which are so beautiful I’ll have to have them put on the walls of the packhouse.


    The pack parties like there is no tomorrow, and as we approach midnight, the pups are already in bed, and many of the adults choose to head out for a run. While my little family sits with me around a bonfire on the edge of the woods while we wait for my first shift.


    “Are you nervous, little Luna?” Noah asks, sitting beside me on a fallen tree log.


    “I’m fucking terrified.” Iugh. “But also so excited. Does it hurt?”


    “Like a bitch.” Haiden says, nodding his head up and down.


    “But you’ll be fine,” Levi says, scowling at Haiden.


    “We’ll be right here with you,” Xavier confirms


    Hopefully, no more crazy shit happens, right?” I try augh again as I point to my crown, and my mates all look nervously between themselves without saying a word.


    “If it does, we’re right here for it,” Dad saysfortingly with a hand on my shoulder before he kneels in front of me. “Whatever happens, it happens with the support of family. There’s nothing you go through that you’ll have to face alone.”


    “Thank you. Really. Thank you.”


    This work, Goddess of the Underworld by Sheridan Hartin, is an exclusive intellectual property legally contracted with NovelSnack. Any reproduction, distribution, or upload outside NovelFlow, AnyStories, NovGo, and Readink is unauthorized and constitutes copyright infringement.


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