Once we were all settled in the living room, I turned to Luke and David.
"Now I know you have many questions, it's only natural after all that's occurred recently. I will try and answer them all."
I looked at David who seemed deep in contemplation.
"Perhaps it is best if I tell you more about myself, where I am from and…"
"Who is this Great Goddess of All?" David cut in. "It is clear even on Earth, the goddess you worship has mighty powers. Why have I never heard of her before? And what will this mean for us wolves? For thousands of years, we prayed to the Moon Goddess…"
"Where is this coming from so suddenly?", I asked confused by the change in attitude.
"Nothing needs to change. Werewolves have worshiped the Moon Goddess and will continue to do so. The Moon Goddess and the Great Goddess of All are the same; that is, the Moon Goddess is one aspect, or part of the Great Goddess of All."
"What? Do you really expect me to believe that? That the Moon Goddess is just some piece of your goddess? The Moon Goddess is powerful in her own right. She is not some puppet for someone else! Besides,", he huffed angerly, "I have to remain strong and appear in control of situations in front of my pack. I couldn't bring any of this up with the pack watching."
"David," I said carefully, "It seems you have very strong feelings on the matter. While I am not changing my opinions on the matter, it is not something we need to discuss further at this time…"
"How can you say we don't need to talk more about this?"
"Because there are more important matters I need to talk to you about."
I met and held the strong gaze of the alpha wolf.
"As I told you earlier, I am not from this realm. I must tell you a bit about my home in order for the events of the day to make sense."
I took a deep breath and began. "A long time ago, my planet was a wonderous place. The planet was healthy, as were all the beings living on it. But most important of all, it was a planet of peace. For hundreds of years, no wars were fought. The King of the North and the King of the South lived in harmony. The religious rule and the kingdoms rule were in balance. The advisors gave council to the kings, and the four priestesses gave council to the High Priestess."
I sighed, then continued, "The day came when the High Priestess grew old, and her successor was chosen. At the same time rumours were passed around that some force wanted to undermine the traditional ways of life and rob the priestesses of their power. Then the successor, my elder sister, was murdered. The culprit was not caught."
I saw the empathy in David's eyes as I said that.
"As of late, I have felt the winds of change. I know that soon I shall leave this place and return to my home realm. But I have also felt a sense of uneasiness and foreboding. I just know, without knowing, that there is some grave imbalance of power. I fear what I will find when I return."
I paused for a moment, as my voice was choked with emotion.
"The King of the South must feel very secure of his throne to have pulled the stunt he did today. Never before this has anyone tried to make contact with me or any other High Priestess like that. His actions were brazen, insulting and fool-hardy. A king is equal to the High Priestess. A king doesn't send a summons to the High Priestess; he sends an invitation for her to visit his lands. This man oversteps himself and reaches to take the power that is not his."
"Are you saying this king is power hungry? That he will try to take over your planet, and then capture Earth next!?", exclaimed Luke as he jumped to his feet.
"Probably he would like to do just that. But I will not let him. As it stands, Earth is safe from him. He most likely had the most talented person available to conjure the portal. But that person really sucked at it. I doubt the king will be able to have a portal conjured anytime soon."
David nodded. This seemed to make sense to him.
"So, you won't have to worry about anything out of the ordinary from now on."
Then, I got to my feet and said, "I'd best be getting back, my roommates will worry about me."
"Must you leave right now?", inquired Luke.
"Yes, Luke.", I replied.
Luke and David looked at each other silently for a moment, then Luke said, "I will give you a drive back home."
"Thank you.", I said with a smile. "That is very kind of you."
I exited the room and the house with Luke not far behind me.
As we walked towards Luke's vehicle, I took a gamble to break the silence and try to see how Luke felt about the things I said.
'Would he feel the same as David?', I wondered.
"Luke?", I said gently. "I didn't intend to fight with your Alpha or cause any quarrel. The Great Goddess of All is about love and peace, not fighting and mistrust."
I sighed.
"High Priestess Sinead," Luke said quietly, "I believe your words. I don't think you had any intention of starting a fight. If anyone could be accused of that, it's David, not you."
I raised my eyes in surprise when I heard his words.
"David is more a man of action. So, it doesn't surprise me that his 'action' was to fight. He worries about the safety and future of the pack, so he worries about anything he feels might change that for the worse."
He unlocked the car and we both got in.
"Even if you are right, he will still need to mull things over and make a decision about it for himself. That is just how he is. Please don't take it personally. I know that deep down, David likes you. Maybe that alone will change his mind."
I snorted. "Ha!" I exclaimed. "I seriously doubt that!"
Luke started the car and looked at me in a way I did not quite comprehend.
"Well then," Luke said, "Where am I driving you to?"
"Ah. That question, at least, I know the answer to."
After Luke dropped me off at my driveway, I went to the front door and found it unlocked. Once inside, I was barraged by Amanda and Saoirse.
"Sinead!", exclaimed Saoirse, as she swept me up into a warm embrace.
"Where were you, exactly?" asked Amanda in an angry tone. "Why were you so cryptic on the phone? We were worried silly about you!"
"We didn't expect you until later, but we are both very glad to have you home safe!", Saoirse said lovingly into the section of my hair that her face was buried in, as her cheek rested on my shoulder.
"Why, the story I have to tell you is so incredible, you'll most likely think I made it up!", I said with a laugh.
At this, Amanda looked shocked, and Saoirse lifted her head up to look me in the eye, so as to see if I was joking.
"I'm telling the truth!", I said with a small laugh. "Let's all get a coffee and sit in the living room. Then I will tell you of my adventures."
"You and your adventures!", harrumphed Amanda.
"Tell us all about it.", said Saoirse. "But first, let me go make the coffee!"
Without another word, Saoirse hurried off to the kitchen, leaving me with a still grumpy-looking Amanda, who stared at me while I removed my shoes.
"I called you as soon as I could, honestly, I did.", I told her.
With a scowl, Amanda walked away towards the living room.
A few minutes later, Saoirse and I joined Amanda in the living room. I carried my own mug and Saoirse carried two- one for Amanda and one for herself.
We all settled down; Amanda and Saoirse on the couch, and I on the floor facing them. I sat cross-legged, so no one made any comment about my sitting on the floor. They already knew I would claim being perfectly comfortable.
"I start the story at the beginning of the first most interesting part.", I began, looking at both of them. "I rushed out of the house late and there was not much time to get where I needed to be. I ran down a dirt road, when the Goddess provided me a lift in the guise of an older man with a truck…"
By the time I finished my tale of the ritual and the subsequent morning afterwards, both young ladies looked at me in surprize.
Their faces told me this was not what they expected to hear. I gave them a moment of silence. I decided to let them speak first. I knew they would ask me questions.