I was surrounded by a woods that I didn't recognize, and when I looked out, it was obvious I was on a mountain overlooking a beautiful lake. Suddenly a woman with flowing blonde hair and entrancing green eyes appeared and smiled at me.
"Hello, Serenity." she said and I smirked at her and cocked my brows up.
"Isn't it just convenient that you know me but I don't know you?"
"Oh, but you do know me, I am the goddess of the moon, dear child."
"Ok, so are you saying I died? No, that makes no sense. I am not a wolf."
"Oh, no. You're definitely not dead. I just had to intervene before that stubborn dragon did something stupid. And you not being a wolf is what gave me the ability to interfere on behalf of my sister, Freya."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Oh, you will find out but I am giving you a gift so that it won't affect the way things are supposed to go."
"Look, I do not like riddles."
"You're just like your mother, you know," she said with a giggle.
"You knew my mother?"
"Yes, but that's not the point here. Just know that no matter what, you have to get Ares to love you as his mate."
"Why?"
"Sorry, I wish I could tell you everything but I'm out of time."
"Wait!" I shouted and tried to reach for her.
She smiled at me sadly and said, "Sorry," but then she disappeared along with all of my surroundings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Beep, beep, beep*
"Will someone please shut that insistent beeping up?" I grumbled to no one in particular as aggravation took over my every thought. Suddenly, my eyes flew open and I gasped. I have never felt any emotions before but now I felt at least one emotion so completely that it felt almost like it could suffocate me.
I looked up at the ceiling trying to remember what happened and how I got in this white room when I felt a movement beside me and turned to look to see what it was but stopped immediately with a gasp of pain when I felt something sharp pulling at my left wrist.
I looked down at it and saw an IV hooked up to my wrist just as I heard my fathers voice shout, "She's awake," and a whole bunch of people come into the room.
I smiled at my dad and siblings and went to tell them I am fine but instead, I started coughing.
"Water, she needs water," Aurora said and Liza held out a glass of water with a straw in it for me to drink.
"What happened?" my father asked with worry etched across his brow and I frowned.
"I... I'm not sure," I stammered, "I felt my heart skip a beat then nothing," I continued and shrugged my shoulders as Ares walked in and said, "she realized who her mate was."
Everyone gasped and looked between the two of us, unsure of what to say or do while we just stared at each other. Him with a mixture of anger and worry and me with a mixture of hopelessness and confusion for the emotions suddenly clouding my mind.
"Can I have a moment alone with my mate?" Ares asked my family who looked at me. With a nod of my head they filed out of the room. My father, who was last, gave us one last knowing look that was mixed with worry and pity over his shoulder before walking out and leaving me alone with my mate.
After everyone left, we sat in silence just staring at each other for a moment before he sighed and I held up my hand to stop him from speaking and said, "Before you say anything, first, let me say something," then watched him for any signs that he may protest my request for a moment. There was a slight tick of his jaw, showing that he was aggravated, before he nodded and I continued, " I have no idea how long I was out for but frankly that isn't important. What is important is during that time I was visited by the moon goddess and she told me that you can't reject me for any reason and that I have to win your heart one way or another. Now I know that she isn't the goddess over either of our kinds but she is their sister. So, for that reason alone, I am asking you for one year. That's all I ask. Give me one year to try and win your heart. If I can't do it within that time then you can reject me and we'll never have to see each other again."
He sighed and looked out the window as if he was thinking for a few minutes before turning to me and flashing me the most amazing smile I had ever seen. "I won't ask how you knew I was planning on rejecting you since you said you talked tone of the goddesses, but seeing you out cold for a month and not knowing if you would ever wake up has been driving me out of my mind with so many emotions that I don't think I could pinpoint which ones I was feeling at what time. For this reason, I decided that I wouldn't reject you. I just want to protect you and see you thrive. However, I will give you that time that you asked for with such a pitiful look on your face, to win the hearts of my people before I crown you their queen." He said with smirk on his face and I smiled and hit him playfully with my pillow, before gasping in surprise.