I pushed the door to Carter's study open, excitement radiating all over me like the shining sun rays peeking through the windows, Carter looked up from his computer, and he welcomed me with a warm smile, his eyes crinkling on the sides.
"Someone is excited," he noted as I skipped towards him. I could barely contain the feeling of joy inside me.
"I'm over the moon," I said, running to him and sitting on his lap.
"I can see that. What is it?"
"Take a guess!" I said, feeling giddy.
I could see his head working overtime to come up with an answer. "I'm pregnant!" I yelled out loud before he could say anything.
His eyes glossed over for a second with an emotion I couldn't recognize before he pulled me into a hug.
"Really?!" he asked, almost crushing me with equal joy.
"Yes! Look at the results," I handed him the manila envelope. He tore it up and took out the scans.
"four weeks along," I added and a smile spread across his perfect face.
"This calls for celebration, my love," He said, kissing me all over my face.
"I know! I can't wait to tell, mom!" I said excitedly. She would be so excited once she finally found out.
"Come on, I'll ask the maid to prepare something for us," he said, pulling me up and dragging me towards the door.
He called out for the maid and she ran towards us.
"Prepare a feast for your Luna but first bring us a bottle of wine, there's good news,"
He said.
"Yes, Alpha," the maid bowed and made her way back to the kitchen.
"Have a seat, my love," Carter said, his eyes shining with joy and something else I couldn't quite understand.
Carter dragged me to the dining room and barely five minutes later we sat down, The maid appeared again with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses
She was about to open it when Carter shook his head.
"Leave it, I'll do it."
He poured us both a drink and handed me a glass.
"A toast to my lovely Luna and our soon-to-be heir." He smiled, clinking his glass with me.
I giggled, happy beyond even I could imagine.
It had been a year and a half since we got married, and we'd both been trying for a child ever since, but there was nothing.
I couldn't wait to tell Carter's mother. She'd be super happy to hear about this…
I took a sip of my wine.
"Goodness, you are so beautiful, it's such a shame."
"A shame?" I frowned. "What does that mean?" I asked in confusion, just then, I felt a sharp pain in my head and then a weakness in my leg.
I tried to drop my glass of wine on the table, but my hands were shaking, and it fell and spilled all over the place.
"Are you okay?" Carter's voice felt like a distance. My head was hurting and so was most of my entire body.
"I feel sick," I managed to choke out before I fell to the ground.
Carter got up and stood over me, a smile on his face.
"Help me," I choked out.
"It's a shame you have to go like this," he said, his eyes boring into mine with menace but his smile still intact.
"Goodbye, Erica,"
I felt my head spin before finally slipping out of consciousness with the question why at the tip of my tongue.
The light was blinding, a strange glow that seemed to pulse with life all around me. Northridge Valley stretched before me, a breathtaking yet haunting expanse. Towering trees swayed in an invisible wind, their leaves whispering secrets I couldn't hear. The air smelled of rain and lavender, familiar yet surreal.
And then, like shards of glass cutting through my mind, it all came back.
The betrayal.
I saw myself in Carter's study, giddy with joy as I revealed my pregnancy. His smile, his toast, the wine—it all played out again, cruelly vivid. Then his words, sharp as a knife: "It's a shame you have to go like this." My body is collapsing. His cold indifference.
A sob escaped me as I fell to my knees. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. "Why?" I whispered into the emptiness, tears streaming down my face. "Why would he do this to me?"
"Erica."
The voice was soft, melodic, yet commanding. I looked up, and my breath caught. A figure stepped through the mist, radiant and otherworldly. Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders like moonlight, and her glowing eyes pierced through me, ancient and wise.
"Moon Goddess," I breathed, lowering my head in reverence.
She regarded me with a mixture of pity and curiosity. "You call out to me in your despair," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "Why?"
The tears came harder, my voice breaking as I spoke. "He betrayed me," I cried. "The man I loved—my husband—he poisoned me. He stole my life, my child's future. I trusted him, and he killed me."
The Moon Goddess studied me, her expression unreadable. "Your pain is great," she said after a moment. "But you must understand, Erica—life and death are riddled with choices. His, Yours, Even the ones still to come."
"I can't accept this," I said, shaking my head. My hands clenched into fists, trembling. "I can't let it end this way. My child… my child deserves to live."
Her gaze softened, though her tone remained measured. "Your love for your child is pure," she said, "and your anger is just. But vengeance and justice are paths fraught with peril. Tell me, Erica, what is it you truly seek?"
The question hung in the air, and for a moment, I faltered. Revenge burned hot in my chest, but beyond it was a desperate need to protect my unborn baby. To uncover the truth behind Carter's betrayal. To make him pay for what he'd done.
"I want a second chance," I said finally, my voice trembling but resolute. "A chance to make things right."
The goddess tilted her head, considering me. "A second chance is no small gift," she said. "It comes with a price, and the path ahead will not be easy. Are you certain this is what you desire?"
"Yes," I said, no hesitation in my voice. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Her expression grew serious. "Very well," she said. "But this gift comes with conditions."
I swallowed hard. "What conditions?"
"You will not return as yourself," she explained. "Your soul will inhabit another body—one I choose. You will have until the third full moon from this day to resolve your unfinished business. After that, your soul will fade, and your existence in this new body will end."
Fade? The word felt like a death sentence. "But what about my child?" I asked, my voice cracking.
"The fate of your child lies in your hands," she said, her tone unyielding. "The time I give you is all I can offer. Use it wisely."
I closed my eyes, the weight of her words crushing me. "And I can't tell anyone who I am, can I?"
She shook her head. "Your true identity must remain a secret. You will have Erica's spirit, but the world will see you as someone else. What you do with this time will define your legacy, not your name."
I took a deep breath, the enormity of the situation settling over me like a storm cloud. "I understand."
"Then prepare yourself," she said, her voice softening. "Close your eyes and surrender to fate. When you awaken, your new journey will begin."
I obe
yed, shutting my eyes as warmth washed over me, pulling me into an unfamiliar stillness.