Chapter 463
Stella
A rush of intense emotion stabbed into me like a thousand tiny blades slicing me all over. My flesh
stung and crawled like I was being bitten by ants. Iâd opened myself empathically when my fathers
started speaking, and this fierce influx of emotions rose and rose without stopping.
Iâd been standing in the back of the stage, off to the side where nobody could see me. Earlier, Iâd
quieted the shouting man whoâd been trying to rile up the crowd, but I could see now that had been
the wrong choice.
Iâd thought I was easing his worries, but all Iâd done was give room for him to feel stifled without
knowing why, and that nameless feeling had pushed his anxiety even higher. The people around
him had sensed it, reacted to it, and now, they were all starting to feel itâ¦which meant so was I.
How could I blame the people of this pack for being afraid of what they didnât know? How could I
ask them to understand what I, myself, could barely begin to comprehend? I was unlike anything
theyâd ever known.
Celestial.
Most of them probably had never even heard of such a creature. Theyâd been lied to for so long,
and they hadnât even been fully informed that there was an entire world beyond wolves, vampires,
and witches. How could we expect them to simply change everything theyâd been taught? To accept
the existence of other supernatural beings without questions or worries? They were terrified of the
rumors, but the reality was going to shock them even more. My heart went out to each individual
pack member who was struggling.
As I heard my fathers addressing the crowd, another thousandâno, a hundred thousand small
blades raked at me like the slices from a hundred thousand claws. I drew in a shaking breath and
stood up straight. I needed to draw strength from the Moon Goddess.
I had to close myself down from the full force of all their feelings, or else they were going toâ¦well,
not destroy me. But hurt me quite badly. I narrowed myself to only the broadest and most general
overview of the crowd instead of each individual. Anxiety, tension, concern, fear. There was also
some self-satisfaction as people convinced themselves theyâd been right all along not to trust
anyone in charge.
This pack needed comfort. Reassurance. They needed the truth.
If only I knew what to tell them!
My family wanted to protect me because they still thought of me as a child. They probably always
would. I loved my fathers and my mother for that unconditional love and support, but the Moon
Goddess had shown me in a vision that being a Celestial was not meant to be a dirty little secret.
Iâd reached out to her again this morning, but thereâd been no clear answer. I knew I had to accept
that. I might be a Celestial, and I might be able to harness all the supernatural gifts that existed, but
that didnât make me a goddess.
I heard the accusations being thrown around, and again, my heart went out to all the scared people
of the pack. My fathers were trying to defend me, but of course, just about everything the crowd was
shouting was true, at least in some measure.
Nothing could be gained by hiding away. I just wished I had some clearer help to guide me. Back in
Brightsky, with a mission, my goals had been easy to figure out. My visions from the Moon Goddess
had been consistent. Reliable.
For one moment, I felt very, very alone.
My feelings of isolation and abandonment faded within a few seconds. The Moon Goddess would
let me know when I was needed, and what I should do. She had never led me astray or let me down
in the past.
My faith in her was complete.
If only the pack could feel that same comforting weight, that utter confidence that came along with
the knowledge that someone was watching over them. Protecting them the way my parents wanted
to protect meâ¦
Ah! There it was! My confidence that I didnât need a specific vision to guide me.
Whether it came from the Moon Goddess or from somewhere deep inside myself, because I was a
Celestial, or because I was an adult, I couldnât be sure. What I did understand was that this pack
belonged to me.
I was the daughter of not one, but two Alphas. My lineage was strong. Powerful. I carried their
strength inside of me, and it had nothing to do with being a Celestial.
I was a Constantine.
My people needed to trust me, and how could they put their faith in me if I was no more than a myth
or a rumor? They were scared of what they didnât understand, so I needed to help them understand
me.
To know me.
I stepped out of the shadows, and into the light.