"The Replacement Luna..."

Replacement...

Ares:

"It only hurts if you still have feelings for him." I said as he floated beside me on our way to the castle. He remained silent. Knowing perfectly well what I was talking about.

"We are almost there, Penumbra. You can see the castle walls from here." The Alpha King announced, as he turned briefly to where Glare and I were.

"Sire, could you please give the Penumbra and I a minute to discuss something in private." I respectfully called out to the King.

"Of course, Ares. Take as much time as you need. The party and I will continue to Castle Lycanthrope. You know your way. You may bring the Penumbra there once you've finished with your discussion." The King smiled at me, and proceeded to continue walking with his soldiers.

"I hate seeing you like this!" I turned abruptly to Glare who looked at the ground, the light in his eyes were dimmed, his smile was missing.

"You don't understand." He whispered.

"I understand perfectly well. I see how your smile vanishes every time you see my younger brother with your sister. How your body tenses, your pulse races, your jaw clenches. You still have feelings for him!" I tried to keep my voice down, but a few members of my pack heard me, and looked back to see if everything was okay.

"You're wrong Ares."

"Am I? Are you telling me that you do not find me lacking? That you do not see me as inferior to Atlas? That you now have found a way to divert all your love which used to be only for Atlas to me? That you have somehow, accepted me as a worthy replacement?" I tried to hide my fear of not being worthy of his love, but it all came out of my mouth with the slightest provocation.

"This is not the place nor the time..."

"Then make time!" My anger was getting the better of me, and I could hardly control my temper.

I blinked momentarily, and in that instant we were transported immediately to a cavern with a hole in the ceiling, and a broken sapphire altar at the center. His powers were growing, he needed no portals now to teleport anywhere.

"I had to transport you here, this is the Temple of Selene. Only my mother and I are able to enter this sacred ground. Now, you have also been granted that access through my powers." He explained as I let my gaze wander the expanse of the glittering cavern with a pond illuminated by the moon from above.

"A change of scenery is not going to dispel my anger, Glare."

"Listen to me Ares. And listen to me well. What you think you know is incorrect."

"Oh, so now it is I that have been wrong all this time. That I was wrong to think that you still have not gotten over my brother!"

"Have you gotten over your Luna? Wasn't it you who almost rejected me to honor her memories?" I was silenced by that retort. "You pass judgement on me too quickly Ares without hearing my side of the story first."

"Then explain yourself."

"Anger. That is what you see. My jaws clenching, is me trying to avoid saying something vile towards my sister and your brother. Pain, is what causes the light in my eyes to dim when I see them together. Sorrow, is the cause of my body freezing so as not to conjure a portal that would throw them a million lightyears away from where I stand. I have been deceived Ares... by the two most important people in my life. How would you react if you were in my position?"

"Again, as I've earlier said Glare, it would only hurt if..."

"I am not a robot! I have feelings, and emotions Ares. It doesn't go away so quickly. I am still trying to come to terms with all this! Their deception, the battle waging all around me, the powers growing in me. Give me time to adjust. Give me time to breathe. Time to accept things."

"Is this the reason why you haven't... you know... bound yourself to me yet?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"What are you talking about?" Glare asked, completely lost.

"I was told that if we made love and you truly gave yourself to me fully, we'd be making love in a different plane. Sort of astral projection, I don't know, this is all new to me."

"You really don't remember, do you?" I remained quiet. Puzzled. "I found you through that plane when you were injured. You called out to me. I knew who you were even before we met. I knew, that you were the one destined for me by the moon goddess. You're not a replacement Ares, you are the one meant for me."

"Then why does it feel like I need to prove myself to you!"

"Because you're trying to compete! There is no contest. There is nothing to prove. You are, and always have been the perfect one." He glided closer to me to seal his lips to mine. His glow returned, his heartbeat calmed, and his smile caressed my frown.

"You're not just saying that?" I challenged his sincerity.

"We are one, we have bonded through the astral plane, we have also claimed each other more than once in your bed. Tell me, use your heart to feel me, am I lying to you... my love?" He asked, his lips a mere inch from mine.

"No." I felt all the fear disappear. I felt only love in his heart for me. I felt joy in his embrace. And I felt cherished in his presence. He was right, I was more than just his replacement... I was his destiny.