Chapter 54 – The Goddess's Farewell
Hazel POV
I ran.
Every fiber of me wanted to follow him, to track Lucien through the forest, across mountains, anywhere the wild could hide him. Every step was driven by desperation, by the ache in my chest, by the need to see him, touch him, tell him he wasn't alone—even if he wouldn't listen.
And then she appeared.
Helene.
Not in the shadows this time, not whispering behind my mind—but fully there, standing in the clearing like she owned every bit of light and air. Wolves gasped around her. Some fell to one knee; some froze entirely. I knew the stories. The legends. The whispers of Elder Goddesses who had shaped the world, of power so immense that the earth itself bowed at their feet.
Flora growled softly at her side, but even her golden eyes held curiosity rather than threat.
"Helene," I said, chest heaving, voice tight with frustration and fear. "You—where's Lucien? I need—"
She smiled, slow, mischievous, almost human in her expression. "Need him, hm?" Her voice rang like bells through the clearing. "Ah, Hazel Thornblood. Always rushing, always leaping before looking."
I scowled. "I don't care about fancy lectures. He's hurting, and I can't just—"
"You can't just what?" she interrupted, tilting her head. "Go after him? Heal him with your mortal stubbornness? Oh, darling, I admire your persistence." She laughed softly, and there was a melody to it that made my heart twist. "But you're too late. Or… maybe not late, just… impatient."
"Helene, stop playing games! Lucien needs—"
"I know exactly what he needs," she cut in, eyes twinkling with amusement. "And it isn't you. Not yet. He's… fragile. Human in ways he refuses to admit. Strong in ways you cannot imagine. Right now, chasing him only risks shattering him further. And if you break him… you break him from the inside, Hazel. Do you understand?"
I clenched my fists. "I don't care about the risks. I can handle it. He can handle me."
Helene shook her head, stepping closer, the air around her shimmering faintly. "Ah… you don't get it. You never fully grasped the magnitude of what you they shared. The bond—the bond helena and he created—isn't just affection. It's raw, unfiltered energy. Power. Will. It's as strong as the Red Wolf merged with your own. It's a force that refuses to break… unless you force it which he did with his own hands. And right now, rushing him? That would be like shoving a mountain off a cliff."
I blinked, absorbing it. "So… I just… wait?"
"Yes," she said softly. "For now. He needs the silence. The solitude. He needs to breathe, to grieve, to carry what he has done without losing himself to it. His love, your bond, it is already alive, burning between you. It doesn't need your interference."
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. I wanted to scream, to curse, to tell her she couldn't decide what was right for Lucien—but I felt it. Her truth. The power. The sense that she was correct. That rushing him now would hurt more than help.
Helene sighed, a soft exhalation that was almost maternal, almost teasing. "Ah, and there's the fire I expected from you. But even fire has its season, Hazel. Even wildfire waits to be unleashed."
I groaned, frustration cutting through me like ice. "I hate that you're right."
She smiled again, softer this time. "Of course I am. That's why you love me, isn't it?"
I rolled my eyes, muttering, "Don't push it."
"Fine," she said with mock reluctance. "I'll leave you to your panic and your melodrama. I'm going on a… vacation, actually. With my sister. A proper one this time. Beaches, wine, actual sunlight." She bent slightly, running a hand over Flora's head. The golden wolf's eyes blinked slowly, relaxed, almost appreciative.
"Gods do vacations?" I asked quietly, curious.
Caleb stared at us and raised an eyebrow.
Helene winked at him. "Oh, no or maybe not sure I haven't been a God for long remember. As for Lucien he'll survive. Maybe." She chuckled, a sound that carried warmth and mischief in equal measure.
I crossed my arms. "So that's it? You're just… gone?"
She straightened, looking at me with a mix of amusement and something older, gentler. "Yes, Hazel. For now. Don't worry—you and your wolf will find your way. Your path isn't finished. You're stronger than you realize. Lucien is strong too. You just… need to let him walk it alone for a little while."
I nodded slowly, finally understanding. She wasn't abandoning me. She wasn't turning her back. She was giving me a chance to be the Luna Queen fully—not just in title, but in heart and strength.
With one last glance at the clearing, one last glance at the wolves around me, she stepped back. Sunlight caught her hair, turning it into liquid gold. She smiled again, softer this time, more like the Helene I knew, and then she was gone—fading into the trees as effortlessly as mist at dawn.
Flora padded to my side in a puppy sized form now, brushing against my leg. Caleb's eyes met mine across the clearing, steady, understanding.
I exhaled, the weight in my chest loosening just slightly. Helene had left us. But in her absence, she had given something more lasting than power. She had given us the chance to heal, to live, to face what came next—together, when the time was right.
And that, I realized, was the most generous farewell of all.