Chapter 90

Shea turned in Achilles's arms to face him, her eyes meeting his in the moonlit darkness. Her fingers traced the strong line of his jaw, feeling the slight stubble beneath her touch. His confession still hung in the air between them, raw and powerful.

"I love you too," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. The words felt right, natural, as if they'd been waiting to be spoken all along.

Achilles's breath caught. His hand came up to cup her face, thumb stroking gently across her cheek. The tenderness in his touch contrasted with the fierce protectiveness in his eyes.

"I never thought..." He swallowed hard. "After everything that happened with my mother, I closed myself off. Didn't want to risk loving someone that deeply again." His fingers tangled in her hair. "But you changed everything."

Shea pressed closer, feeling the solid warmth of his chest against hers. His heartbeat thundered beneath her palm where it rested against his skin. "You changed everything for me too," she murmured. "Made me feel safe when my whole world was turning upside down."

Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling in the small space between them. Achilles's arms tightened around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. The moonlight painted silver streaks across their intertwined forms as they lay together, sharing warmth and comfort in the darkness.

"We'll face whatever comes together," he promised, his voice rough with emotion. His fingers traced gentle patterns on her back, each touch filled with affection.

Shea nodded against his chest, feeling the truth of his words deep in her bones.

Shea sat up in bed, the morning sunlight streaming through the windows. Achilles shifted beside her, his protective instincts making him mirror her movements. The mention of Victoria had cast a shadow over what had started as a peaceful morning.

"I remember you mentioning her once," Shea said softly, turning to face him. "Your mother."

Achilles's jaw tightened, but his eyes remained gentle as they met hers. "Yeah. She..." He ran a hand through his tousled hair. "It's not easy to talk about."

Lucius cleared his throat from the doorway, making both of them look up. He'd aged years in just moments at the mention of his late wife. "Victoria was special, like you, Shea. The dreams she had..." He stepped into the room, his shoulders heavy with old grief. "They weren't just dreams. They were visions."

Shea's fingers found Achilles's hand, intertwining with his. The warmth of his skin anchored her as she processed this new information. "The dream I just had - walking through the woods..."

"Could be significant," Lucius nodded, settling into a chair near the bed. "Victoria's visions started the same way. Simple scenes at first, but they grew more detailed, more prophetic."

Achilles squeezed Shea's hand, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her skin. The morning sun caught the determined glint in his eyes as he looked at her. "We'll figure this out together."

Lucius took a deep breath, his eyes distant with memories. "Victoria's visions always had meaning behind them. They weren't random - they showed us things we needed to know, warnings of what was coming."

Shea leaned forward, her attention caught. "What kind of warnings?"

"Different things. Threats to the pack, hidden dangers." Lucius's fingers drummed against the arm of his chair. "But most importantly, they showed her pieces of the bigger picture - the connections between events we couldn't see otherwise."

Achilles shifted closer to Shea on the bed, his protective instinct evident in the way his body angled toward her. "Did the visions... did they have anything to do with what happened to her?"

Pain flashed across Lucius's face. "Yes and no. The visions themselves didn't harm her, but what she saw..." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "She saw things that certain people didn't want known. Made her a target."

"Like what I might be seeing now," Shea said quietly, understanding dawning in her eyes.

Lucius nodded gravely. "Which is why we need to be careful. These visions - they're both a gift and a burden. Victoria learned to control them over time, to direct them toward what we needed to know."

"Can you teach me?" Shea asked, determination clear in her voice. "If I'm going to have these visions anyway, I want to understand them. Use them."

Achilles's hand found hers, squeezing gently in silent support. The morning light streamed through the windows, casting long shadows across the room as they sat together, the weight of this new revelation settling over them.

Lucius's expression shifted as Shea described what - or rather who - she had seen in her vision. His eyes widened with recognition.

"Selene," he breathed, straightening in his chair. "The Lunar Goddess herself."

Achilles's grip on Shea's hand tightened. "The same goddess who blessed our bloodline?"

"Yes," Lucius nodded, leaning forward. "She rarely appears in visions. Victoria only saw her once, and it was..." He trailed off, lost in memory for a moment. "It was significant."

Shea closed her eyes, recalling the ethereal figure from her dream. "She was beautiful. Her hair looked like moonlight, and her eyes..." She opened her eyes again, meeting Lucius's intense gaze. "They seemed to hold the wisdom of ages."

"That's her," Lucius confirmed. "Did she speak to you?"

Shea nodded slowly, her fingers absently tracing patterns on the bedsheet. "She spoke about balance. About how the peace between factions wasn't just political - it was essential for something bigger."

Lucius leaned forward in his chair, his eyes intense. "What exactly did she say?"

"She said the moon's power flows through all werewolves equally," Shea recalled, her brow furrowing as she pieced together the fragments of her dream. "But some bloodlines were chosen to maintain balance. To prevent any single faction from becoming too powerful."

Achilles shifted beside her, his hand warm against her back. "The Von Lunars and the Wolfes?"

"Yes." Shea turned to look at him. "She mentioned both our families specifically. Said we were meant to be guardians of that balance." Her voice softened. "She also said my father knew this. That's why he..."

"That's why Vincent was targeted," Lucius finished, his voice heavy with understanding. "He wasn't just protecting you and your mother that night. He was protecting something much larger."

Shea's hand found Achilles's, gripping it tightly. "Selene said there's more I need to know. That the dreams will continue, showing me pieces of the truth." She looked between father and son. "She said I needed to be ready."

"Ready for what?" Achilles asked.

"She didn't say exactly. Just that change was coming, and that balance would be tested." Shea closed her eyes, remembering the goddess's final words. "She said my father's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain if we could maintain what he died protecting."