Prologue
Lillian kept chanting to her hearts desire in her kneeling position, hands threaded together with zeal and eyes clenched shut. Golden light reflected off of her caramel skin under the embrace of the moonlight flooding the open temple of the moon goddess. Her brown hair looked almost red in the warm glow.
"Nothing changed in what I want from you for the past five years. You already know how compassionate I am about my mate," Lily bit her bottom lip, trying desperately to convey the depth of her feelings. "This is the last time I'll have the opportunity to ask for a mate who will fill up the cracks in my being. I promise you and perhaps you already know that I'll do my best to be everything that he's lacking and make him whole. We'll mold into one another. My entire life, I've dreamed about him. Maybe I already know who he is."
Tilting her head, Lily glanced up at the beautiful ceramic statue of the moon goddess in the abandoned temple. "I'm going to shift tomorrow. With the freedom of the wolf in me, she'll link with our mate instantly. I will finally see who belongs to me and to whom I belong."
Supressing the fear in her heart, Lily struggled to swallow. Her eyes drifted away from the statue and swept over the scattered flower petals on the neat tiles of the temple.
"I come here every weekend with offerings, greedy and selfish. I pray every time I see you. I hope, I dream, I want, I need and-" her voice cracked, "I-I just..." holding back tears, her eyes find the source of her courage once again. "Please don't include me in those who never met their mates, found out they're dead or dies when they meet. I don't think I'll be able to hold myself together this time. He will be my lifeline. Please...don't take him away from me."
Sniffling, Lily rose to her feet and brushed down her white gown. In her blurry vision, she sought her flower basket and emptied it at the feet of the statue. Her light steps down the stairs halted. She looked over her shoulder one last time and whispered, "Please."