Heart of the Rose: Daughter of the Moon, #3

By Rhiannon Futch

Selena's life has never been better. 

Great boyfriend, two business partners that she can trust implicitly, and her new house is perfect. Life couldn't be better, but it's about to be a lot worse. 

Luna is loving her life. 

Back together with Apophis, relationships with her daughters are the best they've ever been, and she has three children she can grandmother all she wants. Then he shows up in her town and her life is changed forever. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rhiannon Futch
• Release date: Apr 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734100235

Book preview

One

Selena

I look around at the new building that my, now shared, business resides in. Stainless steel all over, windows for miles. Separate rooms for herbal creation, packing, and offices for myself and my new partners, Luna and Brigid. Healing after the kidnapping last year had taken a really long time because of the poison on the blade and I had needed help to maintain the business. The scar would be a permanent reminder, but I don’t really mind the way it looks. Even if it is unusual for a goddess to have a scar of any sort. Dwayne certainly hasn’t minded and Nyx doesn’t seem bothered by it either.

Selena. Hello. Luna waves her hands in front of my face, Come back to us from whoever you might be thinking about right now…

I snap back to the present and blush as I realize my mother and Brigid have been speaking to me for the past several minutes and I have been off thinking about Dwayne and Nyx, again. I’m sorry, what did I miss?

Luna and Brigid smile at me, It would appear you miss Dwayne and Nyx, Luna laughs, you should probably get that sorted. It has been long enough with you not making a commitment to one or the other.

My blush deepens, I know. It’s just that Nyx has this whole other life that she has been living all this time and I don’t want to take that from her and have her trying to fit into this life. And Dwayne, well, I sigh heavily, his uncle wants to step down from leading their pack. Dwayne is the heir. He is the only alpha born to his pack this generation. None of the current children in the pack are alphas. Nathan isn’t either. I feel like he is going to have to leave me at some point… I drift off staring out one of the huge windows of the new building. Shaking my head to clear it I look back at Luna and Brigid, What were you asking me about anyway?

Luna reaches across the metal table filled with bins of herbs and brown bags to give my shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, We were asking how your training has been going. We don’t see as much of it these days, not since Ishtar and Lilith rented that building and started their training business here. How is that anyway? Is it a nice place? I imagine it is with those two.

I nod, It is. They made it all about being a powerful, kickass woman at any age, and it looks amazing. They did it up in shades of red with golden accents. Their training rooms are state of the art and they give classes to everyone. Well, not men. But they have spaces set up for the magic users and those who don’t have any magic. I love it. I love my training, and I really love how powerful I feel knowing how to use my powers and my body. It is really an empowering experience unlike any other. I feel so lucky to have them. I should do something for Aunt Hecate to thank her, what do you think Mom?

Luna purses her lips in thought and exchanges a glance with Brigid, I think maybe just invite her over more? Make her feel part of your family. She has been watching over you for a long time, I think the thing she would like most in return is to be part of your life. It’s funny. When we were all young and new to this planet we were all capricious and violent and we did as we pleased with little to no regard for what harm we caused. We eventually grew up and most of us became better people. Hecate was a very… um… bloodthirsty goddess once upon a time. Much more so than now and with less concern over who the blood came from. I think all of us that changed our ways feel a bit like we owe some good to the world since our behavior really brought out some of the worst in humans. I think, and this is just my opinion, I think she sees some of that good in you and she wants to preserve it.

Brigid nods, I agree. All of us were pretty bloodthirsty in our own ways and we caused as much chaos as we prevented. I know I spend a lot more time working to heal people and, in my own way, make up for some of the things I did that still haunt me. I don’t imagine Hecate is any different. We all have our ghosts and things we do to try and make peace with them.

I nod, hands busy filling orders, I would love to have her be more a part of my life. How do I get an invite to her anyway?

Luna laughs, She is probably listening right now. Every one of us can tune in to the conversation when some one is speaking of us and says our name.

My eyes go round as my hands still, What? All of us? Me too? Why hasn’t anyone told me this? For fuck’s sake, that is useful. How do I do that?

Luna and Brigid chuckle sadly, We haven’t mentioned it because not everything everyone says about you will be nice. We didn’t want to burden you with that, Luna and Brigid exchange a sad glance before Luna continues, but, if you want to we can certainly tell you how.

I look at them in disbelief, Yes. I want to know how. And I would like to remind you that one of my dearest friends tried to kill me last year and I still have the scars to show for it. If I could have overheard her and Jemma talking about me, fuuuck. Mom. How much of that stuff last year could I have prevented?

Luna shrugs, You have a point. What you do is this, focus your mind on your name. She waits while I set aside the order I was working to fill and close my eyes, when I appear still and focused Luna continues, Now, make your name into stretchy energy. Send it out in all directions as far as it will go, you will feel it when it can’t go any farther. Then just tie it off. You don’t have to think about it all the time or put any further effort into maintaining it. Once you tie it off, it is there till you die.

I nod, eyes still closed, lips pursed in concentration. I smile wide when I get it set and my eyes pop open to look at Luna and Brighid, I got it!

They smile indulgently at me, though the smile never reaches their sad eyes. I get back to work as Brigid asks how I like the new house.

I smile even bigger, I love it so much. With everyone staying at Dad’s it felt pretty crowded at times. And, it was his house. With his decor and furnishings and I just wanted my stuff, you know? I love having Dwayne with me in my house. Even if I feel like the time we will have to be together is growing short. I look away from them, out the window as I blink my eyes rapidly to clear them.

Brigid finishes up an order and asks me, Why does his responsibility to the pack mean you cannot be together?

I take a deep breath, I am not really clear on the details. We have a date night coming soon and we plan to talk about it then, since we will have time alone when we aren’t tired after full days working and kids and whatever else comes our way in the course of the day. I grab a bunch of the orders I have packaged and announce that I am going to go get them packed for shipping.

Luna looks at Brigid who shrugs and says, I guess we are done with that conversation.

Two

Hayden

I watch him as he dozes. The sex we just had was mind-blowing, I have never had so many orgasms as when I am with him. My god, my everything. If only I could rid him of his obsession with Luna. Not that I had room to talk about obsessions, I am certainly obsessed with ridding the world of my rival, Selena. Once she was gone, and Luna made Apollo’s prisoner, I could devote all my time to convincing Apollo that Luna had never been worth his time to begin with and then we could just kill her and there would be no reason for us not to focus on each other. Apollo shifts to look at me and says,