Everyone turned to Carly to see her eyes glassy white. “Oracle.” Hecate bowed her head.
“Mother.” Carly’s tiny face smiled. “It has been a long time.”
Hecate nodded as her lips turned up. “How has Selene been treating you?”
Carly grinned. “You saved me a lot of pain taking me from Apollo.” She bowed her tiny body. “I never got to thank you properly.” She sat back up and turned to me. “But I think now I can.”
“What do you mean?” I focused on my pup, but I felt nothing. All my love was dead along with my mate. The guilt hit after my realization. Carly deserved better than what I could give her.
She tilted her head. “You are feeling guilty. But you don’t need to. You are stronger than you feel at this moment. Even if your mate stayed with the goddess, you would still do right by this p
