Page 33 of The Gilded Vow
Poseidon’s grin softened as he turned his attention fully to her. “Geri Andersen,” he said, his tone gentler. “Today, you chose eternity. You proved your courage, your loyalty, and your love. Such traits are precious—even among immortals.”
He spread his hands, the air seeming to shimmer like heat over water.
“And so, by the agreement of this council, we welcome you among us as one of the Twelve. You shall henceforth stand as the new Goddess of the Hunt—protector of wild places, keeper of balance, and champion of those who run free.”
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the circle of immortals. Poseidon continued, “May your keen eyes safeguard the forests and skies. May your spirit run as untamed as the wolves whose song sings in your blood. And may Olympus be ever stronger for your presence among us.”
He stepped closer, his towering presence commanding the space around him, and extended his large hand. Geri placed her smaller one into his, trying to mask the flicker of hesitation.
Poseidon bent his head slightly, his voice low as he murmured, just for her, “Let’s hope your place among us lasts longer than mortal whims. The Twelve can be…particular about who truly belongs.”
She managed a polite smile, but her laugh came out quiet and strained.
Until Apollo wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Then she felt the quiet thrum of their bond pulsing like sun-warm light through her chest, steady and reassuring. She glanced at him, remembering his vows and the fierce pride in his eyes, and the chill Poseidon left behind dissolved. A genuinesmile curved her lips as happiness bloomed again, certain that whatever storms awaited, she wouldn’t face them alone.
“My wife. My partner. My goddess,” Apollo addressed the crowd. “Thank you, my family, for welcoming her. For welcomingus.”
From the crowd came nods and murmurs of welcome. Hermes offered a playful salute; Athena dipped her head with solemn approval; Dionysus raised a goblet in a silent toast. And above them all, a gentle breeze stirred the orchard trees as if the Hesperides themselves were whispering their approval.
She looked around at the gathering of immortals, her heart pounding with exhilaration and awe. The wolf inside her howled in triumph. She was still Geri Andersen—a girl from Alaska who loved plants and potting soil. But she was also now the Goddess of the Hunt.
The garden burst into music, lyres and pipes sending sparkling notes into the evening air. Lanterns of soft gold floated up among the branches, casting shifting patterns over tables piled high with ambrosia, fruits glistening like jewels, and delicate pastries dusted with stardust sugar.
Geri stood beside Apollo as gods and immortals converged, offering smiles, embraces, and toasts in gleaming goblets. Laughter rippled like sunlight over water, and dancers wove between columns wreathed in roses, their movements trailing ribbons of shimmering light.
She caught glimpses of Hera speaking graciously to Persephone, of Aphrodite raising a glass in her direction, of Hermes stealing a handful of grapes while pretending innocence. Everywhere she turned, there was color and life and music, as though Olympus itself exhaled in celebration.
And through it all, Apollo never let go of her hand. Each time her nerves threatened to return, she felt his warmthanchoring her, reminding her of the vows they’d spoken beneath the golden tree.
At one point, Apollo leaned closer, his voice low and teasing. “So, my goddess—now that you have powers of your own…what’s the very first thing you’d like to do?”
She grinned, barely needing to think. “I want to go to the Upperworld for Artemis’ baby shower. And see my brother. I miss him.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Of all the things a goddess could wish for, that might be the most perfect answer I’ve ever heard.”
As the stars blinked awake overhead, Geri looked around at the gathered immortals, laughter and song filling the air, and felt a surge of belonging. She was Geri—wolf shifter, mortal-born, but she was also something more now—a goddess in her own right.
She thought of everything that had brought her to this moment—the heartbreaks, the loneliness, the feeling of never quite belonging, even among her own kind. She had journeyed through shadows and pain, forced to carve her own path until she found the one being who truly saw her for who she was.
And in finding Apollo, she’d gained far more than a mate. She’d found love that burned steady as the sun, a place among immortals, and a future that stretched into eternity.
The cost had been high, but as she stood amid the music and starlight, Geri knew she would choose it all again—for this happiness, for this life, for the endless days ahead.
The End.
