Chapter 2 The Pack

Luna’s heart raced as she stood frozen in the middle of the cabin. The name "Ronan" echoed in her mind like a bell, a chill of fear washed over her. She didn’t know who or what Ronan was, but the fear in the man’s voice was undeniable. 

“Who is Ronan?” Luna asked, timidly. 

Silence. The only sound came from the noise crackling in the fire. That warmth felt very far away from the danger she suspected was outside.

Another knock, softer this time, then the voice returned. “Open the door, Luna. We need to talk. We don’t have a lot of time.” 

Her fingers tightened around the blankets around her shoulders, tightening all the fear swelling inside. All her instincts screamed for her to run, but she didn’t know where to go. She didn’t know the forest. The nearest town was miles away. These men or whatever they were seemed to know her, and if they knew her name, what else had they figured out? 

Luna swallowed hard. Her mind raced through the options she had. Maybe she could get out the back and run away or… she could go to face whoever was on the other side of the door and trust they weren’t lying. 

"Luna, please." This voice was different this time: quieter. Calmer. "We're not going to hurt you. You simply have to trust us." 

She flicked her eyes back to the window, where the glowing eyes of the men continued to watch from the other side of the room. She couldn't see their faces clearly enough, but something about them just unsteady-ed her in a way that she couldn't articulate.  They seemed primal somehow, almost otherworldly. 

Taking a breath, Luna moved toward the door, her feet soundless on the wooded floor. She hovered her hand over the knob, her fingers trembling slightly. She paused.

"Five minutes," she said back through the door, "I'll give you five minutes to tell me who you are and how you know my name." 

There was a long pause on the other side of the door until the voice responded, "That’s all we need." 

Luna unclipped the lock and slowly opened the door, her heart hammering in her chest. The cool of the night air rushed in with the smell of pine and earth. There were three figures standing in the doorway, towering over her with the moonlight engulfing their silhouettes. 

She stepped back, her breath catching in her throat as she fully comprehended how her sight would validate what she was sensing. 

The man at the front had disheveled dark hair and piercing green eyes that were illuminated by the moonlight. His expression was hard but not unkind, he had a muscular frame with an air of tension about him, like a snake ready to bite at any moment. Behind him were two other men: one had golden-brown, almost tan hair (she thought of him as an adventurer man) with a rough jawline sharper than a cake knife and the other had jet black hair and the brooding, quiet thoughts of the other man revealed in deep blue eyes. 

These men were not merely tall- they were enormous with bodies full of carefully creating strength and power. But there was something more, as if they were not just men and that a feral trait danced just below the surface. They exuded an aura of machiavellian peril and persuasive authority that made her skin tingle with fear and… something she would prefer not to call it.

Luna crossed her arms to combat the emergence of rising fear in her voice, “And who are you?” 

The man with emerald green eyes took a step forward. His gaze was steady and unwavering. “I’m Alec,” he introduced. His voice was low and calm, but there was a tension and urgency present. “These are my brothers, Jax and Kade.”

Jax, the golden haired one, only gave Luna a brief nod, but she noted his hazel eyes flitted over her frame with childish curiosity. Kade, the dark-haired brother who loomed large, remained silent and still, his piercing gaze resting on her angle and never leaving Luna’s face.

"And how do you know my name?" Luna asked, taking a step back rather than invite them inside. Whatever slate they presented, she did not wish to be intoxicated by it on her own doorstep. These strangers were standing at her door in the cold of night and have no business guessing to know more about her than they should.

Alec's narrowed eyes softened a fraction, but his composure remained resolute. "We have been watching over you...protecting you." 

"What do you mean by watching over me?" Luna blinked in surprise. "And why?"

“That was my question as well," Alec replied. "From Ronan. He's searching for you." Alec’s voice grew darker. “He knows what you are.” 

"What I am?" Luna repeated, the confusion swirling in her mind. "I’m just a person. A human. What do you mean, ‘what I am’?”

Alec pursed his lips and shared a glance with Jax and Kade. His jaw tightened once more, "You’re not just human, Luna. You’re a moon-bearer.”

The word hung in the air, a foreign and strange word ringing in her ears as the meaning did not compute. “A moon-bearer?” she repeated, shaking her head. "What the hell…is that supposed to mean?” 

Jax stepped in closer and added, “It means you are one of the last of a strong bloodline.” His voice was rougher than Alec’s and he gazed at her intently. “Your kind can control werewolves on the full moon.”

Luna stared back at him, lost. “Werewolves? You are telling me werewolves are real?”

Alec nodded gravely. “And you are standing in front of three of them.”

Luna’s breath caught in her throat. “You… you’re wolves?” She took a step back, panic bubbling in her chest.

Alec said quickly, raising his hands in a placating manner. “We’re not going to hurt you. We’re here to protect you from Ronan, who has been hunting moon bearers for many years, and if he gets to you, he will find a way to use your power to destroy everything.”

Luna was dizzy trying to process the impossible statements being spoken. Werewolves. Moon bearers. A dangerous man named Ronan wanted her. None of it made any sense, but the eyes of the men in front of her were primal enough, honest enough, to tell her what they were saying was true.

“Why me?” she whispered, her voice quavering. “I don’t have any power. I don’t know anything about being a moon-bearer.”

“You don’t know it yet,” Alec said quietly, “but it’s in your blood, which is why Ronan wants you; and we are here, too.” 

“Also,” Jax added, half-smiling, “it’s why, you can’t stay here alone.” 

“No, no! This is crazed.” Luna shook her head and backed up further into the safety of the cabin. “What do you mean? You want me to go with you?”

“If you want to survive,” Alec replied, his voice low, serious; “yes. You are not safe here with Ronan getting closer.”  

Kade, who had been quiet up until now, decided it was time to talk. He carried a quiet intensity to his words. "You don't know it yet, Luna, but the full moon is approaching. And everything will change."

Luna's heart pounded in her chest as she looked from one man to the next, the world she had known really was falling apart, and she didn't know what to believe anymore. But the look in their eyes told her one thing was certain - the danger was real and so were they.

"Okay," she whispered softly. "I'll go with you."

Alec nodded with a softening face. "We will take care of you, I promise."

As Luna began to gather her belongings, a niggling feeling began to creep to the back of her mind.

If these men were telling the truth then her whole life was about to change in more ways than she could contemplate.