Chapter 1
Waking up sore and disoriented, I look around the familiar room and smile. Last night I had turned eighteen. I had been welcomed by the pack as a grown adult and told my Beta training will begin soon. Taking a deep breath I breathe in Rune’ scent and grab the pillow he slept on. Rune. My friend. My play mate growing up. And now my Mate. We always tussled with each other during training with each one of us holding our own against the other. I know him. Know that even though he is dating Tanya, he will do what is right by me and tell the pack we are Mates. He already promised me as much last night as we fell asleep in each other’s arms.
My smile turns into a wide grin. Last year I became an orphan when my parents saved Alpha Valor and Rune from a pack of Rogues that snuck into Pine Moon during the early morning. Now I will be the future Luna of the pack, gaining a bigger family in the process with Alpha Valor as my father in law and Gale and Miss Asteria as my Uncle and Aunt.
Speaking of my Mate, I look to the side of the bed Rune slept on and wonder where he had gone. Nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt remains, the clothes smelling like his scent of mint and vanilla. Curious to learn where he went, I reach out through our mind link but come up empty. Something is blocking me. Shocked, I try again, hoping to reach my mate to see if his father knows we are fated by the Goddess, but I get the same results – nothing.
Deciding I need to find my Mate and talk to him face to face about what the next step will be, I grab the clothes he left for me and quickly dress. It is just as I am about to stand from the comfortable bed that the door is slammed open and in walks Tanya Cross and her minions.
“If it isn’t the little home wrecker.” She sneers as she takes a step forward. I bristle at her words and glare at the brunette, hazel eyed she-wolf with the fakest tan I have ever seen and scoff. If anyone is the home wrecker, its her.
“Show some respect for your future Luna. I am Rune’s Mate.” I shoot back, watching as shock, then anger crosses her face. Tanya has always hated me ever since the day she arrived at our pack ten years ago. She is not a true member of Pine Moon, but the daughter of the Alpha to the largest pack in the area Blood Claws. Alpha Valor made some sort of deal with her father ten years ago and Tanya came to live in Pine Moon when she was nine. When she turned fourteen her and Rune started dating she began bullying me for no other reason than that I was friends with Rune and Caspian.
“You will never be Luna of Pine Moon. That position is mine and will always be mine.” She screeches at me. I open my mouth to ask what she means but before I can, her minions are rushing towards me. The strawberry blonde she-wolf called Paisley grabs my hair, yanking it hard and pulling me off the bed and catching me off guard as I fall onto the floor. I can smell the scent of wolfsbane on her fingers and I snarl at her. Wolfsbane is poison to us wolves, how dare they try to use it on a high ranking member of the pack.
Kicking out at Paisley, I manage to connect the heel of my foot into her stomach. She releases me as she is sent flying towards Tanya, crashing into the spiteful bitch. Unfortunately I leave myself open for another attack and the two remaining she-wolves, a red head named Scarlet and a blonde name Ashley, take this chance to claw at me, their nails cutting into my exposed skin. I wince as the wolfsbane on their nails seep in through the wounds they made, feeling it begin to work through my veins. Doing my best to fight back, I send an S.O.S. into the pack link, but I am met with another block.
It is then that I realize something is wrong. The only reason for my pack link not to work is if the Alpha blocked me from mind linking with anyone. Scarlet makes a swipe for my face, but I dodge her just in time and she grazes my shoulder. I wince, my energy slowly being zapped by the wolfsbane poisoning my body.
“What the hell is going on?!” I sigh with relief when I hear a shout. Standing in the door way is Alpha Valor, his angry grey eyes taking in the five of us. Tanya pouts behind him, a bruise on her cheek from where Paisley crashed into her.
“Brynlee attacked Tanya.” Scarlet accuses instantly, pointing her finger at me. I growl at her, turning to the Alpha ready to explain my side of the situation but he growls back.
“I will not have anyone attacking a visiting pack delegate.” He snarls, marching to where I stand and grabbing me by the wrist. His eyes glaze over as he begins to drag me from his son’s room, ordering everyone out before he slams the door. Before I know it, he is dragging me from the third floor and down the stairs, making sure I barely have enough time to stand to my feet while treating me like a filthy Rogue before throwing me outside of the large five story building. I stumble as I try not to fall on my face before turning to glare at the man that is supposed to become my father-in-law.
By now I realized why his eyes glazed over when he grabbed me. He had sent a mind link and as a crowd begins to form, I realize he was linking the pack demanding them to come and witness a public trial. Dread fills me as I wait to see what he has planned. Rune must have told Alpha Valor about us, so why am I being treated like a criminal.
Chapter 2“Brynlee Eclipse, you stand accused of attack my future daughter in law Tanya Cross. For that, you will be demoted to an Omega.” Alpha Valor calls out. My eyes widen and body flinches as I feel my title being ripped from me, my status as a Beta she-wolf being thrown to the wolves as I feel the new title of Omega settle onto me. He literally walked in to me fighting off Scarlet and Ashley, so how could he do this to me.“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” He continues, his grey eyes stone cold. This was not the Alpha I grew up respecting. Not the man my parents died protecting last year. Many in the crowd watch on with anger, either directed at me or towards the Alpha. It is clear by the way the three she-wolves look versus my dishevelled and wounded state that the Alpha is spouting lies.“If I tell you the truth, will you even believe me?” I ask sceptically. I try to reach out to Rune, to ask for his support but my mind link to the pack is still blocked and it is cl
Chapter 3A dull humming of pain wakes me from the darkness, the scent of my home being the first thing I notice as soon as I come to my senses.“Good, you’re awake Brynlee.” Turning to the sound of the voice, I see Miss Asteria standing before me as she removes pictures from frames and carefully sets them into a box. She is meticulous in her packing, making sure not to bend the only images I have of me and my parents.“I don’t want to hear you protest. Gale and I already renounced our status as members of Pine Moon and packed away our house.” She cuts me off as I open my mouth, her hazel eyes staring into mine. I want to say something, to make her change her mind, but Miss Asteria is an Alpha blooded wolf. Once she makes up her mind there is no turning back.“Valor and Rune went too far and you deserve better. I will not stay here while they destroy the pack my ancestors built.” Miss Asteria states as I slowly push myself into a sitting position on my couch. Looking around the room I
Chapter 4“Brynlee, I am vacuum sealing all the bedding.” Miss Asteria calls out, her head popping in the door way. A look of shock fills her eye as she takes in my now empty room before it morphs to one of sympathy. She understands what I am going through as she is also leaving being her ancestral home.“My bedding is on the bed. I wasn’t sure how to pack it.” My voice sounds emotionless and hollow and surprises even me. The calm that washed over me earlier seems to be working. I am holding myself together pushing all the pain and agony from being rejected and banish into a dam inside my mind. Time will tell when the dam will break and all the pain and hurt comes crashing down on me but for now I can manage each task one at a time.“I can pack it up for you while you decide what to do with your parents’ room. I left it for you to pack up.” She pads into the room to where I stand, wrapping her arms around me and pulling my body in for a hug.“Thank you.” I find myself wrapping my arms
Chapter 5“You did the right thing Son.” My father, Alpha Valor, claps me on the shoulder as I watch my Uncle Gale carry Brynlee – my Brynlee – away. My face burns from her claw marks, the pain reminding me that I hurt her all because I was forced to. Judging from how the blood continues to drip down my face, I know these marks will leave a scar. A scar that will match the pain in my heart forever.The pack begins to disperse now that the show is over, some whispering about how the pack will change when my Aunt and Uncle leave. Aunt Asteria was furious when she learned what we had just done to Brynlee before denouncing her role in the pack and breaking all ties with us. She told me I will regret loosing Brynlee and will realize that mindlessly listening to my father will lead me to a life of misery. I asked her if Brynlee had a Mate Beater’s mark like me, but she told me that Brynlee attacked me after I rejected her and there for will not bear the make before she left chasing after Un
Chapter 6Glaring at Rune’s retreating figure, I stand from the floor now that I can breathe again. To think he would find his mate in that slut Brynlee and left me at the party alone to spend the night in her arms. I was furious to learn that she spent the night in his bed, even more furious when I slammed the door open to see her wearing his clothes and covered in his scent. Rune is my play toy and no one can have him but me.“Tanya, why were you on the floor?” Valor walks into the pack house, his own mood soured from the trial outside. It seems getting rid of that slut caused problems with the pack. Many of the pathetic Omegas and lesser Warriors already voiced their opinion on the matter, stating they would rather have Brynlee as their Luna over me. I have a plan to deal with these wolves later as long as Valor keeps Rune in check.“Your son thought to teach me a lesson of respect.” I growl out in frustration, allowing the man before me to see the bruises left on my neck. Valor st
Chapter 7Slinking towards the motel, I shake my fur out as the light misting of rain makes me wet. I am happy that Miss Asteria and Gale chose a motel so close to a forest so that we can stretch our wolf form as it gave me a chance to run free and hunt down a rabbit that I happily gnawed on while mulling over my thoughts. It’s been seven days since we left Pine Moon. Three days that I haven’t been able to shift till this morning. Keeping the dam of pain and emotions at bay in my mind has gotten easier the further we are from Pine Moon and I find myself enjoying the long drives from motel to motel.Shifting to my human form, I find my clothes in the hollow tree I left them in and change, rushing to our room on the first floor and entering it just in time to see Gale and Miss Asteria getting ready to leave.“Did you have a good run?” Gale asks, giving me a hug.“I did. It was needed.” I admit with a small smile.“Well, you have rabbit blood in your hair. I am guessing you went on a qui
Chapter 8.1Glaring at the computer screen in front of me, I read the report sent by the Private Investigator I hired to find Brynlee. Its been a week since she was expelled from Pine Moon and I have slowly come to realize how much I regret what I did. I should have never slapped her, never rejected Brynlee – my Goddess given Mate.The last seven days have been hell for me. Tanya has ramped up her abuse on the Omegas, ordering them around like slaves to prepare for our wedding day in a few months time. Every day, I get reports of her attacking she-wolves that mention my Brynlee and how she would have made a better Luna. It has caused me to placate my pack mates and put Tanya in her place. But when ever I do that, my father indulges Tanya stating that those she-wolves shouldn’t have mentioned Brynlee in Tanya’s presence.It has become a nightmare for me. Always having to perform my duties as heir to reassure pack mates that I am handling Tanya, to dealing with my father yelling at me f
Chapter 8.2Walking through the woods on the outskirts of the pack, I curse myself for being so dumb at loosing track of time and running late. Today Brynlee turned eighteen and as the future Alpha I need to be at her party to congratulate her. To welcome her as a functioning member of the pack. She will begin her Beta training under Jett and will become my Beta when I take over the pack.[Where are you?] Wincing at the sound of my father yelling through the mind link, I roll my eyes and pick up my pace. He seems angrier than usual and me being late does not seem to help.[On my way. I lost track of time in the wood.] I reply back with honesty, deciding to shift into wolf form so that I can move faster. My clothes tear as I shift mid step, my paws hitting the hard forest floor as I take off. The party starts in ten minutes, I need to be there in five to make it in time to change into new clothes and still be on time for the party.[Hurry the fuck up, Rune. Your Aunt will nag me to dea
“We need to take action now!” Quincy shouts, getting a glare from Asteria. He grimaces apologetically, taking a deep breath before looking back at our Alpha“I’m sorry for yelling but this situation is frustrating.” He apologizes, Asteria nodding and accepting his apology.“They are planning to attack us and we are just sitting here doing nothing but watch their messages scroll by!” Quincy adds, slumping back in his seat and running a hand through his hair. Milan, his Mate, takes his hand in hers and visibly calms him down.“We are here to plan what to do.” Asteria answers, looking around the table at each and every one of us. Holten is silent, his eyes focused on the screen as Valor and his allies continue to plan our demise.“Thanks to Brynlee’s quick thinking, we have prepared many shelters for our Pack Mates to run and hide in. Not only that but our shelters have been stocked with many kinds of food that will last years in there.” Gale decides to chime in, his usually smiling face
Watching Brynlee as she sleeps in my arms, my mark permanently etched on her neck, I wonder if this is what true peace really is. A Mate in my arms pregnant with my pup and a Pack that actually respects me not because of a birthright, but because of the work I have done to help the Pack grow stronger. If I had stayed in Pine Moon and married Tanya, I would have never had this.“Rune?” Brynlee calls out quietly, her eyes blinking sleepily as she looks at me.“Yes, baby?” I ask back, caressing her face gently.“Why are you still awake?” She yawns midway through asking me this question, her voice sounding childish and not like the woman that moaned so lewdly that I am sure the whole Pack heard us complete the Mate Bond.“Because I am doing my job and protecting you.” I answer with a chuckle. She hums in acknowledgment before shifting closer against me, falling asleep just as quickly as she woke up. I chuckle, thinking back to when we were pups and I would stay at her house.This was whe
Laying in bed curled around a pillow, my mind races with thoughts of earlier today. Tanya was now Luna of Pine Moon, a title that the Moon Goddess had deemed fit for me months ago. Not only that, but Valor and his allies are now planning war against us for no other reason than the threat Rune, Asteria and I pose.War.I knew that this would be a possibility considering how power-hungry and deranged Valor has turned out to be, but I never thought it would come this soon. Maybe in a year, but those messages are planning the massacre to happen in two months.Rolling over to look at the time on my alarm clock, I sigh as I read twelve-fifty-one in the morning. I know I should sleep, but it is not coming so easily tonight. Tomorrow we will be discussing countermeasures to protect Crescent Phoenix from our enemies and I need to be well rested for it. With a groan, I throw my blanket to the side and push myself into sitting, swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. If sleep won't come to me,
Sitting in front of the mirror I watch the reflection of the Omega who was assigned to me as my Maid finishes the final touches to my hair. In an hour I will be Mated to Valor and become a full member of Pine Moon and Luna of this Pack. I will have power over all the wolves and my pup will become the next heir. It has been a long time coming and finally, I will no longer have to act like a love-sick fool. Valor was just a means to an end, an end that is coming all too soon for him.“There, you are perfect Luna Tanya.” The Omega says meekly, backing away and bowing her head. She trembles slightly when I turn to look at her, the red mark from the lashing on her cheek still visible. Earlier today she had knocked my drink over, spilling it onto my legs and leading to me punishing her. I am glad to see that she learned her lesson and that she now fears and respects me.“I already know I am perfect.” I scoff, glaring at the she-wolf.“But thank you. Now leave me. I have some time before I a
Sitting in the Dining Hall, a mug of hot chocolate in my hand, I watch as Devlyn refills the buffet table. He has grown thinner since last week when me, Ashton, and Rune went to visit him the day after finding out he and Ashton are Mates. He sang like a canary that day, explaining all of Valor’s plans in detail to us, including how he wanted Rune and me dead so that the pup Tanya carries will not have to worry about Rune staking a claim to Pine Moon. Ashton was silent the whole time, watching Devlyn for any hint of a lie. Thankfully for him, Devlyn was truthful and even gave us some suggestions on how to hack into Pine Moon’s cellphone network in order to help us spy on Valor and Tanya.Rune was able to relay this to Gale, who quickly put these suggestions into action while Ashton and Devlyn took some time to talk. When Gale confirmed an hour later that our tech team was able to get into Pine Moon’s network, we decided to call it a day before leaving the dungeons. Ashton seemed happie
Deciding the best place to go is out of the Pack lands and to the nearest coffee shop, Ashton and I sit in silence in my truck as I drive the back roads out of Crescent Phoenix. Since agreeing to a drive, Ashton has silently sat beside me, staring aimlessly out the window. My heart aches for my friend but I know that right now he needs someone who is patient with him. It’s not every day you find out your Soul Mate is considered a criminal in your Pack.The Pack border comes into view as Like a Prayer by Madona comes on the radio. I nod to the wolves on duty, telling them that we will be back within two hours before driving off down the gravel road that once led us to Crescent Phoenix over three months ago. The gravel crunching under the tire mixes with the music on the radio until I turn onto the highway heading towards the nearest town.“What did he do?” Ashton’s voice is quiet but I am just relieved that he is finally talking.“He was a Spy for Valor.” I answer honestly. Ashton stif
Walking through the first floor of the dungeon brought back unwelcomed memories. Memories that made me want to become a stronger she-wolf, a stronger Beta. I am glad that unlike those cells Rune, Caspian, and I were held in as pups, going through the life of prisoners just for the greed of a pack of Rogues, these cells were kept clean thanks to Quincy. I am glad that my Pack agrees that no matter who it is, everyone deserves a clean-living space even if that person is a prisoner. Now, staring at the man cuffed to the interrogation chair, I feel my anger and hatred replace the discomfort I feel. This wolf came to us as a Rogue from the Council. Came to our Pack pretending to be excited to join and then turned out to be a spy for Valor, giving that vial man information of Goddess knows what about Crescent Phoenix. Who knows, they could be on their way here, ready to take us out in our sleep without notice.[So why do you need the ice?] I link Gale, getting a deep chuckle from him, the
Watching Brynlee walk into the stone cottage that houses the dungeon entrance, I feel myself grow anxious. Only a handful of people know about her pregnancy and the thought of Devlyn finding out while interrogating him brings a sour taste to my mouth. If we aren’t careful, Devlyn might be able to hand this information on to Valor and place my Mate and unborn pup in even more danger than we are already in.[Ashton, Jett.] I call out through our mind link, feeling it buzz slightly in annoyance.[Let me guess, Devlyn did something stupid?] Jett asks right away. I sigh, turning to face the two men who lean against Brynlee’s truck watching on from a distance.[Yep. Uncle Gale wants you to grab a few buckets of ice and join us for the interrogation. You can use Brynlee’s truck.] I answer back, feeling Ashton’s confusion through the mind link.[Who is Devlyn?] He asks. This time Jett sighs, confirming that he and Ashton will be back with ice before telling Ashton that he will explain everyth
Something feels off. Like the calm before a storm. It is because of this feeling that I find myself unable to focus while staring blankly at my computer screen wondering just what the hell is happening in my Pack to make me feel so uneasy right now.Rune had been stopped by Gale this morning while the alluring scent of apple strudels took all of my attention. I could tell the two were having a serious conversation and before I could walk over and join them, Rune took off. Worried, I had dropped my apple strudel onto a plate and left it on an empty table before rushing towards the Pack House exit when Gale stopped me.“Rune has something he needs to do.” Gale had said just as I managed to catch sight of Rune shifting into his wolf mid-step and racing off towards the border. Gale kept me from following after him, telling me that as his Beta, Rune had a duty to perform for him and that I needed to go perform mine as Asteria’s Beta. He was adamant that I stayed in the Pack House.Reluctan