Five days later and we were as prepared as we were going to be.
While the pack was understandably surprised by my declaration of war at the meeting, many of them were just as blood-thirsty and eager for revenge as I was.
We had given Jospeh the farewell he deserved the following night. His closest friends smoked his specialty cuban cigars as we held the vigil to burn his body, releasing his spirit and freeing him to join the Goddess of the Moon for all of eternity.
Reed had barely spoken to me, unless it was for strategy purposes or relaying training reports. Even then, he kept his distance and wouldn't make eye contact. He hadn't even objected when I told him I wanted him to lead a separate squadron that would put us on opoosite sides of enemy territory.
I could feel my sexual frustrations rising since I had gone almost a week without a release, but refused to call on Ivan since that would only jam the metaphorical knife I stabbed Reed
By five in the afternoon, we were only five miles from our intented camp spot. We had used what information we had from previous scouts and satellite mapping to choose the location. It was located on top of a hill looking down on Phantom territory. There were large boulders around the clearing on the hill that we could hide behind until nightfall. We had only stopped a few times to snack on granola bars and rest our legs. Luckily, we were all in such great physical shape that our journey hadn't taken much of a toll on our bodies. I'd offered more than once to take my pack from Ivan, but he had refused each time and muttered something about it helping him get his pump on. A mile from our site, the hair on the back of my neck stood and I had the sudden feeling we were being watched. I stopped and dropped to a crouch postition. The werewolves behing me reacted quickly and copied me, while Ivan protectively leapt in front of me. We all scanned the thick woods around us a
Drip...drip....drip. I heard the noise through the black tunnel I was trapped in. It was distant at first but getting closer, or maybe I was going closer towards it. Drip...drip... And that smell. What was it? It was vaguely familiar but I didn't know why. Drip. The repetitive sound was penetrating through the fog that emcompassed my mind and bringing me out of what felt like a deep sleep. I tried to crack an eye but my eyelid, which felt like it weighed a thousand pounds for some reason, would not cooperate. I mustered all of my strength and struggled as I tried again, finally able to let only a sliver of dim light through. As soon as the brightness hit my pupil, I instantly regretted it. A throbbing pain exploded in my head and ricocheted around in my skull. What the hell was wrong with me? And where was I? I braced myself and peeked through my lashes in an effort to recognize my surroundings.&n
My phone vibrated against the glass nightstand beside my four poster bed. All I had wanted was four hours of rest, but sleep was eluding me these days. Ever since my father, Alpha of our Selenian Pack had died six months ago, I was woken up within minutes of closing my eyes."What do you want?" I snapped after reaching for the device and answering the call.Reed's deep, husky voice sounded from the speaker. "Luna, there's been movement on the eastern boundary.""Did you send scouts?" I asked even though I was fully aware he had already had.Reed was my Beta, second in command, and a great one at that. He had assumed the position after his father, also a Beta was killed in the same battle that claimed my father's life. "Of course. Ivan and his team swept the lower canyon. Lionus and Devin took the ridge." He said in a manner that made me think he was offended I even had to ask. "They didn't find anything. There was no activity on
"Come in!" I shouted, not bothering to lift my head from my arms.I heard the old wooden door creak open and instantly recognized the scent of the werewolf that entered my home. Reed smelled like the forest after a rainstorm. Notes of cedar and earth combined with a musk that was distinctly male, the latter developing in our teen years."Hey, Bri-...Luna" He quickly corrected himself when my head shot up as a warning not to use the nickname he had called since we were pups. I wouldn't allow it. I physically could not.Ever since I had assumed the role as Luna, the intense urge to establish dominance over every pack member was in full force.My dad had warned me that would happen when I became Luna. He'd told me since I was little that one day his power would shift to me and I would become something new. My old self would blend with a feral, ancient instinct that would make me the strongest female werewolf in the pack- the strongest in an
My gaze softened as I looked at the handsome Beta standing in my entryway. Reed Vonn looked like a male model with the body of a professional athlete. His toffee colored hair was kept short on the sides and longer on top. The cut accentuated his boxy jaw and played into every girl's all american boy fantasy.It wasn't until high school that I found myself attracted to Reed. Before that, we were just best friends that would play pretend-battle and shift to run together in the woods at night after school. My dad and I would go over to their house almost every day of the week so Mrs. Vonn could make us dinner while he and his Beta talked over business. She enjoyed taking care of us after my mom passed away.Junior year of high school is when Reed and I's relationship matured into something new. A group of girls had been been trying to flirt with him in front of me in the hallway. I felt intensely territorial over him and possesively took his hand in mind. I twirled
Three minutes later, after putting our clothes back on and dumping the rest of my coffee into a to-go mug, we closed the front door to my house and walked down the stone pathway towards Reed's old jeep wrangler. I inhaled deeply and let my heightened sense of smell pick up all the details in the air. Summer was drawing to a close and hints of chimney smoke and mist from the mountains were colliding with the last remnants of the season. Reed would have to put the top back on his jeep soon.I climbed into the passenger seat as the Beta turned his key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Before putting it in gear, he reached behind me to the backseat and grabbed a plastic container. He placed the box on my lap and said, "My mom made these for you."My stomach growled in anticipation as I popped open the lid and saw a dozen of Mrs. Vonn's homeade apple cider muffins, my favorite. She always used to make them for me whenever she bab
I threw open the door to the old gymnasium and was greeted by the shouts and grunts of my pack, who were paired off into training groups. The place smelled of sweat and blood mixed with rubber from the wrestling mats and bleach that was used to clean the narrow planks of hardwood flooring.My warriors could be seen in every corner of the one hundred year old gym. They were throwing punches and kicks, rolling to the side to avoid impact, and hurdling over backs to put their opponents into chokeholds.This was the first training shift of the day. One would be in human form, since both versions of our bodies would be strengthened if one was. The first daily session was always in human form since we couldn't shift in daylight. Transforming into our werewolf bodies was only possible at night- or on the lucky days when the moon shown in the sky even while the sun was still out.At night, we would train in our preferred fighting form. As soon as the moonlig
I turned the lever of the bathtub all the way to the left and watched as the claw foot tub began to fill with hot water. I added a few drops of my favorite lavender and sandalwood bath oil and inhaled deeply as the steam swirlded the scent around me. I was in desperate need of a soak. My body was covered in sweat and my muscles were sore. I didn't know if that was from the hours of night training or my steamy romp with Ivan, who had just left my house- probably a combination of both. I stepped into the tub, slowly sliding down the back of it and stretching my legs out. I breathed in the relaxing lavender mist and sighed as the tension in my muscles eased. I let my head fall back on the bath pillow on the porcelein edge and centered myself, knowing I needed to commit to a path that would determine my future. I began to make a pros and cons list in my head. First for Reed. "Let's go over the postives" I thought out loud. Th
Drip...drip....drip. I heard the noise through the black tunnel I was trapped in. It was distant at first but getting closer, or maybe I was going closer towards it. Drip...drip... And that smell. What was it? It was vaguely familiar but I didn't know why. Drip. The repetitive sound was penetrating through the fog that emcompassed my mind and bringing me out of what felt like a deep sleep. I tried to crack an eye but my eyelid, which felt like it weighed a thousand pounds for some reason, would not cooperate. I mustered all of my strength and struggled as I tried again, finally able to let only a sliver of dim light through. As soon as the brightness hit my pupil, I instantly regretted it. A throbbing pain exploded in my head and ricocheted around in my skull. What the hell was wrong with me? And where was I? I braced myself and peeked through my lashes in an effort to recognize my surroundings.&n
By five in the afternoon, we were only five miles from our intented camp spot. We had used what information we had from previous scouts and satellite mapping to choose the location. It was located on top of a hill looking down on Phantom territory. There were large boulders around the clearing on the hill that we could hide behind until nightfall. We had only stopped a few times to snack on granola bars and rest our legs. Luckily, we were all in such great physical shape that our journey hadn't taken much of a toll on our bodies. I'd offered more than once to take my pack from Ivan, but he had refused each time and muttered something about it helping him get his pump on. A mile from our site, the hair on the back of my neck stood and I had the sudden feeling we were being watched. I stopped and dropped to a crouch postition. The werewolves behing me reacted quickly and copied me, while Ivan protectively leapt in front of me. We all scanned the thick woods around us a
Five days later and we were as prepared as we were going to be.While the pack was understandably surprised by my declaration of war at the meeting, many of them were just as blood-thirsty and eager for revenge as I was.We had given Jospeh the farewell he deserved the following night. His closest friends smoked his specialty cuban cigars as we held the vigil to burn his body, releasing his spirit and freeing him to join the Goddess of the Moon for all of eternity.Reed had barely spoken to me, unless it was for strategy purposes or relaying training reports. Even then, he kept his distance and wouldn't make eye contact. He hadn't even objected when I told him I wanted him to lead a separate squadron that would put us on opoosite sides of enemy territory.I could feel my sexual frustrations rising since I had gone almost a week without a release, but refused to call on Ivan since that would only jam the metaphorical knife I stabbed Reed
I peered around the yard, looking for any sign of the trespasser. When I didn't hear, see or smell anyone, I followed the fading scent up to my back porch. The sweatshrit and pants I had set down were now rumpled on the grass and the letters- they were gone. I quickly shifted back into human form, anxious to have my hands to rummage around for them. An engine screamed into my driveway and I could hear gravel fly into the nearby boulders as the tires screeched to a halt. I was on my hands and knees, searching frantically in the lawn for the lost papers. Reed ran around the back of the house and spotted me. "Luna!" He rushed over to me. "I heard your call. What's wrong? What are you doing?" Thundering paws sounded throught the forest behind us, alerting us both to my pack warriors approaching. Reed, not wanting to the rest of the wolves to see me naked, grabbed the sweathshirt from off the ground and threw
All three of us stood frozen in place, not knowing what to say or how to break the awkward silence.I steeled my nerves, attempting to choke down my blazing embarrassment. This what not the way I had planned on revealing I'd marry Reed.I lifted my head slowly, unsure what reactions to expect from the two men standing at the desk with me.I chanced a glance at Reed first. He still leaned over Joseph's torso with the old key in his grip. His eyes shimmered and a faint pink flushed his cheeks. A breathtaking smile slowly appeared on his beautiful face, crinkling his eyes triumphantly. He straightened and laid the key on the desk, taking a step to get closer to me when Ivan suddenly blurted "Well, congratuations to the happy fucking couple!"My eyes shot over to him in surprise. He glowered at Reed and his lips snarled as he turned on his heel and moodily retreated from the room. That was weird. I could feel the jealousy and putrid disdian
My breathing stilled and I willed my legs to move backwards in order to get me out of this murder scene, but I couldn't feel them anymore. I tried anyway and stumbled back, bumping into something hard- Reed. I gasped for air, feeling as though I had been holding my breath for minutes. My saw spots in my vision and felt my body swaying. My knees buckled and Reed caught me before I could crumple to the ground.He spun me around and held me to his chest. He supported my body weight while I hyperventilated, tears spilling from my burning eyes."I've got you." He said, trying to prop me on my feet. "I've got you, Bri. It's ok. You're ok." My sneakers finally found the carpeted floor and Reed wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tightly to his body. "Breath with me, calm down.." I clung to his shoudlers as I tried to control my rapid intakes of air. I felt his chest expand slowly beneath my head, his shirt wet with my tears.Reed cradled me
I turned the lever of the bathtub all the way to the left and watched as the claw foot tub began to fill with hot water. I added a few drops of my favorite lavender and sandalwood bath oil and inhaled deeply as the steam swirlded the scent around me. I was in desperate need of a soak. My body was covered in sweat and my muscles were sore. I didn't know if that was from the hours of night training or my steamy romp with Ivan, who had just left my house- probably a combination of both. I stepped into the tub, slowly sliding down the back of it and stretching my legs out. I breathed in the relaxing lavender mist and sighed as the tension in my muscles eased. I let my head fall back on the bath pillow on the porcelein edge and centered myself, knowing I needed to commit to a path that would determine my future. I began to make a pros and cons list in my head. First for Reed. "Let's go over the postives" I thought out loud. Th
I threw open the door to the old gymnasium and was greeted by the shouts and grunts of my pack, who were paired off into training groups. The place smelled of sweat and blood mixed with rubber from the wrestling mats and bleach that was used to clean the narrow planks of hardwood flooring.My warriors could be seen in every corner of the one hundred year old gym. They were throwing punches and kicks, rolling to the side to avoid impact, and hurdling over backs to put their opponents into chokeholds.This was the first training shift of the day. One would be in human form, since both versions of our bodies would be strengthened if one was. The first daily session was always in human form since we couldn't shift in daylight. Transforming into our werewolf bodies was only possible at night- or on the lucky days when the moon shown in the sky even while the sun was still out.At night, we would train in our preferred fighting form. As soon as the moonlig
Three minutes later, after putting our clothes back on and dumping the rest of my coffee into a to-go mug, we closed the front door to my house and walked down the stone pathway towards Reed's old jeep wrangler. I inhaled deeply and let my heightened sense of smell pick up all the details in the air. Summer was drawing to a close and hints of chimney smoke and mist from the mountains were colliding with the last remnants of the season. Reed would have to put the top back on his jeep soon.I climbed into the passenger seat as the Beta turned his key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Before putting it in gear, he reached behind me to the backseat and grabbed a plastic container. He placed the box on my lap and said, "My mom made these for you."My stomach growled in anticipation as I popped open the lid and saw a dozen of Mrs. Vonn's homeade apple cider muffins, my favorite. She always used to make them for me whenever she bab