Aquila's Tears

The Lunar Star - Part 1

    I had spent most of the day in my office with my foot elevated. The wound had completely healed, but the tendons were still sore. Dr. Bennett had stopped by to check the progress of my ankle and said it would be back to normal by the end of the day. Luckily, he was right, and it was as if it never happened. All that remained was a small crescent shaped scar left on the outside of my right ankle. It no longer hurt to walk on it, so I decided to try my luck and do a small workout routine.

    Ronnie, the newly appointed Beta of the Thunder Moon pack, called interrupting my workout. He wanted to spend the night out, and since I felt back to normal, I had agreed to meet him at the Lunar Star later that night. I hung up and finished my workout. Afterwards, I showered and grabbed a bite to eat from the kitchen. Alonso had left for the night, so I grabbed some left overs from the fridge and ate in silence.

    “How are you feeling, Zane?” my grandmother was standing in the doorway. Her long grey hair was rolled up into a neat bun at the back of her head, and her green eyes were squinted up into a large smile. She walked over to me and patted me on the back.

    “I’m feeling all better, Nona.” I smiled back at her.

    “That’s good. I’m glad and just in time for tonight.” She gleamed as she shuffled over to the fridge, opened it, and pulled out a pitcher of milk. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard, poured a glass and placed it in front of me before putting the pitcher back into the fridge.

    “What’s going to happen tonight?” I asked her as I examined the glass of milk now before me.

    “Something spectacular, Zane. You will see it will be a truly special night. The cards told me so! I am so excited for you. Now drink up! The milk will help ease your nerves.” She kissed me on the cheek and then shuffled out of the kitchen without another word.

    “Man, your grandmother is weird.” Titus chuckled.

    “Yeah, well she is the Lunar Pack oracle. I wonder what she was going on about. She’s usually never this cryptic when she gets a message from reading her tarot cards.” I scratched my head trying to think of what she could be hinting at.

    “Well you better drink your milk. She may be a little coo-coo, but I still trust her instincts.”

    “I guess you’re right.” I said before downing the milk. I rinsed my dishes in the sink, and then placed them in the dishwasher before heading back up to my room.

    “I guess this will do” I sighed to myself as I stared at myself in the mirror unsure. I was wearing a black t-shirt that had a simple white feather pattern on it underneath a black blazer, dark washed fitted jeans, black socks, and a pair of black matte Chelsea boots. The blazer showed off my broad shoulders and fit physique while the fitted jeans made my legs appear longer giving the illusion that I was even taller than my 6’3” frame.

    Before heading out I made sure I had my wallet and phoned my father’s driver to meet me out front. As I stepped outside of the house a strong breeze caught my breath and I was stunned by the sudden sweetness of the air. The gardens were in full bloom and their scent was often overwhelming, but tonight it felt different. The sun had already gone down. The stars twinkled in the sky up above in between the clouds. The moon was hidden, but a moonbeam would occasionally shine down. The driver pulled the car around. I opened the door and slid in.

    I had been here what felt like a million times, but something felt different when I stepped out of the car. The air seemed lighter, and the lights of the entrance seemed brighter. I walked up the steps to the front doors foregoing the long line that now wrapped around the building and pooled into the back-parking lot.

    “So good to see you, Zane.” the bouncer said as he let me through the front door.

    “You too, Reggie. I hope today has gone by smoothly” I nodded as I slipped past him.

    “You know,” he said looking down at the exclusive guest list “The usual, boss. Have a good night.”

    “You too.”

    When you first walk in you enter on the 2nd level. All of the walls are painted black, and the floors are black marble with flecks of quartz that glistened in the dim lighting. The center of the room opens up to a massive dance floor with black stairs lined with rope lights on all sides that lead up to the bars. There are bars with bartenders that line the walls on either side of the 2nd floor, and in the back-left corner is the VIP lounge area which is elevated for a better view of the dance floor below. From the ceiling hung various star shaped lights and a giant moon that had the option to change colors. Tonight, the moon was a pale pink. In front of the dance floor there was an elevated stage that was in between the first and second floors. Currently there was a DJ playing. At the back of the stage there were various light bars that threw out random shapes and colors of light into the crowd. At the front of the stage there were giant speakers that shook the crowd.   

    I headed to the bar, ordered a whisky on the rocks, and made my way to the VIP lounge where I could see Ronnie on the first row with his arms draped around two girls in their early 20’s who were grinning from ear to ear and no doubt laughing at one of his dumb jokes. I noticed a couple of the other pack members were also in the VIP lounge. The VIP area had large black couches with cocktail tables spread about. The room was raked like theater seating. There were about 3 rows but each row was six feet higher than the previous, and there was a safety railing at the edge of each row to prevent people from falling. Kellina, our pack Delta, was on the second row and had her back turned to me expressively telling a story to one of the other pack members. As soon as I approached the stairs to the VIP lounge, she whipped around stumbling slightly to greet me before Ronnie noticed I was there.

    “So nice of you to join us, Zane!” Kellina slurred her words. “We were starting to think that Ronnie over there was lying to us about you coming.” She must have started the night off early.

    “Fashionably late as ever” Ronnie called out from his seat with his arms still wrapped around the two girls who giggled to each other. He motioned for a round of shots for us to the VIP wait staff.

    “Yeah, yeah. I’m here now, so the party can really begin.” I made my way up to the third row  and took a deep swig of my whisky. I leaned over the railing and peered out into the swarm of dancing bodies below. They all seemed to be having so much fun down there. Not a care in the world. The Luna Star didn’t have a dress code, so it was always fun to see all of the different fashions that would come through the club doors over the years. The party tonight was a mess of colors both neon and pastel with splashes of the classic black and white. While scanning the crowd my eye was caught by this beautiful redhead who was dancing with two of her friends, and it felt like my heart stopped.

    “Mate!” Titus’ voice was rough and ragged in my mind.

    “Impossible” I thought as I stared at the red headed human with the tiny frame and luscious curves. “She’s not even a werewolf, Titus.”

    “I don’t make up the rules. It’s like she’s calling to us! It has to be her!” Titus howled.

    Not knowing what to say or do I just watched her as she danced with her friends. The way she moved made my heart thud loudly in my chest, and my palms felt clammy against the whisky glass. I had never felt like this before. I had dated in the past, but nothing made me feel like this. My stomach was doing flips, so I downed the rest of my whisky to try to settle it. There was no way my father would approve of the future Alpha of the Thunder Moon pack to be mated with a mere human. I knew there was nothing I could do. I would have to avoid her.

    “Your shot, sir” the waitress pushed her tray out in front of me, breaking me from my thoughts.

    “Thank you” I muttered as I took the shot and downed it without looking at the others. My eyes were glued to her.

    “Hey man, are you good?” Ronnie had gotten up and stood beside me. I noticed the two girls were still on the first row and were taking selfies. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

    “I’m…” I hesitated not knowing what to say and my brain felt foggy “I’m fine.” Ronnie followed my gaze down to the dance floor but wasn’t able to pinpoint her.

    “I know that look!” Ronnie whacked me on the back hard “You’ve spotted your mate, haven’t you?! Well what are you waiting for? Go talk to her!”

    “Hush,” I gave Ronnie a death glare. “It’s not that simple. Don’t let the others hear you. They’ll start spreading rumors.” Luckily, Kellina was too wrapped up in her story telling, and the others were too busy listening to notice us.

    “Alright, you don’t have to tell me, but eventually the truth always comes out. How about another round of shots?” Ronnie motioned for another round again. “You know,” he said softer this time “it won’t hurt to at least introduce yourself, but in the meantime come hang out with the rest of us.” 

    He walked down to the second row and plopped down on the couch joining in on Kellina’s story. The two girls that were with Ronnie earlier joined him once again sitting on either side of him with his arm draped around them. I didn’t bother to glance at the dance floor again. I stood up and joined the group on the second level. I could feel Titus’ unease and discontent of staying put, but I eased my mind with another shot and began to socialize with the rest of the pack members. Slowly I let my guard down and allowed myself to enjoy the evening.

    After a couple of drinks I needed to relieve myself. I made my way down the VIP stairs to the 2nd floor and over to the restroom which was located in the back right corner of the club in between the bars. I glanced at the dance floor, but I didn’t see her with her friends, but my senses told me she was still here. I shook the thought of her out of my mind and went into the bathroom to take a leak. I washed my hands, and then splashed water onto my face. I balanced myself with one forearm on the mirror and glared at myself.

    “Get your s**t together.” I thought to myself “You are the future alpha of the Thunder Moon pack. You can’t be mated with a damn human!”

    “You know you don’t get a choice in this. If she is our mate and you reject her you’ll live your days out alone, or have to settle for a chosen mate, and we all know how those types of relationships turn out. As an Alpha you must have a mate eventually to birth the next heir.” Titus tried to rationalize with me.

    “It’s not going to work” I say out loud as I storm out of the bathroom.

    “Hey!” I hear a woman shriek “Let go of me, Derek! This isn’t funny!”

    I turn to my right and it’s her. She is even more lovely than I had first imagined. Her hazel eyes were contorted in fear, and her lush pink lips were down turned in a scowl, but she was as beautiful as a goddess. There was a man with brown hair, lanky, and about six-feet tall with his hand tightly gripping her forearm pulling her away from one of the bars, and towards one of the private party rooms. She was smacking at his hand and digging in her nails trying to get him to release him, but he held on tight. No one else was paying attention to them. I saw red and just as I began to charge forwards towards them I heard her scream.

    “Let me go!”

    There was a sudden crackle of electricity instantly replaced with the scent of burning flesh. The man released her screaming and clutching the arm that had been restraining her in pain. The second he let go she took off running into the dance floor below. The man began to chase after her, but I was there in an instant to stop him. I grabbed him hard by the shoulder and squeezed with all of my might. He yelped out in pain still grabbing at his injured arm.

    “Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” I growled. I motioned for one of the bartenders to call security, and they were there in a flash. They took the man back into one of the back offices for questioning. I scanned the crowd for the girl and her friends. They were climbing the stairs and heading towards the door. Right before she exited, she turned, and we locked eyes. My heart lurched forward and the look on her face said she felt it too, but before she could react her friends grabbed her and pulled her out of the club and onto the main street. I stepped forward to go after her, but someone grabbed my shoulder.

    “Now I thought you said you didn’t spot your mate.” Ronnie released his grip on my shoulder, and I turned to face him “It doesn’t seem like a good time to go chasing after humans. Don’t worry your secret's safe with me. I am your Beta after all.” He smiled apologetically.

    “Now is not the time” I growled. “We need to make sure that man never comes back here again. Go make sure of that. If I go, I may right out kill him.”

    “You got it, Boss.” Ronnie headed off towards the back offices to handle the situation.

    I headed to the bar to talk to the nearby bartenders to try and find out more information on what happened. Monica, one of the bartenders, knew a lot more than I had anticipated. It seems the trio had run out on their tab as well during the commotion, but Monica actually knew the girl and vouched for her and said she knew she’d pay once she realized. I told her I would personally pay the tab. The look on her face was priceless. She probably didn’t understand why the owner of the club would want to pay out of pocket for a ditched check. I wanted to make sure she got her tip since I know bartenders have it rough dealing with the drunk public.

    While filling out the credit card receipt Monica explained that the woman’s name was Aurora, and her friends were Mira and Cal. The man who had grabbed her was actually both Aurora and Monica’s ex-boyfriend, Derek. Apparently, Derek had cheated on Aurora with Monica for several months, but when they found out about each other the women broke up with him. Monica said she considered Aurora a friend and they would talk a lot. Recently, Aurora had told her that Derek had started showing up at her work and leaving her flowers at her front door. She was so shocked to see Derek grab Aurora that she froze and didn’t know what to do, and that she was so happy that I had intervened. I thanked Monica for the information and handed her a hundred-dollar bill as a tip. I reassured her that Derek was not allowed in the club, and if she saw him to call the police.

    The truth was I didn’t intervene. Aurora defended herself somehow possibly with a taser. That would explain the buzzing sound and the smell of burnt flesh. That had to be a powerful taser though to actually burn his flesh. I walked to the back offices and knocked on the door where they had taken Derek.

    “What the hell man?! She’s my girlfriend, it was just a misunderstanding!” Derek shrilled “I didn’t do nothing! She’s the one that tased me!”

    “She is not your girlfriend” I growled. “One of the bartenders knows you and your relationship with Aurora.” Derek didn’t respond, he just stared at the floor.

    “Lying bastard! You said you didn’t see her with a taser. So did she have the damn taser or not?!” Ronnie barked at Derek making him shrink in his chair a bit.

    “I don’t know, man. I didn’t see it, but what the hell else could have done this? It f*****g hurts!” he whined as he pushed his sleeve further up his arm.

    There were lightning bolt shaped burn marks racing up his arm. It looked as though he had been struck by lightning, not a taser. Ronnie grabbed Derek’s arm and anchored it to the table as he quickly snapped photos with his arm. Derek looked up at him horrified, unable to move his arm.

    “For evidence” Ronnie muttered with a sinister smirk before letting his arm go.

    “Now,” I kicked Derek’s chair causing it to spin to face me. His face was pale white in fear. “You are no longer welcome in my club The Lunar Star. If you are seen on premise you will be arrested for trespassing. Is that understood?” Derek shook his head in compliance.

    “Good, now let’s get him the hell out of here so we can finish enjoying our night” Ronnie groaned.

    I walked over to his chair and bent down to whisper into Derek’s ear.

    “If I ever catch you near Aurora again, I will kill you. Is that clear?” My voice was coarse and strong. I could smell the fear pouring out of Derek and he began to sweat.

    “Yeah whatever man, just please let me go!” he whimpered “I won’t come back here I promise, and I’ll leave that dumb b***h alone!”

    Without thinking I quickly grabbed the back of the chair Derek was sitting in and ripped it off of the base tossing it across the room in a blind rage. It collided with the concrete wall with a loud bang. Derek spilled backwards onto the floor and I could smell light traces of urine that had released from him in fear. Titus wanted to shift and rip Derek’s face off, but I held him back.

    “Now get this disgusting waste of flesh out of my club!” I roared.

    The security team quickly stood Derek up and began to lead him out of the room. Ronnie walked over to the wall where the back of the chair had hit. Touching it light and then pushing the back of the chair slightly with his foot. I tried to calm myself and Titus who was howling in rage within my mind.

    “Damn dude,” he treaded carefully “At least you know her name now.”

    “I need to go hunting.” I suddenly said.

    “Tonight?” Ronnie unlocked his phone and began texting “Alright. I’m down. The car will be here in thirty. Want to go get a drink in the meantime?”

    I nodded and we headed out to the bar and ordered our drinks. He got a beer and I got a double whiskey. I quickly threw back my drink and we closed out our tabs. Ronnie and I headed over to the VIP lounge area and let Kellina and the others know we were leaving for the night. We headed out to the front and hopped in the car. We were silent the entire way there. All I could hear in my mind was Titus’ anger build up and I struggled to keep him contained. Titus was ready to rip apart something with his bare teeth. We made it to the mountains and shifted into our wolves allowing them to take over for the night. They knew the rules, no humans, only animal prey. I pitied whatever Titus caught tonight.