Crying Moon

Taking Charge

Anika's POV

I'm awoken by my best friend's piercing scream. I look over to see her father, Richard, standing over her. I stand up immediately to get a better view of what he had done to her.

'That's a silver dagger' My wolf growls in my head. He stabbed her in the stomach with a silver dagger. What the hell!

"The house is a mess, why haven't you been home to clean? Huh? Who the hell do you think you are!?" He shouted before raising his fist to hit her. Before I knew it I had the man flipped over on his stomach with his arm pinned behind him to his back.

"She's an adult, she doesn't have to do anything you say!" I yell.

I can hear my best friend sobbing in pain, silver doesn't just cut us, it burns, imagine the sting of a jelly fish from the inside of your body. It also inhibits you from using any power your wolf gives you, basically dropping you to human level. No healing, no super strength and speed or heightened senses. No shifting.

I was a fair wolf, I never saw rank. An omegas life is just as important as the alpha's to me. The idea of belittling an Omega with my rank makes me sick to my stomach, but right now, I was so mad, and I knew it was the one thing that got under this man's skin. I flip him around and grab him by the collar of his shirt.

"How dare a weak omega such as yourself act this way in MY HOME? My aunt and I are Gamma ranked. You're brave I'll give you that, but you're stupid. I may not be the most liked around here, but I still outrank you, and this!" I pointed to Leah. "Is unacceptable" I said before head butting him and watching him hit the ground with a thud.

I wasted no time in running to Leah and pulling the blade out. Her wolf would come back now, soon and heal her since the silver was now out of her body.

"Thanks Annie." She said through gritted teeth. I ignored the use of that stupid nickname of hers. Silver wounds were no joke. Even Lycans have a hard time with it, even if it doesn't completely take their wolf away.

I run to the kitchen and grab a wash cloth from one of the drawers. I run it under the faucet, allowing it to absorb some water and stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds.

I run back to Leah and gently lay the warm washcloth across the wound and apply pressure.

She winces from the pain and asks "What are you gonna do with him?" I look back to him. I think I may have broken his nose. Good.

"I'll call and have Micah escort him back home." I said. I wish I didn't have to call him so early in the morning but if I call anyone above him they'd probably punish me as well as Leah's father. Assaulting another pack member was a crime. No one would believe that this was self defense if I was the one that did it, other than Micah of course.

"What about Corronation week? It starts today. Won't he be busy?" She asks. I hadn't thought about that to be honest. I'm still scared of how people are going to accept me once Micah marks me.

We plan on doing it right after he's named alpha. I just know that things won't change over night. The wolves of this pack don't respect me right now. I'll do everything in my power to be a great Luna, for him.

Being Luna was terrifying, it was the only thing about being with Micah that made it hard. His parents didn't like me anymore therefore they didn't think I'd be a good Luna and it's the same with the rest of the pack.

If he just wasn't the next alpha, everything would be perfect. Leah was still staring at me, waiting for my response. "Well, then I'll just drag him back home. I should do that now before anyone wakes up." I stand up and Leah nods her head looking to the ground.

I could already smell that her wolf was awake and healing her, so I grab her dad and sling him over my shoulder. The man wasn't big at all, they never ate. The only reason Leah wasn't unhealthy is because my aunt and I feed her.

We've even sent food for her parents from time to time but I guess they're too proud to accept food from their packmates. They'd always throw it on her or in the trash, so we stopped sending them food and since they don't get anything except leftovers from their jobs Leah's parents were severely malnourished and sickly looking.

I walk her father all the way back to his house. When I open the door her mother is sitting on their crappy couch holding a belt that has silver strips on it.

"She definitely stole that from the packhouse." Willow says in my head.

The woman's head snapped to me, a glare in her eye. I assume that glare was meant for her daughter, because when she took in my figure carrying her unconscious husband her eyes widen and she tried to hide the belt behind her back.

"I assume that belt was meant for my friend?" I say, allowing my wolf to come out a little so her threatening aura would be known. Leah's mother, Tanya, looked down, away from my eyes before answering.

"Leah needs to be disciplined, she hasn't come home to do her chores for 2 days. If she wants to stay here, that's what needs to be done." She spoke quickly, stuttering some of the words. I hate when parents use the word 'discipline' to excuse several years of abuse.

"I'm going to make this 100% clear to you since I couldn't contain my anger long enough to tell your piece of s**t husband, Leah will be staying with me from now on, no one needs permission, it's perfectly legal by this packs law that she isn't required to stay with you anymore, if you or him ever so much as lay a hand on her I'll start doing to you what the rest of the pack does to you, do you understand?" My voice sounded as if it was laced in venom.

The rest of this pack uses these two as personal slaves. I and some other members don't believe in making omegas do our work just to be able to stay here. She knows I can easily change my mind and add a bigger work load on her. Not that I actually would, she probably won't clean as well as my aunt or I. Besides it's just cruel, as much as I hated them, I can understand their bitterness towards the people in this pack. What I can't understand is them taking it out on the one person that actually loves them. Or did, I'm sure any love she felt for them is long gone.

"I understand Gamma General Anika." She says through clenched teeth. I hadn't been ready for that yet. "Actually I am no longer the general." I reply, suddenly feeling as if I was naked. I've been stripped of my rank for simply running around the territory.

If it had been anyone else they would've just gotten an alpha command to go back home.

Nope, not me, I'm like a trigger to our Alpha and Luna. I keep telling myself it will all be ok once Micah becomes Alpha and makes me his Luna. In his words. 'Once he's in power his parents won't be able to do anything to me without having to face severe punishment. He would make sure of that'

"Just refer to me as Gamma Anika from now on, thanks." I stated before I simply dropped her husband on the ground and walked out.

I needed to get back to Leah, make sure she's OK and tell her that she isn't going back to that house. Every single time they'd beat her and pull something dumb, she'd go running back, even though I've begged her to just live here with us.

She thinks she would be a burden, but it's more of a burden on me if she goes back home.

I absolutely hate the thought of her sleeping in that house with those monsters. Using silver to weaken her before abusing her has been a thing since she was younger, but I've never seen them actually stab her, they had gone too far this time.

I open the door to my house and walk in. I hear my friend vomiting in the bathroom. I walk to the bathroom, and see her hovering above the toilet, tears streaming down her face, her chocloate colored skin turning red as she held her hair back with one hand and gripped the toilet bowl with the other.

Her sobs only broke when her body convulsed and let go of her stomach contents. Which was mostly foam, stated she had probably thrown up everything she had in her stomach already.

Her body shook violently, and when she noticed me there I heard her mind link me. 'Help'. It was both her and her wolf speaking at the same time.

I walked over to her, sit down next to her and pull her close to me. Once her head hits my chest, I try to release a calming aura and she immediately begins to calm down. Her shaking stops and within 10 minutes she's asleep.

I pick her up and bring her to my bed, laying her down gently to avoid waking her up. Leah is like a sister to me, it pains me to know how damaged she is, to know that I could never truly help her.

She is part of the reason I agreed to be Luna. Like how every Alpha has a Beta, a Luna has a beta as well. Once I become Luna she will become my beta, no she can't fight all that well, but she doesn't need too. I'm enough fight for us both. She will be my beta simply because she needs a better life than the one the moon goddess gave her.

I looked at the clock, 8:32. Damn, I planned on sleeping in a little today. Maybe that will teach me to stop running around late at night.

I walked into the living room and noticed my aunt sitting on up on the couch, her arms crossed over her chest with her eye brows furrowed.

"We're not letting her go back this time right?" She asks me in a serious tone. "I cannot control her, I won't, that's why she doesn't like her parents. I just hope she will willingly stay this time." I sigh while rubbing my temples. I'm starting to get another migraine and my cheekbone feels bruised.

Luna Noelle shared her strength with the alpha, she was much stronger than me, for now at least. Once I mate with Micah our strength and scents will combine and we will be stronger than anyone else in the pack since he's the next alpha.

I can't imagine using that strength to hurt a pack member that hasn't done anything wrong. This whole pack was made up of crappy people and I intended to change that or at least help change that.

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Sable's POV

Liam could be an ass at times. However, for the most part, he's pretty intelligent. He's one of very few that are able to sense their mate. Most can't.

Only him and three other lycans I've met in the 2 centuries I've been alive have been able to sense their mate before meeting them. The only other time a lycan senses their mate without having met them is when sensing their death.

Was he right? Am I sensing my mate? Or am I just tired of sleeping with woman I'm not 100% attracted to. I do have high standards and I've been having to sleep with woman that are no where near those standards recently. Although I've never met someone who actually meets my standards in looks alone.

The girls face popped into my head again, I noticed that every time I see her, it's like she's just lost in thought, expressionless. It makes me nervous to think about at this point.

I've been sitting at the desk in my room with my head in my hands. Not sure of how I'll be able to get to sleep, knowing the second I close my eyes all I'll see is this girl who's slowly starting to piss me off indirectly. I'm cranky without sleep.

Suddenly I hear a loud thud in the room underneath mine. Liam.

I jump and run til I'm inside of his room. He lays on the floor holding his abdomen, pain evident on his face. "What happened? Are you good?" I get closer to try to examine him. "My mate." was all he said as he kept his eyes closed and tried to focus.

I saw him inhale and exhale deeply and slowly. Suddenly, his head shoots up and looks right at me. "That admiration, I can feel how she feels right now and even after being stabbed she is feeling this emotion what the hell is happening to my mate!" he grabs his head and sinks to the ground hiding his face from me.

I know he's trying not to cry, his lycan, Brock, was a big teddy bear. Optimistic and carefree, loves all creatures and is desperately in love with his mate. So I can imagine the impact his lycan's emotions are having on him.

"You'll find her one day Liam, and I'm sure you two will be great for each other." I found myself lying to him easily.

As I've said before love is a subject that I just don't understand. To me, being in love is the same as being weak. To have one person that can get what they want from you without so much as lifting a finger.

Having a fated soul mate, someone who is basically irresistible to you, is my actual nightmare.

I hoped Liam never actually finds his mate, just looking at him now, only sensing her emotions and feelings from time to time, he's already losing it, imagine if he meets her.

Liam didn't saying anything, he just stood up finally breathing right. Whatever happened to his mate must have subsided. He walked to his bathroom and shut the door. He knew my feelings about the mate bond so he probably saw right through my lie and it must have upset him.

I didn't want to deal with this anymore, especially since I didn't know how to sympathize in this situation.

I decided to go back to my room before he gets out, I'm tired and my mind was clear of the beautiful girl for a few minutes already.

I open my door and right when I hit the pillow my senses are completely taken over by what I can only describe as a vibe.

My entire body suddenly felt like I was on a cloud. Have you ever had an extreme craving? How you can almost taste/smell it when you want it. I was experiencing something similar only I couldn't place the smell. Smelling it reminded me of the beach, coconuts and sun tan lotion.

I hadn't realized the effect it had on me until I realized my entire body felt like it was on fire and when I looked down my pants were soaked in precum.

Shock set in, what the hell is happening to me? This lasted for about 10 minutes and stopped as quickly as it had come. I wasn't going to complain though, because soon after that I drifted of into a dreamless sleep, happy and free of unnecessary thoughts.