New Beginnings

I ran out the door, my body quivering, shape blurring. I punched a tree as I ran; it buckled with a loud SNAP! and fell to the ground. I wasn’t shocked by anything anymore. I kept running, feeling my bones snapping and fur sprouting from my skin, and then I was on all fours in my white wolf glory, clothes shredded around me. Avon! Came the voices in my head, other wolves worried for me. I tried to slam the mental block down, but I was too late; I heard them gasp in my head before there was silence. Everything I thought I knew about my parents was a lie. My mom wasn’t even my mom and she wasn’t his first mate. Not even his second-chance mate, which the Moon Goddess granted sometimes. She was his chosen mate, the mate he chose after rejecting his true mate. But what was worse is that I wasn’t even her child. I’d be fine if I had been an orphan they had adopted. But that wasn’t the case. My dad knocked his true mate up on accident, forcing her to carry his pup before rejecting her for my mom, taking me away from my real mom. My mom who stayed in the pack on the outskirts, never interacting with anyone else. I ran to her cottage on the southwest end of the large territory, the furthest away from the packhouse where I grew up. A deep growl rumbled through me as I realized the condition of the cottage my mom was forced to stay in all these years. My mom was an Omega, one of the lowest ranking wolves. My father was a Beta. So, when he found out my mom was his mate, he accepted her at first, but only so she could bear his pup. After she went through her heat, pregnancy and gave birth, he rejected her for a Beta blooded female from another pack with whom he had been having affairs with. My hypocritical dad, always talking about how sacred the mate bond is, how we should cherish our gift from the Moon Goddess… and he rejected his mate, his gift!!! I sat on my haunches outside my mom’s cottage, whining softly as I pawed at the earth. She would hear me. Within seconds, the door opened, revealing a short statured woman with hair and eyes the same color as mine: sky blue eyes and red hair that reached her mid back. I whined softly, ears pinned against my head, concerned. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw me. “Avon?” she asked, unsure. Yes, I told her through our mind-link. Her eyes widened, shocked. “How did you… how did you find out?” I winced at the memory but showed her through the link. *FLASHBACK* My dad and who I thought was my mom at the time were standing in the kitchen, unaware that I was even home. I could hear them arguing, so I tried to block them out to no avail. “She’s going to find out sooner or later, Jack,” my mom’s voice was half-yelled, “No, she’s not, unless you keep bringing it up, Shae! She doesn’t have to know you aren’t her real mom!” That got my attention and I crept down the hallway, just out of their sight. “You want your mate! Not me, Jack! Don’t you think she’s going to realize this eventually?!” she was yelling now. “I want you, Shae!” through gritted teeth. “That’s a lie, and you and I both know it! You have never wanted me!” hurt in her voice. “Your father forced you to refuse your true mate!” I peered carefully around the corner. Tears were pricking at Shae’s eyes. I allowed myself to come fully around the corner. “Dad?” I asked. “Is that true?” He hung his head and nodded but not before shooting Shae a glare. I gasped, my heart thudding in my chest as a growl began to build. “You liar! You’ve lied to me for 17 years!” I screamed at both of them. “I, Shae Brandon, reject you, Jack Knudson as my mate,” Shae said before running out the door, not allowing my dad to get another word in. He crumpled in pain on the floor, his mate mark disappearing, hands clutching his chest, his breathing shallow and ragged. But I didn’t care. I ran out of the apartment in the packhouse, down the stairs and out the door. *END FLASHBACK* Let’s just leave mom. Let’s leave and go to the Blue Moon pack. They take in refugees from all over the world. A fresh start, new beginnings. “You would do that? With me? You don’t even know me.” You’re my mom, that’s all I need to know. Tears spilled from her eyes as she hugged my wolf. “Let’s do it,” she agreed. I stayed at my mom’s all night while she packed her most important things and a few changes of clothes. Then I ran home, changing swiftly back into my human form to grab some of my own clothes. My dad was nowhere to be found, but I didn’t care. After I had my things, I grabbed the keys to my car and drove back to my mom’s cottage. She threw her things in the back seat and off we went, driving down the five-mile-long road to take us out of pack territory. Once we reached the entrance, we both stepped out of the car. The guards paid us no mind, too busy watching for unwanted rogues. “I, Avon Knudson, renounce my affiliation with the Silver Moon pack.” “I, Jessi Brown, renounce my affiliation with the Silver Moon pack.” We got back in the car and continued on, howls filling the air as the wolves felt our links break off. *TWO DAYS LATER* I had made a phone call to the Alpha of Blue Moon, so he and his pack were expecting us today. We had stopped for rest several times and to take in the scenery around us. Blue Moon was clear across the country, on the east coast. We reached their gates that were heavily guarded by Deltas. We stopped and told them who we were. They let us through without a second thought, so their Alpha must have told them we were coming. We followed the long driveway that was lined with trees along the way for what seemed liked miles before finally the trees opened up, revealing a massive clearing. In the back of the clearing stood a building larger than our packhouse back at Silver Moon. It could only be described as a mansion, but it had to be Blue Moon’s packhouse. On the porch stood who I assumed to be Alpha Bill and Luna Sally. Behind them were two males and a female, the Beta and Gammas, I assumed. Next to the Alpha stood a teenager, not much older than me. The future Alpha, I realized, based on his clearly defined muscles and height. Next to him a younger girl stood, slightly younger than I, bouncing in excitement. My mom and I stopped about fifty feet away from the mansion before exiting the car, my eyes never leaving the welcoming committee. As we approached, hands up to show we came in peace, the most tantalizing scent hit me, my eyes going wide. The teenage boy and one of the men behind the Alpha stepped forward. “Mate,” they said in unison. “Mate,” was the first word I uttered on the Blue Moon territory. Wolves that had been mulling around, and some training, stopped what they were doing to watch the scene unfold in front of them. “Mate,” came my mom’s small voice, confused. Alpha Bill grinned, slapping both his son and his beta on the back as a form of congratulations. “Well John, it looks like the Moon Goddess gave you a second chance mate.” “Mom,” I found her hand and squeezed. Tears sprung to her eyes, causing Beta John to run to her. “Wh… what’s wrong?” he asked her, wanting to embrace her, but unsure of how she would react. Did I forget to mention I can read minds? Well, I can… if I let the walls down to listen in. “You’re her second-chance mate, too,” I informed him. “She was rejected by my… by Jack because of her status in our old pack.” “How could anyone want to reject you?” he mused, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. “Just look how beautiful you are… perfection,” he whispered. I peered up at my apparent mate, who was watching me intently, itching to come to me. I smiled at him without showing teeth, to let him know he could approach. He let out a sigh of relief and took several strides before he was in front of me. He pulled me into an embrace, and I felt the mate bond sparks fly between us. His face found the hollow of my neck, inhaling deeply. I hesitated, but couldn’t resist the urge to return the embrace, inhaling his woodsy, earthy scent. Cheers and howls erupted from around us, celebrating their future Alpha finding his mate. He pulled away and I found myself wishing he hadn’t, but I didn’t even know his name. “I’m Jacob. Or Jake.” “Avon,” I told him simply. “Well let me show you around the packhouse, since that’s where you will be staying from now on.” He took my hand in his, the sparks erupting once more as he led me up the ornate stairs which held a howling wolf statue on each side. “Alpha Bill?” I began, hesitating. He looked down at me expectantly. “Yes, Avon?” “Wha… what happens from here?” I asked. “Tonight, we hold a welcoming ceremony to join you two to our pack. But for now, spend time with Jake, get to know each other.” At that, I let Jake lead me around the packhouse showing me every room. “Regular pack members aren’t allowed past the second floor unless invited. The second floor hold the Alpha’s office and conference rooms. Third floor and above hold Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Omega, and Delta apartments, as well as guest suites. “Omegas live in the packhouse?” “Yes, the ones that work in the packhouse.” “At Silver Moon, omegas were outcast, forced to do the dirty work.” “Well, our Former Omegas do the cooking and cleaning, but they are still members of our pack and are treated with respect and dignity. “My mom is a low-ranking omega…” I whispered. “Well, she’s a Beta now.” He stopped outside the last door at the end of the fifth floor. “This is my apartment. Your guest room is right across the hall. Until we officially become mated.” He paused. “How old are you?” “I’ll be 18 in two days,” I told him. Wolves couldn’t officially become mated until 18, even though we shift as young as 15. “What about you?” “Nineteen in a month.” “And you haven’t taken over the pack yet?” I questioned. Usually, future Alphas took over at 18. “I wanted to wait for my Luna. And my parents both understood and respected it. Most find their mates rather quickly. Now I know why I never found mine that quickly.” He led me into his apartment, and we sat on the oversized (and might I add, very comfortable) couch as we talked. Each of us asked questions the other would answer, then the other would ask a question. “What brought you to Blue Moon?” he asked, and I sighed. I knew this question was coming. I relayed to him what had transpired barely three days ago, and to say he was angry was an understatement. “He rejected your mom, after using her to get a pup, just so he could take another chosen mate?! And then raising you to know that the mate bond was a sacred gift from the Moon Goddess herself?! After what he did? What a hypocrite!” He was almost yelling now. “Well, if he hadn’t done that, we’d both possibly be mateless for life,” I reason. He conceded to that. “Then some good came out of it.” “I know I’m going to be Luna of the pack soon, but I haven’t a clue how to run a pack,” I admitted to him. “My mom will show you the motions. You are my equal; the pack has to listen to your orders as well as mine. But we have to be on the same page at all times. I nodded. “Who are your picked Betas?” I asked, curious. He laughed a little. “Gideon and his mate Kailani. “Gammas?” “Zion, who hasn’t found his mate yet.” “Deltas?” I probed, and he laughed. “Archer, Nyla, Rayne, Zara, Zuri, Atlas, Ace, and Ronan. They are the strongest trainers in our pack.” “How large is this pack?” I asked, not completely sure I wanted an answer. “We have almost 2500 pack members from pups to the elderly.” My jaw dropped. What was I in for? “Don’t worry, they respect me as their future Alpha, and the news has already spread that I found my Luna. They’re going to love you.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Wow, we’ve been talking for hours and it feels like no time has passed. It’s time to get ready for the cookout. Go get showered. I had your things brought into your room and hung up in the closest, along with a few extras I sent someone out to buy for you.” I felt the blush creep up to my cheeks, embarrassed. “You didn’t have to buy me anything –” I began. “You needed something dressy and eye catching for tonight, my dear mate. Something that commands respect from fellow pack members.” I nodded at the truth in his words. I didn’t own anything overly dressy at home, and I only brought one dressy piece of clothing that would be enough for our welcoming ceremony. Now that I was going to be Luna, I needed something that would show I meant business but that I was approachable. He pulled me into a hug as we stood, breathing in my scent as I did his. Then he released me. I walked across the hall to my bedroom, locking the door before turning around to face the room. Bedroom was an understatement; this was like two master bedrooms combined into one, with a large canopy bed on the far-right wall dead center. The room was decorated in blacks and teals, with 3 walls being a grey tone, and the wall behind the bed being teal. The bedding was teal and black. And the canopy around the bed was sheer translucent greyish black. After I finished gawking, I made my way to one of the doors to find an enormous walk-in closet filled with brand new laundered clothes hanging in garment bags. I groaned, not knowing where to start. I sighed in frustration, not wanting to deal with it right now, so I left the closet and went to the other door. Opening it, I revealed a huge ensuite with a walk-in shower and a jacuzzi. I looked at the clock on the wall in the bedroom. I had an hour before the ceremony started, so I needed to get my ass in gear. I started the water, turning it to as hot as I liked before stripping and stepping into the shower. There were different kinds of body washes and shampoos, so I took a whiff of each and picked my favorites and used those. Massaging the shampoo into my scalp, I was enjoying the hot water on my heated skin. I let the shampoo soak while I scrubbed my body down with the exfoliating cloth and the lavender scented bath wash. I rinsed off quickly, shutting the water off and hopping out, wrapping a towel around my body and another around my hair. I dried my body quickly then found the blow dryer to dry my hair. I braided my hair, securing it with a hair tie before moving to the closet to find a dress. I went through every bag before finding a black gown that wasn’t too dressy or formal. I found some matching black flats and got dressed after finding a strapless bra and black lace panties to match. Then I went to the vanity to find a white gold necklace laying on top with a matching bracelet, anklet, and earrings. Satisfied, I glanced at the clock again. Ten minutes to spare. I smiled to myself.