The Blood Moon Luna

Rogue Attack -Frankie

The apex of the blood moon hit, and I am not surprised to say that I did not find my mate. Honestly, I can say that the selection of girls here was worse than a B-rated movie. Okay, so that isn’t very kind, but none of them are Luna material.

My mom, Fran, is the best Luna this pack could ever have, and I want my girl to be special, just like her. As Alpha Kieran’s only son and heir, I intend to give this pack another Luna to adore when I take up the mantle.

“Frankie, looks like you and I get to continue riding the bachelor train,” Tatum said as he patted me on the shoulder. The guy is goofy as hell, but he’s my best friend and future Beta of our pack.

“It’s cool, big guy. None of these girls are leadership material anyway,” I replied.

I glanced over to see Nikki and her friends walking back into the woods. “What were they doing up here anyway?” Tatum asked as he nodded in their direction.

“Said they wanted to see if the moon was prettier from higher up,” I said, rolling my eyes and shrugging. “Help me pick up these bottles and throw the cooler in the truck's bed, will ya?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure, can’t be disrespecting the land and leaving trash everywhere,” Tatum replied cheerily.

When the smell hit me, we had just thrown the last of the bottles in the truck bed. I immediately opened the pack-link and shouted, ‘ROGUES! Blood Moon Hillside gathering place. At least 50!'

With that, myself and the rest of the guys up here were shifting and charging forward. Most of the girls shifted and joined the fight as well. I took down two while evaluating where I needed to strike next.

I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye as one of the rogues leaped at someone who hadn’t shifted. I couldn’t move fast enough to reach where she was crouching with her arms overhead, screaming, and the rogue landed on her.

It began ripping her to shreds. One arm and then the other flung away from her body, and she was cut off mid-scream as her head rolled across the ground. I didn’t even think as I leaped onto the wolf that had ripped Sidney to shreds. My teeth sank into his neck. I continued to clamp down with my fangs while shaking the rogue at the same time. I didn’t stop until I felt his body go limp in death.

When I dropped the rogue’s body, I scanned the area to see what the current situation was. Dad and the other warriors have arrived, and the fight looks more equal now. I looked to see where Tatum’s wolf, Lehr, was and charged in that direction. It was not that Tatum wasn’t handling himself; I was just turning the tables in our favor.

My teeth latched onto the rogue’s hind leg, and I tore off a strip of flesh. That was just enough to have the rogue turn his head towards me with his teeth snapping together just centimeters from my side. Big mistake on his part as Lehr closed his teeth around the rogue’s neck and ripped out his throat. Kolt, my wolf, headed towards Thunder, my dad’s wolf, to pull off the same maneuver that Kolt and Lehr did. Years of training with my father made it look like a well-rehearsed dance.

The rogues kept coming, but they were no match for our warriors. They just hadn’t figured out they were losing yet. We sustained some injuries, but unlike the rogues, the only death we suffered was Sidney. When a mangy-looking gray wolf leaped at Thunder, two of the warriors leaped on it. One captured its hind leg, and the other tore a chunk out of its side. It was apparent my father didn’t need my assistance.

I turned and saw a smaller brown wolf struggling with one of the rogues, so I ran in that direction. While I was running, a second rogue leaped onto the small brown wolf’s back. As I leaped to knock the second rogue off of the smaller wolf, Lehr clamped his teeth around the first rogue's neck and began to shake it like it was a rag doll.

When Kolt collided with the second rogue, we rolled as we hit the ground. I was on the bottom when we stopped, but just as the rogue wolf snapped in my direction, he was lifted off me by his scruff. Thunder slammed the rogue onto the ground and tore out his throat. Thank the Goddess, Dad’s wolf is enormous and quick.

Suddenly, the rogues began to retreat, and Dad mind-linked the warriors to chase after them.

As I shifted and started to walk over to a tree trunk to grab some shorts, I shouted over to my dad. “Dad, Nikki, and a couple of her friends were up here watching the moon hit its apex. They left right after, but they would have been in the woods on the hillside closest to the packhouse and grounds. There’s no way they made it safely home before this started.”

“Why don’t you, Tatum, and Marcus head into the woods to start searching? When Bill, Xavier, and I transport the wounded to the hospital and notify Sidney’s parents of her death, we will join you. If you haven't found them yet,” Dad replied.

“Who are we looking for again? Marcus asked.

“Nikki and the twins she hangs around,” I replied.

“Oh, those girls are hot,” Marcus replied with a grin.

“And not yet 18, hornball,” I said.

“Hey, a guy can dream. Who wouldn’t want a mate with a twin? Wouldn’t get in trouble for staring too long because you’re just trying to ensure you’re talking to the right twin,” Marcus chuckled.

“Tatum, why so quiet, dude? I know you like guys and stuff, but I thought you liked girls too?” I asked.

“I am just listening to the two of you and trying to see if I see, hear, or smell anything,” he responded.

‘I just linked Stella to see if Nikki made it back; she hasn’t. Keep looking and try to think of a place they may have hidden. Bill, Xavier, and I are heading back to the woods to keep looking,’ Dad said through the family link.

Marcus laid a hand on my shoulder and pointed toward a large boulder just ahead of us. “Do you see that boulder? Does it look like a string or something is floating off it?” he questioned. Marcus is the best tracker in the pack and will be my future Gamma.

We walked closer to get a better look. “You’re right, Marcus. It looks like it came off of Nikki’s sweater,” Tatum replied.

“Okay, so that means they were here at some point. So are there any places you can think of where they could hide to take cover during an attack?” Marcus questioned.

“What about the old mine? Not many would think of it, but it’s about 50 yards from here and would be a good shelter. I think it’s worth a look, at any rate. I will mind-link my dad to let him know that’s the direction we are heading,” I told them.

We headed toward the old mine and began to see footprints indicating that someone had recently passed through. “Do you smell that? It is faint, but I smell blood. Someone who came through here is hurt,” I said.

“Look, the mine entrance is about 10 yards ahead," Tatum said, pointing in that direction.

As we approached the mine, it was pitch black, but being a werewolf enhances vision and other senses. I could see recent footprints. I turned to look at Marcus. “Can you smell anything?” I asked, hoping he could smell something more than dirt and stagnant air.

Marcus paused and sniffed the air, “Yeah, someone has been through here. I can’t say if it is them, but someone has been here.”

I nodded and said, “The door to the foreman’s office is right over there. It’s closed, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be there. Come on, let's check the door.”