THE PERFECT LUNA OF RED MOON PACK

Chapter 13

"Well, when I was attacked, Jake came to help me. But with two against three, the fight wasn't going on well for us. Not until Liana threw a knife at one of my attackers."

"Wasn't that dangerous?" The Alpha asked with obvious concern. "Why didn't you just shift instead?" The Alpha asked Liana. He already knew the details of the fight from Glenda earlier but was curious on that aspect.

"My sister's sick and can't shift....for the moment." Jake answered before Liana could.

"I haven't heard of something like that before." The Alpha said. "Lucia, have you seen or heard of a case like that?"

" No, Great Lord, I don't, not to my memory and you know its a long one." Lucia said lightly and everyone laughed. Well, everyone except Jake and Liana who were lost on the joke.

"How about your parents and other members of your family? Do they know you left?"

"Our parents were the only family we had." Jake said.

"Were?" One of the fighters, asked with a slight tremor as someone who already knew the answer to the question they asked.

"They're dead."

"We are sorry to hear that. What happened to them?" The Alpha asked.

"They died in the fight."

"The same one you ran away from?". The Alpha asked again.

Liana's cutlery slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. She promptly picks it up. "I'm sorry, please excuse me" she says as she leaves the table and goes outside. Jake was about to go after her, when Sin asked him,

"The both of you are siblings? Permit me for asking, you don't....look very much alike" Sin asked.

"Yes, we're siblings." Jake replied and again was about standing up when Lucia says he should stay to finish his food.

"The herbs would work better that way." She said, then added "And I think your sister needs some time alone. She'll be fine." Jake continues to eat but slowly.

"Who's the older one?" Oberon who had been quiet all the while asked. Sin almost hitting his palm to his forehead, managed not to groan. Most times, Oberon remained quiet. He was a really observant person who listened more than talked. This, to Sin, was all good, because in his opinion, Oberon asked the most stupid and obvious questions. Now, Sin turned to look at Oberon with an 'Isn't it obvious?' kind of look. Looking at Jake, "You don't have to answer that. Oberon's just being silly." Sin

"But, I think you're more of the Silly one." Glenda says, mock tauntingly at Sin.

"Oh sister, we are from the same family tree." Sin says and the Alpha growls at the implied meaning.

"No offense, father!" Sin says immediately coming to terms with the situation. Everyone at the table laughed. When the laughter had died down, Oberon was still looking at Jake, which moved Jake to say

"I'm the older one." Sin sighs but Jake was amused.

"So you left because of the fight?" The Alpha asked again.

"Yes." Jake answered.

"And where do you plan on going from here?"

"Well, actually dad, they don't have a specific location in mind." Glenda offered

The Alpha looked thoughtful for a while. then said

"In that case, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you want. Its the least I can do to thank you for saving my daughter's life."

Jake thanked him gladly.

"I'll make the announcement so you don't get any form of hostility." Jake thanked him again and asked to be excused to go see his sister.

"Come take more herbs later alright? That's one nasty bite you got, from a very nasty wolf." Lucia said.

When Jake left, one of the fighters asked, "Anybody else wonder if the same persons who attacked their Pack were behind Glenda's a*******n?"

Sin nodded thoughtfully at that. Ryan who made the comment was one of the best fighters of the Pack. He was also very smart. "Good one Ryan, its a nice observation." Sin said, but he saw Glenda go tense. Yes. She was definitely hiding something. Something, about her a*******n. Well, he'll find out. He sighed. He had a list of things to find out and until then, he wouldn't rest. It was his duty.

The Alpha reached for his glass of water. He always drank water, only when he was through eating. As he stood up to leave, he said,

"Jaime, how are the Gardens these days?"

Jaime, the Gardner, jolted a little. Glenda smiled. Jaime always gave a little jolt when he was addressed. Like he was surprised anybody ever remembered he was there. "Oh, they're doing wonderfully well, Great Lord. Wonderfully well." The Alpha nodded with a smile. "I would visit one of these days." A pause. The Alpha sighed before adding, "When I am less busy." "Of course." Jaime nodded.

"Sinclair, You'll be civil with our guests, yes?." The Alpha said again, this time addressing Sin.

"Yes, father." Sin drawled. "It will be an ultimate pleasure." He added and earned a stern look from his father.

"Don't worry Alpha, Sin will be a gentleman." Oberon said with a gentle smile.

A gentleman was the last thing, Sin thought he would be to the guests.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

As soon as Jake came out, Liana pulled him to a quiet part of the house which happened to be the cellar. She had stumbled on it earlier while she searched for the bathroom. Liana waited until the door was firmly locked behind them before she whispered "Why did you lie to the Alpha Jake, why did make everyone out there believe, I am sick? You know it is dangerous to tell lies to the Alpha. "

"I know Liana, but don't worry, the Alpha won't know I lied to him because he isn't our Alpha, at least not yet."

"Not yet? What are you saying Jake? What do you mean? Please make me understand all you're saying and doing" Liana said, her face bearing every bit of the confusion whacking through her head.

"Liana" Jake says placing his palms very firmly on her shoulders. "We don't have a pack anymore, do you know that makes us?" Jake asked and waited for Liana to process the question enough to give it an answer.

Like a cloud settling upon her head, Liana weighed the question, and then suddenly the cloud cleared and in its place, a torrent came down as she realised the answer. Her head pounded. She was going to have an headache.

"Rogues, we are rogues" Liana mumbled the answer past the thunderstorm that was now pelting down hard on her.

"Exactly" Jake said to her mumbled reply. But Liana couldn't understand yet, where he was going with all of this.

"Much as it is bad to realise we are rogues now, I still do not think that explains why you lied to the Alpha."

"As rogues, we need to identify with a pack quickly. Else, if we keep wandering through different places, we could be subjected as slaves or worse be forcefully initiated to into a maundering rogues pack. I don't that want that for us Liana." I don't want that too. Liana thought. "The only way to prevent any of that from happening to us is if we identify with a pack. A good pack. And I think we've found one, here in Red Moon Pack." Jake said.

"And lying to the Alpha is a good way to achieve that?" Liana asked, still drawing back to what had started the conversation.

"I only did that because.... because.... I...you...I mean we..heck!" Jake said, lines of waves marring his forehead as he pushed his fingers into and through his hair, releasing a pent up breath.

Liana's patience was growing limp by the second and she was ready to shout out at Jake to plainly explain everything, when he looked at her, and she saw that look. That look. The one that stemmed from pity but with roots that ran deeper. Yes, they ran deeper. At least to her, because she only got that look when...when anyone realised that...

"I'm not a shifter. That's why you lied." Liana said with crushing emotion as she looked up at Jake who was now looking away from her, his eyes painfully and tightly closed. Of course why wouldn't it be because of her? Why wouldn't Jake lie because of her? Her, who was the reason for the move to the beach house which had cost Jake all of his friends. Her, who was the reason behind their parents death. If Jake had not stayed back with her but had instead gone out to fight with their parents, he would have no doubt kept them safe and ensured they returned home. It was her who had made him leave his home and his pack. And now, that he found a place he could make his solace, his new home, what else would have been his impediment, if not her? What pack would welcome and accept a non shifter, a 'potential weakness', into their midst? Jake wouldn't stay if she was thrown out. They would have to leave and it would be her fault. Again. She would be the reason. She was always the reason, because it all came down to her. Her! Her!! Her!!! It just had to be her! All of the crushing self loathe and disappointment came crashing down on her. Pelted by so strong a rage of emotions, she suddenly realised she couldn't breathe. Air! She needed air! And she won't get it down here, in the stank cellar. Turning around abruptly. She quickly opened the door and once again, she hurried out, outside, into the night.

Jake who watched her leave. He had come outside to her, to talk to her. Instead he had made her leave again. She needed some time out alone and Jake knew not to follow her. He knew she was very safe in the Pack territory of the Alpha king. Though it was hard for anybody to believe anybody else could feel their pain, he knew and understood how Liana felt. He knew how it felt to be and look like a walking burden. While he was younger, he had felt like a burden to his father. The wiry, scrawny son of the strong patrol leader. That's how he had felt until he worked hard at achieving the goals he wanted. A bitter s***h of pain tore a part through his chest as he realised that Liana could never do that. She could never achieve her dreams of becoming a shifter. Because being a shifter wasn't achieved by hard work. It was bestowed, by the Moon goddess herself. Thinking through all these, he stood alone awhile in the darkened hot cellar. He heaved a great sigh and wished it came out with all his thoughts in tow. Then as he went out and closed the door behind him, he wished yet again that he had closed firmly the door to his dark thoughts. Wishful thinking. Mere wishful thinking.