The Alpha's Powerful Luna

Chapter 7

**Jade POV**

I woke up to this irritating beeping sound but I was very aware that I was more comfortable than I’d ever been in my life. That is, until I tried to sit up and then I was suddenly acutely aware of all I’d been through in the last— wait how long have I been unconscious? Or did they kill me already? That didn’t make sense, I wouldn’t be feeling pain if I were dead. What was happening?

I hesitantly opened my eyes to see a bunch of machines all around me. What in the world was this? Is this where they were going to kill me? Would they be torturing me before they took me out? Tears started to run down my face as I realized I wasn’t strong enough to escape even though I was somehow unchained. Maybe they counted on that, maybe they knew there was no way I could defend myself and that’s why they didn’t bother to restrain me. But why put me in this comfortable bed if the plan was just to kill me after?

Suddenly, I felt the sensation of someone touching me but it wasn’t like a person was touching me. It was like a magical, tingly feeling. I was encompassed with the smell of fresh pine. I looked up and had to hold back a gasp at the person on the other end of the hands I was inexplicably holding. This man was nothing short of beautiful. He had long dark hair and even darker eyes. His face was angular yet somehow soft. His lips were plump and I suddenly felt compelled to kiss them, but resisted the urge. He was wearing a button up black shirt with the sleeves rolled up just enough to see that both of his arms were covered with tattoos. The shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a pretty chiseled chest. This man was utterly gorgeous.

“Mate.” Astrid said confidently.

“Um, what?” There was no way this beautiful man was our mate.

“He’s our mate.” Astrid repeated, sounding even more sure.

“Hello,” the deep, god-like voice of the beautiful man interrupted my shock. “My name is Elliott. I didn’t mean to scare you, I’ve been staying with you waiting for you to wake up and I was excited to see you finally open your eyes is all.” He smiled at me and I genuinely thought I would have a heart attack. This man was so. Freaking. Pretty.

“H-hi, I’m Jade,” I stuttered almost unable to collect my thoughts when faced with this absolute angel of a man in front of me. “H-how long was I out?”

“It’s been almost 12 hours. The doctor put some pain medicine in your IV to help you rest deeply enough for your wolf to heal you,” He looked down, no longer meeting my eyes. “You were in really bad shape when I found you.”

I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I must look like an absolute train wreck and was overcome with the urge to see my reflection. I closed my eyes hard, trying not to focus on it too much. “Why did you save me?” I asked, touched by his concern but wondering where it was coming from.

“Because you looked in need of saving, and also you’re my mate.” He stated matter-of-factly and Astrid purred in my head.

“So my wolf is right, we’re each other’s mates?” I asked, not believing it even a little bit.

“Yes she is.” He smiled adoringly at me and I realized his eyes must’ve been dark with concern, because now they were a deep, delicious, dark chocolate brown. I was considering pinching myself to be sure this was real. “And since I’m your mate, it’s my job to protect you no matter what. I’m willing to give you a few minutes to wrap your head around all of this because I know it’s probably scary, but I’m going to need you to tell me what happened to you.”

I put my hands over my face and took a deep breath. It was time to tell him that I was a lowly omega who’d gone against her alpha. This guy dripped alpha authority, I was sure he’d be rejecting me the moment I said it.

“You can trust him. He’s our true mate and he will keep us safe.” Astrid comforted me and I did my best to find an ounce of the ill advised courage that had gotten me into this mess in the first place.

“Well, I’m an omega,” I started slowly, unsure of how much to share. I shook my head and decided to tell him everything. I was already sentenced to death, what more could he do to me? “And the alpha here decided that we omegas were not working quickly enough for his standards, so he decided to pick one of us to punish as an example for the rest. To motivate us to work harder.”

Elliott looked enraged. “So he chose you?”

“No,” I almost whispered. “He chose one of the other omegas. She’s pregnant and she couldn’t defend herself or her child. I can’t explain what happened, I just got so mad.” I said more to myself than to him.

“What did you do?” Elliott didn’t look mad, he looked enthralled. It encouraged me to tell him more.

“Well, I sort of, told him off and threw a champagne bottle on the floor. He was so angry I challenged his authority that he completely forgot to punish anyone else and he beat me and chained me outside where they put any omega who’s done something to warrant punishmen.” I blurted it out and just waited for his reaction.

Elliott stared at me for a good thirty seconds before smiling ear to ear at me. “That’s the most badass thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe my mate is so brave!”

“Well, I’ve been sentenced to death for my so called bravery so I’m afraid the word I’d use is stupid.” I said wryly.

“What?!” Elliott practically shouted before lowering his voice and leaning in closer to me, which I was not displeased about. “How can that possibly be a fair punishment for insubordination, especially when you’re working in abusive conditions!” I shrugged and fought back tears.

“I don’t know, but I can’t do anything about it now.” I finally let the tears just fall. Who cared if I looked weak to my mate? I’d never get the chance to really embarrass myself since I’d probably be executed in a few hours.

“You may not be able to do anything, but I most certainly can. You’re my mate and you’re now under the protection of my pack.” Elliott squared his shoulders and looked at me with an indescribable expression. “I’ll be taking you with me to my pack and there’ll be absolutely no pushback from your piss poor excuse of an alpha or I’ll challenge him in front of everyone. He’s lucky I don’t kill him now.”

“Please don’t risk your life for me, I’m not worth it!” I touched his arm and sparks of electricity erupted in my hand.

“What do you mean you’re not worth it? You’re my mate! You’re the future Luna of silver moon pack, and you’re coming home where you belong!” Elliott looked so sure of himself, and I suddenly had a glimmer of hope that I may possibly live through this, and even be able to go to a new home with this absolutely gorgeous and unbelievably kind man. Admittedly, I was scared. He was practically a stranger. But something inside of me told me he was safe. Even my wolf said he was safe, so I guess trusting him was better than the alternative.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and a tall blonde haired man poked his head in. “Alpha, the pack’s alpha is here to visit you.” He said, seemingly on edge. Victor did tend to have that effect on people.

“By all means, send him in.” Elliott picked up my hand and remained seated right next to me. Alpha Victor walked in and disgust immediately colored his face as he laid his eyes on me. “Good morning, alpha. Terribly sorry I won’t be able to make your alpha meeting, but I’ll be sending my beta in my stead. I assume that will not be a problem.” The way Elliott said it made it clear that he wasn’t asking for approval or permission, and it was clear that of the two of them, Elliott was clearly the more dominant alpha by far. Victor looked actually small and pretty unassuming compared to Elliott’s commanding presence and impressively sized physique.

“Ah, yes, that’s satisfactory as far as I’m concerned. A ranked wolf is a ranked wolf,” Victor joked and Elliott’s face remained completely cold as if he took offense to what Victor said. Victor seemed to notice his comment hadn’t landed the way he’d intended and cleared his throat before continuing. “Anyway, that’s not the meaning of my visit. I’m to understand that my prisoner is your mate?”

“You are correct on one of those facts. This magnificent young woman is my mate, but in being such that makes her no longer your prisoner. She’ll be departing your pack lands with me later today.” Elliott’s alpha aura pumped out and I could see it was almost overtaking Victor with very little effort from Elliott.

Victor appeared to be putting a great deal of effort into shaking off Elliott’s authority. It looked like every fiber of his being wanted to bow his head and avert his eyes, something I only saw the omegas do around him or Krista. “Unfortunately, that does pose a problem, young alpha. This prisoner was sentenced to death by beheading tomorrow morning for inciting a riot amongst the omegas.” A shiver went down my spine and I felt a bead of sweat rolling down my temple.

“That’s very interesting to me, since most omega’s in the surrounding packs are given a union rep to arrange meetings and up to date conditions for them. There hasn’t been an omega riot anywhere else in roughly 20 years, actually. Omegas are required pay, suitable living spaces, adequate meals and certainly the freedom to enter and leave pack grounds in the same manner as any ranked wolf of the pack.” Elliot smirked as if he knew something Victor didn’t, and I saw him stiffen. “However, upon my own observation I’ve noticed that your omegas are provided none of that. I’d be more inclined to think their living and working conditions incited a riot rather than my lovely Luna here.”

“That girl is under my control and will be staying here.” Alpha Victor spat a bit too harshly, revealing his true nature.

“Her name is Jade,” Elliott replied coolly, rubbing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “See, I anticipated push back from you. Any alpha who would allow his unranked members to live in the squalor my beta saw when he himself investigated is either an i***t or complicit in the atrocities happening here. With that in mind, I decided to take it up on myself to resolve this matter when I put a call in to the elders earlier this morning to make them aware of what we’ve discovered. After receiving the emailed pictures of the omega quarters from my beta. I forwarded them to the elders, and implored them to move quickly as I suspected you’d do your best to avoid accountability and try to clean up your mistakes before they arrived to do a proper investigation. The elders should be here by nightfall, if not sooner, at which time they’ll provide you with a document of permission straight from them to extradite my Luna and take her home with me. You see, like me they were appalled at the condition I’d discovered my mate in last night. Chained up outside like an abused animal, your son attempting to assault her, and he’d also left her under the unfortunate impression she’d be killed for simply advocating for better treatment for herself and her fellow pack members. I knew any alpha worth his salt would know what a negative impact it would have on his reputation for word of something like that to get out, certainly with the knowledge from my own personal studies of the law of our kind that Jade’s detainment has been illegal since 1860 when it was declared inhumane” Elliott annunciation the last word slowly and deliberately.

Victor looked like if he could have done it right then and there, he would’ve lunged and killed Elliott. I could see the fear and rage practically radiating from him. I couldn’t help the small grin that spread across my face. “I told you your reckoning was near, and here it is.” I heard Astrid’s voice escape my lips and Victor’s hands began to shake. He looked as if he would burst into flames at any given moment.

“You have one hour to get your mate, your things, and your entourage off my pack lands.” He practically yelled and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Elliott’s eyes glazed over and I could tell he was linking someone.

Within about 5 minutes, the blonde man and another huge and intimidating man with short, dark hair came into the room. I knew they were probably Elliott’s beta and gamma, but the dark haired man seemed almost higher rank than that. He both terrified and mesmerized me with his stature alone. This man had to be at least 7 feet tall.

“We’ve been given an hour to get off the property. Are our bags packed?” Elliott asked them.

“Yes, alpha. I have the car all loaded up and I’ve already asked the doctor if he’d like to bring his family to join our pack. They’re almost finished packing their car as well.” The dark haired man answered.

“Perfect. Jade, do you have any belongings you would like to take with you?” Elliott turned his beautiful gaze to me and I was suddenly filled with nervous energy. Would I really be escaping to what would hopefully be a hopefully better life with this man?

“No, I don’t really have anything besides a few clothing items,” I started before realization hit me. “Wait! My best friend— my big sister. I can’t leave her here. Vic-alpha Victor knows we talk and he’ll think she somehow had a hand in me escaping. He’ll kill her! We have to get her out. Please!” I realized I was pleading for Emma’s literal life and I started to be overcome with anxiety, almost unable to breathe.

“It’s okay, love! We’ll get her! Don’t worry!” Elliott hugged me and I was instantly calmed by just the smell of him. As he was holding me, I heard him talking over my shoulder. “Cameron, Jasper. I want you guys to go to the omega quarters and find Emma as discretely as possible. Have her help you pack up Jade’s belongings and anything of her’s that she’d like to bring as well. If we leave in the next 15 minutes, alpha Victor will still be in the alpha meeting and will most likely be inaccessible to mind links for the guards at the gate. That’s our best bet to get us, and the doctor and his family out safely. He’ll be following closely behind us in an SUV. Meet us out front as soon as you have Emma and Jade’s belongings. I’m going to get her into the car as safely as possible.”

“Yes, alpha.” They both said almost at the exact same time. It was impressive how in sync they were. I hoped they would like me eventually after I wasn’t causing them all this headache. They quickly exited the room and I was almost giddy to be alone with Elliott again. To my dismay, he immediately called a nurse in who began quickly unhooking me from all my wires and tubes, but not without smiling flirtatiously at Elliott, who seemed to completely ignore her.

“I’m going to have to carry you out if we’re going to get to the car in time to sneak Emma and the doctor out. Is that okay?” Elliott looked at me with those sparkling brown eyes and I knew I’d do absolutely anything for him. I nodded my head and within a second, he picked me up like I’d seen the mated soldiers carry their women sometimes, keeping my warm blankets on me and picking up my pillows with the hand that was cradling my legs. The speed with which he carried me out of the building seemed like a physical impossibility, but we’d made it to the car within about 5 minutes. I tried my best to keep my head resting on Elliott’s shoulder and not look around so much because every time I attempted to take in my surroundings, I got extremely dizzy.

As Elliott opened the door to the black SUV, I realized I’d never actually ridden in a car before. At least not that I could remember. He set me gently in the middle row seat and wrapped my blankets around me before turning around to his beta and gamma who were—thank god— guiding Emma quickly toward the car. Elliott opened the door on the other side and I heard him talking to someone. “I’m so sorry about this, but I need to have you crouch down in the third row until we get past the gate. After that you can sit up, and I’ll stop somewhere to get you something to eat as soon as possible since we interrupted your breakfast. Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine alpha.” I heard Emma’s voice and realized he was speaking so gently and politely to her. It warmed my heart to hear Elliott speak to her in a way no ranked wolf has ever spoken to either of us. He let Emma inside and she hugged me so tight I thought I would suffocate.

“I’m so glad you’re okay! Thank you for taking me with you! I love you so much, Jade.” I tried my best to hug her back and I was able to give her a weak squeeze.

“I would never leave you behind. You’re my family.” I said through tears. I was so happy Emma would be coming with us where she would be safe. Elliott helped her over the middle seat into the third row and handed her my pillows.

“I’m sorry the floor is a bit hard down there. These should help you stay somewhat comfortable until we get through the gate.” He smiled a friendly smile at Emma.

“Thank you, alpha.” Emma said, surprised to be offered any type of comfort.

“Please, my name is Elliott. You can call me alpha if you like, but my friends call me by my first name.” He grinned and Emma looked like she was wiping a tear away. Ranked wolves never treated us with basic decency, much less counted us as worth while living beings. My heart swelled even more seeing Elliott treat my friend with kindness and compassion.

Elliott climbed into the seat next to me and fastened my seatbelt for me. He put my hand in his and rubbed comforting circles on the back of my hand. I was so scared we wouldn’t make it and this would all be for nothing.

I heard wheels on the gravel road behind us and I gasped, knowing it was Victor coming to take me and kill me. “It’s okay love, it’s just doctor Boeing and his family. They’re coming with us.”

I scrunched my eyebrows as the car began to move. “Why are we taking a doctor with us?”

“Firstly, he helped us to figure out exactly how terribly the omegas in this pack were treated and he’s willing to be a witness for the elders when they come to investigate alpha Victor’s treatment of the omegas. And secondly, let’s just say omegas aren’t the only wolves with no freedom in this pack. He wants to be somewhere that his family can live safely.” Elliott said softly into my ear, the feeling of his warm breath against my skin making me shiver involuntarily. Thankfully, Elliott seemed to misread my reaction and tucked the blankets around me tighter before asking one of the men in the front to turn the heat in the car on.

Before I knew it, we were at the gate. The moment of truth. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t even think I was so paralyzed with fear.

“Good afternoon, alpha,” one of the more mean spirited guards leaned in the window to address only Elliott. “Will you be needing a return pass or are you departing for good?”

“We’re on our way home, unfortunately. We had to cut our trip short this time, important business at home.” Elliott said calmly, not giving away that we had a stowaway in the back seat and we were stealing the pack’s doctor. I was amazed at his confidence.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the guard said to the clipboard he was holding. “I’ll open the gate in just a moment. Have a safe trip home.” He said pleasantly, a tone I’ve never once heard him use in my time here.

The gate swung open with an awful metallic creak, and we coasted through. I couldn’t believe it! We kept driving for about a mile before coming to a dead stop at the end of the road.

“We have to wait to see if the doctor made it through.” The dark haired man— Jasper— said to the rear view mirror, seeming to try to reassure me.

“Okay, Emma, you can sit up now. Thank you for your patience.” Elliott said over the seat and Emma sat up, scooting to sit directly behind me and resting her head on the seat in front of her right next to mine. “Okay, guys. You’ll have to reject River bed pack now so we can officially add you to Silver moon when we get there. If that’s what you want, that is.”

“Well, Jade isn’t actually a member of River bed,” Emma mumbled. “They wouldn’t let her officially join because they said she’s the child of rogues. But I can reject them now.”

Elliott looked sad for me, but said nothing. He adjusted my blankets again and kissed my hand while Emma took a deep breath. “I, Emma Patterson, reject River bed pack and hereby cut ties with them.” She said and a smile came over her face. “That felt good.”

“Congratulations!” Cameron said, turning around in his seat up front. Emma smiled warmly at him.

“The doctor just texted me. He’s through and they’re right behind us. They all just rejected the pack so we’re gonna have to really get moving toward home to make sure we’re not followed. Everybody brace themselves, okay?” Jasper said from the drivers seat and we all nodded. Without another word, he put the car in drive and floored it. The trees, houses and buildings were all a complete blur as we were careening past them. I have to admit, it gave me butterflies but for whatever reason I really trusted Jasper’s ability to get us to silver moon safely. I was nervous and also elated to be farther away from River bed than I’d been in 12 years now.

I could feel my eyes getting heavy as relief washed over me. We were free! We weren’t quite out of the woods just yet, but we were free! As nervous as I was about arriving to Elliott’s pack and what everyone there would think of me, all I could focus on was this euphoric feeling as we drove further and further away from that wretched pack house Emma and I had spent over half our lives in.

“You can sleep, love. You’re safe.” Elliott whispered softly into my ear. Almost as if on autopilot, I felt myself lean into him and fall fast asleep.