Marked For The Goddess

Just a run to town. That's all. The Crimson Summit pack is a werewolf pack, with a regular, strong, dominant Alpha. And this Alpha has a Luna. But our Luna was human. Alpha Donte has been refusing Luna Abby, denying her to be changed. "It'll ruin her delicacy" he says, she always fused, hated being weak compared to the rest of us. And today, he will have to eat those words. Yes, Luna Abby was human. Which meant that while the Alpha was busy, and she needed to run into town, a warrior was to go with her, walk with her always, and even run the trees lining the road as she drove back. Never more than a leap or bound away. The Rivera family, which simply consisted of me and my parents, did not hold a power rank among the pack. But, my dad, Lewis, was a head warrior, making him a Delta. He was such a great warrior, that no matter the form, human or wolf, his body and voice demanded respect, over flowed with power. Of course, it wasn't like the power or effect that a ranked member would have on another wolf or even human, but it definitely was enough to scare a lot of people, including our Beta and Gamma. I remember when our Gamma had first received his position from his father. Absolutely insisted he wanted to spar with my dad. "Kyro," Alpha Donte chuckled, "Don't be stupid. He'll whooped your ass." He and Abby and our Beta, Darren laughed. "He is a Delta after all, and there's not even many of those left." Luna Abby reminded him. Since the title of Delta didn't hold any power outside of the pack, then it was not a very recognized one. Only truly loyal warriors, that have proven themselves to be worthy time and time again, have taken the title. And after many years of badgering, my father had accepted it. "Ehhhh let's see old man." Gamma Kyro said, pulling his shirt off. "Skins or fur?" He asked. "Fur!" Everyone yelled, laughing. "Ah ha ha! Alright, come on Lewis, don't even hold back. Show me what a Delta can do." Kyro yelled, shifting into his grey wolf. A little bigger than average size due to his rank only. "Alright boy. You best be ready." My dad grinned at me, as he too removed his shirt and shifted to his large muscular rust colored wolf. Everyone cheered, watching my father's wolf, Arlo, tower over the Gamma. I didn't know his wolf's name, and I wasn't even worried about it. My mom and I were giggling, watching my father literally school our Gamma. I was amazed, this was the first time I had seen my dad spar with anyone. He had never let me watch because I was "too little," whatever. My father was strong, and respected. And one heavily trusted by the Alpha. And so today, my dad had to accompany the Luna to town. She needed a few things for the nursery that was just built on the pack grounds. She designed a place for she wolves to drop their children off that are too young for school or that needed care while their parents were working.  "Just a run to town." My father told us, shooting me a smile and kissing my mother on the cheek. After the day was done, both Luna Abby and my dad were returning to the car. Parking in the back, where the forest line begins, they were perfectly secluded from human eyes. Luna Abby was to drive home as she couldn't very well shift, and my dad runs in his wolf. But today, something would be different. As Luna Abby had finished filling her trunk with the supplies she had gotten, a group of rogues had emerged from the trees. Snarling, foaming at the mouth slightly, smelling of something so foul. She screamed, startled by the large group of drooling, nasty rogues. Fumbling with her keys, tears in her eyes, she gets the car unlocked. "Lewis" She cries, "Get in the car." "I've already linked them, Luna. They're coming. Get in. Leave. I wont let them follow." He said to her, so determined. Luna Abby may have been human, but she was a damn good Luna. She knew our laws, and knew how fiercely we wolves would protect our Lunas, human or not.  "Lewis. Please. That's an order." She tried. "No Luna, you must leave." And with that he shifted. His large rust colored wolf growling at these filthy rogues that dare to threaten his Luna. Hackles raised and in his protective stance, the rogues did not back down. Four of them had come forward, drooling a bit, growling and trying to scare him. Luna Abby had screamed as another rogue had managed to come around another building and stood in front of her, and with her scream, Lewis turned around and the four watching him had launched themselves at him. ***** It was Tuesday afternoon, and that meant it was time to deal with the garden with my mom. It had become our "thing" I guess.  I was turning 18 Friday, which meant my wolf would awaken and I gain the ability to find my mate. And I was so ready. You see, a mate to a werewolf is not someone that completes you, as if you are missing something. Or your "other half," a mate is more than that. They are who the Moon Goddess choses for you. And the two, or three, people in the mate bond help the other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And this is not even one sided. It is like I am the sun and my mate is the water, without the both of us, the garden of our life would not bloom, unable to create something beautiful. I had been waiting my whole life for my mate. But more importantly, I get to meet my wolf. I wonder what her name will be? My mother's name is Miranda, and her wolf is Athea. My dad's name is Lewis and his wolf is Arlo. We don't chose their names, the Moon Goddess does. When they awaken and get to introduce themselves for the first time, they will awaken with that knowledge already, and all basic skills. We werewolves amazed me. I wanted to know her name already and what she looked like. Arlo was a rusty reddish brown color and Athea was a lighter grey. I loved seeing them together outside. And I get to join them soon. Ugh. So ready. I am an only child, so this whole finding a mate thing has kind of messed our week up. I'm excited for tomorrow and my parents are too, but we are so close. So the possibility of me finding my mate and them being from another pack really just dampens things. I'd have to raise my family away from my parents. I'm not sure how my mom did it. But it makes me nervous to be honest. My mom and I were talking, laughing, and really enjoying our hours together alone in the garden while dad was gone. We really needed this. In the late afternoon, mid laugh, my mom's eyes clouded over, meaning someone had reached her through the mind link. Her smile had quickly dropped and in the next second she was screaming and clutching her chest. I was frozen in place. "Mom what the hell?!" I yelled, trying to register whatever was happening. She was crying and screaming and wouldn't let go of her chest. I crawled over to her and held her, looking all over her body for some sort of injury. "I don't see anything mom, what's going on?!" I asked, still panicking as she continued on. Suddenly, the Alpha was running past the house, shouting orders at the warriors not far behind. As he and my mom made eye contact, she whimpered. "Our Luna.... Lewis..." She screamed again at the same time the Alpha let out a pained roar and shifted, running off the pack grounds. I pieced it together. "The mate bond..." I said to no one other than myself. This meant that my dad was hurting, and my mom could feel it. She wouldn't feel everything he was, simply a fraction of it. But she kept screaming and crying, he must have been fighting. And he was hurt... badly... She kept screaming while I held her, tears filling my own eyes. Everything went muffled. Her screams, the murmur of the pack members now gathering in the roads. We all began to feel the loss of our Luna. Oh no... I was frozen. Our neighbor, Mrs. Parsons, and her son Cliff that I had had a crush on since forever, came over to us. Mrs. Parsons grabbed my mother by the shoulders, "Come here babe, let's get you inside. Come on now." She whispered to her while lifting her up by the arms. I hadn't even noticed really until my arm went cold due to the loss of contact. "...Blair..." I heard softly, everything still muffled. "Blair." he said again, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "Come on, I'll take you in." I looked up to see Cliff. There was no cheeky smile and I wasn't stammering and blushing. I was numbing and he was teary eyed. I just stared at him, trying to blink the tears out of my eyes but they were coming so quickly to replace the ones shed. "I got ya, come on. It's gonna get cold." He tried so hard to hide his pain he was feeling from the loss of our Luna. Everyone would be feeling it. I know I was, and some of these tears were for her. I didn't get to feel pain for my dad the way my mom did. Or the way we all feel for our Luna. What the hell. That's not fair, I lost my dad. My mom lost her mate, and the Alpha lost his Luna. And all I physically felt was the loss of Abby.  I staggered to my feet, Cliff holding my elbow as he helped me shuffle inside. My limbs not wanting to move correctly.  "Where do you want us to go? Living room? Your room?" He asked, trying to get me to answer. But I couldn't. All I could do was nod as I turned us down the hallway towards the stairs, and then towards my room. I sat on my bed while listening to the faint hum of activity down the hall. There were a few different pack members that had come in to help me and especially my mom. I could still hear her crying and screaming. Still dirty from the garden, I looked over at Cliff who had been sitting here with me for hours now, just rubbing my back to try and help, and I smiled slightly. Laying down and closing my eyes.