The Forgotten Luna

CHAPTER ONE Jade slowly turned her head to look at the face of the man lying next to her. Seeing that he was still asleep, she breathed a sigh of relief and began scooting to the edge of the bed. Good morning said a deep male voice behind her. Jade gave a small start and moved faster to the edge of the bed. Don’t worry Jade, I told you no harm would come to you if you were with me, and I meant it. Now, if you don’t mind, I will shower first and get our breakfast started. Jade heard the rustling of the covers and felt his weight shift as he moved from the bed. She turned just in time to see the muscles of his back working as he stretched and walked toward the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, never once looking back. Victor shut the door behind him and moved quickly to the shower. Turning on the water, he stripped off his pajamas and stepped into the hot water. His mind wandered to the beautiful woman in the next room, and he smiled to himself. He had known his mate would be beautiful, but he had never imagined she would be stunning. Everything about her was perfect, from her long auburn hair to her perfect toes. He had lain for some time last night and watched her sleeping. Her face was oval, and her jaw was set in a show of defiance even in her sleep. Her breasts were still taut with the firmness of her youth and her stomach was flat with abs that showed how hard she worked at keeping fit. Her long thin legs showed no signs of change and were devoid of any hair. When he had reached the place where his pups would emerge into the world, he had diverted his eyes. That was a sacred place, special because that was where his woman and wolf merged in a love that was meant only for him and his wolf. He thanked the goddess for her wisdom in choosing such a mate for him. His last thought was of Jade lying beside him as he fell into a deep sleep. That was last night and today was a day full of questions and answers. He felt himself growing hard and finished his shower quickly. He had told her that no harm would befall her as long as she was his mate and he meant to keep that promise. It wasn’t from the other wolves she would need protection, but rather from him. They would have to discuss sleeping arrangements once breakfast was over. Jade sat on the bed thinking back over the events of the last night. She tried to make sense of things, but it only made her head hurt and slowly tears began to form in her eyes and slide silently down her cheeks. She was in a strange bed with a strange man in a strange house, expecting to live a stranger’s life. She doubted she would ever make sense of it all. So lost in her misery and thoughts was she that Jade didn’t hear the opening of the bathroom door. She smelt him before she saw him. Not the shampoo or soap he had used to clean himself, but rather an earthy scent. One of wood and fresh grass. It was his scent, and it gave her a small tingle in the pit of her stomach. Turning to look at him, her breath caught in her throat. He was wearing a pair of jeans and no shirt. His hair was still dripping and hadn’t yet been combed. His damp skin was stretched taunt over muscles that had seen many years of training and hard work. Jade forced herself to look no further and drew her attention back to his face. His straight Roman nose did nothing to detract from his full lips and square jaw but his eyes. She couldn’t look away from his eyes. She had never seen violet eyes before and looking into his Jade felt a connection she had never felt with anyone. Victor noticed her assessing him and his eyes shone with mischief. By the look on your face, am I to assume that you are not disappointed in your mate? He asked. Feeling a warm flush moving over her body, Jade quickly looked away and tried to walk past him. Victor moved closer to her and blocked her path. When he saw the look of panic beginning to cross her face, he stepped back and held out his hand to her. I only wanted to give you this key. It unlocks the dressing room across the hall. I had my sister Amelia pick up a few things for you and put them there. She is the same age as you and about the same size, so I assumed she would be up to the task. You may wear anything you find there as it is all your things. Everything else you will need you can find in the bathroom. When Jade hesitated, he stepped closer and again offered her the key. This time she took it and he turned to leave. Stopping at the bedroom door, he took a deep breath and said," I promised you, Jade, no one was going to hurt you and I’m a man of my word, so please don’t be afraid. Without waiting for her to reply, he opened the door and was gone. Jade waited to make sure he wasn’t going to come back before she moved from her spot near the bed and walked across the hall. Putting the key in the lock, she turned the doorknob and stepped into her own fairytale. Victor left the room and headed for the kitchen. He knew she was confused and scared. She must have so many questions to ask, and he would answer them all, but first, he had to help her adjust to her new role as Luna of the Prairie Pack. He would start today by telling her some basic history of herself, her people, and most importantly, her wolf. He knew she had been told nothing about her identity and the wolf that lay sleeping inside her. He only hoped it wasn’t too late to wake her wolf. It was said that if a werewolf was denied the opportunity to change, then the wolf would die. He prayed this was not the case with Jade as he entered the kitchen and began to look for something for breakfast. Victor found some fresh fruit in the fridge and set about making them a fresh fruit plate for breakfast. He had given the staff the day off as he thought it might be easier for them to talk without the constant interruptions of the staff doing the daily chores. Jade walked into the dressing room and drew in her breath. When Victor said he had sent his sister shopping to pick up a few things she had assumed he meant a pair of jeans and a shirt, but this was something she never could have imagined. On the left wall hung two rows of gowns that looked fit for a princess, full of sequence and hand-embroidered beautiful birds and flowers. On the right wall were two rows each of jeans, shirts, hats, and handbags. Jade had never seen so many styles of jeans and shirts in her life. Some of the jeans were torn and made to look very used indeed (she had begged for a pair of jeans just like those, but her mom had said they were too expensive for jeans that looked like they belonged in the rag bag). Now she must count at least ten pairs. The shirts were just as expensive and numerous. Turning her attention to the handbags, she saw the names of exclusive designers and fashion houses. She would never have been able to afford such beautiful things and wondered at the man named Victor. Walking further into the room, she spotted an armoire sitting along the back wall. Curious to see what treasures it might hold, she pulled the doors open to reveal a large assortment of bras and panties. All matching, of course and all from the best boutiques in town. A more petite armoire caught her attention and she knelt to open it. Inside she found some of the most exquisite pieces of jewelry she had ever seen. It was filled with necklaces, from delicate gold chains to large precious gems. There were earrings to match each necklace and bracelet as well. Looking around, she finally found a small space filled with nightgowns, pajamas, and bathrobes. She found the softest one of the bathrobes and headed for the bathroom across the hall. Jade stood for a few minutes and let the hot water run over her body. It felt good and she was in no hurry to go downstairs and share a meal with Victor, a man she didn’t know. She was curious about him though. Where had he come from and why did her parents, who had always been so protective over her, suddenly just send her away with him? They hadn’t even bothered to give her an explanation. He had knocked on the door and her mother had told her to go pack a bag. She will be leaving now. Her father couldn’t look her in the eyes and her mother hugged her with tears filling her eyes. She held Jade close and whispered in her ear," He’s a good man, Jade, and if you trust him with an open heart and willing spirit, he will always do his best for you." With that, Victor had told her it was time to leave. Without another word, he had taken her by the arm and escorted her to the waiting car. They had ridden in silence the whole way back to his house. Victor never offered an explanation or even looked her way. Once at the manor house, he told her to go inside and wait for him as he needed to finish up with the driver. Offering no resistance, Jade walked up the steps of the mansion to the heavy oak door. She suddenly felt very small and very tired. She barely noticed the young girl who opened the door for her or the teen boy who carried her bag. She didn’t hear them whispering or take notice of the way they watched her as she walked into the mansion. She noticed one thing, though they had bowed to her as she passed by. Jade was taken aback by the beauty of this place and was curious about the man who would choose to live in such a mansion. She was standing inside the front door when Victor walked in. He turned his attention to the two young people standing in the hall. James, please take our new Luna's bag to our master suite. Lea, you are excused for the night. I have instructed Brad to take you home before leaving the car. Yes, Alpha, said Lea and bowed. Turning his attention to Jade, he addressed her in the same kind of voice. I know you must be full of questions, and I assure you I will do my very best to answer them all, but for tonight let’s just get some rest and, in the morning, I will try to explain all of this. Now, if you will please follow me, I will show you to our room. Fear began to rise in Jade. He had said she was safe with him, but at the mention of sharing a room, she wondered what he had in store for her. Jade kept her head down and steeled herself for what was to come. Pushing the door open to the master bedroom, Victor stepped to the side and motioned for her to enter. Jade stepped into the room with hesitation. She knew she would fear this man, but this small whisper came from inside her and said that she was safe. Keeping her head lowered, Jade walked into the bedroom she would now be expected to share with this strange man. Pulling herself back to the present day, Jade turned off the water and wrapped the bathrobe around her. She stepped from the shower, dried off quickly, and dressed in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt she had chosen for today. She didn’t know how long she had stood in the shower daydreaming. and she didn’t want to anger Victor because her stomach was reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since dinner last evening. Making her way downstairs, she followed the sound of Victor working in the kitchen. Jade stood in the doorway and watched this man who called himself her mate. He was tall and had broad shoulders with muscles that seemed to come from everywhere. If he had been someone that she and her friends had encountered on the street, her friend Becky would have faked swooning and said he was the man of her dreams. Do you like fresh fruit? Asked Victor. Excuse me, said Jade. I asked if you like fresh fruit, said Victor. Yes, I like it just fine, replied Jade. “Good,” said Victor, turning around and holding a plate piled high with an assortment of fresh fruit. It’s such a beautiful autumn morning, shall we enjoy our breakfast by the pool? “I’d like that very much,” said Jade, suddenly feeling the need for fresh air. Please go ahead and I’ll bring our breakfast right out, said Victor. Jade walked out onto the veranda and took in the view. Last night she hadn’t been able to see that the mansion was set on top of a very high hill. This morning she could see the whole valley below and was surprised at just how vast it was. “Do you like it,” asked Victor. Yes, it’s a stunning view, replied Jade. “I would have to agree with that assessment, said Victor. Jade turned to find him looking at her instead of the view and she felt the heat rising within her again. Noticing her discomfort, Victor quickly averted his eyes and said, please have a seat. After breakfast, we can begin with the millions of questions, I know you must have. Jade shook her head in agreement and reached for a chair. Let me do that for you, said Victor as he reached for the chair, pulling it out for her to sit in. Thank you, said Jade. She had never had her chair pulled out for her by the boys she had gone on dates with. Maybe that was it. She thought they were boys and Victor was a man. So far, he had been nothing, but a gentleman and she began to understand what her mother had said to her. After both had eaten their fill, Victor took the empty plates to the kitchen and returned with a coffee tray. He placed it on the table and offered Jade a cup. Yes, please. Would you like cream and sugar also? No black is fine. Victor handed her the cup and poured himself one before sitting down. Taking a drink of his coffee, he looked at Jade over the rim of his cup. When he placed his cup on the table, he said," I know this has been upsetting and strange to you" and I will try to explain everything the best I can, but first can I ask you a few questions? I just want to find out how much you already know so we don’t waste time revisiting things we don’t need to. Jade gave him a small smile. You can ask me anything, but I’ll save you some time and tell you right up front that I don’t know anything. I have never heard of this thing you keep talking about. I didn’t know you even existed until you showed up at my house last night and I have no idea why my parents sent me with you. Victor listened to everything she said and when she was finished, he shook his head. I had suspected as much, so let’s start at the beginning, shall we? The first thing you must know is I am going to tell you some things that are hard for you to hear and some will be hard for you to believe, but know this I will only ever speak the truth to you. I will never lie or be deceitful to you, so you can always trust what I say. We may as well start with one of the biggest lies you have been experiencing. Fred and Doris are not your real parents. It was a necessary lie, but it was a lie. Your parents were killed when you were but a small pup. Fred and Doris were chosen as your parents because Fred was your father’s Beta, and they had no pups of their own. Wait stop right there, said Jade. You keep calling me a pup. Is that your name for a baby? How were my parents killed and what is a Beta? Victor smiled and said," Okay, slow down little one. I call you a pup because that is the correct term for a young werewolf. A Beta is the second in command, just below the Alpha in a pack. Seeing the look of shock on her face, Victor thought maybe he had told her too much too soon and she was going to freak out. Jade burst out laughing. That’s the craziest thing I’ve heard of. Do you really expect me to believe that? Anger began to rise in Victor’s chest. His wolf noticed and said, Take it easy, remember she has been told nothing about who she is or where she came from. It was decided by your father to keep this a secret from her to keep her safe. Be patient with her. I know, growled, Victor, but how am I supposed to make her understand if she thinks this one big joke? Maybe she needs to see me, suggested his wolf. If she sees you change, it may help to awaken her wolf.