Under The Silver Moon- A collection of short stories

An alpha born under the silver moon is considered among the most powerful in the world. We are rare, as the silver moon only shows up every 15 years. I am the last werewolf to be born under the silver moon. As my mother’s due date came closer and closer, every wolf in our pack waited with great anticipation to see if I would be born under the silver moon. That was nearly 17 years ago. I have trained hard to live up to the high expectations of being the next in line to run our pack. I, Silver Moon Alpha, Alyss, will run our pack upon finding my mate. My birthday is next week, and my mother, the current Luna, has planned a considerable event inviting all unmated alpha males in the surrounding states so I can find my mate. My mate must be as strong as me if he wants to keep up. I will not merge my pack with another to satisfy another pack’s alpha. We are strong on our own. We don’t need to integrate. As I stare at my plate, my mind begins to wander to who my mate will be. It’s not often, but sometimes it’s nice to picture my future with my mate. I try to imagine what it will be like to have pups and finally be able to move out of the pack house. As I get up, I bump into an omega as he looks up, his face drains with fear. I don’t understand why. I’m not like other alphas. I don’t make fun of those lower in the pack. Without them, our pack isn’t strong. Every pack relies on every member. I helped him up, asking his name. “Jake, he says barely above a whisper, and my heart jumps. I don’t understand it. Looking into his eyes, I say, “Well, Jake, it’s nice to meet you. Meet me in the gym for training when you are done eating.” “Yes, alpha,” Says Jake. I’m not sure why I commanded this of him, but there was no backing out now. Since Jake was just getting his breakfast, I decided to go for a run while I waited. As I run, my blonde hair flows behind me, my eyes silver as the moon I was born under shines in the sun. It’s not long before I come to the lake a few miles from the pack house. Slipping out of my clothes, I jump into the bathing suit I always wear under my clothes. The cool water feels good. After my run in the distance, I heard a howl. A rog e no doubt wandering alone cast from their pack for being too weak. I quickly shift and howl back to let them know they aren’t alone. Once I am Luna and run our pack, rogues like this will be welcome, and our pack will grow stronger. Other packs see the rogues as outcasts, liabilities, or threats. Not me. I know that they aren’t all like that. I know that with the proper training, any wolf can become strong. You just have to find the right way to train them. As my mind wanders on the different ways a pack can become strong, the smell of the lone wolf becomes strong. I recognized it immediately; this is not good. This is no lone wolf. It is the alpha of our rival pack. I mindlink my parents to gather the wolves and do a headcount. Running back, I asked my best friend and future beta, Clara, to grab some extra clothes from my room as I left mine by the lake. Upon reaching the pack house, I quickly shift back to my human form and throw on the clothes that Clara brought me. As usual, she grabs a sexy little dress as she believes I should be more concerned about my looks, especially when I am addressing our pack. She looks after me well, or I would be lost entirely. My senses heightened as I walked into the gym; something was off. There are a few extra wolves here. I walk up to my parents, and they ask why I want everyone called. “I caught the scent of Nolan,” I say quietly. My parents gasp. There has been peace since shortly after I turned 5. Nolan’s pack attacked ours, trying to kill me before I became too powerful. “Nolan must know that my birthday is in a week, and with my mate at my side, I will become unstoppable,” I say to my parents. My mother nods her head as my father turns to address the pack. “Everyone will stay close to the house for the coming week. No one will be out alone. It has come to our attention that Nolan is in the area. As some of you may have noticed, we have extra among us today. This is because they are from our sister pack a few counties over. They’re the only surviving members after an attack by Nolan’s pack. We welcome them among us. Now, I would like everyone to remember everything I have said. Now you are all dismissed.” “Not so fast,” says a commanding voice at the door. Everyone turns to see Nolan with others at his side. Immediately, all of our guards shift and jump in front of the pack. Shifting, I come out front. “What do you want, Nolan,” I growl, baring my teeth to show I’m not afraid of a fight. “Now, no need to be so aggressive, Alyss,” He replies patronizingly. “State your purpose now before I give the command,” Demands my father. “Well, you see, it’s quite simple. I’m here to watch as my son claims his mate.” “What do you mean?” I bark. Snickering, Nolan replies, “My son claims you are his mate.” “That’s not possible. I’m not of age to find a mate for another week.” “We will wait. But you will come with us in the end.” “I would rather go mateless than have such a weak, pathetic wolf for a mate,” I state before walking off. As I walk off, my entire pack turns to follow me, leaving Nolan and his pathetic excuse for a son behind. I turn as I reach the door. “Oh, and, by the way, once I am of age and have my true mate, I will begin to avenge our sister pack. Jake! Let’s go train. Now!” As we leave, you can hear members of the pack whisper in excitement. I am not sure why I called for Jake. I barely know him, having only met him this morning, but for some reason, I need him to be by my side now. Later that day, after training with Jake, we sat and talked. “Can I say something to you, Alyss?” Jake asks quietly. “Sure, what up?” “Well, I know we don’t know each other very much, but I feel like we have a connection.” “I feel the same way, and I hope that after we each find our mates, we can still be friends.” We both knew that having a relationship outside of your mate was never a good idea. “We’ll know who we are fated to be with next week. Who the Moon Goddess has chosen for us. Who will make us stronger,” says Jake. “When is your birthday?” I ask. “Well, it’s technically the day after yours, but I was born shortly after midnight under the same silver moon as you.” “I’ve never heard of two silver moon wolves being born on the same day.” “Well, we weren’t, though we are hours apart in age.” “That’s true,” I laugh. “Come on, let’s go get some food. I’m starving,” I say as I get up and run towards the kitchen. Jake and I spend the week training together, and though he is not an alpha, he is just as strong as any other alpha I have ever trained with. It must be true that the silver moon makes all wolves stronger. Jake works hard to keep up with me. He’s the only one I have ever met who works as hard as I do. I can tell Jake enjoys pushing himself to improve, just like I do. Watching him as he jumps hurdles and slides under obstacles on the course makes me smile. I enjoy being around him very much; there is just this connection that makes it so easy. I wonder why that is. This is it! This is the morning I’ve been waiting for. Today, I turn 17! I hope to find my mate today to take over our pack and strengthen it. I shower and get ready for the day. Clara has brought me a unique dress just for today. A baby blue sundress. I should have known. She always says baby blue looks best on me. I slip on the dress and brush my hair when there is a knock at the door. Come, I say. In slips, Clara and my mom are smiling. In their hands, I can see a curling iron and makeup. “What is going on?” I ask. They know I hate dressing up. I have more important things to worry about than how I look. “We know you usually hate dressing up, but you will find your mate today, so you should look your best,” says Clara. “Alright, alright,” I say, rolling my eyes. Squealing with glee, they get to work. Half an hour later, we head down to breakfast. I can smell it. It’s my favorite breakfast. Biscuits and gravy and bacon. Oh, all the fresh fruit! Yum! But under all that comes a new scent. A delightful fragrance. I can’t find its source, but I feel like I must. Sniffing around causes many heads to turn. They’ll know what’s happening. I smell my mate. But looking around, I noticed that there were only girls present. I turn to my mother. “Mom, why is it only girls here?” “This is so you won’t find your mate till tonight, Dear. As is tradition for the future alpha and Luna.” “Oh,” I grumble. I know he was here, and it’s killing me that I can’t go after him and find out who he was. Sitting down to eat, I smile as Lena, my favorite cook, brings breakfast. “Thank you, Lena,” I say. “Happy Birthday, Sweetie,” she says, smiling. “Today’s the day!” “Yes, it is,” I reply. After breakfast, Clara and Mom take me to town for a girls’ day. We watch a movie, do some shopping, and get our nails done before lunch. For lunch, they take me to my favorite restaurant. Walking up, the waitress smiles. “Three orders of the usual,” she asks. “And followed by some birthday cake for Alyss,” says Mom. “Oh my, I nearly forgot today was your birthday! I’ll get the orders right away.” As we sit and eat, we chat about what we each think my mate will be like. “I think he will be strong and kind,” I say. The more I describe what I hope my mate will be like, the more I realize that I am describing Jake. I blush as I realize this, catching my mom’s eye. “You know there’s an old prophecy that two wolves will be born under the same silver moon one day. These two wolves will be mated, and once they are bonded, they will join all packs under them.” Hearing this, I nearly spit out my water. “What did you say?” ““Oh, it’s only nonsense! There have never been two wolves born under the same silver moon.” “It’s not true,” says Clara. We both turn to her. She knows what I know. “Jake was born hours after Alyss, though after midnight, but it’s still under the same silver moon.” Throwing cash down, Mom drags us out of the restaurant. “We must get back now! If this is true, then Nolan must know about it as well. This is why he is trying to make a play.” “He’s trying to keep us apart, isn’t he?” “Jake!” I shout through our mindlink. “Jake, if you can hear me, stay close to my father and away from Nolan or his son.” Panic sets in as I don’t hear back from Jake. “Mom, why won’t he answer?” “Calm down, honey. You would know if your mate is being hurt at all.” Turning down the road leading to the pack house, cars are backed up as far as we can see ahead. “Mom!” “I see honey. You girls go.” Clara and I jump out of the car, shifting mid-jump. We take off running towards the pack house. The closer I get, the more I can smell my mate! Hang on, Jake, I think, running as fast as I can. I’m coming! As we approach the pack house, everything seems normal except for the staff setting up for tonight’s party. Taking a deep breath, I shift back and go upstairs to my room. I sense that Jake is fine for now, and there’s no need to alert everyone to what we think may or may not happen. Clara and I enter my room upstairs, and Lena waits with my dress for tonight. A stunning navy blue dress that would cling to my curves in just the right way. A slit that ran up to nearly my hip. The silver shawl draped over the desk chair, and my jewelry was all laid out. “Oh, Lena, it’s beautiful,” I cry. “Only the very best for our future, Luna!” “Oh, I can’t wait.” “I have a nice warm bath waiting for you, so get cleaned up and relax.” I walk into the bathroom and see the tub filled with warm water and bubbles. I can smell the rose and jasmine oils that Lena put in the water, and the flower petals feel smooth. With the candles flickering, my body and mind can relax as I slip my clothes off and into the tub. I slowly scrub the dirt off my hands and feet from running to the house. Running the sponge up one arm and down the other and across my chest. I began to wonder if my mate would enjoy bathing with me. I wonder how his touch will feel. Tonight, shortly after midnight, we will be bonded, and we will start our lives together. I smile. I can hardly wait. I look down at my hands. My fingers are beginning to wrinkle. I guess it’s time to get out. Getting out, I slip on my silk robe and head to my dressing table. Sitting down, I dry my hair, brushing it out. I wonder if Jake will like the way I will look tonight. I need to make sure I look extra special. Curling my hair, I put it up in a curly bun with a few strands hanging down and my bangs framing my face. There, that looks nice. I slowly put on my makeup, making sure everything is just right. Just the way Clara taught me. As I put on my lipstick, I look up to find Nolan’s son staring at me. “What the hell do you want?” I growl. “Oh, I just want to make sure that my chosen mate will look her best tonight.” “I am not your mate, nor will I ever be. I will only be with my true mate.” “We will see,” he snickers as he saunters off, “We will see.” Trembling, I mindlinking my mother. “Mom, I need you up here!” Not even five minutes later, my mom came running in. “What’s wrong?” she asks out of breath. “Nolan’s son was up here,” I exclaim. “What do you mean he was up here? You didn’t let him mark you, did you?” “Goddess, no! Not with that weakling,” I shout. “Ok, good, I just had to ask. Now, Ayss, look at me! You will be with your true mate tonight. The whole pack will see to it. You and your mate are our future.” Smiling, Mom wipes a tear from my cheek. “You’ll see you two were meant to be,” I nod. “Ok, let’s finish getting dressed”” I slip on my dress and shoes, grabbing my shawl. I head down to Dad’s office, where I’ll wait till everyone is ready for me to make my entrance. While I wait, I look through all the pictures on the walls. Our family pictures. I smiled at each one as I remembered when it was taken. Then, as I looked at the last one, I noticed something. In the picture, I played at the park when I was five, and in the picture, playing with a boy. The boy looks just like Jake! I took the picture down. Folding it, I slip it into my clutch. I can’t wait to show my mate. Hopefully, he’ll find it funny. Just before the clock chimes 10, I slip into position with my mother and father. We wait for the doors to open, but they never do. Glancing at mother and father, I begin to worry. Father motions for us to move back. As we do, he opens the door to show the room empty. Pain hits my chest without warning, and I fall to the ground. “They’ve taken him,” I cry out. “They’ve taken my mate.” My mother holds me as I cry out in pain. Father mindlinks his beta. “Where is everyone?” he demands. “Luna told us that she wanted to move the party to the gym. When we all got there, the doors slammed shut and won’t open,” The beta replies. “Nolan has a shapeshifter,” says Father. “No,” Mother gasps. “We must come up with a plan quickly.” “First,” I say, “We need to come up with a phrase to say should we get caught with the shapeshifter. And we shouldn’t say it out loud either unless we are caught.”” Through mind link, Father, Mother, and I decided our phrase would be pack house. Next, we decided that we needed to split up. My parents will find out where Nolan and that snake of a son of his are hiding. While I hunt for my mate. I must find Jake, and I can find him easier as I am his mate. Shifting as we took off in different directions, we started to hunt. I don’t know where I am running to, but I feel like it is the right direction in my heart. I run further into the forest, further than I have ever been. As I o, I can faintly smell my mate. I’m going in the right direction. Something about this area feels familiar. I have been here before. I can feel it in my bones. There’s a clearing up ahead that I go to. The park from the picture is in the middle of the clearing. In the middle of the park is my mate, lying unconscious. Every fiber of my being wants to run to him, but I sense a trap. Circling the playground, I move in closer. My mate slowly begins to move. He’s not wounded but groggy like he’d been drugged. My two f can no longer contain itself. I run towards my mate, wrapping him in my arms. Looking into his eyes, I know he knows that we’re mates. I kiss his lips, and I feel this surge of energy run through me. The tingling feeling shoots up everywhere we touch. Pulling away, I look up to see Nolan and his son watching with my parents’ crumpled bodies lying at their feet. Anger fills me as I shift back to my wolf form and move to protect my mate; glancing to the side, I see his wolf standing beside me. I already feel more potent, but I know it’s not enough to defeat Nolan and his son. I turn to my mate, “You must mark me quickly. Once we are bonded, we will both be stronger, and we can end this.” Nodding, he comes in to mark me. At first, the pain is intense, but then a strength spreads through me. The silver in our eyes flashes as we howl to the moon goddess. We see the color drain from Nolan’s son as he scampers off in fear. “We are wolves born of the same silver moon now mated. You will bow before us, Nolan”” I growl. Howling out in anticipation of the battle, I am surprised to hear my pack howling behind me. “Alpha and Luna! Together, we are unstoppable.” “NO! This isn’t possible! You will not defeat me.” Nolan growls. Lungi goes forward to attack us, and Nolan gets knocked to the side by Clara. “Clara back down. This is my fight,” I command. Clara hesitates, looking from Nolan back to us. This is all Nolan needs to take her down. In an er, I charge at Nolan and knock him down again. Then, out of nowhere, his son tackles me, knocking me down. “You’ll be my mate,” he howls like a spoiled child. “This isn’t fair,” I try to get up, but I can tell my leg is broken. Nolan and his son circle me, preparing to go in for the kill. It’s coming; I can sense it. “Why would I be your mate? You are nothing more than a weak, pathetic pup who sees past his own tail.” I know this will make them angry, and hopefully, they will make a mistake. “Your pack has nothing on ours. We have not one but two wolves born under a silver moon. Mated, we are stronger than your entire pack.” There’s a flash of anger in Nolan’s eyes. He knows I’m right. I feel my leg healing; I just need another minute or two. “In fact,” I continue, “Even if we weren’t born under this silver moon, we would still be stronger than you. You are nothing more than a being. The Moon Goddess took pity on you and granted our powers to you. You couldn’t beat me if I had two broken legs.” Almost there, I think. “When we are done here, I will dissolve your entire pack. Those who do not bow to me and my mate will be slaughtered.” There. That made them angry enough that they both lunged at the same time. I duck, and they hit each other and fall to the ground. I stood on all fours, towering above them. Nolan swipes at me with his paw, smacking me upside the head. I rip off his arm and bite down on his son’s head before passing out. As I wake up, I touch my head and feel bandages. My head is pounding. I roll over to see Jake lying in the chair beside my bed. I smile; my heart feels whole. “Hey, there, sleepy head,” he says, stretching. As I sit up, he comes and kisses my cheek. “Let’s go get some food. I’m hungry,” I say as Lena pokes her head in. “Oh good, you’re up. I brought you some oatmeal and fruit.” “Thank you,” I say. “No, thank you, Luna.” I stopped mid-bite. I’m Luna! I am mated and have taken over the pack. I look to Jake. “I guess you’re no longer an Omega, Alpha,” I say, smiling. My happiness is short-lived as Clara walks in, frowning. ““We have an issue”” She says. “After you passed out last night, Nolan called forward his shapeshifters. He has quite a few. And now we don’t know which are your parents and which are shapeshifters.” Sitting up, “I’ll handle this. We knew something like this might happen. So we came up with a phrase.” Turning to Jake, I smile. “I’ll be back soon.” Clara has all of the prisoners and my parents in separate rooms. Bringing them in one at a time, we go through all the shifters and are down to the last four when Nolan’s mate asks to be seen. “Have her wait in the lounge room with the guards. I will be down in a few minutes.” I look to Clara. “I want you to bring the remaining four to the lounge just after I go down.” I mindlink my parents to mention the phrase when they see me. Coming into the lounge, I offer Nolan’s mate a drink. “Thank you for seeing me. My name is Ginger. My mate was Nolan. He and my son weren’t the best to have as Alphas but they were mine.” “Sit, please,” I say, smiling. In walks Clara with the two shapeshifters and my parents. I can’t tell them apart. “I love this packhouse.” “Yes, it is very nice to be back in the packhouse,” said my parents. As soon as I know who my parents are, I stand behind the shapeshifters, and without shifting, I rip their heads off. “I am Luna Alyss, the leader of this pack. Born under the Silver Moon and mated with one of the same, I am the strongest wolf you’ll ever see.” I don’t need to shift to make my point, Ginger cowers in fear. “I am so sorry for what they did. Please forgive me and my pack.” “Your pack is no more. Those who will not bow to me will be slaughtered. Now, I don’t think we will have any issue with your pack dissolving into mine. Let it be known that all packs will unite under me and my mate. It is time to end the division and begin to act as one. We will be stronger together.” Ginger brought her pack before Jake and I. Each bowed before us and acknowledged us as their leaders. I turned to Ginger, “Ginger, you will be a beta, and the rest will be Omegas. You will answer to Clara and me and tend to the needs of those in your area. Lead with kindness and love. Teaching strength and kindness to those under you, and you will be fine.” Ginger nodded her head. It’s been several years since I became Luna and mated with Jake. We have two beautiful pups who are strong like us. We have joined all packs in the country under us. We protect one another and make one another happy. We have come across issues with others, like vampires and the fairies, but not a single conflict between werewolves. The prophecy that my mother spoke of so many years ago has come to pass. Two wolves were born under the same silver moon. Mated together and blessed by the Moon Goddess, they have united all the packs. The End