Avenging His Luna

4 Not a Felon

****Trigger Warning- This episode depicts scenes that include s****l assault.****

Scarlett

I had been working on the Luna’s gown for hours. She had decided on wearing this black floor length number she pulled from the back of her closet. It was a wrinkled mess of silk with a thousand pleats, all of which needed individual pressing to restore the original shape. I had several small burns on my fingers already from rushing the procedure.

She showed up to check my progress and was clearly agitated that it wasn’t done. She stood there staring at me from the doorway smoking a cigarette and trying to steady herself from all the alcohol she had consumed already.

“You stupid girl!” She yelled. “This should have been done hours ago. How the hell am I supposed to show up to a victory ceremony in a wrinkled gown? You will not have supper tonight if I am late!”

I could smell the stench of the whiskey mixing with the smoke. It always made me want to puke. I tried to steady my stomach as I continued to fold and press the fabric. I reluctantly inhaled again. This time, there was a hint of something else mixed with the odors. It smelled like a musk. Like a walk through the forest at night. I was transported back to my walks to the jail. The same comforting feeling started to fill me, and I closed my eyes, letting it wash the pain in my fingers away. I reopened them to see the annoyed look on the Luna’s face.

“Yes, Luna.” I said, returning to my work. The feeling lingered and almost seemed to grow. I had never experienced it away from pressing my back to the outer wall of the prison.

“Mother.” A voice came from the hall, the bass of it vibrated through me and intensified the familiar sensations I craved from those nights.

Luna whipped her head around and stiffened herself in the doorway before taking a step back, allowing a large figure to enter the room. The male was tall with thick light brown hair pushed back some to reveal beautiful green eyes. He looked much older than me, almost as old as Luna, who he called mother. He stared right at me and allowed a smile to cross his harsh face.

“Mate!” Willow yelled in my mind.

No, it couldn’t be. My mate was a felon locked up in the jail. Could it be possible he escaped? From the look on Luna’s face, he wasn’t supposed to be out.

I took a step back, searching the room for an exit I knew wasn’t there. What did he want? Was he going to force me to go with him? I never should have allowed myself to continue going back. How did I not see this day coming? I wanted to be safe, wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go.

Flashbacks of Alpha Stewart filled my head. Would a felon-mate be any different than a male who felt he owned you for the night? I was immediately back in Stewart’s office. Alpha Felix had given me a sick smile as he exited, saying, “I’ll be back tomorrow to take you home, if you’re able.” I was terrified. My heart pounded and a tear fell from my eye as Stewart walked over and ran his hand up my side. “Good, kitty, I like them scared.” He grabbed the back of my hair and used it to turn me around before shoving me toward a door on the far side of his office. “Go, girl.”

I walked through the doorway and paused, waiting for him to instruct me where to turn. His foot met my lower back, and I was thrust to the ground, catching myself with my palms but also managing to crack my hip bone off the floor. “Get your ass up.” He said, pulling my hair until my feet were under me. Why was this happening? Who treated someone like this?

“Stairs.” He said with a sick smile on his face.

I walked up the stairs the best I could in the awkward heels I was wearing. His hand reached up and rested on my ass as I climbed, and he made sounds like he was eating a decadent dessert. It sent shivers up my spine. I wanted out.

When we got to the top of the stairs, he grabbed my hair again and walked me to the end of the hall. Who were in all the rooms we passed and why were they not hearing this or helping me?

“No one’s here, kitten. It’s just you and me.”

All hope left, and I resigned myself to dying at that moment.

We got inside the room, and he threw me onto the bed by my hair. I cried as a chunk of it ripped out. I ran my fingers over the spot and felt the wet blood.

“There’s the fear I want.” He groaned, throwing his glass across the room. I jumped as it broke against the floor.

He leapt on the bed as if he were half shifted and pinned me down with his hands.

“Say my name, w***e. Tell me you want my dick.”

I didn’t want any of that. I couldn’t form words or even think straight. I just wanted to go home. I wanted my mom and my dad.

“Please, just let me go.” I begged with tears streaming down my cheeks.

His hand met the side of my face, and I felt my jaw pop as pain mixed with heat spread. His hand returned this time against my throat, making it hard for me to breathe.

“Tell me you want my dick.” He said inches from my face.

Darkness started clouding my vision. I gasped, desperately trying to fill my lungs with air, but couldn’t. I winced away from him and gave into it.

I shook the vision out of my head, returning to the beautiful green eyes still locked on mine but now inhabiting a face covered with concern.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

I couldn’t speak. I just shook my head yes.

“Joshua, you came back?” Luna asked from the hall.

A flare of anger crossed his face as he looked at her.

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t know exactly where I was.” The face that seemed so soft towards me held disdain for my mistress.

“Your father told me you ran away.” Shock still covered her face.

Was my mate really her son? How did she not know he was in the prison? If he had been convicted of something, wouldn’t she know about it as Luna of the pack?

“Ran away?” He asked. “No. The night after father tried beating Clara to death in the square, he poisoned me and threw me in jail. Nice of you to come see your son these past several years. As a matter of fact, dad only showed up.”

Luna gasped and covered her mouth. A tear started out of the side of her eye, and she took a step towards him before he held his hand up, stopping her.

“If I had known, I would have come. You wouldn’t have been there. All these years I thought you had left me. I was so angry at you for leaving and at your father for driving you away. I’ve barely slept from the grief.” She stuttered. It was true, she rarely slept and always seemed angry. I just figured it was her personality.

“Your father never came to see you? Is he not the reason you’re out?” She asked.

“No.” He replied. “I’m out because Sam and the Alpha of the Red Savage Pack broke me out. They helped me recover. And I only ever had one visitor.” He said, turning to me. I looked into his eyes, and he gave me a crooked smile. Could that be true? Was he really just a victim of his father’s obsession with power? Was he innocent this whole time, or was I sharing space at present with a dangerous wolf?

“The Red Savage Pack?” She gasped. “Isn’t that where they were headed today?” Luna asked.

“Yes. They did, but Clara, Benjamin, and Sam made this pack aware of the lies and manipulation he had been using to run things the past few years. His warriors all stood by and watched him die.

Luna gasped again, “You killed your father?”

“No, Clara did. She’s Luna of the Red Savage Pack now. She is finally free of his abuse.”

“Your half-sister? I thought she died years ago.” Luna said.

He seemed exasperated with her. “No, he lied to all of you, constantly. Now it’s your time to tell the truth. Why is my mate ironing your dress?” He asked while glaring at her.

Luna turned to me in shock before looking between the two of us. “Oh, Goddess, Joshua, I had no clue.”

He looked back at me and smiled.

“You can put the iron down now.” He said, raising an eyebrow. “Unless you have other plans for it, in which case we could probably arrange something.” He tilted his head toward his mother.

I tossed the iron down.

“No, I wouldn’t burn Luna.” I insisted.

He chuckled some and leaned against the wall. “You know she’s not the Luna anymore, you’re going to have to stop calling her that.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha. What do you want me to call her?” I asked.

“Call her whatever you want.” He said shrugging. “Depends on what type of relationship you want to have with her.”

The former Luna now looked at me pleadingly. Why did she look so concerned?

“You can call me Ann, Luna, or mother, whichever you prefer.” She added.

Luna? What was she talking about? I couldn't be a Luna. I scrunched my face before jumping when I noticed another male presence in the hall. Joshua looked around the doorframe before returning his gaze to me.

“That’s Sam. He will be my Beta.” Joshua said.

All three of them were staring at me now. My heart pounded fast in my chest.

“So, you aren’t a felon?” I asked quietly.

“No.” He answered, smiling.

“You aren’t dangerous?” I asked.

“I guess that depends on who you are. You have nothing to worry about, though.”

I thought that over for a minute. My whole body wanted to run to him. Wanted to feel that comfort I would draw through the cold bricks amplified one hundred percent by his closeness.

“Have you ever killed anyone?” I asked.

“Only in battle,” he answered.

“Tortured anyone?”

“Only in battle.” He said again, smirking, obviously enjoying this.

“So, you didn’t do anything wrong? You were protecting your sister and your father threw you in jail because he was threatened by you?” I asked.

“Yeah,” his friend Sam replied. “When your kid kicks your ass in the middle of the whole pack, you open yourself up to challengers, everyone assumes you lost your touch.” He said, laughing, now standing directly behind Ann.

“Hey, former Luna, how’s this going for you? Enjoying yourself?” Sam asked her.

She glared at him before the panic look returned to her face and she returned her attention to me.

“Okay, I guess not.” Sam shrugged “So, new Luna, what can we call you?”

Joshua stood a little taller and smiled wider as he looked at me waiting for my response.

“Scarlett,” I said quietly.

Joshua beamed a bit. “Your name is beautiful.”

I took a step closer to him and he relaxed his arms.

“Go to mate. He isn’t in pain anymore. He will be strong for you.” Willow pushed.

My feet continued to carry me closer to him and I enjoyed the warmth that spread through me. I got inches away before my body shook some with nerves. I looked up into his eyes and he smiled down at me.

“It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” he whispered. “Your visits are the only reason I held on. You kept me going.”

I inhaled deeply and a tear fell down my cheek. “You took my pain away.” I said, reaching up for his hand. “That’s why I would go. I thought for years I was crazy to allow comfort to come from a convicted felon, but I needed it. You were my only relief.”

He took my hands in his and wiped a tear from my cheek. Sparks erupted from his touch and happiness filled me. I couldn’t help smiling up at him. He lifted my hands to his mouth, kissing them softly and inhaling my scent. I leaned in closer, wanting to fully experience the sensations coursing through my body. I found myself rolling my lips in my teeth as I watched his eyes make a path from my fingers, down my arms and stopping at my chest before locking onto my eyes while he flashed me another crooked smile.

“Thank you for always coming. I thought you had forgotten about me for a while, but you always returned. I love you, Scarlett.” He said before placing another kiss on my hands. He looked down toward my arms again, this time turning them slightly to reveal my forearms, and his face turned to confusion then anger as his eyes drifted over the small circular burns which littered my skin. He turned his face towards his mother, attempting to retreat down the hall, but she was stopped by Sam, who took her by the arm.

“Why does Scarlett have burns on her arms?” He asked through clenched teeth. I pulled my hands from his and took two steps back, fear settling over me. He softened when he turned to me.

“I’m sorry Scarlett. The whole time you visited me, I had pictured you living a good life. Your presence was simply a gift you provided me. I never wanted you to feel pain.”

He turned glaring back at his mother, who still held the smoldering cigarette in her hand. She looked down at it, then back to him before crying and pleading with him.

“I’m sorry, Joshua. I had no idea she was yours.” She cried.

“Sam, take her to her room and lock the door. I’ll deal with her later.”

She cried as Sam led her down the hall toward her door. Joshua returned his attention to me.

“I don’t know what to say. She will pay for what she did.”

I looked down the hall toward her as she entered her bedroom door. Her eyes met mine, but they were lacking the confidence and edge they usually held; they were filled with fear.

I returned my eyes to Joshua, who still looked down at me.

“I know you probably didn’t expect this. A lot has happened in the past several hours and I want you to know you have all the time you need to process it. I’m just happy you’re here. I have to go outside and tell the pack what happened to my father. I want to announce you as their Luna, but I won’t until you are ready. You can come with me if you want.” I could tell he hoped I would say yes. His face held a slight smile and his brows bunched on his forehead.

I just shook my head no. I wasn’t ready to stand in front of all of them. Was I even ready to see my mate? Why did he have to go right now? There was so much more I wanted to ask him. So much I needed to tell him. He was standing there looking hopelessly in love with me, thinking I was some heroine who had been locked away pinning for him while he was at war. That wasn’t the story.

He squeezed my hands and started to let go, the smile never leaving his face, when I noticed his wrist also held scars. Pain shot through me at this visible sign of his own torture. I gasped and shook my hands free the rest of the way before cradling his wrist in one hand and lightly running my finger over the scar with the other. I felt his head fall and rest on the back of mine as I bent over for a closer look.

“I’ve got them too.” He whispered. “We can heal them together.”

Something came over me. It took control much as Willow used to when I was younger. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his wrists. I wanted so badly to remove the pain.

“When?” I asked.

“Years ago. When my father first locked me up, he kept me in silver chains.”

It all flooded back, Willow freaking out in my head, me running barefoot searching the pack grounds for the wounded mate she felt, crying to my parents that he was out there and needed me, them listening to Alpha Felix say I must be insane.

“You were hurt. Willow knew it. We weren’t crazy.” I said, looking into his eyes, my own filling with tears again. “My parents and your father thought I had lost my mind, but I knew I felt you, I knew you were in pain.”

He stroked my cheek with his thumb and wrapped me in a hug. I tensed at first but then settled into his warmth and comfort.

“Then you finally found me. I craved those nights when you would show up. The pain would subside, and I felt like I could breathe again.” He smiled. “Let me go take care of this, then we can talk all you want. Where do you want me to meet you?”

Where was I going to go, to my tiny closet of a room filled with used hole covered clothes and a broken bed? I didn’t want anyone to see that.

“I’ll go with you.” I said as he stepped out of our embrace. “But I don’t want to go on stage. Can I just stay by the house?” I asked.

“It’s your house, you can stand by it if you want.” He said, smiling at me.

My house? I put in enough time cleaning it to claim some small ownership, I felt, but I was by no means entitled to it all. Nor did I want it. It was filled with unhappy memories. What was I supposed to do, play pretend that I wasn’t beaten and abused in just about every square inch of the place? I didn’t want this to be my home. How was I supposed to tell him that?

He held my hand and led me down the hall. Sam leaned against the wall outside Ann’s door, playing with a pocketknife.

“I had to reverse the knob, but she’s locked in. Luna, are you coming down with us?” He asked, smiling.

I gave him a small smile in return and nodded my head.

“Good, well, everyone’s outside, let’s go tell them the tyranny is over and they can all relax!” he laughed. They both seemed wildly optimistic about leading this pack.