The Luna

Pine and Water

*Through Xander's Eyes*

    “Of f*****g course we get a flat tire. On a super important trip we get a damn flat tire and are late. Our dads are gonna kill us!” whined Alex as he leaned against the door of the SUV. 

    We were pulled over on the side of the road and had decided to stretch our legs a bit while the security team changed the tire. 

    “Obviously this was something we had no control over Alex, it’s fine. I already linked my dad saying we’d be a few minutes behind,” said Max, always the voice of reason. 

    “You aren’t worried this is a bad first impression? Being late at the very start?” Alex looked at both of us for an answer.

    “I’m sure Luna Sage is reasonable and will understand our very slight delay,” Max responded. 

    “I heard she’s super hot,” I said.

    “I heard she’s a b***h,” added Alex. 

    “I’ve heard she’s both,” Max countered, making all of us laugh. “I’m actually excited to meet her. I’m just so curious.” We all agreed. 

    Luna Sage was kind of a legend. As the only woman in complete power of a full pack and notoriously private, there were countless rumors about her and they were all so different that it was hard to pick any truths from them. Some said she killed her parents for the position, one said she was a crazy psychopath, a few said the decisions were actually made by her beta. There were also absolutely ridiculous ones like the rumor saying she was a cross-dressing alpha or that she was dating the president. Even people who had meetings with her couldn’t determine which rumors were true, which I found hard to believe. 

    Alpha Elijah had no problem doing business with a woman, as Cold Moon was a pretty progressive and equal pack. If a woman wanted to join the fighters, she could as long as she could prove her skill. Every female was taught combat basics but I wasn’t sure how the pack would react to being led by a woman if we were ever in that situation. It made the rumors more mysterious because not much was known about the details or members of Strong Mountain.   

    Once the new tire was on we started towards the Strong Mountain border again. The road twisted and turned, following a small river. Severe mountains surrounded us on all sides, we were clearly driving through a valley. It was late summer so everything was green. I’m sure this river was twice the size during the spring when the snow melted, but for now it looked very pleasant. I inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of fresh wood and pine and hundreds of little animals running around. My stomach gurgled. I’d been starving all day despite eating multiple meals. 

    When we approached the border patrol stopped us, checking our car and making sure we were who we said we were. They gave us directions to the pack house and sent us on our way. The terrain stayed the same for a few miles before the river took a sharp left turn and snaked its way around a huge open field. The three of us looked around excitedly. We were all in our early twenties but we still loved going to new places and this place was beautiful. 

    Max, Alex and I grew up together and were groomed to replace our dads once they retired. We were going to be a great team. We had brains, brawn and looks and none of us had found our mates yet. The world was our oyster. 

    With the mountains still in the backdrop and the forest approaching the edges of the field, there was so much space. At one point the river widened to a medium sized pool, then got narrow again and continued in the distance. 

    Dude we have to go on a run around here, said Zane, my wolf. 

    Yeah, I agree but business first.

    Living here would be amazing, he continued, clearly excited. 

    What an odd comment, why would I ever leave Cold Moon?

    It wasn’t like we didn’t have fields and rivers and mountains on our territory in the east, but it didn’t feel this open and sheltered at the same time. Our summers were also a little colder I think. 

    At an intersection in the road we turned left, but we could see the road to the right that led to a modern-looking town and straight ahead to what looked like a village and more fields. We crossed over a bridge into the forest again and came out in a clearing in front of the largest log cabin I’d ever seen. Well, it was stone and log but it blended perfectly with the surrounding woods. The car stopped next to the other SUVs and we stepped out and looked around. 

    The forest hugged the house on both sides so we could only see the front. The stone driveway led to a grand stone stairway up to the front door. There were intricate terraces outlined with stone walls around the front with perfectly placed flowers and small bushes. The driveway looped around a big fountain with a howling wolf in the middle. There was a five-car garage off to the side. It was still light out since it was summer and only 6:10 pm but the outdoor lights were on and lit every angle in the most dramatic way possible. The air smelled so fresh and clean since there wasn’t a major city anywhere near it. 

    “Well damn. Anyone else itching for a run?” asked Max. Alex and I nodded. 

    “I’m not really sure what I was expecting, but this isn’t it,” Alex said. 

    “Expecting something more girly? More flowers or frills?” Max laughed. 

    “That or like a scary black castle type thing,” Alex responded. I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he could be sometimes. 

    Three staff members rushed out of the house towards us. They stopped in front of us and bowed their heads. “Alpha, Beta, Gamma,” they addressed us before one ran to the back of the car to get our stuff. 

    “Welcome to the Strong Mountain Packlands. I hope you’ll find your stay comfortable and enjoy our territory as much as we do. I’ll lead you to the lounge where everyone is sitting. Dinner will be served at 7 and Stella here will take your drink orders if you’d like one.”

    We gave our orders to Stella and she ran in ahead of us as the other ushered us up the steps. A scotch on the rocks in my hand immediately after arriving was my kind of welcome. 

    The inside of the house looked quite modern while the decorations and colors still went along with the whole forest and mountain vibe. I’m sure the rest of the house was beautiful as we passed through towards the lounge but I stopped caring. 

    At first I thought it was just the air outside, but the scent got stronger as we walked farther into the house. The intoxicating combination of pine, sandalwood and freshwater was ten times better than any forest or river I’d ever been in. It woke me up and invigorated every cell in my body while giving me a sense of peace and tranquility. I could almost hear water bubbling over rocks and wind blowing through leaves. Zane was practically running circles in my mind. 

    We got to the lounge and I immediately found the source. Perched on an armchair was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Wrapped in red and radiating power. 

    Mate. 

    I needed to be near her. To touch her. 

    Without thinking I rushed over to her, pulled at her shoulders and pinned her against the nearest wall. I wanted her all for myself. There was a crash and a lot of growls but I didn’t care. She whipped her head around and looked directly in my eyes with her perfect turquoise ones. 

    She had her hands on my forearms to steady herself and I could almost feel the sparks since my nose was so close to hers. 

    “MINE,” I yelled. Everyone needed to know it. Zane kept chanting ‘mate’ and jumping around in my head. 

    But before I could do or say anything else I was violently ripped away from her. I thrashed around and growled, trying to get back to her but it was no use. Two men had yanked my arms behind my back and kept a strong grip on my shoulders, preventing me from moving. I was infuriated that they were able to keep me so still. As a beta I was almost never pinned down. Two more men quickly stepped in front of her for protection. As if I would attempt to hurt her! They obviously saw that we were mates!  

    Everyone in the room was standing but no one made a sound except for the threatening growls coming from wolves all around the room. I was so confused but couldn’t take my eyes off of her. 

    She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and smoothed out her dress. Her beautiful face was completely void of any emotion, even her eyes gave nothing away.  

    “Luna Sage! I am so sorry. I hope you aren’t too startled. I’m sorry. I apologize on behalf of Xander. Are you alright?” Alpha Elijah rambled on. 

    Luna? I finally peeled my eyes from her to look at Alpha Elijah and back at her. Luna? This woman was Luna Sage? My mate was Luna Sage? 

    Holy s**t.

    Zane gave a low, proud growl. 

    Finally looking around I realized the mess I made. There were a few shattered cocktail glasses on the ground with spilled drinks everywhere. Everyone had dropped them with all the sudden movement. My mom had a look of panic on her face while my dad looked slightly… proud? Jordan and Tanya looked composed but were holding Max and Alex back, preventing them from attacking when I was restrained. A slender purple haired girl stood to my right in a defensive fighting position, all of her attention on me. A few omegas were standing around the edge of the room looking shocked, worried and outraged. Everyone, even some of the omegas, were growling at me.  

    Luna Sage put her hands on the shoulders of the two men in front of her. I knew it was to let them know she was alright but I still let out a low growl at the sight of her touching other men. They walked to the side of the room and stood against the wall, keeping their eyes on me. 

    She looked over at Alpha Elijah and she bit back a slight smile. It was a good thing these two guys had hands on my shoulders because I went a little weak in the knees at the sight of it. It wasn’t even a real smile and I swooned like a stupid child.  

    “Yes, I’m just fine Alpha Elijah, thank you. I’m a luna, it takes a little more than a bump into a wall to rattle me.” Everyone laughed, relieving a bit of the tension in the room. “Stella, may you run back and get everyone a fresh drink please. And Timmy and Sarah, let’s get all this glass and alcohol cleaned up. Thank you.” 

    I was intrigued. I couldn’t believe she was addressing anyone else before me if she was feeling anything that I was feeling. Or focusing on cleaning up! f**k intriguing, it was maddening. Clearly I wasn’t the most important one in the room for her. She appeased the visiting alpha first and made a small joke to make everyone relax, even if it was at my expense. She knew the name of her omegas and said please and thank you to them. And they looked directly at her with relieved smiles when she addressed them. Some of the rumors about her were definitely wrong. 

    She finally looked at me. I knew she felt the same way I did. Actually, I could only hope. Any feelings I thought I saw in her eyes disappeared almost immediately. As she took a few steps toward me I memorized every detail about her. 

    Her long blonde hair was pulled to one side in a messy braid, ending just below her chest. It was gold with some lighter, almost white streaks that were clearly from the sun. Everything about her face was perfectly proportioned and while she wasn’t smiling I could see the creases where her dimples were. The color of her dress complemented her slightly tanned skin. With the slit down her cleavage I could see the slight curve of her breasts while most was still left to the imagination. It hugged the curve of her hips and revealed long, toned legs standing in high black stilettos that brought her almost to my eye level. It was all perfect. 

    Image what she has on underneath that dress! Zane panted. 

    Dude, you need to chill or we’ll be killed on the spot. 

    She stopped a few feet in front of me, keeping her eyes on mine. Whatever she was feeling, she was expertly hiding it. 

    “Thank you Ben and Mark but it’ll be fine,” she said to the men holding my shoulders. 

    They let go and moved to stand behind her. I was tempted to punch them in the face for what they did. But apparently they were her team. The purple haired girl moved to stand next to the red-haired guy behind her. 

    I guess I was standing there looking stupid and love-struck for too long because my dad stepped forward. “Luna Sage, echoing Alpha Elijah, I apologize on behalf of my son. This is my eldest son, Xander Slade,” he said as he put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard, trying to bring me out of whatever trance I was in. It worked.

    “Luna. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said as I stuck my hand out for her to shake, welcoming the sparks between us when she took my hand. She pulled it back quickly, as if she didn’t like the pleasurable electricity between us. I tried hard to focus on the words she was saying instead of the way her lips moved.

    “It’s alright Xander.” 

    The way my name sounded on her lips caused a reaction in my body that was not appropriate for the public setting we were in. 

     “Allow me to officially introduce you to my team,” she smirked as she motioned towards the men behind her. “This is my beta Ben and my gamma Mark, and his wife Isabelle.”

    I shook each of their hands and grudgingly apologized, which did nothing to ease the glare Isabelle was giving me. 

    “I apologize for being late Luna. This is Max, Alpha Elijah’s son, and Alex, Gamma Jordan’s son,” I said to her, fighting the urge to growl when they shook her hand. I had never felt this jealous or possessive over something or someone.  

    I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths while they complimented her on her territory and her house. Her scent helped calm me and finally Zane relaxed a bit. I needed to behave for the rest of the night unless I wanted to end up with my arms painfully behind me again or my head ripped off. And I wanted her to be happy that I was her mate. I opened my eyes when I heard her address the room. 

    “Everyone, you’ll have to excuse me. Your drinks should be out shortly. I’ll be back down for dinner.” 

    She took a few steps towards the entrance to the foyer where the staircase was before turning to me. 

    “Xander, would you mind joining me for a bit?”

    My heart sped up so fast I thought it would leap out of my chest. I craved the chance to be alone with her, but I realized I was also a little nervous that she was going to reject me. She didn’t seem pleased that I was her mate, did she think she’d be better off without a mate? 

    I followed slowly behind her, trying not to focus on the way her dress and heels made her ass look. 

    You need to do everything in your power to keep her! We cannot lose her! We CAN NOT! Zane shouted at me.

    Yes, you f*****g i***t I know that. Being a horny animal isn’t going to help.

    It might! But fine, I’ll let you take the reins then. 

    We walked past the omegas bringing in the drinks and Sage told them to hold on to ours until we came back down. I almost protested. I really needed that scotch. 

    I followed her up the stairs and down the hall to the large double door at the end. She opened it and walked in. I entered and shut the door behind me, turning to see her leaning with her hands on a large wooden dresser against the left wall. She had her head bent and her eyes closed and was breathing deeply. I took a few steps into the room but stopped in the middle when I saw her slightly tense up. Clearly she wanted some space. 

    My head almost exploded with the combination of anxiety and lust and my desperate need to help and comfort her. I wanted to go wrap my arms around her and pull her onto the massive bed she had her back to. I couldn’t stop thinking about having her underneath me, pressed into the mattress. But I’d already manhandled her once and it hadn’t gone well. I just had to wait. 

    Finally she stood up straight and turned to face me. 

    “Why did we come to your bedroom?” I blurted out. “I thought we were going to end up in your office.”

    She looked slightly confused. 

    “This is easier,” she stated, as if it was obvious.

    My hopes lifted a little that she had thought her bedroom was a good place for us.  

    She gestured to one of the small chairs in the corner by a large window, indicating I should take a seat. As I did she walked over to a bookcase covering the whole wall and opened a cabinet door, pulling out a bottle of scotch and two tumblers. 

    Thank the Goddess. 

    Standing over the other chair, pouring a healthy amount of scotch into each of the glasses.

    “We have a lot of s**t to work out,” she said plainly. 

    I laughed, feeling a lot of my tension and anxiety dissipate despite her indifferent attitude. She was thinking of planning. Planning means a future, which means no rejection. And I got the feeling that deep down, she could feel the strength of our bond. 

    She handed me the tumbler, careful to not touch my skin, and sat down facing me. She was trying to stay professional, but I could see her eyes darken ever so slightly as she looked me up and down. She took a swig of her scotch and a deep breath before composing herself and giving me her full attention. 

    How did anyone sit through meetings with her? She made me feel like I was the only person in the world with just the position of her body. It was simultaneously distracting and captivating. I couldn’t even imagine talking about business right now. 

    “You smell like pine, sandalwood and water. It’s amazing,” I said, giving her my full-megawatt smile. 

    Her eyes darkened a little bit more and I heard her heartbeat speed up slightly. 

    Yes! I affected her! I knew it. 

    “You smell like milk chocolate and oranges,” she told me, almost reluctantly.

    I needed to be a little more aggressive. I mean yeah she was a luna, but she was my mate. 

    “You’re absolutely stunning. And I love the red.”

    “Thank you. I’m glad I managed to not spill any of my drink on it earlier,” she smirked. 

    “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I could only think of getting close to you. I got a little excited,” I smiled sheepishly at her. 

    “It’s alright.”

    There was a long pause as we just stared at each other. 

    “... I feel it too,” she whispered almost inaudibly. If I hadn’t been studying her so intensely, I wouldn’t have heard it. She took another swig of her drink and closed her eyes again, breathing deeply. 

    This poor girl. Did she ever let any of her emotions out? Did anyone ever get to see how she was really feeling? She couldn’t possibly feel nothing. And she couldn’t possibly keep everything inside at all times, she’d explode! But I was her mate! We were put on this earth specifically for each other. 

    I put my drink on the side table and took hold of her free hand. Her eyes snapped open at the contact and met mine. 

    “Baby, we’re mates. You can talk to me about anything. I know you have to be professional elsewhere, but you don’t have to be with me. I’ve always been a big fan of a nice work and pleasure balance. Talk to me about your life, your past, your future. About business, about the pack, about your feelings and random thoughts and fears. And s*x, especially s*x,” I added, winking back at her and giving her a playful smile. 

    She involuntarily squeezed my hand slightly. 

    “Xander, in the past three years I haven’t really had time in my day for emotions or random thoughts or s*x or fears. That’s not going to suddenly change.”  

    It made me a little sad that she was so young and this busy but it made me ridiculously happy that she didn’t have time for s*x. That meant she didn’t spend time with random guys the way other young alphas spent time with random girls. 

    “And don’t ever call me baby,” she demanded. 

    Point taken. 

    She pulled her hand away and sat back in her chair. 

    “So we have twenty minutes before we need to go down for dinner. I want to know more about you.” 

    “Twenty questions?” I suggested. 

    “Sure, I’ll start. Members of your family?”

    “It’s me, and then I have a little brother Xavier and a little sister Xara. My parents went a little wild with the X thing I know. Obviously you met my mom and dad. Then there’s a few extended members back at Cold Moon. You?”

    “It’s just me.” She didn’t elaborate. 

    “Alright my turn,” I said, trying not to linger too much on that. “Favorite thing about your land?”

    “The rivers. You saw the most visible one on the way in but there’s some more. What about Cold Moon’s?”

    “There’s a large patch of birch trees and when there’s snow it’s great.” 

    “I love the snow,” she said and an emotion that I think was joy flashed in her eyes. “How old are you?”

    “22, you?”

    “21.”

    We continued with this for a bit. Her favorite color was red and her favorite food was bacon. She liked playing American football and hated the beach. Basic things, I know, but it was just a start. We had a long time to learn things about each other. The questions she asked me in return had more to do with my pack. Like she was subtly interrogating me, trying to figure out my opinion on certain things. She didn’t ask but I answered the questions I asked her, so she would know my favorite color and my favorite food too. 

    At five to seven I stood up and reached out to help her up. I walked to the door and opened it for her. As she passed me she paused. I stepped up behind her so that my chest was just barely touching her back. My self control could only last for so long. I bent my head to the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. She closed her eyes and leaned back into me, resting her head on my shoulder. I reached out and ran my hand slowly up from her hip to her waist. I could hear both of our heartbeats pounding. 

    I wished we didn’t have to attend this dinner. All I wanted to do was lock this door and lose myself in her. 

    The interaction only lasted a second or two before she quickly stepped forward. Zane whimpered at the loss of contact and I had to resist growling at her. I tried to slow my heart rate and could tell she was doing the same. She rolled her shoulders as if shaking off the lingering sparks and s****l tension. We both stepped out into the hall and I closed the door. 

    She turned to face me and said, “I know you’re my mate, I just uh… can’t.”

    I had no idea what she meant by ‘can’t’ but I guess I’d figure that out later. 

    “Of course, ma reine.” 

    Her eyes widened slightly, hopefully a little impressed with my use of French. I turned and started walking towards the stairs. 

    She stayed behind me until we got to the top of the stairs where she stepped in front. 

    “We better hurry up, don’t want to give the rest of the group the wrong impression,” she smirked over her shoulder, turning back around and walking down the rest of the stairs.

    Her comment put dirty thoughts in my head and I focused on preventing all of my blood from rushing to a certain body part. She was detached and cold, but I knew in that moment that I’d spend every day I had trying to make her smile and laugh. I would lay down my life for hers, but that I knew the second I saw her.