Finding the Orphaned Luna

A Forgotten Home

It was a little under an hour after leaving Bellingham when Avery noticed the streaking browns, blacks and greys in the trees beside their car. Looking around, she saw the were all around. It made her anxious, was someone, something following them?

Catching her glances, Conley smirked. “Avery, meet your new pack. They are escorting us inside. There’s nothing to be concerned about, I promise they are friendly.” 

Avery’s eyes got wide as she processed the words, but the fear eased. Instead it was something like excitement that sparkled in her eyes as she whirled around, taking in as much of the sights as she could. It wasn’t long before they broached a large building, almost like a school and a house combined. Something tickled at the back of her memory, trying to breach through, and she couldn’t help but feel as though she had been here before. Which, she supposed, made sense considering she had spent the first four years of her life here. The drive in may have not been familiar, but she was young enough it would have been rare for her to step outside packlands. This house, however, she knew she had spent her first few years. She didn’t have much in the way of specific memories of it, but there was a vague sense of familiarity about it. She wondered if she would be able to navigate it’s halls by memory.

  The tightness in her gut both eased wound tiger as Conley’s car pulled into the long looped driveway. She saw a few people standing on the steps at the entrance of the house, an older man, two younger men, and a young woman. Her heart tightened at the sight of the woman, and she hoped that wasn’t Conley’s girlfriend, or someone who had been tied to him romantically. Their relationship was still quite new, and while she wasn’t sure about this whole wolf thing, she was fairly certain she didn’t want to live without him. She didn’t know much about wolf dating practices outside of the bond. She wiped those thoughts from her brain as her unbuckled her seat belt. Before she could open her door, Conley was there, holding it open for her with a heartstopping grin on his face. She could tell he was thrilled to have brought her. She stepped out, taking his offered hand as she did so, and took a deep breath when both her feet were on the pavement. She gathered her courage, and then turned and walked towards the front steps, Conley falling in beside her. The smell of Conley’s cedar and mint scent calmed her enough to get her to keep walking, the occasional brush of his arm enough to keep the smile plastered to her face even though her insides were absolutely raging with uncertainty, fear and anxiety. They reached the base of the steps, and the four descended to the landing. Before she could even speak, the older man, whose kindly eyes and smile she recognized despite the years added to them, swept her up in his arms. Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him, joining him as he wept.

“Uncle Andy,” Avery whispered through tears. She remembered him, the memories trickling back about how he used to carry her around on his shoulders, tickle her till she cried and giggled at the same time. How he’d held her when they’d first found her parents. His arms felt like she was finally home, and any anger she felt at the man completely dissolved when she saw how genuinely happy he was that she was home, and how devastated he had been at her absence. She saw, and felt, it all in his embrace. This was the man that had been like a second father to her. 

“Welcome home,” he whispered in response. She dried her tears as he released her, taking a good look at her before he dropped his hands from her shoulders and taking a step back. The two young boys stepped forward. 

“This is Dalton Kingston, my Beta, and Russ Stratly, my Delta. My Gamma, the head trainer, is still in the ring with some of my more elite warriors. You’ll meet him before too long, his name is Nathan Prass,” he paused as the beautiful brunette stepped forward, “and this is my sister, Reyna. She has been so excited to finally meet you. She was just a baby before.”

With those words uttered, her stomach unclenched, and warmth was seeping into her limbs yet again. No sooner had Conley finished his sentence than Reyna had thrown her arms around Avery, giving her a tight squeeze.

“Welcome home, I’m so happy to finally meet you! And I’m happy my brother is a live, not that he felt the need to inform me of such last night,” she added, throwing a dark glare over her shoulder as she released Avery, which Conley returned with a guilty smile as he ran his hand through his hair. Reyna linked arms with Avery, leading her inside the packhouse, the four men falling into step behind. Russ and Dalton immediately started updating Conley on the week’s business. He managed a lot of it himself, even when he was away, but there were some things that needed management onsite, in person, and those that Conley's inner circle dealt with. His father, sister, Beta, and Delta all took on responsibilities in order to make up his absence. Reyna’s duties were more those of a Luna now that she was older, and the pack had been without one for so long. Avery gulped as Reyna chattered away, the younger girl trying to give Avery every piece of information all at once. While it was overwhelming, she did appreciate the effort. Seeing her face, Conley shut his sister up with a look, and sent a charming smile her way.

“Reyna, would you mind if I showed my mate around myself for a little while? We can meet all of you for dinner in the dining hall in an hour and a half?” Conley asked his sister, a clear dismissal of them all, both polite and full of humor. The guys nodded their heads and took a left down the hall, as Reyna huffed and whined. Realizing it was a lost cause, she headed off behind the two younger men and her father. 

“Sorry that was a lot. I didn’t mean for them to bombard us as soon as we got out of the car, “ Conley winced, again sliding his hand through his hair. He met her eyes as a smile broke onto his face, glancing at her lips and stepping closer. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his middle, her face in his chest. He leaned over, and she felt his hot breath brush past her ear. She had to clench her thighs slightly at the instant effects of his smell, his closeness, heated her. She looked up at him, and saw a perfectly naughty smile on his face. 

“Now… Do you want the boring property tour, or the much more fun bedroom tour first?” He asked, his eyes twinkling with heat and mischief as he slid his hands down her back and gave her bottom a little squeeze. 

She could barely squeak out, “The fun tour, please,” because of the heat and the need building in her. A dark chuckle, and he scooped her up and bounded up the stairs behind him.