The Moon that Shatters the Heart

Chapter Three

Sutton

The doorbell distracts me from my cleaning. Since the house was clean when I arrived, I’m running out of ideas to keep myself entertained. I started a DIY project in my bathroom, wanting to replace the backsplash of the vanity with something less generic.

That turned awry fast.

So, now I’m cleaning the mess and chastising myself for thinking I had the capable skills of doing my own handy work. At the moment, I welcome the visitor at my door.

I wipe my hands on my shorts and rush to the door before another ring of the doorbell echoes through the hall. Without checking the camera, I open the door and find a tall man wearing a ball cap backwards on top of his wavy brown hair and the deepest dimples I have seen. His green eyes are like sea glass and a chiseled chin hidden beneath his five o’clock shadow, his smile friendly and sweet. He’s the complete opposite of Ani.

“Sutton?” his deep voice a question.

“Yes. Alpha Laiken?” I flutter my eyes, giving him a flirty grin.

His eyes drag down my body, carving me out like stone. Mine do the same, curious just how much good the years have done him. He’s all Alpha; bulky, and all muscle. He should be playing defense in the NFL, not hiding in a small werewolf town.

Our eyes meet again. His lip between his teeth combined with that smile; Clearly, he appreciates what he sees. I return his smile, but no longer as flirtatious. My mind has already started a list of the differences between him and Ani. The first is that he doesn’t look like Ani at all. And the second, he’s not Ani.

“You look good, Sutton. Dirty, but good,” he chuckles, which warrants me to look down at my plaster-stained shorts and cut-off band tee. “What’s it been?”

“Five years? Although I was thirteen and you were in college when I left.” I don’t acknowledge my appearance.

“True. You weren’t much to look at, then,” he laughs. I don’t take offense. He’s seven years older. He was an adult when my dad died. He wouldn’t have been interested in a child. “I apologize if that’s insensitive.”

“It’s perfectly fine. I was a kid,” I wink, assuring him. “So, what can I do for you?”

“I’m actually here to discuss something with you.”

“Oh? Do tell?” I open the door wider. I lean against the door frame with intrigue.

“I had a phone call from an Ash. He’s the son of your previous Alpha in Belvieu Creek.” Why on earth would Ani call him?

“I know ‘em.” I nod.

“He wants me to grant him permission to enter my territory to visit you?” His statement is more of a question.

“He would call you for that.” I roll my eyes. I cross my arms and purse my lips, wanting to avoid any more conversation about Ani’s request. “No,” I simply answer with a rough shake of my head.

He stands there, his eyes narrowing on mine, waiting for me to elaborate. When I don’t, he raises his brow. I expect him to inquire except, he just sighs. “Alright. I will let him know. Are you sure?”

“Yup.” I pop my p.

“Alright,” he puffs before turning away and stepping down the porch. He spins around to face me once more, walking backward towards his truck. He signals me a two-finger salute and says, “I’ll see you tomorrow at training.”

I slam the door shut and throw my back against it as the tears sting my eyes. He literally f****d someone last night. Then he texted me, asking me if it hurt.

Today, that asshole is calling Alpha Laiken, asking permission to see me.

“f*****g asshole!” I scream into the empty room before me.

***

I’m an i***t. I look like an i***t. The woman reflected in the mirror does not look like me. My new friend, Veronica, Ronnie for short, invited me out to the bar with some of the other pack members from training camp. It’s Thursday and I’m nervous. Not only am I nervous to go out, but I’m also nervous that Ani will hurt me again before I get the chance to do so this evening. I can’t go through another night of torture, and I know he’s doing it on purpose.

While he tortures my soul, I torture my heart; Putting it through the pain of seeing the messages and the pain of not receiving anything. He stopped texting and calling me five days ago. I should probably block his number, but I don’t have it in me to do so.

I wear a miniskirt with a white tank, black boots, and a black bra underneath. I’m a walking cliché, but I mean business.

Ani has been sleeping his way around his grief. Why shouldn’t I?

I’m finally going to get my revenge. Hopefully, it interrupts him at a bad time.

I already had my eyes set on someone. More like two.

Alpha Laiken is eye candy, for sure.

Granted, I have known him for years, and seeing him all week has brought back my childish crush on him. Not the same as my infatuation with Ani.

Ani is made for me. Laiken still has not found his mate.

Then there’s Basil. He’s gorgeous in his own right. I’m not picky.

Basil is hot. His skin is dark, like chocolate, but his eyes are a lighter brown. His kissable full lips and rock-hard body have all the girls bending over and offering their t**t like a b***h in heat. Basil is one of the top trainers in the pack. He does not have a rank, but he is friends with Laiken.

The bar is busy with people while a country rock band plays in the back of the room on a makeshift stage. I walk in and am surprised by a short, blond girl the size of my finger running up to me. She jumps up into my arms, and her lips crash into mine. Never thought I would be kissing a girl, but here I am.

“Sutton, you’re here!” Ronnie drops with a big smile on her face.

“Yeah, what’s with the kissing?”

“Girl, I have been wanting to do that for days. I couldn’t help myself when I saw you dressed like that.” Ronnie drunkenly slurs.

“Thanks. I guess.” I reply, unsure how I feel about the situation. “I should tell you though, I have a male mate.”

“You do!” she gasps. I’ve kept my situation a secret. She’s the first person I’ve told since being back here. “For how long and why am I just now hearing this? Who?” she spews out the questions as she looks around the bar.

“It’s a long story that I don’t want to get into, but, needless to say… we are not together,” I reply, waving the bartender down.

“Ooo.” She scrunches up the right side of her face, looking every bit confused. “Well, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a big deal. I’m here to have fun with you and find a guy to... you know,” I nod to confirm she understands. I place my drink order with the bartender, ordering two tequila shots each. It takes a lot for us wolves to get drunk because we burn through it, so as wolves we do not have to be carded.

“I’m confused, but I love the energy,” Ronnie smiles and screams as we’re handed our shots. We throw them back quickly, wincing as the liquor burns my throat.

The bartender brings me my margarita and I slap my money down on the counter before grabbing Ronnie’s hand and towing her behind me. I walk right up to Laiken’s table, earning a wide-eyed look from everyone, including Ronnie, but not Laiken.

“Hey! Mind if we join,” I assert myself onto their table. While by fate I’m destined to be a Luna, they don’t know that. But, I’m still the former beta’s daughter.

“Of course,” Alpha Laiken nods, leaning back and stretching his arm behind me and resting it on the back of my chair. “This is Sutton. Her dad was beta to mine before hers passed away.”

Everyone nods with understanding, and I receive dirty looks from three of the females in the group. Everyone here introduces themselves, while the ones I’ve already met acknowledge mine and Ronnie’s recruit status.

Basil eyes me, smirking, his eyes lingering on my chest. Laiken growls, feeling a bit territorial of me. This is not good.

“You look great tonight,” Laiken whispers into my ear.

“Thanks.” I sip my margarita, blushing at the comment.

“So, Sutton, what brings you back to Fort McKenna?” Basil half-grins, gaining my attention.

“Well, I technically grew up here. This is where my dad was beta. My sister took me in, but Belvieu never felt like home.” In actuality, it’s been hard coming back. I felt more alone than ever. Belvieu Creek was home because that’s where Lauren lives. Where Ani is. Where Oscar and Olivia are. They all made it home. I know that now more than ever. Belvieu Creek is my home. But I’m here now, and Ani…

“Their Alpha Ash is yummy, though.” One female at the table, I think she said her name is Jazmin, comments. This caught me by surprise as a small growl vibrates in my chest. I forcefully clear my throat to hide it.

“Excuse me?”

“The Alpha’s son, Ash. He’s hot!” The other girl next to her, Delia, agreed.

I clear my throat again, hiding the snarl my wolf let out. The girls smirk in unison, knowing they have me riled up. “How do you know him?”

“He was here a day or two ago,” they say. Laiken lets out a growl, wanting them to stop talking about it, knowing they have me rattled.

“Oh,” is all I say, not wanting to draw more attention than I already had. Don’t ask. Don’t ask. “Just out of curiosity, why was he here?”

“I’m not sure.” Jazmin shuts it down, Laiken giving them the death stare.

“I think this is a great opportunity to ask Sutton here to dance.” Basil reaches for my hand, and I give it. He twirls me around as he leads me to the dance floor. I can hear Laiken railing into them about keeping their lips sealed.

Instantly, I regret coming out tonight. Ani hasn’t bothered to call me in days, and yet he shows up here without a warning. A text message would’ve helped. Then again, he has a good reason not to. I haven’t answered the phone.

“Sorry for mentioning it,” Basil interrupts my thoughts. “I didn’t know they were going to blurt it out that way.

“Does everyone know?”

“We know he was here wanting to speak with you, but Laiken wouldn’t let him. No one knows why. I let my curiosity get the best of me. I’m sorry.” He holds my hand up to his heart, leading the dance and smiling down at me.

“It’s okay.”

“So, do you mind telling me?” he makes one last attempt to force it out of me.

“Honestly, I’d rather get drunk, dance, and forget about it all.” I lift my palm like an offer that he could take or leave.

“Deal. I got you,” he nods his head and pulls me to the bar.

He buys us shots, determined to get us both drunk. We spend the next hour dancing and drinking until we’re both inebriated. I whispered to him to follow me, leading him to the bathroom. It’s a small bar, and opted for the men’s since it was empty. We walk in, locking the door behind us, and our lips collide.

His huge lips swallow my own and although it feels good to be kissed, he is sloppy and toothy. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Either way, it suffices.

The excitement of knowing that someone could come knocking at any time had us moving fast. His hands are on my hips, dragging my skirt up while mine held on to the back of his neck. As he guides me to the sink, our lips remain locked on one another, fighting for control.

My body does everything it needs to do. My core is hot, tingling, and aroused. My breaths are short and heavy, but my heart... My heart is tight and aching.

The thought that Ani was here still had me shaken. His kisses are perfect and his heart beats for me. I push Ani out of my mind. No, I’m not comparing.

Basil’s lips leave my own and land on my neck, making me tense. The memory of Ani’s fangs scraping along my flesh, ready to mark me, rushes to my mind and I stiffen. I recover quickly, hoping Basil doesn’t notice my reaction. I grab his chin between my hands and pull him back to my lips.

“Don’t like neck kissing. Noted,” Basil says to me.

Long thick fingers pull my panties out of their way, massaging circles against my c**t.

“f**k, baby. You’re so wet,” he breathes before plunging a finger into my core.

“Mmm,” I moan in agreement, wanting to get lost in the moment. “f**k me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He bites his bottom lip and I jump off. I brace myself against the wall, wiggling my ass against his erection. Not wanting to face him, not wanting to see us in the mirror. It’ll only break my heart more.

His pants are down and his d**k slides up and down my folds, coating it in my juices before pushing in, unknowingly taking my virginity. I bite my lip and scream at the slight pain, but the echo in the bathroom sounds like a moan of pleasure. He pulls my hair, bringing me closer to his lips. His teeth nip at my ear before groaning, loving the pleasure my p***y is giving him.

“f**k, you’re tight,” he whispers into my ear, his member jack hammering into me.

I close my eyes and throw my head back, waiting for it to get better. Feel better.

My mind drifts to an image of Ani by the lake. Mid-argument, he pulls me to his mouth, our lips crashing and our tongues tasting the other’s. It was rough and unexpected, but it was the best kiss of my life. There are so many regrets and I wish now more than ever that that night would’ve ended differently. Or at the least, he could’ve marked me like he planned. I would’ve still loved him, just like I do now, and save us both the misery.

Just as quickly as it started, it ended. Basil pulls out and immediately grabs napkins to c*m in. Never does he look down, his eyes trained on mine with a grin, and throws the napkins away, not seeing the proof that I was a virgin.

“You comin’?” He asks, offering me his hand so I can follow him back out to the bar.

“In a minute. I need to wash up.”

“Okay, I’ll see ya out there.” His lips kiss mine once more.

When the door closes, I cry.

My heart’s shattered, and my lungs beg for air. It was supposed to be Ani. He would’ve appreciated my virginity more. My back touches the cold, empty wall, needing a moment to just wallow.

My phone stays silent for minutes, and my heart is now drowning in the pit of my stomach, hoping to receive Ani’s call. But it doesn’t come.