His Astonishing Luna

Children happily played in the grassy field. A young mother and father sat with their newborn baby at a picnic table in the village. A group of young school girls giggled about the new boy in class or I imagined that was what their blushing smiles represented. All the while I watched from my small prison in the basement. I knew better than to believe the happiness I witnessed. These concrete walls had been my sanctuary for the last 14 years. The former Alpha Xerces rescued me from the rubble after my pack was attacked. At two years old, I lost both my parents and older brother leaving me homeless and an orphan. I was brought to Silver Dawn believing them to be my heros. The good Alpha carried my small form back to his pack lands. Despite my young age I still remember those first moments vividly. We entered through the woods surrounding the pack village. Quaint homes were dotted across the large grounds. Passing through the village we came across the training area. Warriors stopped their training and greeted Alpha Xerces, paying no mind to me, the broken child in his arms. It was obvious this was not the first time they'd witnessed such an occurrence. Lastly, we approached the pack house. It was a large stunning colonial style home with 3 stories. Pack members were coming and going as we entered the building. A young woman came rushing out the kitchen and nearly toppled over as she ran directly into Xerces. “Sara, what is the rush? Watch where you are going! Can't you see this poor child in my arms?” “I am so sorry Alpha! I was rushing to get to my shift at the daycare on time. Who is this girl?” Sara replied. After a brief conversation Sara took pity and volunteered to raise me. I am not sure if she did so because she genuinely cared or if she just wanted to impress the Alpha. Either way, she brought me happiness for a short while. Life was good or the best it could be under those circumstances. Sara was incredible. I warmed up to her quickly. As I grew up we would spend the days visiting the pack’s garden, picking flowers to bring back home. Despite her young age she was wise beyond her years. Sara did not try to replace my mother but instead became a role model I wholeheartedly admired. That was until she found her mate. One afternoon while enjoying our daily trip to the garden, Beta Kako appeared. It was known that his birthday just passed. Instead of quietly walking past as we normally would Kako rushed over to Sara and forcefully pushed her against the fence surrounding the garden. “Mate,” he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. From that day on Sara no longer had much time to spend with me. Kako forced her to move into the pack house leaving me to spend most of my time at the daycare. At first, I believed she was happy. That was until I found her crying in the back room of the daycare one afternoon. Her only words were, "Warn him, " before she stopped herself from speaking further. She would not tell me what happened but it was obvious it was something serious. At my young four years of age I could not fathom what she was trying to relay. The tragic answer came quickly. Alpha Xerces was a hero known for his compassion while still being a great leader and warrior. Beta Kakó gained the support of other pack members and challenged Xerces for the Alpha position. The Beta believed a pack must be led by someone who was cruel and had no care for those who were not their own. Xerces always appreciated Kakó's opinions but never gave up his compassion for those in need. The day of the duel arrived and you could feel the panic hanging in the air. Most of the pack remained supportive of Xerces for Silver Dawn was one of the strongest and most respected packs around. The few wolves who joined Kakó sat silently waiting for the fight to begin. Sara could be seen, looking miserable, sitting with the opposing side. At 12:01pm Xerces exited the pack house wearing nothing but basketball shorts. He was a tall, broad framed with dark curls which swept across his forehead. His eyes were an emerald green. His mate, Dianna, watched nervously from the nearby stands. Kakó stood, waiting for Xerces to approach. As the men faced each other a maniacal smirk swept across the challenging Beta's face. Suddenly a scream was heard from the bleachers. Without turning to look Xerces collapsed to his knees, grasping his chest before releasing an agonizing growl. I raised my head towards the bleachers to witness a terrifying scene. The match was over before it even begun. I couldn't take my eyes from the horrific events unfolding before us. Luna Adaline was covered in blood as her lifeless body collapsed. Behind where she sat stood one of Beta Kako's minions half shifted, holding Adaline's heart between his elongated nails. He had ripped her heart out with no remorse. Another broken growl came from the field where the match still continued. Alpha Xerces lay crumpled on the ground as the treacherous Beta stood over him. "Now it's your turn Alpha. Go be with your mate. They are good for nothing but strength. You fell in love and look where that leaves you. Farewell Xerces," he screeched before transforming. Kako immediately lunged for Xerces throat. We all believed it to be over. Xerces was in no form to fight. A strong growl ripped through the air as the crowd gasped. Our Alpha morphed into his giant black wolf and quickly dodged his Beta's attack. The two continued their fight. It was obvious Xerces was broken and nowhere near as strong as his reputation but Kako was still struggling. "Alpha, look!" one of the beta's supporters shouted from the bleachers. The beta's group had made their way up to where Adaline's body lay. The man caught the Alpha's attention, grabbing the Luna's body and throwing her lifeless form from the bleachers onto the field. They were monsters. While Xerces was distracted, Kako lunged forward sinking his long jagged teeth deep into the Alpha's throat before ripping. Blood poured as Xerces transformed back to his human form. With his last bit of strength he crawled to his Luna's body collapsing next to her. There was nothing anyone could do. His breathing slowed and within moments our Alpha and Luna were no longer with us. During the following days Kako was awarded the position of Alpha. Many pack members were furious, some left while those who chose to stay but remain loyal to Xerces were banished. The late Alpha Xerces and Luna Adaline had a son named Kade. Alpha Kako's first order of business was to banish Kade from the pack so he would not be there to automatically take the role of Alpha once he was of age. I was thrown into the basement immediately after the loss. With tears in her eyes, Sara informed me that I was now to be treated lesser than the maids, making me a slave without the title. At this time I was four years old. Life has treated me harshly ever since.