The Lost Luna

Chapter 17 - Surprise Surprise

***Amber’s POV***

The last thing I remember is falling asleep in my mate's arms, so how did I end up here on the beach. I’ve been to the beach multiple times, but this one is different. The waters are as clear as glass, and the sand is a pale brown. There’s something familiar about this place.

“Hello, my child.” I quickly turn around and see a woman with pale skin sitting on a rock. She has silver hair and is wearing a white sundress, and she appears to be around my age, if not a little older. She watched the waves crash against the shore with a pleasant smile. Wait, it can’t be who I think it is.

“Wait, you’re the moon goddess!” My voice was barely audible.

“Yes. We do not have much time. I don’t typically intervene in your affairs, but they’re people among you using black magic to gain the upper hand. I cannot tell you who, but I will tell you that you need to be careful with what you tell certain people. Please trust your instincts, and it’s key to the survival of you and your people.” A million questions ran through my mind, but the main one was, who are my people?

“Wait! Are you referring to the pack?” I had too many questions and not enough time.

“I can only tell you that it’s more than just the pack.” As soon as she finished that sentence, everything went black. I woke up in the tight embrace of my mate.

“What’s wrong?” His voice came out huskily, and if it weren’t for the dream I had just had, I would be soaking wet.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” I failed terribly at sounding nonchalant. Due to our close proximity, I felt his chest vibrate when he started chuckling at me.

“Babe, you know that I can tell when you’re lying? Also, since we’ve completed the mating process, I can feel your emotions even stronger than before. So, do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” I started to feel guilty for lying to him, but the moon goddess did tell me to be careful who I tell certain things.

“Are you seriously second-guessing your mate? He’s head over heels in love with you already. So get your head out of your a**.” I’m speechless. My wolf has never talked to me like that, although she’s feisty and sassy, so I shouldn’t be surprised. After taking a deep breath, I told Ryder about my dream, not withholding anything. He seemed deep in thought for a while, which didn’t help my anxious nerves. After what felt like days, he let out a deep sigh.

“Get dressed. This is something we need to talk about with Alpha Blake. Before saying anything, we’ll fill you in on everything.” Both of us were deep in thought about everything. I felt I was on autopilot, sitting in front of him with Ryder beside me. The atmosphere was heavy, and I knew whatever they would tell me would be a lot.

***Blair’s POV***

“What do you mean he killed your wife?!” I can’t believe what he’s saying. Charles killed Beta Jacob’s wife? This isn’t making any sense. He needs Jacob on his side, so why would he betray him? I looked up at him to see him pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Blair! Use your f****ing brain! He knows that Jacob was aware of you confessing to the alpha. Honestly, that should’ve been you that was killed, but you’re lucky he said it was him. I guess since you’re carrying his pup, he wants you alive.” I begin absent-mindedly rubbing my tiny baby bump. I’m still shocked that he’s my second chance mate, I never knew his wife wasn’t his fated mate, but it makes sense now.

“Paul, you’re saying he sacrificed his wife for me? Does anyone know? People will get suspicious when he’s not acting like a wolf who has lost its mate.” He seemed like he was processing everything I was saying.

“Don’t worry about that. You need to focus on preventing Ryder from marking Amber; if that happens, everything will be for nothing. So far, everythi-” The sound of my phone ringing cuts him off. Reaching over, I grab it to see I got a text. I didn’t finish reading the text before I dropped my phone.

“It’s too late. They’re holding the mating ceremony tonight. He has already marked her.” My voice is barely audible. Both of our faces were contorted in a mix of shock and disbelief.

“YOU FOOLS! I GAVE YOU A SIMPLE TASK, AND SOMEHOW YOU MANAGE TO F**K IT UP!” Paul’s eyes practically jump out of his head while I feel the color drain from my face. Simultaneously we both turn to face the last person we’d expected to see, the devil himself, Charles.

“Don’t look so surprised, Paul. You’re not the only person that can get their hands on a cloaking potion to hide their scent. Now you two are lucky I still need you for my plan to be successful; otherwise, I would’ve ripped your throats out already. Since we can’t go with the original plan, let me explain what you must do now.”

***Ryder’s POV***

We’ve been sitting here taking turns explaining everything to Amber and Alpha Blake. Amber’s face is a mixture of confusion and pure rage, while my dad maintains his signature poker face.

“Well, I think it’s clear what we need to do.” Amber was the first one to break the silence. “Let’s hold the mating ceremony tonight and let the pack know that Ryder is officially mated. If beta Jacob is working with Blair, he’ll be forced to attend. We can use that time to send our top warriors into Jacob’s house and see what we can uncover.” I was shocked that she could come up with a plan that fast. I couldn’t be more proud of my beautiful mate.

“I agree that we should hold the mating ceremony tonight. It’ll throw them off. But Jacob knows the scent of our top warriors, and they’ll be patrolling the borders, so we can’t use them.” He pointed out flaws in her plan, and for a moment, she had a sad expression on her face, but that was quickly switched with one of surprise.

“I think I might know a person who can easily slip in and out of his house. The downside is that they’re human.” This time it was my turn to shoot down her idea.

“Absolutely not! It goes against our laws to tell humans about us. How sure are you that we can trust her.” I was trying to control my irritation, but it was hard given the magnitude of the situation. Amber looks from my father to me with a smirk on her face.

“I used to sneak out a ton and get drunk and high with some people. My best friend, Jessica, used to help me sneak out. She’s a mastermind and practically a professional when it comes to sneaking in and out of places. She once was able to sneak into this guy’s house to get her phone, after she left in a hurry because his wife came home. She did it in record time too.” She kept looking between our faces trying to read us. “Can you guys please trust me on this? I wouldn’t put my best friend in a dangerous situation if I weren’t sure she could accomplish it.” I was about to protest against it, but my father cut me off.

“She has a point. If she has that much faith in her friend, I think we can trust her. Also, as far as I know, Jacob doesn’t know her, so he’ll struggle to match her scent to a person.” As much as I hate to admit it, he was right. With a deep sigh, I turned my gaze towards Amber.

“Call your friend, and I want her here asap. She’ll have to do a blood oath to keep everything we tell her a secret.” She squealed before searching for her phone.

“Thank you so much for believing in me. I promise I won’t let you down.” She had the biggest smile plastered on her face. Hopefully, this won’t come back to bite us in the a**.