The Lost Luna

Chapter 3 Rude awakening

***Ryder's POV***

I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep, but Jake was pacing back and forth. Something had him on edge. I received a mind-link from one of our warriors,

"Ryder, there has been a breach at one of our borders. It appears a human has found us."

I let out an inward groan; maybe that's why Jake was acting funny. He mind-linked me again, "Alpha, would you like me to get rid of the human?" I was considering it, but I wanted to know how they could find us this deep in the forest.

"No, leave them be. I want to find out how they found us." I got out of bed and opened the door to the house to leave when the smell of honey and roses hit me. Jake instantly got excited and started wagging his tail. This smell was unfamiliar, so I knew it had to do with the intruder. Jake had been trying to take control, but now he was trying even harder. I walked out of the door and instantly shifted into my large black wolf.

My wolf was intimidating because of the stark contrast from my icy blue eyes to my pitch black fur. I took off in a sprint, following the intoxicating smell until I saw the warrior I spoke to. I shifted back into my human form, and he tossed me a pair of shorts. As I got closer, Jake started to howl. "Mate!" I felt sick to my stomach. How could an Alpha have a human as his mate? I looked at the warrior.

"She's badly beaten. Take her to the pack hospital and have her checked out." Her face was swollen all over, and she had two black eyes, a busted lip, and a possible broken nose. Whoever hit her wasn't trying to kill her, but they left her within inches of their life. My heart clenched, and I didn't understand why my heart ached for this human. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Something was eerily familiar about her.

"Wait, don't touch her; I'll take her to the pack hospital." I took steps towards her and reached down to touch her. I mind-linked my father, informed him of what happened, and told him that I planned to stay in the hospital until she woke up. I could hear the chuckle in his voice.

"Okay, Ryder, have fun with your human." He shut off the mind-link. I picked her up in my arms and started going to the pack hospital. I mind-linked some omegas and asked them to set up a private room in the hospital.

***Amber's POV***

Why does everything hurt? I tried to open my eyes only to realize that they were swollen shut. I could sense someone was near me. A cold chill went down my spine, similar to the one I get when I'm around that new math teacher, Ryder Black.

"Who's there?" I tried to yell, but it came out as a weak croak. The sound of a chair sliding and whoever was there was getting closer. I was getting scared, and although it hurt and burned, I started crying.

"Why would you kill my parents? To make it worse, how could you let me believe I was your daughter! I loved you. I thought you were all the family I had left! You robbed me of my childhood and of having two loving parents!"

I barely had a voice, but I had to let it out. I didn't realize that I was sobbing until the front of my clothes was wet. I felt a hand touch my shoulder, and I couldn't stop myself from cringing. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and it sent tiny tingles on my skin.

"What is your name?" Whoever this person was, they had a very authoritative voice. "My name is Amber, Amber Williams unless that was a lie too." Instantly the mystery hand was retracted from my skin. Before I could ask any questions, I heard the door slam.

***Ryder's POV***

As soon as she said her name, my blood went cold. I abruptly left the room, unintentionally slamming the door. I quickly mind-linked my dad and asked if he could summon both of our betas to meet him in his office. My heart was beating a mile a minute. As I arrived at my father's office, I didn't bother knocking on the door. That earned me a death glare from my father, making Jake whimper and hide. "I'm sorry, Alpha" I bowed my head to him and then greeted our betas.

"I know you guys were informed that a human managed to find our pack land and breach our borders." All of them nodded their heads, and my father motioned for me to continue.

"Before I got to the border to check it out, Jake was going crazy. I don't know if wolves can have human mates, but that's what he was reacting towards."

My father cleared his throat and looked at me. "Ryder, is that why you have us all in here? Because your mate is human?" It was clear that he was irritated; it's not uncommon for alphas to have a short temper. I took a deep breath.

"No, it's because the intruder was Amber Drake." I said while looking my dad in the eyes. I broke eye contact and looked at everyone else. They look as if they've seen a ghost. "She's in terrible shape. Someone must've beaten the hell out of her. She has two black eyes and probably broken bones. I don't understand why she hasn't healed yet. I thought lycans heal faster than an average wolf." The last part I directed towards my father. He seemed to be in deep thought until he took a deep breath and rubbed his face.

"Lycans do typically heal faster than average wolves, but that's only after they have had their first shift. Were you able to sense her wolf?" I never stopped to think about that. Because of my lack of a response, my father let out a deep sigh."We will meet again regarding this later tomorrow morning. If she is in as bad of shape as you say, Ryder, she needs all the rest she can get before asking her anything." We all nodded in unison and left the room. As I returned to my bedroom, I couldn't fall asleep. Jake was worried about our mate, and I finally had to block him out so I could sleep.

***Amber's POV***

I'm still in pain, and it hurts all over. How can my life change this fast overnight? First, I find out that the man I thought was my father turned out to be the reason my parents are dead, then he beats the s**t out of me, and now I don't know where I am, and my wolf abandoned me. I started to cry again when I heard it.

"Amber, I didn't leave you. The reason you didn't shift is that I refused to let your body shift into your wolf form. I don't know why he was desperate to see your wolf. Do you know why someone shouldn't have their first shift alone?" A wave of relief washed over me when I heard her voice.

"No, I don't know why. He never allowed me to learn anything about wolves." The thought of everything he robbed me of made me furious. "Amber, calm down. They shouldn't be alone their first shift because that is when you're at your weakest. Even now, because of how bad your injuries are, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to survive if I shift now.

My heart sank hearing that. Suddenly I hear the door open, and someone enters the room. I was hit with an overwhelming scent that lit my body on fire and made Jade go crazy. "Mate!" She was beyond excited. She said that so loud I thought whoever was in the room heard her. I heard what sounded like someone else entering the room. So that means there are at least two people in here with me.

"Wow, she looks just like her mom, minus the black eyes and swelling." This voice was different from the one I heard when I first woke up. When I heard them mention my mother, I lost it. "Who the f*ck are you, and how do you know what my mom looks like? How do you know who my mom is?"

I didn't realize I was shouting until my throat became sore and dry. I felt tears threatening to spill, but I refused to cry in front of strangers. The sound of a chair being dragged filled the room. Someone was sitting next to me, and they had a powerful aura. Their presence demanded respect, and I could tell they were not only a strong individual but help power. I couldn't figure out what it was about them, but they had Jade submitting to them. A large hand was placed on my knee. This time, I didn't feel the light tingling sensation as before. "My name is alpha Blake of the Silver Moon Pack." My mind became flooded with questions, but the most important one was, how did I get here? Before I could say anything, he continued.

"Your parents were part of this pack. They were amazing warriors, and people knew not to mess with the Drakes. Everyone was devastated when they were murdered. We spent days looking for you, and everyone was helping in our search for you." I didn't know what to say or do, so I remained silent. "You said that whoever murdered your parents took the only family you have. Wolf packs are families regardless of it is by blood or not. If you want to, you can join our pack, and we'll be your family." I couldn't stop myself. It was like the flood gates were open, and I just broke down into sobbing.

***Ryder's POV***

I watched as my father pulled a chair up to my mate's bedside and put his hand on her knee, which caused Jake to let out a little growl. My father quickly mind linked me. "Keep your wolf under control, remember I'm still technically alpha."

I decided it would be better if I didn't say anything. However, he should know that alphas are incredibly possessive of their mates. I continued to stand there and watch as he talked to her. She was beautiful, even with all the injuries to her face. I wanted to find whoever did this to her and kill them with my bare hands. I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard her soft voice.

"I.. I... I would love to be part of your pack Alpha Blake. But I'm afraid I haven't shifted yet, and what if I don't have a wolf?" The sadness was evident in her voice, and I couldn't stop myself. In the blink of an eye, I pulled her into my arms. I tried not to squeeze her, but I wanted Amber to know she was welcomed. The feeling of her soft skin sent Jake wild, and the little shocks from our touch only made him even crazier. Her hand moved towards mine, only to stop midway. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. She looked like she would say something when the nurse entered the room.

"Alright, everyone, please leave. She needs to get some rest so she can heal`." She was reading something on Amber's chart. She quickly bowed her head and exposed her neck when she looked up and saw us. "Oh my! Forgive me, Alpha Blake and Alpha Ryder!"

My father let out a genuine laugh before looking at her. "Nurse Marissa, it's fine. You've been with this pack for years and even helped my wife when she gave birth to Ryder." I saw her eyes flash to me, and she had always been like a grandmother to me. Quickly her eyes darted to Amber, and from the look on her face, I could tell she was connecting the dots. Her face suddenly paled, and she turned to look at us. "Is she who I... I... think it is? "

***Amber's POV***

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The alpha knew my parents! Not only that, but they were kick-ass fighters. I had so many questions about them. "Can you take me to them?" My voice came out barely above a whisper. I could feel everyone's eyes were on me. "Their graves, I want to see them." I sounded more confident.

Ryder was instantly by my side. "Amber, we can't do that." His voice was full of compassion and sadness. I couldn't figure out why he was sad. The thought of him being sad bothered me but not that much. I could feel a strange pull between him and me. Is he my mate? I never shifted, so it's impossible to feel the mate bond or even sense my mate. It took me a minute to process what he had said. I was so busy enjoying his scent that I didn't register what he said. "Wait, why can't you do that? All I want is to know who I am. Why can't you do that for me?" The pain and heartache are evident in my voice. I could sense pity and sadness coming from everyone. Whatever it was that they didn't want to tell me had to be something that would only hurt me.

Nurse Marissa jumped into the conversation. "Amber, you've been told a lot today already. I don't want all of this excitement to slow the healing process down." Alpha Blake and Ryder agreed with her and said their goodbyes. It was just Nurse Marissa and me. I'm trying to process everything, but it was too much. "Amber, can I ask you a question?" The sound of her voice ripped me from my thoughts. "Yes, you can." It became silent, and I wasn't sure how to feel at this moment. I didn't feel scared, but I wasn't curious. However, I could hear the curiosity in her voice. "Amber, have you shifted into your wolf yet?"

I just played with the corner of the blanket. I wish I could see everything, but that bastard robbed me of that. "No, I haven't. The attack happened the night of my 18th birthday. The man that raised me was the person who attacked me, it was because I didn't shift." I felt tears welling up as images from that night flooded my mind. "I see, get some rest please I will check on you later." Her voice was filled with sympathy. My day has been a roller coaster and could feel my eyelids become heavy. Before I knew it, I was drifting off into sleep.