The Forbidden Child - Alpha’s Lost Luna

Chapter 10

***Kai***

The drive to the joint party location felt like it was taking forever. Even though we didn’t live that far south from the reservation, the forest roads slowed us down. Jeff was as happy as could be sitting in the passenger seat, playing DJ for the both of us. But by the time we actually arrived at the party it was already dark, and most everyone was already there.

“Jeff, why don’t you go on in and I’ll catch up. I want to check in with the border patrol first.” There had been a few more rogues than normal spotted in the area the last month, and I wanted to make sure everyone at the party was safe.

“Sure thing bro! I’ll even check to see if the girls are here for ya.” He said with a wink. I shook my head in disappointment.

“What? Don’t you want to know if they're here?” I pointed over a few rows down to where Jane’s car sat parked.

“They already are.”

“Well hot damn! I’m going to go to Mel then!” And off he ran.

I walked out past where all the cars were until I picked up the scent of one of my warriors, and waited for them to circle back to where I was. There were currently about 6 of them running in a circle around the gathering, including my omega and top warrior Jason. It didn’t take long for me to sense him watching me before I ever heard him.

“Come on out Jason.” I told him.

Out of the shadows without making a sound walked a black panther, whose eyes glowed green in the dark. He walked right up in front of me and then shifted.

“Report.”

“The surrounding area is clear. There were a few rogues here earlier, but we chased them off before anyone showed up. But something felt off about it. It almost seemed like they were testing our line, to see if we had any weak spots. It was too well coordinated for rogues. I don’t like it.” Jason said.

That did sound troubling. Rouges didn’t usually work together, they were lone creatures. They were either pushed out of a pack by force, or left by choice. Either way they tended to be alone. “Okay, keep a close watch on it and let me know if anything else feels off. We need to protect not just our pack, but the tribe as well.” I informed him.

“On it.” He said, then shifted back into his panther and ran off. I walked back through the forest and took a shortcut to the clearing where everyone was, smelling the vanilla and brown sugar instantly. I looked to see where Jane was and found her with another one of my pack members, who seemed to be hitting on her. I was going to rip his head off.

“Jeremy! That is my mate! Get away from her now, and if I ever see you flirting with her again you will be on laundry duty for a month!” That ought to do it. All shifters knew not to mess with another's mate, and everyone hated working laundry the most. I better make sure no one else tries to flirt with her either though. I opened a mindlink to all of my pack currently at the party.

“This is for all pack members. My mate is at this party, but she is human and doesn’t know about our world yet. I want everyone to stay at least 10 feet away from her or you will all be on laundry duty!” I sent a mental image of what she looked like so they would know who to stay away from. Then my pack members started to talk to me through the link.

“Yes alpha.” “Congrats alpha!” “So does this mean we have a luna now?” “Wow she’s hot!” I cut the link.

I decided to just stay in the shadows, deeper in the trees. Watching her from afar. She was so much more than hot. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. And that dress she was wearing only amplified her beauty. I wanted nothing more than to just go over to her and take her in my arms. But I will try Jeff's way for now. No matter how hard it was.

When Jane started to walk towards the music stage, I had to stifle a laugh. The look on her face when my pack continuously jumped away from her was downright comical. Some day, hopefully soon, she will know all about this. Until then, I’ll just keep watch from the shadows. I moved locations so I could be closer to where she was, and be able to hear the music better. I found Jeff not too far away, but still close enough to the tree line that I could stay blended in.

“Ahhh, look at my girl. Isn’t she great?” Jeff said. Melanie was up on stage singing, not terribly but not that well. At least it looked like she was having fun. “Yea, she is very entertaining.” I said. Jeff looked at me irritatedly. “Ah shut it, you just wait, I bet she’ll get El and Jane up there too, ah! See! I was right! Now let's see who is more entertaining.” Jeff mocked.

Sure enough, Jane and El walked up on the stage to join Melanie singing Single Ladies. It was actually really nice watching the three of them together. They looked like they had been friends for years, not just a few months for El and a day for Melanie. Soon the song was done and somebody else went up and took the microphone. I turned my attention away from the stage momentarily when I felt someone wrap their arm around mine.

“Kai! What are you doing over here? I thought you would have come to find me by now. Don’t you know I’ve been waiting for you.” The little she wolf said seductively. Trailing her fingers up my chest. I pushed her off of me. Looking to see where Jeff was so he could take his sister away, only he seemed to be conspicuously missing.

“Didn’t you pay attention to the mindlink? I’ve found my mate. She’s all I need now. There is no chance for you and me Ashley.” I told her firmly.

“Oh I heard, I also heard you say she was human. No human is good enough to be your luna. You should choose me as your mate instead. I’d make a much better luna for you Kai.” She came back over and started to touch my arm again, it made me feel disgusted, I didn’t want her touching me anymore.

“Ashley, leave now! Don't touch me again!” I ordered her.

“Hrump, we'll see about that. You’ll grow tired of your little human, and then you’ll come looking for me.” She said as she sauntered away. I was about ready to just tell her to go home when I heard the most beautiful voice.

I whipped my head around to see Jane up on the stage again, only alone this time. Her voice was like a siren's song to my soul. And when she got to the chorus our eyes connected, and it felt like she was singing the song just for me. It was like a spell had been placed over me, one I didn’t want to end. But songs only last so long, and when she finally broke eye contact I moved more into the shadows, where she could no longer see me.

Dammit Jeff, how was I supposed to keep my distance from my mate when she is serenading me in front of everyone! I went to go find him, otherwise I would head straight for Jane. I found him over by the keg, gabbing a few beers. He saw me and lifted one up to say he got one for me too. I motioned for him to join me in a slightly less crowded area further away from the drink area.

“What the hell man. Why did you ditch me with your sister?” I asked him. He just about spit his drink out.

“You think I want to deal with that little tart? Hell to the nah. You're the big bad alpha, just make her go home or something.”

I shook my head. “Yeah, she doesn’t really listen to me either. You know I don’t like using my alpha timber on people. It’s taking their free will away and I don’t like using it unless I have to.”

“You're probably going to have to with Ashley. I don’t think she’s going to back away easily. She’s had a crush on you since she was five years old and you gave her that doll as a birthday gift.”

“My parents made me.” I hated having to do that. Even then I could tell Ashley was going to be a spoiled brat.

“Woha, watch out, Jane is headed this way and looks like she is on the warpath!” Jeff said. I turned to see where he saw her and found she was just about 50 feet away and headed right for me.

“Hey there beach girl! I heard you up on the stage earlier, you got some pipes on you!” Jeff told her.

“Uh thanks Jeff. Glad you like it.” She said, then she looked at me, and it was like a bolt of electricity zapped between the two of us. “Hi Kai.”

“Hello Jane. Nice to see you again.” There, that was a perfectly civilized way to speak to someone, right? But then she had to start coming closer to me, I could feel the heat from her body and my urge to take her grew. I had to back away before I lost my resolve.

“Alpha, something strange is happening at the north border.” Jason mindlinked me.

“I’ll be right there.”

“Sorry, but I need to go speak with someone. Have a good evening.” I hurriedly walked away from my mate before I could do something I would regret, and made my way north. Mindlinking Jeff, I told him to follow me.

Just as I reached the north border I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. What the hell?

“Vampires are breaching the border! They took out one of our patrolls! He’s dead!” Jason linked me. I shifted, tearing my clothes in the process and ran as fast as I could. I arrived to see 4 vampires fighting with two of my wolves, and one of my shifters dead on the ground.

“We are breached! Vampires at the north border! I need all warriors on the perimeter now!” I mindlinked every shifter within range as I tore the head off one of the vampires. Then jumped on another one, ripping his arms off with my teeth and crushing his skull. I looked to see the last two kill one more of my pack, and then one of them ran off towards the party in the direction Jeff should be, while the other was fighting another of my warriors.

“Melanie! I need you to get Jane out of here now!” I mindlinked her then cut it just as quickly. I jumped into the air and linked the warrior to move out of the way as I came crashing down on the vampire from behind him. This one was a little stronger than the last, and we tumbled around, both trying to get ahold of the other. But in the end I was the victor as I tore into his neck, severing it from the rest of his body.

Tossing the filthy thing away from me, I had little time to rest as there was at least one more vampire that headed to the party. “Jeff, one of them headed to the clearing. Did it get through? I want one left alive.”

“I got him, sorry, but he’s not living anymore. I had to take it out before it killed anyone else.” Crap, Now we have no way of knowing why they were here.

“Okay, wrap it up. I want all the dead bodies taken back to the pack for investigation. And this party needs to be shut down now.”

“Done. Will we be seeing you back home tonight?” Jason asked.

“No.”

And with that I took off into the forest, the ground disappearing beneath my paws. I knew Jane was alive, but I felt the need to protect her, to be near her. There was no way I would be able to spend the night away from her after an attack like this.

As I ran I tried to think about what happened. First there were a couple of rogues, but no vampire had been spotted in the area for 8 years. Not since that one fateful night. Why would they be back now? Could they be working together? No, that didn’t make any sense. But something strange was definitely going on. I’d have to call a meeting on it tomorrow. But right now, I only had one palace I wanted to be.