My Peculiar Mates

Chapter 7: Luna

    Rheya watched in slow motion as mayhem broke loose. Lia shifted again before her eyes, anticipating the attack from Elijah’s wolf. The two collided and fell, pushing her to the ground. The other 6 wolves were being held back by the clan, and while Elijah’s wolves were bigger, the clan warriors outnumbered them 2 to 1. 

    Danny grabbed Rheya’s arm and pulled her away from the flurry of claws and teeth, before shifting himself and diving in to help Lia. Both their wolves were large and powerful, with sandy-beige fur. Lia’s wolf was slightly larger, and had white paws. Elijah jumped around, biting and snapping at Lia while kicking Danny away.

    She felt so helpless and weak, just crawling away from the battle. She heard a yelp over the sound of snarling and fighting, and noticed a smaller she-wolf limping away from the fight while her teammates covered her retreat. She pulled herself to her feet and ran over to her. She whimpered as she bent down and assessed her bloody injury. It appeared to be a bite wound, but it was deep. She found some of the wolves’ shredded clothes and pressed it to the wound.

    “I’m sorry, this probably hurts,” she looked the wolf in the eyes, before tying another strip of cloth around her upper leg to cut off the blood flow. She continued pressing on the cloth, trying not to gag at the blood.

    Her attention was pulled back to the fight as one of the wolves broke free and charged towards her. She screamed and put her hands up, but another beige wolf jumped and barrelled into her attacker. She realised from the fur that it was likely one of Lia’s parents. The beige wolf let out a howl and clawed at the wolf’s underbelly, but the black wolf had grabbed a hold on their throat and wasn’t letting go. 

    Rheya couldn’t find anyone close enough to help them, so she dove at the black wolf, sticking her fingers in its eyes. The black wolf released its grip and howled in pain, and the beige wolf staggered away, blood pouring from its neck injury. It dropped to its side, clawing at the ground before shifting back into human form. May’s neck was completely mauled, and she gripped it while gurgling, fear and sadness swirling in her eyes.

    Rheya started sobbing, and joined May on the ground, ripping her shirt off and trying to compress it. The shirt was soaked through in seconds. She didn’t notice when the pack turned the tide of the battle, killing two of the black wolves, and chasing the other 5 off the property. She didn’t notice when Lia and Danny ran over, trying to get a doctor’s help. She couldn’t hear anything but May’s strangled sounds as she inhaled her last, liquid filled breath, before succumbing to her injuries. The last thing she saw was the wolves around her howling before she blacked out.

~~~

    Rheya woke up alone. 

    She looked around, disoriented and scared, and realised she was in Lia’s bedroom. She stood up, panicking when she realised that she was in a different change of clothes.Then she remembered, May.

    She was likely covered in blood after trying to help her with her neck. She swung the door open and ran down the steps, stopping the first person she met. 

    “Where is Lia?” She asked.

    “Probably with the pack doctor,” the woman said, shaking her head. She looked solemn, and wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Come with me, I’ll take you there.”

    They walked out into the yard and down a road, weaving through the forest. There were cottages and other buildings in between the trees, and soon the forest opened onto a grassy hill. A brick building stood on top of the hill, with glass windows facing out over the glade.

    A group of people joined them at the foot of the hill. “Well look who it is,” a man jeered. “The princess’s little pet.”

    “Leave her alone, Pierre,” the woman escorting Rheya countered.

    “Why are you defending her, Marie?” He growled at them. “You know it’s her fault our Luna is dead, and now Alpha Paul…” He advanced towards them menacingly.

     Rheya backed away. She didn’t speak for fear of her safety, but she was even more confused. May is dead? And what’s wrong with Paul?

    “Enough!” A voice cut through the tension.

    A girl, perhaps a year or 2 younger, walked towards them with a limp. There were furious tears in her eyes.

    “May was defending Rheya from an attack, because Rheya was helping me.”

    Rheya gasped in understanding. This was the wolf who’s hind leg she wrapped. 

    “May wouldn’t have been killed if she wasn’t busy defending a half-breed,” Pierre spat.

    “May would have defended her regardless of the circumstances, it’s your own prejudice making you blind, Pierre,” the girl replied, standing beside Rheya. “She saved both of us, and she would’ve put herself in that position for any of her pack members, because that’s what a Luna does.”

    Pierre growled again, but stopped short. Rheya felt a hand on her arm, and judging by the shivers running over her skin, it was Lia. 

    “You disrespect your past Luna by threatening the ones she died for,” Lia’s voice came out in a deep, intense tone that gave no room for arguments. Pierre and the others in his group cowered, and even the two women standing on either side of Rheya had trouble standing. “Leave,” she commanded, and they turned tail and left.

    Lia turned to Rheya, her gaze softening as she brushed her hands over her face, checking to make sure she was okay. “Thank you Marie, Rosa, you may go if you wish.”

    Marie nodded and walked off, but the girl, Rosa, decided to stay. “If you would have me, Alpha,” she said.

    Lia sighed regretfully at the term. “Please, Rosa, just Lia for now…”

    Rosa bowed her head. “I’d like to visit with Paul.”

    They walked back to the hospital, while Rheya kept stealing glances at her girlfriend. Lia looked so tired, the bags under her eyes pronounced, and her posture slouched. 

    “When did you sleep last?” She asked, to which Lia just shook her head.

    “The battle was yesterday, but I haven’t been able to sleep,” she said. “After you passed out, I made sure you were okay, and took you home. But then I had to get my father to the hospital.”

    “Why? Did he get hurt too?” 

    “No, Rheya, my mom died,” Lia’s voice cracked. “We all felt it through the pack link, but it affects Dad the most. Without his mate, his body will also start shutting down.”

    Rheya cried out, realising the degree of seriousness. This pack was losing not only their Luna, but their Alpha because she was unable to defend herself. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

    Lia grabbed her hands, turning Rheya to face her. “This is not your fault,” she said, tears falling on her cheeks. “Do you hear me Rheya? May made her decision, she chose to protect you, just like she would’ve protected me.”

    Rheya hugged her, sobbing into her t-shirt. “But it should’ve been me,” she said.

    “No!” Lia snarled, startling them both. “No,” she repeated, quieter. “You mean everything to me, and I will thank the Moon Goddess every day for giving me such a loving mother to sacrifice herself for my mate.”

    They calmed down enough to pull apart, but Rheya noticed that Rosa had turned away, and was also in tears. She grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

    “Let’s go see Alpha Paul,” she suggested.

    They walked into the hospital room, where Alpha Paul lay hooked up to various machines that were recording his breathing and heart rate. He smiled half-heartedly, but his eyes looked dead inside.

    “Lia, and Rheya,” he nodded. “And Rosa, one of my best junior warriors. How are you?”

    They talked quietly about pack affairs, and Lia held Rheya’s hand, her eyes staying on her father. “We have to talk about everything.” Rheya nodded, letting her continue.

    “Normally, a pack is given over to another Alpha in a couple of ways. The first is by blood oath, which is how I was supposed to receive the pack after I found my mate. My parents would hold a ceremony which would make me Alpha, and once I turned you, you would do the same to become Luna. The second is by challenge, which happens when one pack defeats another in combat, or when two Alphas head off against each other one on one. Whichever Alpha kills the other is deemed Alpha of both packs.

    “But since both the Alpha and Luna are dying, I inherit the title naturally. Other people in my pack can contest me for the title, but most of the time people just accept the transfer out of respect for the past Alpha and Luna.”

    “And if you’re the Alpha, then does that make me the Luna?” Rheya asked.

    “You will be, but I have to turn you, first.”

    Rheya put her head in her hands. “This is all too much. What about my job? And my friends, and my family? I can’t just leave Rico, and my dad…”

    “Everything is still up in the air, but I think it would be best if we could convince Rico and your father to move here. If you do in fact have fae blood, then that would also put your family at risk. It would be much safer for them to move here, where we could protect them.”

    “But would your pack even be okay with this? I mean, half of them blame me for May’s death, and who knows how many think I’m an enemy because of Elijah’s attack,” Rheya worried. 

    “They will either stand by us or I will get rid of them,” Lia growled, her eyes changing to black. 

    “Lia,” Paul scolded, pausing to cough. “If you banish them, they will be sure to join Elijah’s cause. You have to do this properly, otherwise the pack will not see a reason to follow you.”

    Lia nodded, calming her breathing until her eyes changed back to normal. “I’m sorry, Papa,” she said. “I’ll do my best to make them respect me.”

    “And you,” Paul turned to Rheya. “You must not show your weakness any longer. Give them a Luna to respect and look up to.”

    Rheya nodded. She knew that the pack needed her to step into her role, but she felt so helpless and small in a world she didn’t know or understand. She tried not to think about it, and instead focused on the other 3 people sharing stories of the Luna they loved for hours, until Paul was no longer able to hear them.