The Little Luna

Surprise

Vespian’s POV:

I tried sitting down in the cafeteria with a few of Orion’s friends, but between the stares and my unease, I wasn’t able to sit for long before Eli had me jumping to my feet and stalking from the cafeteria. I didn’t know where they had gone, but Luna’s sweet scent still lingered, and I knew I could track her. The trail leads me from the school, out one of the back gates, and into the woods bordering the school. Why were they in the forest? Did they know the dangers? From here I could smell the lingering rotting smell of a rogue passing through. That did it for me, even if Eli hadn’t been growling in my head, demanding I hunt her down and drag her back to safety, that last thought would have spurred me on.

It was easy to pick her scent out among the others surrounding me, I followed it easily, and soon I was able to hear them talking ahead of me. Calling on Eli to lend me his sight, my vision sharped and I was able to see the Slade siblings sitting on a log in a clearing, I could hear their conversation. She was hearing a voice in her head?

“Her wolf! My mate! She isn’t human after all?”  Eli’s voice filled my mind, excitement coloring his usually gruff voice.

“We don’t know that.”  I wanted Eli to keep realistic expectations, having a mate without a wolf wouldn’t be a huge problem, Eli would still be happy to have his mate, would still feel protective of her and love her, but to have a wolf mate as well would fill every hole in his soul. I didn’t want him to get too excited only to be let down.

“…..she says her name is Elaine or Ellie for short…..” The voice in her head had a name? I don’t understand what is going on with this family. Orion has an alpha aura and voice if I had ever heard one, and Celeste has the height and slim beauty of a she-wolf, and Luna is describing a wolf in her mind, and her senses are clearly heightened. What were these Slade triplets, who smelled human but appeared to be anything but?

“….like I’m sharing my brain with another soul.” Those soft words made my heart skip a beat. I took a step closer, not wanting to miss a word, but as I did, I saw Luna jump to her feet and spin around, staring into the tree line like she’d heard me as if she were looking for me… was her hearing heightened too?

“Who’s there?” Luna’s voice carried to me through the trees. I didn’t move. How did she know I was here? I saw her take in a deep breath and her cheeks flushed, she smelled my scent and it was arousing her. She unknowingly took a step forward, as if she was going to walk to me, but her siblings each reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back. Eli growled in my mind, he was angry now, not only had another male dared to touch what he perceived as his, but someone was keeping her from him. I held my head high and walked towards the clearing, stepping out slowly, looking between the three of them confused. That confusion quickly gave away to alarm and anger as Orion growled at me and pushed my tiny mate behind him.

“What are you doing here? I told you to stay away from my sister, I told you to give me time.” His voice shook the very air around us, an Alpha voice, and the mystery continued to grow. Eli wasn’t as fascinated as me, he was now raging in my mind, fighting to take control and put this boy in his place. I pushed him back, this situation needed a clearer head.

“I’m sorry, but I had to check on her, I had to make sure you all were safe, you don’t know the things that roam these woods. I just wanted to watch from afar and make sure you all were safe: I didn’t expect you to hear me.” I knew my face showed my confusion, but it couldn’t be helped. “How is that by the way? How could you hear a footfall from so far away?”

“No, we aren’t changing the subject. Do you really think I couldn’t keep my sisters safe? I’ve hunted these woods, I know what can be found here. From where I stand, the most dangerous thing for my sisters is standing right in front of me.” Orion’s eyes shot silvery-blue fire at me, giving me a pointed look of accusation.

That was it, that was the last straw of my patients. Eli roared in my head and pushed me back, he took over my body. As I watched through his eyes helplessly, I could feel Luna’s eyes on me, and glancing at her I could see her eyes grow wide in shock, she was staring at me and fear was painting her face. “Orion, his eyes… they’re glowing!” 

Well s**t, this was not going as I had wanted. “Eli! Give me back control now! You are frightening our mate! Unless you want a rejection as soon as she learns the words I suggest you get back now!” 

The idea of rejection gave Eli pause, he knew we would not survive that. We needed her to like us, we needed her to accept us, we needed her to love us. “Fine” Eli spoke softly, resolved, “That pup needs to learn his place, he acts like we are a threat to our mate. He is more likely to hurt her than us!”

“I know this, and you know this, they do not! Right now we look like crazy stalkers. Now, with them having seen your eyes, they may never trust me.”  Eli slowly retreated to the back of my mind, he knew he needed to regain control. As I slide back into control I knew my eyes faded back to their normal ocean blue. It didn’t matter though, the damage had been done. As I looked between Orion, Celeste, and my little Luna, their shocked faces looked back at me. Orion took a step forward and raised his fists as if to fight me. Although I would love nothing more than to beat him into submission (after all, I am an Alpha and disrespect was one of those things I did not tolerate well) I couldn’t fight the brother of my mate, it would just make her shrink away from me further.

“I’m not going to fight you, Orion.”

“If you want one of my sisters, you’ll have to go through me, and trust me, that won’t be easy.” I trust that, he looked like a formidable opponent, but with my wolf speed and training since birth, it wouldn’t be a fair fight.

“Calm down Orion, I’m not after your sisters, I was just worried about all of you. I feel a-“ How did I explain a mate bond without freaking out all three Slade siblings, “I feel a pull towards Luna, and I’m sure if you asked her she’d tell you she feels a pull towards me as well. I just want her safe.” I glanced at my little Luna, she was leaned around her brother, watching us, Celeste was at her side with a hand on her shoulder, I couldn’t tell if she was offering Luna comfort or keeping her from coming towards me.

“Luna?” Orion’s voice questions his sister softly, never taking his eyes off of me. He was smart, I’d give him that, he never took his eyes off of his perceived enemy.

“He’s right.” The softly spoken words made me smile, elated to hear that she felt the bond as well. But that smile was short-lived as I saw the trepidation lacing her features, she felt it, but it didn’t mean she would give in to it. “Ellie says he’s ‘ours’ she keeps saying ‘our mate’ in my head, she wants me to go to him. I don’t understand what’s going on Orion.” Her voice wavered, scared and anxious, I wanted to go to her and wrap her in my arms and tell her everything would be okay, but right now I was sure my arms around her would not have that effect on her, she would more than likely run for the hills screaming. “What did you do to me?” Now her eyes were focused on me, her beautiful honey eyes were looking at me with accusation. She thought I was making her crazy. “I saw your eyes glow, we all did. What are you? What did you do to me?” Luna’s eyes were filling with tears, she was begging me to make this make sense.

“Luna, I-“ What did I say to that? She was breaking my heart with her accusations and her fear of me, Eli was balled up in the recess of my mind, trying to avoid the pain her words caused. “I didn’t do anything, I promise. My eyes glowed because of Eli. Elijah. He’s the voice in my head. I share my body and mind with him.” I sounded like a crazy person, letting out a huffy breath I thrust my fingers through my hair, frustrated. How did I explain any of this to three humans? Though honestly, I was beginning to wonder if there was anything human about them. “I know it sounds crazy, and I’m sorry for that, but I don’t’ know how to explain this.”

Orion and Celeste were both watching us, I could tell they were trying to figure out how to get Luna away from me. I opened my mouth to try and explain again, and that’s when I smelled it. Dark and musky, a rotting smell drifted to my nose and my body tensed as I looked around us. Rogues.

“Orion, take your sisters back to the school. Now.” I used my Alpha tone, I needed them gone, now. If rogues were close and they saw the girls, they would want them, it wouldn’t matter that they were human, rogues kidn*pped and killed girls and women every day, she-wolves and human girls alike. I couldn’t lose Luna the very day I was able to find her. I heard paws hammering the ground, they were coming up directly behind my mate and her siblings, even if Orion left now, they wouldn’t be able to get away before the disgusting creatures entered the clearing I looked at Luna as I quickly stripped off my shirt and vest, “I’m sorry you have to find out this way Luna. Please run, if you are here I will not be able to focus on the fight, I’ll be focused on your safety. Get them out of here Orion, trust me when I say you do not one of them taking your sisters.”

Just as I pushed off my shoes three large wolves entered the clearing, their greyish fur was matted and clumped with mud and twigs, drool dripped from their muzzles, the smell coming off of them was enough to make me gag. Running towards the three humans between me and the rogues, I let out a fierce growl and shifted, my pants ripping and falling to the ground in shreds, jumping over the heads of them and lading on four paws, facing the rogues. I heard gasps from behind be followed by “What in the hell!” But I couldn’t focus on them now, not if I was going to escape with my life, I just hoped Orion listened and took my little mate and her sister to safety. Focusing on the wolves in front of me I let out a vicious growl and lurched forward in an attack.