The Little Luna

New Territory

Vespian POV:

I stood there, listening to the sound of the car as it drove away with my Little Luna, still reeling at everything that happened in just one day, everything I had heard in the last few hours. As I stood there, her beautiful scent started to fade, and I wished I had thought to ask for some small token.

“Why are we standing here? Why are we not following our mate?” Eli demanded. “Her mother just admitted that they are targets for Night Walkers and yet we are allowing her to leave without an escort? Without a guard?”

“Eli, she’s been alive for almost 18 years and no one has found her or her siblings, I think she is safe for one night. Besides how do we even know Night Walkers are really out there, much less targeting her family?”

“They are out there,” Eli stated, completely confident in his belief.

“How can you possibly know that?” I scoffed.

“Because a Lycan leaving his fated mate makes absolutely no sense! She’s a human, which means that she is exceedingly vulnerable, a simple illness could bring about her death, and his in the process. What other reason could he possibly have had for leaving other than distracting the only thing that could truly harm him?”

I had to admit, Eli had a point. It made no sense to leave behind a defenseless human mate other than being a decoy from the only thing that could kill them both.

This was all so much to take in. When today started I believed Lycans were myths and Night Walkers were stories made up to keep pups in line. Now, not only had everything I had been lead to believe was a fairy tale turned out to be true, but I and my little mate were at the center of it.

“Perhaps we should call your father.” Came Alpha Darius’s deep voice from my right side. He’d moved up closer to me, more than likely to get my attention. “I think he should be made aware of what has happened.”

“And I’m sure your mother and father would be thrilled to hear about your new mate.” Added Luna April as she stepped up beside her mate.

They were right, I should call my father. He’d have the answers to the questions I still had flying around in my mind. But not yet. I needed to clear my mind, and I needed to let Eli out for a run. Maybe I could go to Luna’s house and check on her, just watch from behind a bush. Great… now I sound like a creepy psycho.

“No, sounds like an amazing plan to me. Bloody brilliant. Genius.” Eli chattered in my mind, more than thrilled at getting to not only see his Luna once more but also check on her safety.

“That is a good idea, I should fill my father in on today’s events. But I think I’ll go for a run first, I need to clear my mind and let off some steam.” As I informed them of my plans Alpha Darius nodded his head in understanding and Luna April just smiled, like she knew exactly how I was feeling.

“Be safe out there, and since I know you’ll make a detour to Luna’s house, just remember she asked for space. Respect that.” Luna April added before turning to go back up the stairs, Alpha Darius gave me a curt nod in farewell and went to follow his Luna.

“Also, please keep today’s events to your selves, and ask the guards to ask well. If Luna really is in trouble then we need to keep this quiet. I’d also like to tell my father myself.” I added pointedly, I needed to make sure he didn’t go straight upstairs and call my father before I had a chance to speak with him myself.

“Of course. We’ll leave a door unlocked, remember you have school in the morning.” With that, the older Alpha waved a hand and disappeared up the stairs.

I decided to go out the back and enter the forest from the east gate, walking leisurely with my hands stuffed in my pockets as I looked up into the clear blue Florida sky. It’s always so bright here, even at night the moon and stars are bright in the sky. When I entered the edge of the forest I glanced around for anyone nearby and seeing no one I undressed quickly, folding my clothes and using a string from my pocket to tie them to my ankle. It only took a blink of an eye for Eli to take over and have use rushing past the trees on four paws.

We ran for miles before coming to the edge of the boundary of Alpha Darius’s lands, I could hear the paw beats of the border guards as they ran their rounds. Two guards per section 10 sections around his border, and they were just the outer level of security, if a rouge made it past them they had two more levels to fight through. There was a reason Alpha Darius never lost anyone to rouges. They were taken down before most of his pack even knew a rouge wolf was on their territory. Unfortunately, the forest behind the school had not been Blood Moon territory, hence why rouges used it as a kind of highway around pack boarders. I’d bring it up to father and Alpha Darius, the land so close to a school with so many were-pups should not be unprotected.

Suddenly Eli came to a screeching stop, raising his snout in the air and sniffing. I had been so distracted by my thoughts I hadn’t been paying attention and allowed Eli to take full reign, now I was unsure where we were. Ge must have scented something because seconds later we were rubbing full force deeper and deeper into the forest and further away from Blood Moon territory.

“Eli, what is going on? We didn’t have permission to cross on to another pack's lands, this can be seen as an act of war!” I knew I was berating him, but this was risky, Jade River pack had to know we were here, and although they were allies of my pack they had never met me, they would have no idea who I was. We could be attacked and killed without them ever been given the chance to introduce ourselves.

“Mate!” One word was all I got from Eli, he was focused fully on tracking the scent that I could now confirm was Luna’s.

“What? How? She was going home with her mother and siblings, why would she be in Jade River territory?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care, all I know is I can smell her scent and it’s going this way. Maybe if we had marked our mate as we are supposed to we could feel her and mind link her!” Oh, he was pissed.

Poor little Alpha wolf is mad I didn’t forcibly mark our Little mate. He’d have to suck it up, she’d been terrified enough with everything going on, I was not adding to it by biting her neck hard enough to draw blood without her permission.

“I didn’t want her forcibly marked, I would never hurt them like that. But you should have insisted we go with her.”

Our claws dug into the dirt, bringing us to a screeching halt seconds before a large grey wolf flew by inches in front of us. If we hadn’t stopped he would have knocked us on our ass, thank the goddess for my Alpha wolf counterpart and his amazing senses and reflexes.

The grey wolf landed to our left and curved around to come for another attack, his eyes were glowing bright green and his muzzle was dripping saliva as he growled at us. Eli was not having it, I could feel him pulling his power in around him like a cloak before he let out a growl that even made me cringe, he was letting this wolf know he was an Alpha and not meant to be trifled with.

The grey wolf faltered for a moment, slinking back in fear before licking the saliva off of his muzzle with his long tongue and sitting down, dropping his head to the left slightly, as if curious. Eli reigned in his snarling and growling but didn’t take his eyes off of the other wolf, opening his senses to everything around us. His ears were listening for paws and his nose for any scent coming close.

It wasn’t long before four large wolves joined the one sitting and staring at us, one wolf, in particular, took all of my focus, not because of his strange yellowish striped coat, which let’s face it was pretty odd, but because of the man sitting on his back. The man jumped from the still trotting wolf's back and landed lightly on his feet. He was an odd-looking fellow himself, with a long black braid sling over one shoulder and black as night eyes that were crinkled around the corners as he smiled at us as if in greeting. As if we hadn’t just entered their territory without prior authorization and growled at their border patrol.

The strange guy with the long braided black hair shoved his thumbs in the pockets of his holey black jeans and watched Eli with a smile on his very tan face. By the looks of his high cheekbones, midnight black hair, black almond-shaped eyes, and darkly tanned skin I would assume this man was Native American.

“Hey there, as much as I am impressed by your beautiful coat and strength I feel it would be easier to have this conversation if your human came out to converse.” His voice was deep and he had an accent I couldn’t place, but the tone was friendly.

“Eli, he’s right, we can’t talk like this. We should shift back.”

“No! This is a waste of time! Every second we sit here she gets farther away with whoever has taken her.” A growl ripped through the air and the other wolves in the clearly Jules to attention, moving into stances to better protect the man in front of us.

“Eli stop and think! Talking will get us out of here and on her trail faster than a fight that we could very well lose. There are six wolves on their side if you hadn’t counted already. We’re no good to our Little Luna dead or in a jail cell.”

As I felt Eli calm and accept what I was telling him I took back control and moved behind a tree to shift, untying my clothes from my ankle and throwing my shirt and pants on in a rush, as I stepped out from behind the tree I was fastening my pants, choosing to leave my shirt unbuttoned, I didn’t plan on staying in this form long.

“Hi, I’m Vespian Carter, I need permission to pass through your lands.” Mine as well get straight to the point before Eli starts making heads roll.

The wolves glanced among themselves while the man in front of me appeared surprised for a moment, but soon enough his welcoming smile is back in place.

“Would that be Alpha Vespian Carter? Of the Golden Moon?” He cleared his throat and moved his hands from his pockets to being lightly folded behind his back. His stance now suggested a show of respect. He knew exactly who I was and how powerful my bloodline and pack were

“Discipulis Alpha, yes,” I answered shortly. “Permission to pass through?” I asked again, shorter this time, Eli was pacing in my mind and I knew he was counting the seconds that were ticking by into minutes.

“Your pack is the only one I know of who still goes by the old ways, the Discipulis Alpha title was done away with in most packs centuries ago.” He was stepping closer to me now, his long legs taking long strides, how have I not noticed he isn’t wearing shoes? When he got within 6 feet of me he held his hand out and stepped forward to shake my own. “A pleasure to have the prince among us.”

Unknown POV:

“A pleasure to have the prince among us.” Beta Ashwood said to Alpha Vespian, shaking his hand in greeting.

I can feel my lips pull up into a snarl but I have to be still and quiet, they may be distracted but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t hear the leaves move or a twig snap.

I had been leading this young Alpha pup on a journey with the scent of his mate, the sweater I carried in my hands was proving to be as helpful as I thought it would be when I took it from her hamper just an hour ago. Right before she’d showed up at home with her brother, sister, and mother.

Just watching the scene play out between the young Alpha and Beta Ashwood had my teeth on edge. This pup was not good enough for her, Luna deserved so much more than a boy who would put her very life in danger. No, she was in danger from this Alpha, even if she didn’t know it yet, and I would protect her, just as I had for years without her knowledge.

Silently I watch the exchange, waiting for the moment that I can continue leading this Alpha pup on our merry journey and into the surprise I have awaiting him.