The Little Luna

Meeting the parent

Luna POV

Mom was here. How did she even find this place? As Orion had said we were only ever invited to the decoy house to hang out, well, Orion and Celeste were, I was rarely invited by the Mallory’s, and when Celeste and Orion insisted I come along I had stayed behind claiming I was going to hang out with Libby. I mean, who wants to go where they aren’t wanted? And the Mallory’s made it very clear I was not wanted around.

Celeste and Orion came up on either side of me slowing their long legs to meet my stride.

“What do y’all think mom is here for?” Orion asked.

“Forget why she’s here Orion, how did she know about this place?” Celeste countered. “Remember? We’ve never even been here before? We didn’t know this place was even here, yet mom found it just hours after we left school?”

“My thoughts exactly Celeste, though I am also wondering the why.” I looked up at them and caught Orion and Celeste glancing at each other.

“They’re talking to each other without us again,” Ellie growled in my head. It offended her as much as it did me that they left me out.

“Stop it you two! I am just a much a part of this trio as both of you. Actually, seeing as how I am the oldest, I am the leader.” I stated with a nod of my head. I usually was fine with the ‘baby’ and ‘runt’ comments, but I was the oldest.

Celeste and Orion chuckled beside me and I felt Orion’s big hand ruffle the hair on my head, “Sure little sis, sure.”

I felt a growl from my chest as I grabbed Orion’s hand and shoved it away. “Don’t treat me like a child!”

Orion’s eyes got big as they flicked between me and Celeste as if hoping to find answers there.

“She’s right, Orion,” Celeste said shrugging her shoulders. “Luna has never been weaker than us, just smaller. And you know she’s the most mature out of the three of us.” Her baby blues met my chocolate brown eyes and she smiled affectionately at me before adding. “She’s always kept us in line and on the straight and narrow, she’s a natural-born leader.”

I turned away from her and blinked the tears out of my eyes, I had always felt that my brother and sister thought less of me because of my size, but I guess my sister saw the real me.

Coming to a split in the hallway I looked both ways confused about where to go next. Of course, I hadn’t watched as we came in, my face had been hidden in Vespian’s chest. Celeste turned left and continued down the hall till we reached a staircase that went down quite a few flights of stairs, I guess we were at the top of the rather large house. As we began down the stairs I heard movement behind us and looked back to see the Alpha and Luna following us. Luna April smiled down at me, but Alpha Darius had a hard look on his face, his eyes seemed to be looking out into space and his lips were pursed, whatever he was thinking about seemed to concern him. I hoped that didn’t bode ill for us.

The large oak staircase ended in the foyer, facing the wide double front doors, just as I and my siblings stepped off the last stair the door flung open and our mother stomped through. I could tell by the look on her face that she was beyond mad and the way her eyes glinted between me and my siblings she wasn’t sure who to yell at first.

Alpha Darius and Luna April stepped off the staircase behind us and walked around my siblings and me.

“Mrs. Slade, what a pleasant surprise.” Said Mrs. Mallory/Luna April, extending a hand to my mom.

Mom looked down at the Luna’s hand and then back up to her eyes, clearly we weren’t the only ones she was mad at.

“Do not patronize me April, we’ll get to you and your husband later, for now, I would like my kids to explain why they not only ditched school in the middle of the day but ran off without informing their mother of where they were going.” She was glaring at me and my siblings again when she finished her tirade, her hands on her hips and her cheeks flushed pink. The Alpha and Luna stepped back so I and my siblings faced our mother again.

Oh no, we never discussed what we were going to tell mom. I looked up at Orion but saw he was just as lost as I was, a glance at Celeste told me she was no help either.

“We... Ummm.... you see mom, I-“ I began stuttering before another voice broke in, a voice that sent butterflies wreaking havoc on my insides.

“I apologize, Mrs. Slade, I am new to town and when the school day overwhelmed me a bit and I spilled milk on my pants at school, Luna offered to come with me and show me around town when I got cleaned up, she said that she didn’t have much else during the school day and it would be okay to play hooky for one afternoon. I should have sucked it up and just stayed the rest of the day, if for no other reason than to allow Luna to finish her day.”

Vespian began talking as he was descending the last flight of stairs, I was shocked to see he looked as perfect as the first moment I saw him in the cafeteria. He was no longer wearing Orion’s pants but instead wore a pair of gray slacks, he wore a matching grey vest over a beautiful blue shirt that matched his eyes to perfection. Over his right arm was a pair of folded blue jeans. Once he was off the stairs he walked to Orion and gave him the jeans with a chuckle he raised his hand to kind of scratch the back of his head as if he was embarrassed.

“Sorry I dropped my lunch on you too, but here’s an extra pair of pants while yours wash, don’t want you walking around in your boxers all day.”

Orion rolled his eyes but slipped the jeans on real quick, they fit him perfectly, which made sense seeing as how he and Vespian were almost the same size. “Umm thanks, and it’s fine, what’s life without some surprises?” Orion chuckled before patting Vespian on the shoulder like they were old friends.

“So that’s it? This young man spilled milk on himself and all of you had to come to help him change his clothes? You expect me to believe that?” Mom scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

“I mean, Luna didn’t want to leave him, they just ‘clicked’ mom, like you and dad in your stories. You always told us that the two of you clicked and you never wanted to leave each other’s side, well, Luna and Vespian felt the same thing! How romantic huh?!” Celeste now had her hands clasped to her chest as if it was the most romantic thing ever, she was overplaying it a bit, but I was good with it since for once my ass was on the line as well.

Mothers eyes grew wide and her hands dropped from her chest, she reached forward and yanked me away from Vespian, pulling the collar of my shirt to the side she glanced at the spot where my shoulder met my neck and let out a sigh of relief before wrapping me in a tight hug.

Letting me go she moved back a step and looked at Orion and Celeste. “Never do anything like this again, you three are all I have and I can’t lose you.”

“Yes ma’am.” We all said in unison.

“Now let’s go. All three of you, in the car now.”

“But mom!” I started to say, but Vespian cut me off.

“Mrs. Slade, I was hoping we could talk, I would love to get to know you.” He approached her slowly, with a charming smile, but she wasn’t having it.

“No, I don’t need someone like you in my daughters' life.” Her voice was laced with so much venom it didn’t even sound like mothers voice, she was always so sweet and kind, I didn’t understand what was going on. Looking in her eyes I saw nothing but hatred there, and it was all focused on one person. Vespian.

Vespian POV

After Dr. Elroy left I shook off my mood and rushed to my room to change, I leaned on Eli’s werewolf speed to get me dressed and presentable quickly, and down the first few flights of stairs, I slowed before the last fight so I wouldn’t startle my mates' mother.

I could hear their conversation and could tell that some saving was needed, so I put on my most charming smile and faced my mate's mother with every ounce of courage I possessed.

“I apologize, Mrs. Slade, I am new to town and when the school day overwhelmed me a bit and I spilled milk on my pants at school, Luna offered to come with me and show me around town when I got cleaned up, she said that she didn’t have much else during the school day and it would be okay to play hooky for one afternoon. I should have sucked it up and just stayed the rest of the day, if for no other reason than to allow Luna to finish her day.”

I could sense my little Luna’s eyes on me following me down the stairs and over to them. Though I wanted to take my mate in my arms and express my undying love for her then and there so her mother would know I was serious, I knew it would scare her more than helping the situation, humans don’t fall in love at first sight.

I moved to Orion’s side and gave him the jeans I grabbed while running out of my room. “Sorry I dropped my lunch on you too, but here’s an extra pair of pants while yours wash, don’t want you walking around in your boxers all day.” I ruffled the hair at the back of my head trying to feign embarrassment, I needed to sell this story to their mom 100% if I didn’t want her seeing me as a bad influence.

“Umm thanks, and it’s fine, what’s life without some surprise?” Orion was playing along, good. He slipped the pants on quickly and patted my back like we were best friends, which I honestly hoped we would be one day.

“So that’s it? This young man spilled milk on himself and all of you had to come to help him change his clothes? You really expect me to believe that?” She wasn’t buying it. Crap. I was never a good liar in the first place, where did I go from here?

“I mean, Luna didn’t want to leave him, they just ‘clicked’ mom, like you and dad in your stories. You always told us that the two of you clicked and you never wanted to leave each other’s side, well, Luna and Vespian felt the same thing! How romantic huh?!” Celeste was definitely a drama Queen, but in this instance, it worked in my favor. I silently thanked her and made a mental note to thank her later for real.

Instead of more questions Luna’s mom did something exceedingly peculiar, she pulled her to her and began searching her neck, right where I would one day mark her. How did this woman, this human woman, know where to look for a werewolf mate mark?

“Something isn’t right.” Eli voiced in my mind, concern heavy on his words.

“I agree. Why would she hear those words and immediately know to look for a mate mark? And why does she look so relieved to not see one? This makes no sense Eli... do you think she knows about werewolves but pretends not to?” Why was it every time I thought we were getting answers more questions popped up?

“Never do anything like this again, you three are all I have and I can’t lose you.” Luna’s mom looked between her three kids when she said this. I could feel the terror in her voice of losing her children.

“Now let’s go. All three of you, in the car now.”

“Wait! She can’t take Luna away from us, she’s our mate, we can’t protect her if she isn’t close at hand, and if anyone finds out she’s our mate, she will become a target.” Eli’s voice rang through my head, once again heavy with concern. He was right, if news got out I had found my mate any enemy of my pack will attempt to take her and use her against me. She’s the perfect bargaining chip because I would do anything for her.

“Mrs. Slade, I was hoping we could talk, I would love to get to know you.” I placed my best charming smile on my face and took a slow step towards her, trying to express that I ‘came in peace’ so to speak.

“No, I don’t need someone like you in my daughters' life.” Her words were filled with so much hatred and venom I was surprised they didn’t cut me physically. I was taken aback by not only the venom in her voice but the look in her eyes. She had just met me and already she hated me.

“What does she mean ‘someone like’ us?” Eli asked in my head, he was feeling insulted now on top of concern.

“ I don’t know, she doesn’t know anything about me, we’ve never met before.”

“I’m sorry Mrs. Slade, but I don’t understand, what do you mean ‘someone like’ me? I promise you I have no ill intent for your daughter, if anything I want nothing but happiness for her.” I tried to let my honesty shine through my eyes but I could tell by the way Mrs. Slade was glaring at me she wasn’t having it at all.

“No. I won’t let what happened to me happen to her. Pregnant and alone. Pinning all of her hopes and dreams for the future on one man.” Her eyes were brimming with tears she was struggling to hold back, Orion and Celeste moved to stand beside their mom, trying to hold her and comforter her before she gently pushed their hands away and looked at me once more, this time her eyes weren’t full of hatred, they were full of anguish.

“Believing his lies and his stories until reality comes crashing down and all she has is a mark on her neck that says she’s someone’s property for the rest of her life, a mark that makes it impossible to move on and ever find happiness with another man.” With those words she pulled her collar aside and revealed a mark on her neck, small puncture wounds surrounded by tiny, intricate silver vines and flowers, I had never seen a mark like that in my life. Werewolf marks looked like hickeys, small, round, reddish marks with tiny puncture wounds in the center. This was beautiful and magical, and nothing I had ever heard of.

A gasp from behind us drew my eyes to Alpha Darius and Luna April, they were both starring at the mark in awe, the Lunas hand over her mouth.

“What kind of mark is that?” I asked them, from the looks on their faces they had to know something. But my answer didn’t come from them, it came from Eli.

“That’s the mark of a Lycan Luna. Only Lycan Alphas and Lunas bare those marks.” He said softly, clearly in awe. Lycan were the natural rulers of werewolves, which meant a Lycan Luna would be Luna of Luna’s. A Queen to our kind.

I watched in awe as both Alpha Darius and Luna April bent to one knee and bent their necks in submission. An Alpha never bared his neck in submission, what was going on?

“Kneel,” Eli demanded in my head.

“No! I am an Alpha, we bow to no one.” I stated firmly. I listened to my wolf in most things, but in this I was firm. My father was the Alpha of the biggest pack in this country and our alliances made us the most powerful in the world. I would not bow to a human.

“Not human, Lycan Queen. Our Queen.”