The Little Luna

Kayla woke up to an empty cave. The fire had gone out hours before and her parents weren't there to add more wood. She shivered, pulling her blanket tighter around her small frame. She looked over to the basket that is usually full of berries her mom had collected before they went hunting only to find it empty. She frowned, confused, she'd never woken up alone with an empty basket and the fire out before. She quickly grabbed the book of matches to restart the fire and carefully lit one and put it in after adding more kindling. Slowly the fire overtook the ends of the logs that had fallen into the ashes. She waited for hours adding more wood to the fire when it was needed. Her stomach growled louder with every hour she waited but still she stayed. She would give it till the next morning if they still weren't back she'd go collect berries or try to catch something small. She didn't like doing it but she knew how to hunt, skin and cook rabbits and squirrels if they were ever separated and she knew which plants were safe to eat and which were poisonous. At 4 years old her pack was attacked. Her parents, the alphas, were sent into hiding with her and a newborn. Her baby brother didn't survive. She was quickly taught many survival tactics no 4 year old should have to use, those tactics but here we are. They built an emergency plan, the first day she was to stay at camp, if they still didn't return she would leave the cave to find food. After 3 days if they still didn't return she was to find the closest civilization whether it be human or werewolf. As the sun set and the moon rose Kayla's worry increased her parents were never gone this long. She had a bad feeling that something happened and that she needed to leave the cave before whatever got them got her too. She took her backpack and shoved the few things she had in it, throwing it over her shoulder. She quickly put out the fire and wrapped her blanket around her tightly, tucking the edges into her backpack straps on either side of her neck before leaving the cave. She wasn't sure where she was headed. Every sound around her had her jumping out of her skin. She tripped many times, ripping through her pants and scraping her knees badly. She walked for what felt like hours when she heard a stick break behind her. She whipped around coming face to face with a giant black wolf with gorgeous blue eyes. She let out a shriek before turning away and running as fast as she could before she tripped over a tree root, her knee hitting a sharp rock making her cry. She looks around scared, questioning where the wolf went; she knew she hadn't outrun it. Instead her eyes land on a man with the same blue eyes. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you" he said softly. She wasn't sure why his voice sounded so soothing in her terror. Her stomach growled loud, breaking her silence. He frowns watching her "where are your parents? You shouldn't be out here alone" he asks, taking a step closer to her. He can smell the blood that's dripping down her leg. "I-I don't know, I woke up and they were gone. The fire went out and the berry basket Mama always fills before they go hunting was empty and they never came back…….I got a bad feeling that I needed to leave camp right away instead of sticking to the plan……I don't know where they are or what to do" her eyes filled with tears and she words came out between sobs. Jayden's eyes widened and he scooped her up he ignored the sparks it sent through his body "I've got you, you're gonna be okay. Let's get you back to my pack, we'll get you cleaned up and some food. You don't have to be alone. I'll do everything in my power to find your parents and bring them back to you okay?". Kayla nodded curling into his arms. She wasn't sure why she felt so safe and comfortable in his arms but she wasn't going to question feeling safe after all, she hadn't felt safe anywhere in the year she'd been on the run with her parents. "What's your name?" He asks her as he walks towards the pack house. "Kayla……Kayla Moonstone" she says softly. "As in, heir to the Moonstone pack that was thought to be completely destroyed?" His eyes went wide, this tiny child, his mate no less, was the daughter of the largest pack in the world that was attacked while most of their warriors were away teaching a training seminar at his own pack house. He blamed himself for the eradication of her home, he took in the remaining members even. She nods "Mama, Daddy and I made it out, barely. Kason died…..probably a month after we went on the run……we didn't have anyone else with us……so when they went out for food, I was left at camp……with Kason. One day…..he stopped breathing. I didn't know what to do. He was so little……I was so little…… When Mama and Daddy got back……there wasn't anything they could do—-to bring him back…..so we built him a pyre, Daddy showed me how to use matches and kindling…..the fire ran all-night we—we collected the ashes the next morning and then we left. The memory burned in our minds. I–I still have nightmares of watching our home burn and all the blood, and of losing him" each word came with a sob she wasn't sure why the whole story came out but it was the first time she'd ever allowed herself to say it she hadn't even told her parents of the nightmares. His heart broke with every sob and he held her closer "I blame myself for the day your home was destroyed. It was my pack that your warriors were teaching which left your home unguarded. You've been through so much. You won't be alone anymore, when the warriors returned home, they found everyone they could who survived. They'll be happy to know you survived, if you wish to rebuild your pack and become the rightful heir, we will help you. I can teach you everything it takes to be an Alpha, my mom can teach you everything it takes to be a Luna, then you'll know everything to run a pack weather it's on your own or with your mate" he spoke softly as he walked towards the packhouse her sobs calmed as he spoke her eyes wide as his words sunk in. "You-You're Jayden Bloodmoon? The one from the treaty that would help rebuild or if there's no heir left, would take in our members?!" She asked. Her mother had blamed him for the loss of their home while her father tried to reassure them both that if the warriors returned and found their home destroyed, they'd find all the living members they could and they'd return to the Bloodmoon pack until the proper heir returned. He smiles "Yes, I stuck to my word, they have a home they have high rankings in my pack, your Beta even took the place of mine when he tried to challenge the treaty and tried to fight them. I couldn't allow a high ranking member to threaten the peace we agreed on." He says. Her head c***s sideways "You mean Carsen was promoted to your Beta? Even though he was from another pack?" She asked, shocked and confused. "Of course, what better way to show the Moonstone members that I was serious about the treaty, about giving them a home and safety, then to make their highest ranking member stand next to me leading the pack. Carsen is a natural bound Beta, his family has far more powerful lineage then my old Beta who questioned every decision I made simply because he was my father's Beta before me. We agree on how the pack should be run and I trust him with my life and the life of my pack members new and old. The pack is thriving the best it ever has thanks to his help and the help of your warriors" he said. She smiles softly "Dad was right to trust you where Mom didn't. I'm not even big enough to shift or run a pack yet you give me the respect and decision power of a full grown Alpha" "Why wouldn't I? I started my alpha training at your age, the rightful heir ALWAYS deserves the respect of the alpha even if they're young. The packs who don't, end in war and destruction. When you pick fights with an Heir, you pick fights with the next leader who could spend the rest of their life training to eradicate you" he says chuckling "My parents taught me that when I was your age. Not so that I could become a selfish brat, but so that I could learn to respect other alphas, and their children to end generational fights that could end a millennium of war for the future of the pack not just while I'm alive but many generations later" he says. As he finishes he walks into the pack house. "I want to learn to be a good leader like you." she says smiling. She wasn't sure what the future had in store for her but for the first time in a long time, she felt as though she could take on the world.