Renegade luna

full moon.

ARLO POV.

We were able to follow her trail to the highway. Mountain ridge was where we had found her, so we only assumed that was where she was going. I gathered a team and we went in two cars. When we reached the city, we split up, trying to catch her scent. It was Lucas who found her, it was just around the corner from where we had initially picked her up. I'd never run so fast when he mind linked me to tell me.

"It's strange, though, Arlo, her scent is here, then it just vanishes."

"No it's not, she had a car, Lucas. I remember her keys in her bag"

In my panic, I didn't even think about going back to the apartment and checking if her bag was there.

I followed Lucas into the adjacent cafe. Surely they'd have seen something.

"what can I get you guys?" the young blond, tired-looking barista asked.

"We're looking for a girl actually, about 5'2 golden blond hair?" Lucas asked him in his most persuasive voice.

"oh yeah, saw her before. Jumped in a sprinter van and high-tailed it out of here... I was wondering when someone would collect it, been here for weeks."

We thanked the guy and went back outside. Nova's scent was beginning to fade with the breeze.

"so she lived in a van..." Luca's mind was working. "I think she's more cunning than we realized..'s definitely luna potential."

"She would have realized we'd come here... She would have to have stashed the van somewhere." I mused.

"there's a rental place not far from here." Lucas was already on his phone Google mapping. This was why he was my Beta, we just worked together perfectly.

"Let's go" I ordered, heading back to our SUV. I mink linked the other team the plan and we set off.

We saw it as soon as we rounded the corner, a white sprinter van.

"That's gotta be her van". Lucas pulled up behind it and we set to work. I sent the other boys to deal with the rental guy.

As Lucas and I pried open the van, Nova's scent hit me like a ton of bricks. She had definitely been living here, but for how long?

I climbed inside, it was cozy. A small kitchen area, a flip-down table, and even a pop-out shower head. She was fully set to be off the grid. The rust-colored bed sheets were messed up, and I realized the drawers beneath had been cleared out in a hurry. A buzzing broke my thoughts. Nova's phone was still on the center console.

I grabbed it and answered, waiting to hear who might be speaking to her.

"Nova? thank god! I was getting worried. Surely you are out of juice?" was a man's voice. Who was this man?

"listen. this isn't Nova. If you want her back safely, you need to tell me what you know." I snarled.

The man let out a curse.

" Where is she?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to find her. So let's start with you by telling me everything you know."

" I'll tell you when you tell me who you are."

"Alpha Arlo from the mountain ridge pack. Nova's mate."

"You're really her mate?" he sounded surprised.

"YES! So you better speak!"

"I'm her brother. I'm Cole. I'm a Beta with the Sunshine Coast pack." Nova has a brother, who is a wolf. I'm just getting more questions.

"Nova has a wolf brother?”

“Are you sure she’s your mate? She hasn’t told you about me?” Cole was right to be cautious, it was an unlikely story for him to hear.

“We’ve only been mates for a couple of weeks, she hasn’t mated me back, I don’t really know anything about her other than she is in denial about who she is, loves tea, books and can throw a mean right hook”

Cole laughed.

“Yeah that’s my sister.”

“Care to fill in the blanks so I can find her before the moon does?”

“Oh shut she hasn’t changed!? Look she and I were born to a human mother. She's the one that started us on the elixir as kids. I'm assuming you know about that. When she died, I chose to change and join a pack, and find a family. Nova chose to continue hiding from the Wolf World. I've been helping supply her with the elixir, but our latest restock got delayed, and then she went radio silent."

"Her elixir ran out and has half worn off. She needs to change at the next full moon or she will die."

"Well, she's most likely heading to find me at the coast. Check all the campsites, she never stays in hotels or places she can be traced."

"noted"

"alpha, why did she run?" His voice was soft, laced with brotherly concern.

I sighed. "She hasn't completed the mate bond because the elixir was wearing off still, she saw me in an outburst at council and she bolted."

"I can see that. She's truly is terrified of wolves."

"why?"

"That is for her to say, just you'll understand when she does. Let me know when you find her... and tell her, I miss her and I love her."

NOVA POV.

After maybe five hours of broken sleep, the sunrise began to wake me. I started the car and kept moving. I stopped by a drive-through at a truck stop for breakfast. Getting the cheapest things on the menu and the biggest energy drink they had. I needed to save my limited funds to get to the coast. I stopped once all day, to refuel and pee, and get some more snacks from the gas station, but I kept moving. By now I knew Arlo would be looking for me. If I keep this up, I could make it to the coast by the end of the week. From there, I'd return the car, find a job and start hunting down Cole.

This camping ground was better than the last. Rather than being one big open space, there were multiple different small secluded spots. I found one tucked away, but still not far from the entrance, in case I needed to leave.

It wasn’t long before exhaustion crept in and I dozed off to a restless sleep. I swear I could hear howls calling for me in my dreams I roused, needing to pee. I got the keys and stepped out into the dark. Then It hit me like a car crash. The pain raked my body and I screamed. I looked up. It was a full moon.

ARLO POV

If Hayden's calculations were correct, we could hopefully be catching up to her. But it wasn't enough, it was almost dark and the full moon was upon us. If we didn't find her soon, I don't know what we would find when we did. I thought all the Elixir was out of her system, but perhaps not... I had spent so long trying to get her to trust me, that I should have been trying to get to know her.

" There's another campground not far from here. We can check there."

I felt it as we approached the campground. She was here, I knew it.

It was a black corolla, just what the rental guy had said. I jumped out of the SUV before Lucas had fully stopped it, and bolted for the car. I smashed the window, but she wasn't inside.

I looked into the woods, and my stomach sank. I ran, trying to call to her In my mind, like I had the night I found her, I could sense she was near, she was filled with fear. But where?

As I ran through the trees, I reached a clearing. There she lay, snowflakes slowly falling and settling on her lifeless frame.

"No no no no" I panicked, rushing to her. I rolled her over, pulling her to me. Her body was like ice. Her lips were blue, her pale skin, white as a corpse. I pulled her close to me, tears welling in my eyes. I felt it, her heartbeat, it was weak but there.

"moon" she whispered.

"I know," I said, brushing her damp hair back from her face. Her eyes fluttered open, looking at me.

" Let me go" her voice was raspy. She had been screaming.

"Never," I said, holding her tighter.

"I don't want this life," she said flatly, as a single tear slid down her face.

"I know... Cole told me."

Her eyes widened. "Coles alive?"

" Yes, I spoke to him."

Her exhausted body shook and shuddered, willing her to change. She gritted her teeth and screamed, and she fought it. "I DONT WANT THIS!" She howled.

I laid her down in the damp earth and stood, taking a step back from her, knowing what I had to do. No more elixir in her, this was all her doing.

"I'm sorry nova," I said softly, before taking a breath. I looked at the moon and fell into my wolf form. Id changed so many times now, it was as easy as falling asleep. My deep gray paws hit the earth before her and her eyes widened in fear. I let Riley, my wolf take over. He howled wildly, demanding all my pack to change. All of my pack. I don't know if Nova would ever forgive me for this, but I couldn't let her suffer like this.

She looked at me with pure hatred, as she was forced to give into the shudders raking her small frame.

**********************************

NOVA POV.

"I'm sorry Nova," he said softly, before falling forward, and landing like a huge gray and white wolf. I watched in both fear and awe as he let out a howl. An ear-piercing demand sent a shockwave through my body.

"CHANGE!" he demanded, and I couldn't fight it. I met his eyes. I will never forgive him for this, as my body shook and I felt it overcome me. My bones snapped and contorted, it hurt, but almost like a relief, like pressing a deep bruise. When the pain subsided, I looked down. Two paws covered in russet fur were now where my hands were. I looked at Arlo in wolf form and snarled at him.

"Never again!" I hissed, and he growled back, warning me. But rage burnt through me, how dare he. A deep growl erupted from my chest. Arlo Wolf hunched up and growled back harder, but I stood my ground.

"Submit!" he screamed in my mind.

"NEVER!" I spat back at him.

"Don't make me Nova" he warned.

"I. HATE YOU." I growled at him, but he pounced, biting the back of my neck. I yelped in pain and knelt on my front paws, submitting. Arlo released me as I felt the warmth of my wolf fade and I returned to myself, naked, in the snow, Arlos, wolf fur, soft against my bare back. A low growl faded, as the wolf disappeared and was replaced by Arlo, who pulled me close to him. Naked and cold, I collapsed into his warm chest. Lucus emerged from the bushes with a blanket. He came and draped it over me, Arlo took over and wrapped me in it, then picked me up, carrying me back to the SUV. he didn't seem to care for his own nudity. He sat in the back of the SUV, cradling me. I refused to look at him.

As the car engine started and I knew we were heading back to the pack house at a mountain ridge, I let the silent tears fall. dripping against Arlo's bare chest.

"I'm sorry nova, it had to be done."

"No Arlo. You've just killed me. I hope you're happy." I snapped, letting the tears stream down. He had no idea what would come for me now. One day he will understand.