The Reincarnated Luna

Article

Within a second the door to the cafeteria was slamming closed behind us. Eli commanded Denver to spread the word of a curfew for the pack. 

"No one should be out after dark or before sunrise. Training will be solely inside" Denver sprang into action but Nia stood there, staring at Eli as he continued to hold me and Lilly in his arms and give directions to his small team that had been waiting inside the doors for us. 

"She loves him."  A sharp pain shot through my chest. Seemingly noticing my gaze she turned away and followed Sam as she went to carry out whatever order Eli just gave. Two very large men flanked Eli on either side as he started to walk toward the elevator.

"I can walk you know." I gritted out feeling kind of smothered, as Lilly started to squirm too.

Once we got to the elevator Eli sat me down inside it and nodded for his two men to leave. 

"Send for Cora and have both her and Sam meet me in my office." And with a curt "Right away Alpha" the two men went to carry out their tasks like little worker bees.

"I have a hidden room at the back of my office, you'll be safe there." All I could do was nod as I bounced a very cranky Lilly. By now it was becoming evening and she hadn't had a nap. I knew she'd be passed out for the night very soon.

Eli led me past the long hallway to his office and pulled out a set of keys. 

"The only people with a key to this door are Denver, me, and now you." Once in his office, he led me to a bookcase behind his large desk. He picked up a small picture frame that had what I believed to be of a very young Eli and his parents. A quiet click sounded, which I wouldn't have been able to hear with human hearing. He then opened the book to the left of the picture and to my surprise there was a holographic tablet embedded inside. He typed a few things before snapping if shut and tugging on the side of the shelf. It opened to a large reinforced metal door which Eli put his hand on strategically placed buttons that looked like screws in the metal at first glance. Some of them really were screws, and I'm assuming if the pattern was put in wrong access would be denied. 

The large heavy door swung open to a dark modern apartment.

"There are two bedrooms here and I will have food brought to the office soon. I will be back with an update. Please stay here will Lilly till I have more information." He went to turn and leave but I caught him by the wrist causing him the freeze. 

"Give me the tablet. I need to read it." He hesitated before pulling the small tablet that Denver had handed him out of his pocket.

"I will fix this." He placed a longing kiss on my forehead before turning and locking the door behind him. There were windows in the apartment, so it didn't feel any different from a normal apartment except for the reinforced windows and doors. It was like a lavish apartment with hints of a bunker. 

I sat the tablet down on the coffee table and made my way across the large living area to one of the side doors. I had already been rocking Lilly since we got back in the building and trying to keep her calm. I hadn't noticed that I was slightly humming until I went to lay her down on the bed and she was out cold. The slight rise and fall of her chest made me feel a little relieved knowing that she was here with me. I pulled the blankets over her before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead and walking back out to the living space. Luckily the bed was positioned perfectly for me to keep her in my eyeliner as I sat on the couch.

Taking a deep breath I hesitated to open the tablet. 

How could Alec do all of this to me? Or put Lilly through this? 

"We need to know what all the media is saying. We may be wanted by the colonies but as long as Lilly's name is clean and she is able to have a future with other humans.." I nodded agreeing with Selene.

 I may still be coming to terms with it, but I am not human. So I don't exactly expect to be accepted by them, but Lilly may want to be with her own kind one day. My heart sank at the thought of her leaving me but as long as she is safe and happy I don't mind. I can't. 

I took a deep breath to steady myself before loading up the tablet. Once again the large bold letters popped into the air just as they had been left. I scrolled past the title and skimmed the first couple of paragraphs. By the third paragraph, I felt sick. I honestly couldn't believe the things I was reading. I left that article and searched for another, maybe a different News site decided to take a different angle. I had gone through at least four separate articles, every last one of them more idiotic and gruesome than the last. Luckily every single one of them described Lilly as being taken against her will and that she wasn't working with the werewolves. Alec is said to be working with authorities to find her, and only one of the articles said that I was just an unwilling bystander. The first article quoted Alec saying "I never would have believed my younger sister could be responsible for such an inexcusable act of violence" and I had to choke back the laugh that had almost escaped.

The faint click of someone picking up the picture on the bookcase outside the room sent me to my feet. I glanced into the bedroom to make sure Lilly was still safe in bed before I moved to a fighting stance. My heartbeat slammed in my ears as I raised my fists. Slowly the door swung open, but I didn't leave anything to chance. I dashed to the opening of the door ready to fight off whoever it might be. That is until Eli stopped my fist just inches from his face. He looked pained, but not from me. 

"Where is Lilly?" He asked loosening the grip on my hand, but not fully letting go.

"Asleep." I used my head to motion toward the bedroom door that was open. He lifted a small bag in his right hand before motioning into the room. I moved aside, still slightly on guard as I closed the door behind him and glanced into his office to make sure no one else was there.

"My people are already working to get the stories taken down and your name cleared. Sadly the only way we can do that is make it seem like we kidnapped you both, along with slaughtering your family." He started taking white boxes out of the bag, along with two of his enhanced drinks. 

"But in reality, it's completely up to you. We are going to be increasing security around the pack, but it seems whoever snuck in was using a scent cover and there is no way that they were human. A human could not have evaded us so well."

I plopped down back on the couch, glancing over to see Lilly tossing on the bed.

"So Alec couldn't accept me, but he can use people like me for his personal gain? I guess I never even really knew him." I hadn't realized that I had been balling my fists up until Eli rested his hand on mine. I loosened up a little only to see my nails had elongated and punctured my palms.

"I don't know what is going through your brother's head, but he very obviously has ties with more people than he should. There is more to him than just being the Minister's son." His eye caught mine and never left.

"We will get to the bottom of it, I promise you." He continued to stare at me, almost as if he was searching for something within me.  A minute or so had passed when the tension started to leave my body and could see the muscles in Eli's face began to relax.

"Thank you." I paused, not knowing if I should actually open up to him or not. "A lot has happened in the past few days, and while I don't completely trust you I do feel safe with you. Lilly too-" I broke eye contact to check on Lilly once again. "she likes it here. I don't know what kind of future we may have; especially with the Colonies thinking I'm a bloodthirsty criminal." As soon as I stopped talking I realized that all werewolves were viewed that way in the Colonies.

"How are you the Alpha but also on the Council? Wouldn't that make the major new stations weary of you? Along with the other government officials?" He took his hand from mine with a sigh. 

"I brought some authentic street tacos from my best friend's dinner. He should be here soon. He is actually my Beta and second in command, and had just gotten back from overseeing one of our recent field missions to help the families living in the barren lands." Eli handed me the white box before he drizzled lime juice on his own. I mimicked him, wanting to get the full experience of the food. He didn't take a bite and I had a feeling he was waiting for me to try the food first. I slowly brought one of the corn tortillas to my mouth and took a bite. A fragrant mesh of cilantro, steak, and lime cascaded over my tung causing me to involuntarily moan. A large smile spread across Eli's chiseled normally stone-like face right before he took a bite. Somehow he even made eating an elegant gesture. 

"Denver is the stand-in Alpha. He is not of Alpha blood, but he has the instincts and skills of one. When we were growing up he always kept me on my toes, making me think my father would pick me over him." I took another bite, my eyes never leaving Eli. 

"Only a select few know of my existence outside of the packs, and even fewer on the council. Most Ministers believe I am just from a prominent wealthy family."

"How do you keep your pack members from turning on you? Or how do you keep the rogues you mentioned the other day from leaking your existence?" I went to grab another taco but realized I had eaten all three that he had given me. A small grin tugged at his lips as he scooted his box over to me.

"I didn't know how hungry you were so I took five of them. You can have my last one. More food will be here in a little so that Lilly can eat if she wakes up before breakfast." We sat in silence as I finished the last taco and went into the kitchen to throw stuff away. I hopped on the white granite island letting my legs dangle over the side as I waited for him to continue the conversation from earlier. Eli turned from putting out glasses in the sink crossed from me and sighed. 

"I'm not proud of this, but for us to be able to do everything to the best of our ability every pack member is required to be injected with a certain serum. Either when they join the pack, or when they learn that I am the real Alpha. We tell every cub in the pack around age 10." He hesitated and waited for my reaction. When he didn't continue I let my main question slip out.

"What kind of serum? What does it do?" He tensed before he brought his large hand to rub his neck.

"Naturally when someone is born or sworn into a pack a blood oath is made." I nodded.

"Well, that creates the bond of the pack. Every last one of us are linked, and with that bond comes mind linking. Mind linking is natural with our spiritual sides, and allows us to communicate without speaking." 

"I have already heard about this from a book I had read, but I'm still confused as to what that has to do with the serum? I thought the mind link connection was natural and came from Amaruq blood." Eli stood up from the counter and walked directly in front of me. He looked down to me as he towered above and slowly brought his hand to my cheek. An anticipated chill ran down my spine, making me sit up straight and and push myself toward him, unwillingly arching my back. I couldn't help but want to be closer to him.

"I'm okay with anything this life throws at me. I'm okay with the whole world hating me. I will almost do anything as long as it would mean my people are safe and taken care of, but when it comes to you- I can't bring myself to put them above you." He rested his other hand on my hip as if my curves were made specifically for his hand to rest comfortably on it. He slowly brought his forehead down to mine, driving my heart crazy as it rapidly picked up speed.

"I can't take the thought of you hating me, and the image of you being hurt-" a muscle in his jaw flexed as his eyes shut tight enough to make even my head hurt. Just seeing him like this made my insides twist, but I couldn't tell if it was a good or bad feeling. I can't help but want to wrap my legs around him right now and make all his tension fade away. He's so outrageously attractive that I want to burn every single expression he makes into my memory forever, but seeing him so conflicted makes me want to wash all his worries away. 

I want to make him relax. I need him to know that no matter what I'm here for him and that he will never have to worry about my opinion of him. With that one thought I turned my body over to Selene, and without missing a beat she lifted our hand to his face. Just lightly grazing his cheek causing his tense eyes to open to small slits. Once his eyes met mine his brows drew together before he spoke.

"The serum allows us to access any of the pack members' thoughts and memories without their knowledge. It also allows us to monitor certain thoughts that may pop up, like if the member was thinking about betraying us or leaking our secrets. The members just believe the serum makes them stronger, along with strengthening their bond to the pack. Which they aren't wrong. The serum does also have other bonuses to it." He held his breath, but I didn't flinch or hesitate as I held his gaze.

"But you weren't able to sense Derrick's betrayal?" He slightly nodded.

"Somehow he was able to block my Beta and I. My team is currently looking into that as they're examining his body." I will never support taking away someones free will.

"I don't see it that way. He obviously doesn't enjoy having to do this, but you have to be able to make sacrifices when the greater good is at stake."  I kind of agree with Selene to a point, and while no one knows that the serum allows Eli to do this, it may just be one of the lesser evils in the situation. 

I gave him a small nod as I relaxed my shoulders and arched my back a tad to bring us a little closer. Eli took a small step closer to me. He had already been standing between my legs, but now his thighs brushed the inside of mine with our chests pressed to one another. I have a bigger bust so there was still space left between our lower half that I was itching to close, but I was able to control myself enough to try to console Eli. I ran my hand behind his ear and through his hair as I painstakingly inched my lips closer to his. Just before I took his lower lip into my mouth I murmured "I understand." and felt goosebumps erupt across his skin. He didn't relax, but I had the feeling that he wasn't upset about our current situation from how his grip tightened on my hip. He returned my kiss slow at first as if he was savoring it, but with every touch they grew hungrier. He closed the space between us, pressing all of me tight against him and causing me to shiver with the electricity coursing through me. 

Eli stepped back to look at me as he panted. I didn't think I would ever see him out of breath, and I have to say the undeniable desire in his eyes made me want to deny him air forever. Just as I grasped his hair in my hand to drag his face back down to mine an unmistakable click sounded throughout the saferoom. In the blink of an eye, Eli had me off the island counter and behind him away from the door in a protective stance.